Compati Hero Series
Encyclopedia
The is a video game series published exclusively in Japan
by Banpresto
and Namco Bandai Games
(formerly Bandai
) that began in , that serves as crossover between Ultraman
, Kamen Rider
(also known as Masked Rider) and Gundam
.
It was the first video game series to involve a crossover between animated
giant robots and live action
tokusatsu
heroes from different established franchises. The series makes this possible by using caricaturized versions of the characters (officially referred as "SD" or "Super Deformed
" characters), which allowed the different heroes and villains to co-exist and interact with each other without the need to reconcile their contrasting styles and settings. The first game in the series, SD Battle Ōzumō: Heisei Hero Basho for the Family Computer, which mixed franchises that were originally licensed to Popy
, was developed as a congratulatory present to Yukimasa Sugiura when he was promoted to president of Banpresto at the time, which was soon followed by series of spin-offs and related games featuring the same cast of characters that developed into the Compati Hero Series.
The series was successful with children thanks to the SD Gundam craze, but after the release of Charinko Hero for the GameCube, there were no new games afterward for nearly eight years. Namco Bandai is currently developing a new game in the series titled Lost Heroes, scheduled for the Nintendo 3DS
in 2012.
Main series
Gaiden series
Derivative games
Battle Dodgeball series
Battle Soccer series
Super Pachinko Taisen series
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by Banpresto
Banpresto
is a Japanese toy company, best known in America for game development, headquartered in the Shinagawa Seaside West Building in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It was founded April 1977 as Hoei Sangyo, Co. Ltd. The company was renamed Coreland in 1982, and during the 1980s it worked mainly as a subcontractor for...
and Namco Bandai Games
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
(formerly Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
) that began in , that serves as crossover between Ultraman
Ultra Series
The is the collective name for all the shows produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad Ultra Monsters. The Ultra Series is one of the prominent tokusatsu superhero genre productions from Japan, along with Toei produced series Kamen Rider, Super...
, Kamen Rider
Kamen Rider Series
The is a metaseries of manga and tokusatsu television programs and films created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. The various Kamen Rider media generally feature a motorcycle-riding superhero with an insect motif who fights supervillains often referred to as...
(also known as Masked Rider) and Gundam
Gundam
The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
.
It was the first video game series to involve a crossover between animated
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
giant robots and live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
heroes from different established franchises. The series makes this possible by using caricaturized versions of the characters (officially referred as "SD" or "Super Deformed
Super deformed
Super deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads, to make them resemble small children...
" characters), which allowed the different heroes and villains to co-exist and interact with each other without the need to reconcile their contrasting styles and settings. The first game in the series, SD Battle Ōzumō: Heisei Hero Basho for the Family Computer, which mixed franchises that were originally licensed to Popy
Popy
Popy Popy Popy (ポピー）was a Japanese toy manufacturer of the 1970s and early 1980s. The company was owned by Bandai. It was founded in 1971, and merged back into the parent company in 1983...
, was developed as a congratulatory present to Yukimasa Sugiura when he was promoted to president of Banpresto at the time, which was soon followed by series of spin-offs and related games featuring the same cast of characters that developed into the Compati Hero Series.
The series was successful with children thanks to the SD Gundam craze, but after the release of Charinko Hero for the GameCube, there were no new games afterward for nearly eight years. Namco Bandai is currently developing a new game in the series titled Lost Heroes, scheduled for the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
in 2012.
