The Punisher / パニッシャー / Panisshā

The Punisher (Japanese: パニッシャー, Hepburn: Panisshā) is a 1993 beat 'em up arcade game developed and released by Capcom. It stars the Marvel Comics' antihero the Punisher (Frank Castle) and co-stars S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury as the second player's character as they embark on a mission to kill the crime lord the Kingpin and bring down his organization. While following the same general formula as Capcom's previous beat 'em ups, the game has a range of usable weapons and a comics-style presentation.

The Punisher gained significant popularity in arcades and is widely regarded as one of the best titles in the beat 'em up genre as well as one of the best video game adaptations of comic books. A Mega Drive/Genesis port was developed by Sculptured Software and published by Capcom to mixed reviews and commercial failure.

Gameplay

The Punisher follows the same side-scrolling beat'em up formula Capcom established in Final Fight (1989) and Captain Commando (1991) as the protagonists engage ordinary foes and stage bosses. As in most beat'em up games of this kind, progression through the game is achieved by systematically dispatching all varieties of henchmen to proceed onward to either right or left, and defeating the ringleaders whom the player(s) encounter at the boss stage of each level. Much like the limited roster of playable characters in Street Fighter (1987), the size, abilities and tactics of both player characters (the Punisher and Nick Fury) are essentially interchangeable; they both use the same basic moves, such as punches, kicks and throws, which can be chained into combos, as well as similar special attacks. Basic attacks can be combined to cause extra damage to enemies. The game is presented in a comic book-like style, including featuring on-screen onomatopoeias such as "BLAM!" for gunshots.

Various melee (including baseball bats and Japanese swords) and thrown weapons (including knives and shuriken) as well as improvised weapons (such as lead pipes, car tires and a crude flamethrower) can be picked up during regular combat. Weapons can be dropped by killed enemies or obtained from smashing various containers throughout the stages. When the player is armed with a weapon, its durability will be displayed alongside the player's health, showing how much it can be used until it breaks apart. Treasure can also be found in containers, awarding the player with bonus score points once collected (jewelry also appears after defeating female enemies). Health can be replenished by picking up food, which can also give bonus points. The game distinguished itself by the relatively high level of violence in a video game of the era, as well by the frequent use of firearms, including an Ingram and a M16. There are several sections of the game when gun-wielding enemies appear to which the characters draw their handguns, enabling the player to shoot them. Player characters can also pick up and collect hand grenades that can be deployed at a moment of choice.

Plot
In the game's intro, U.S. Marine Captain Frank Castle enjoys a picnic with his family in Central Park. The Castle family accidentally discovered a mob killing. Fearing any witnesses, the killers gunned down the family. To avenge them and all others like them Frank becomes The Punisher. The game begins in an illegal casino and the streets of the New York City, with the merciless vigilante Frank "the Punisher" Castle (optionally partnered with S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury) in pursuit of the Mafia enforcer Bruno Costa who ordered the killing of Castle's family; the chase ends with a fight against Chester Scully (a minor villain from the comics). Frank "interrogates" Scully, gets the information he needs, and then promptly shoots him. Still on track of Bruno, the Punisher infiltrates the mob's Pantaberde resort in Florida via a water duct. He breaks into a hotel and corners Bruno, who is suddenly killed by a robot called Guardroid, who tells Frank the Kingpin has programmed him to terminate him, which the Punisher must then take on.

The Punisher then raids a major drug-smuggling ring at the local harbor, which ends with him confronting Bonebreaker in a waterfront warehouse. After that, the Punisher attacks the Kingpin's poppy field at a cave in Arizona. The Punisher boards and destroys a freight train which is commanded by Bushwhacker.

______________

Developer(s) Capcom
Publisher(s) Capcom
Director(s) Noritaka Funamizu
Designer(s) Akira Yasuda
Jun Keiba
Junichi Ohno
Programmer(s) Kazuhito Nakai
Tomohiro Ueno
Yoji Mikami
Artist(s) Haruki Suetsugu
Eri Nakamura
Hiroaki Minobe
Composer(s) Yoko Shimomura
Isao Abe
Platform(s) Arcade, Sega Genesis
Release Arcade
1993
Sega Genesis
NA: November 15, 1994
EU: April 1995
Genre(s) Beat 'em up
Mode(s) Single-player, co-op
Arcade system CP System Dash

#The Punisher #capcom games #arcade