Tattoo Assassins
Encyclopedia
Tattoo Assassins is an unreleased 1994 versus fighting game by Data East
. Spearheaded by Bob Gale
(screenwriter for Back to the Future
) and Joe Kaminkow (leader of Data East Pinball, now known as Stern Pinball), Tattoo Assassins was designed to be Data East's answer to Mortal Kombat
.
Tattoo Assassins was developed to compete with the popular Midway
fighting game franchise Mortal Kombat. Developed by Data East, Tattoo Assassins combined the talents of Joe Kaminkow (leader of Data East Pinball, a subsidiary of Data East Japan) and Bob Gale (screenwriter for Back to the Future). Using the same style of digitized graphics
as Mortal Kombat, Tattoo Assassins featured real life actor
s fighting each other with violent moves and combos. Most notable is that the game featured 2196 finishing moves, including some nudity
-based finishers (only a rumor in Mortal Kombat) and animal
-based finishers (before they were featured in Mortal Kombat 3
as "Animalities"). Some included dropping a DeLorean
car onto the opponent (a Back to the Future reference), turning the opponent into a hamburger (a reference to an earlier Data East game, BurgerTime
), and massive diarrhea
.
Each of the characters had magical tattoo
s, which came to life when they performed special attacks and finishing moves. Even though the game was never completely finished, EGM
posted an in-depth article with moves and information about all of the characters.http://www.bunnyears.net/tattoo/
Two other non-fighter characters that appear in the game's story are Mullah Abba, the spiritual leader of the Order of Colors who discovered the mysterious ink used by the fighters, and Lyla Blue, a woman who is used as a channel by Mullah Abba to allow the player to control one of the assassins in combat.
and Primal Rage
performing well, Tattoo Assassins competing chances were slim and it was never put into production.
Even though the game was never released, several prototype
models were produced for testing in arcades. Nearly two dozen machines were produced for the AMOA show in San Antonio in 1994, but most were later destroyed. Two machines reside at the PAPA
headquarters, and a few others may exist in the wild.
After Data East filed for bankruptcy and became defunct in 2003, G-Mode
bought the rights to Tattoo Assassins along with most of Data East's other titles.
Data East
also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, when it declared bankruptcy...
. Spearheaded by Bob Gale
Bob Gale
Michael Robert "Bob" Gale is an American screenwriter who co-wrote the science fiction film Back to the Future with writing partner Robert Zemeckis, and the screenplays for the film's two sequels. Gale also co-produced all three films....
(screenwriter for Back to the Future
Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
) and Joe Kaminkow (leader of Data East Pinball, now known as Stern Pinball), Tattoo Assassins was designed to be Data East's answer to Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat (series)
Mortal Kombat, commonly abbreviated MK, is a science fantasy series of fighting games created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. The first four renditions and their updates were developed by Midway Games and initially released on arcade machines. The arcade titles were later picked up by Acclaim...
.
Development
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
fighting game franchise Mortal Kombat. Developed by Data East, Tattoo Assassins combined the talents of Joe Kaminkow (leader of Data East Pinball, a subsidiary of Data East Japan) and Bob Gale (screenwriter for Back to the Future). Using the same style of digitized graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
as Mortal Kombat, Tattoo Assassins featured real life actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s fighting each other with violent moves and combos. Most notable is that the game featured 2196 finishing moves, including some nudity
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
-based finishers (only a rumor in Mortal Kombat) and animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
-based finishers (before they were featured in Mortal Kombat 3
Mortal Kombat 3
Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game developed by Midway and released in 1995, first as an arcade game. It is the third game in the Mortal Kombat series...
as "Animalities"). Some included dropping a DeLorean
DeLorean
DeLorean may refer to:* John DeLorean, American businessman who founded the DeLorean Motor Company* DeLorean Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer, based in North America* DeLorean DMC-12, the single automobile produced by the DeLorean Motor Company...
car onto the opponent (a Back to the Future reference), turning the opponent into a hamburger (a reference to an earlier Data East game, BurgerTime
Burgertime
is a 1982 arcade game created by Data East for its DECO Cassette System. The game's original title, Hamburger, was changed to BurgerTime before its introduction to the US. The player is chef Peter Pepper, who must walk over hamburger ingredients located across a maze of platforms while avoiding...
), and massive diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
.