The Great Battle
Early games- SD Battle Ōzumō: Heisei Hero Basho (Family Computer - April 20, 1990)
- SD Hero Soukessen: Taose! Aku no Gundan (Family Computer - July 7, 1990)
- Great Battle Cyber (Family Computer - December 25, 1992)
Main series
- SD The Great Battle (Super Famicom - December 29, 1990)
- The Great Battle II: Last Fighter Twin (Super Famicom - March 27, 1992)
- The Great Battle III (Super Famicom - March 26, 1993)
- The Great Battle IV (Super Famicom - December 17, 1994)
- The Great Battle V (Super Famicom - December 22, 1995)
- The Great Battle VI (PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
- April 11, 1997) - The Great Battle Pocket (Game Boy ColorGame Boy ColorThe is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
- December 3, 1999) (developed by Alpha Unit)
Gaiden series
- Tekkyu Fight! The Great Battle Gaiden (Game BoyGame BoyThe , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
- July 30, 1993) - The Great Battle Gaiden 2: Matsuri da Wasshoi (Super Famicom - January 28, 1994)
Derivative games
- Super Tekkyu Fight! (Super Famicom - September 15, 1995)
- Battle Crusher (Game Boy - January 27, 1995)
- Battle Pinball (Super Famicom - February 24, 1995)
- Ganbare! Compati Heroes Bokurano (Sega PicoSega PicoThe Sega Pico, also known as , was an electronic toy by Sega. The aim of creating the Pico was to get more young children to use video game systems....
)
Compati Sports Series
Individual games- Battle Baseball (Family Computer - February 19, 1993)
- Versus Hero: Road to the King Fight (Game Boy - August 7, 1992)
- Battle RacersBattle Racersis a 1995 video game for the Super Famicom that was released to an exclusively Japanese market.-Summary:This video game combines the futuristic elements of F-Zero with the whimsical elements of Super Mario Kart. Players can select from various tracks and confront numerous dead ends and alternate...
(Super Famicom - March 17, 1995) - Charinko HeroCharinko Herois a racing video game released by Banpresto. The game was only released in Japan. It features characters from Shotaro Ishinomori's Kamen Rider Series and Eiji Tsuburaya's Ultra Series riding on Big Wheels.-Characters:*Old Kamen Rider 1*Kamen Rider V3...
(GameCube - July 17, 2003)
Battle Dodgeball series
- Battle Dodge Ball (Super Famicom - July 20, 1991)
- Battle Dodge Ball (Game Boy - October 16, 1992)
- Battle Dodge Ball II (Super Famicom - July 23, 1993)
Battle Soccer series
- Battle Soccer: Field no HashaBattle Soccer: Field no Hashais a football video game, developed by Pandora Box and published by Banpresto, which was released exclusively in Japan in 1992.This game features many popular Japanese franchise characters like Gundam, Ultraman, Kamen Rider and Godzilla, among a few others....
(Super Famicom - December 11, 1992) - Battle Soccer 2Battle Soccer 2is a football video game, developed by Pandora Box and published by Banpresto, which was released exclusively in Japan in 1994.This game is a sequel to Battle Soccer: Field no Hasha.-External links:* at superfamicom.org* at super-famicom.jp...
(Super Famicom - November 25, 1994)
Super Pachinko Taisen series
- Super Pachinko Taisen (Super Famicom - April 28, 1995)
- Super Pachinko Taisen (Game Boy - June 30, 1995)
RPG
Due to the story-based nature of the RPG genre, the following games have numerous plot details adapted from the original source materials, while retaining the style of the Compati Hero Series.- Hero Senki: Project OlympusHero Senki: Project Olympusis a 1992 Super Famicom video game about a special force team called ZEUS . The setting is a space colony by the name of Elpis, where cyborgs, Mobile Suits, and Ultra-people live together in peace. Up to four characters can be in a party at any given time and the currency of the game is considered...
(Super Famicom - November 20, 1992) (developed by WinkySoftWinkysoftWinkysoft is a Japanese video game developing company. They have made several video games for the Famicom, the Dreamcast and the PlayStation console systems...
) - Gaia SaverGaia Saveris a 1994 Super Famicom video game that was only released in Japan.-Summary:Gaia Saver is a science fiction role-playing game where the player has to fight wielding an alliance with the super deformed heroes. The primary objective is to save the Earth. The heroes advance in three parties...
(Super Famicom - January 28, 1994) - Super Hero OperationsSuper Hero Operationsis an RPG released in 1999 by Banpresto for the Sony Playstation. The game spawned a sequel, known as Super Hero Operations: Diedal's Ambition. The game is considered part of the Super Robot Wars series due to the characters Ingram Prisken and Viletta Vadim who originally debuted in the game...
(PlayStation - January 28, 1999) - Super Hero Operations: Diedal's Ambition (PlayStation - November 22, 2000)
Robot-related
The following games only feature characters from mecha anime and do not include tokusatsu heroes.- Super Robot Wars (Game Boy - April 20, 1991)
- See Super Robot WarsSuper Robot Warsis a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
for further information.
- See Super Robot Wars
- Battle Commander: Hachibushu Shura no Heihou (Super Famicom - December 29, 1991)
- Shuffle Fight (Family Computer - October 9, 1992)
Other
- Battle Formation (PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
- November 13, 1997) - Tokusatsu Bouken Katsugeki Super Hero Retsuden (DreamCast - July 27, 2000) (developed by ALU)
- The Great Battle III (mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
)
Heroes
- A "Banpresto Original" character who was created to serve as a fourth hero who fights alongside Ultraman, Kamen Rider and Gundam. He first appears as a supporting character in SD The Great Battle, and then as a playable character in The Great Battle II. His character design was provided illustrator M. Ganzy. Since he was created to be a hero representative of Banpresto, the borders surrounding his eyes resembles the logo of Banpresto.
- Originally a cyborg created by Dark Brain, Roar fights in order to prevent other beings from suffering the same fate he endures. At first, he did not bear the word "Fighter" on his name and originally he wore a hood that covered his whole in SD The Great Battle. From The Great Battle II and most subsequent appearances, he wears a red armor and has visible blue hair. Although the portion that covers his mouth in the latter design were originally said to be cybernetic implants, it was later established in The Great Battle IV that it's actually a mouse cover that he wears. Although he bears other different designs, such as when he appears as a referee in Battle Dodge Ball or when he becomes an evil warrior in Battle Commander, those designs are established to different equipment wore by the character. In Battle Racers, his secondary color scheme consists of green hair and blue armor.
- Roar's special moves include the "Fire Dragon" and the "Tamaya Bomber" attacks. His personality differs between games, in the original Great Battle, as well as in IV and V, he talks politely and always uses honorifics, while in II and III he has a sharper tongue and is more straightforward.
- A musical band called "Roar & Emi" appears in the OG (Original Generation) series of Super Robot Wars games. In Super Robot Wars: Original Generations a redesigned version of Roar appears alongside the Compati Kaiser (called the "Compatible Kaiser") from The Great Battle IV, where he is a superhero identity assumed by a character named Kohta Azuma. In Suparobo Gakuen for the DS, Roar challenges the player with the Compati Kaiser.
- Fighter Roar's younger sister. She made her debut earlier than her brother in SD Hero Sōkessen for the Famicom as an engineer of a Gachapon Machine and it wasn't until Battle Commander where she was established to be Roar's sister. Her character design differs depending on the game: in SD Hero Sōkessen, she wears a helmet that covers her right eye; while in Great Battle III, she has visible hair that still covers her right eye. Both designs are used in Battle Racers.
- Although she usually appears as an ally who aids the heroes such as in the Great Battle series, Battle Racers or Battle Pinball, in SD Hero Sōkessen she is taken captive and transforms into the final boss after Dark Brain is defeated before regaining her senses. Similarly, in Battle Dodge Ball II she is a member of the final rival team called the "God Factory", and in Battle Crusher, she becomes "Dark Emi" after being possessed by Dark Brain and challenges the player as the final opponent in the championship tournament. In Super Robot Wars OG Gaiden, she has a hostile relation with Roar (where she also assumes the form of Dark Emi). Emi manifests itself inside a human, who is Kouta's sister, Shoko Azuma.
- While her powers are not as great as Roar's, she has several healing skills in various games, wield the Hindbreaker sword passed down by the "shadow people" in Battle Commander and has the ability to reduce an opponent's special move points in Battle Dodge Ball II, among other abilities.