Each of the characters had magical tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
s, which came to life when they performed special attacks and finishing moves. Even though the game was never completely finished, EGM
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
posted an in-depth article with moves and information about all of the characters.http://www.bunnyears.net/tattoo/
Characters
Here is a list of the characters that appeared in this game:- A.C. Current - A cyber mercenary. Wanted by his former employers after an industrial espionage double cross.
- Billy Two Moons - Stereotypical Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the AmericasThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
character who is a fugitive from the U.S. government, resembles the character of Billy JackBilly JackBilly Jack is a 1971 action film. It is the second, and highest grossing, in a series of motion pictures centering on a character of the same name, played by Tom Laughlin who also directed and co-wrote the script. Filming began in Prescott, Arizona, in fall 1969, but the movie was not completed... - Deke Kay - A fighting zombie. Sub-boss in the game.
- Derek O'Toole - A rock star. Developed fighting skills after being falsely accused of terrorist activities.
- Hannah Hart - A stripper. Out to avenge her murdered friend.
- Karla Keller - An ice skater. Spoof of Nancy KerriganNancy KerriganNancy Ann Kerrigan is a two-time American Olympic figure skating medalist and 1993 U.S. champion.-Early life and skating career:...
, from appearance to backstory. - Koldan The Conqueror - A large man with a gloved hand with giant hypodermic needles in the fingers out to create an army of mutants and enslave the human race. The final boss of the game.
- Luke Cord - Former Navy SEALUnited States Navy SEALsThe United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
. Wanted by the CIACentral Intelligence AgencyThe Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
due to his knowledge after a compromised operation against the Soviets. - Maya - Tribal amazon-like character. She is fighting land developers to keep them off of her people's land.
- Prizm - Light-based crystal monster. Sub-boss in the game.
- Rhina - Creepy looking half-woman, half-rhino creature. Sub-boss in the game.
- Takara "Tak" Hata - Former YakuzaYakuza, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
assassin. Wanted by the Yakuza and Japanese police after being framed for murder. - Truck Davis - Member of a biker gang. Out to avenge the death of the other members.
Two other non-fighter characters that appear in the game's story are Mullah Abba, the spiritual leader of the Order of Colors who discovered the mysterious ink used by the fighters, and Lyla Blue, a woman who is used as a channel by Mullah Abba to allow the player to control one of the assassins in combat.
Cast
(as credited)- Eddi Wilde - Billy Two Moons
- Kevin Knotts - Truck Davis / Koldan
- Charlie Rice - Luke Cord
- Melanie Baer - Maya
- Rick Mali - Takara Hata
- Gretchen Stockdale - Hannah Hart
- Maurice Travis - A.C. Current
- Cristine Dupree - Karla Keller
- Nicolas Andrews - Derek O'Toole
- Joanna Lee - Rhina
- William Zipp - Deke Kay / Prizm
- Mark Urgello - Mullah Abba
- Marushka Wilde - ??? (young girl, model for angel/devil finishing moves)
- Rene Hudson - Lyla Blu
Production and legacy
Internal development strife, management problems, deadline woes, and negative feedback from testers contributed to the game's troubled development and eventual downfall. With similar games like Killer InstinctKiller Instinct
Killer Instinct is a fighting game developed by Rare and published by Midway and Nintendo. Initially released in arcades in 1994, and rumored to use an "Ultra 64" hardware engine, in reality the proprietary arcade hardware was co-developed by Rare and Midway. The game received a high profile launch...
and Primal Rage
Primal Rage
Primal Rage is a versus fighting game developed and published by Atari Games in 1994 as an arcade video game. Toys, comics, a novel and other merchandise tie-ins were also produced.-Storyline:...
performing well, Tattoo Assassins competing chances were slim and it was never put into production.
Even though the game was never released, several prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
models were produced for testing in arcades. Nearly two dozen machines were produced for the AMOA show in San Antonio in 1994, but most were later destroyed. Two machines reside at the PAPA
Professional and Amateur Pinball Association
The Professional and Amateur Pinball Association is an organization supporting the game of pinball as a recreational and competitive sport...
headquarters, and a few others may exist in the wild.
After Data East filed for bankruptcy and became defunct in 2003, G-Mode
G-Mode
is a Japanese company that provides mobile network game contents that specialize in Java game software in Japan. It develops and distributes games for Java-compatible mobile phones. The company also licenses contents for mobile telecommunications operators, as well as involves in the original...
bought the rights to Tattoo Assassins along with most of Data East's other titles.