- First appears in Project Olympus, where he is a federation soldier who pilots a powered suit called . Because of events that occur in Project Olympus, Guiliam is burdened with the destiny of having to wander into alternate universes. The Guiliam who appears in the Super Robot Wars series, which has a completely different setting from the Compati Hero Series, is the same Guiliam from Project Olympius, having retained his memories from that game. He also appears in Battle Dodge Ball II.
- A short middle-aged superhero who first appears SD Battle Ōzumō as a representative of Banpresto, he has a peculiar hairstyle and wears a SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
-like outfit with a rocket booster on his back. In subsequent games, he appears as a supporting character who assist the heroes by serving the role of a referee or a shopkeeper. In Battle Commander he appears with a completely different design than in the other games, as a robot equipped with bow & arrows and a musket gun who appears in advertisement. In Super Robot Wars OGs, he and Great Kaminori are mentioned be mascots in the amusement park where Princess Shine performs.
- Another character who debuted in SD Battle Ōzumō as a representative of Banpresto, he is a horned red-skinned thunder-god who wears a yellow t-shirt with a Banpresto logo, carries a pair of drums on his back, and resembles the Terminator. He is named after the KaminarimonKaminarimonThe is the outer of two large entrance gates that ultimately leads to the Sensō-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. The gate, with its lantern and statues, is popular with tourists. It stands 11.7 m tall, 11.4 m wide and covers and area of 69.3 m2.- History :The Kaminarimon was first...
gate at the Sensō-jiSenso-jiis an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Taitō, Tokyo. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect, it became independent after World War II. Adjacent to the temple is a Shinto shrine, the Asakusa Shrine.- History :The temple is...
Temple, he has a technique called the in which he radiates electricity from his body. He reappears in Great Battle II and III as a non-playable ally who helps out Roar and the other heroes by combining his attacks with theirs to defeat enemies. While in II he has the same appearance as in SD Battle Ōzumō, in III he wears a pair of shade and is shirtless aside from a pair of suspenders sustaining his trousers.
- Despite his heroic role in the Great Battle series, he appears as a teammate of the villainous Neo Dark Brain in Battle Dodge Ball, where he has light blue hair, lighter skin, and protective gear on his chest and shoulders. Like Banprekid, he appears in an ad in Battle Commander, where he now carries a pair of power turbines on his back and now has two horns instead of one growing out of his head.
- Aside for being mentioned by name in Super Robot Wars OGs, a giant mech modeled after him appears in Super Robot Wars OG Gaiden called the G-Thundergate, piloted by Emi ("Thundergate" being the English translation of "Kaminarimon"). Moreover, in the final episode of Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The InspectorSuper Robot Wars Original Generation: The Inspectoris a Japanese anime series, that retells the events from the Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2 game, a game featuring only original characters and mechs created by Banpresto for the Super Robot Wars franchise. It was produced by Asahi Production and started broadcasting in several Japanese...
, a mecha modeled after the Battle Commander version of Kaminarimon called the "Noi GK" as an enemy spacecraft brought to life by Beowulf.
- The engineer who creates the Compatible Kaiser in The Great Battle IV. He appears in Super Robot Wars: Original Generations alongside Fighter Roar, where he is given the full name of Kisaburoh Azuma. In The Great Battle III, an elderly magician with the same name, although his relation to the later Dr. Kisaburoh is never mentioned.
Villains
- A recurring boss character in the Great Battle series. First appears as the final boss in SD Hero Sōkessen, where he is depicted as a brain planted into a machine, a form he also has in the later Famicom game Great Battle Cyber. In the first Great Battle for the Super Famicom, he appears disguised in a humanoid robot body covered in a mantle with a one-eyed device. In Great Battle II, he becomes Hyper Dark Brain, an upgraded form that resembles his appearance in the Famicom games, but with removed armor, longer arms and legs, and he speaks with an exaggerated Kansai dialect. In Great Battle III the original form of Dark Brain is shown, in which he dresses a clown and calls himself the . However, after being defeated his body is destroyed, leaving only his exposed brain.
- In Battle Dodge Ball, his form in the original Great Battle is given the name of Neo Dark Brain, while in Battle Dodge Ball II he assumes a form similar to Hyper Dark Brain when he is used as an outer court player. In Tekkyū Fight!, Dark Brain merges with the Iron Devil King Dark Iron to become one form. He appears in Super Robot Wars OG Gaiden in a redesigned version of his form in the original Great Battle.
- One of three underlings of Dark Brain. He resembles a human skeleton equipped with knight armor. He was one of the new boss characters who debuted in the original Great Battle alongside Crystal Dragon and Debudabide. In Battle Dodge Ball he appears as a member of Dark Brain's team.
- The second of Dark Brain's three underlings. He is a one-eyed dragon whose body is covered in crystal and has a second human-like face on his abdomen. After defeating his first form, he turns into a serpent-shaped form composed of spherical crystals.
- The third and last of Dark Brain's underlings. A giant man whose form changes in every installment.
- Replaces the Bone Fighter in Great Battle II. Although he is an armor-wearing skeleton just like the Bone Fighter, the lower half of his body is that of a horse (like a centaurCentaurIn Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
) or a chariot depending on the game. In Battle Commander, he is one of the four minions of Dagubool
- Replaces the Crystal Dragon in Great Battle II. His design varies between one of two forms: a dragon who is entirely covered in crystal, or a regular flesh dragon who is equipped with crystals on certain parts of his body. In Great Battle II and III he has a human face on his abdomen like the Crystal Dragon. In Battle Commander, he is also one of the four minions of Dagubool
- The final boss in The Great Battle II. A being who has conquered many planets, he sets his sight on the SD Nation and manages to divide the nation by destroying the Environmental Management Device while the heroes were fighting Dark Brain, allowing him to conquer the SD Nation without much of an effort. Has an upgraded form with improved combat efficiency. In Great Battle III, he appears as a magician who resurrects Dark Brain after he is defeated and has a much smaller size than in the previous game.
- A new character created to be Gundam's rival. He resembles a red and white Gundam with a part on his head similar to ZZ GundamZZ GundamThe MSZ-010 ΖΖ Gundam , designed by Makoto Kobayashi, is a fictional weapon from the Universal Century timeline of the anime Gundam metaseries. Its popularity has led to many variations, upgrades, redesigns and influenced later design works such as S Gundam...
's High Mega Cannon. However, he lacks the golden "V"-shaped antenna on his forehead and instead has two antennas on the left and right sides of the vulcan hole on top of his head. Both of his shoulders are also equipped with movable beam shields. In official illustrations, he is equipped with a funnel like one equipped by the Sazabi model. In Battle Dodge Ball 2, he is a member of the Mobile Suit Killers team. In Gaia Saver, he is a mobile suit piloted by a brainwashed Amuro RayAmuro Rayis a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
.
- A new character created to be Kamen Rider's rival. He is a mutant modeled after a mantis or a long-horned beetle. His design differs depending on the game, such as in Gaia Saver, where one of his arms resembles the petal of a carnivorous plant. Moreover, his body is colored green in the games, but is depicted as blue in official illustrations. In Battle Dodge Ball 2, he appears as a member of the Shocker Eagles team. In Gaia Saver, he is actually a brainwashed remodified version of Kamen Rider 2Kamen Rider 2is a fictional character and secondary protagonist from the Japanese tokusatsu television series Kamen Rider, the first in the famous Kamen Rider franchise of tokusatsu programmes. Like Kamen Rider 1, he is a motorcycle-riding superhero modelled upon a grasshopper. In the original series, he is...
.
- A new character created to be Ultraman's rival. Resembles Ultraman with a blue body and a golden mask. He is also equipped with a golden gauntlet on his right arm with extended fingertips. In Battle Dodge Ball 2, he appears as a member of the Monster Powers team. In Gaia Saver, he is actually a brainwashed ZoffyZoffyis a fictional alien superhero featured in the Ultra Series. He first appeared in the final episode of Ultraman , thus becoming the very second Ultra-Being from the Land of Light in the Nebula M78 to appear on Earth after Ultraman himself.-Stats:*Height: 45 meters*Weight: 45,000 tonnes*Age: 25,000...
.