Ultimate Guide: Black Tiger
We examine every aspect of Capcom’s arcade hit, from its bosses to its conversions
Long Long ago, three dragons descended and destroyed the From kingdom. the ashes rises a hero, armed and armoured, primed to rescue the wise men, destroy the pick enemies and Free the world. up that FLAIL and Fight!
By the mid-to-late Eighties, it was almost impossible to switch on the TV or go to the cinema without being confronted by a bare-chested hyper muscular barbarian of some description.
Mattel cartoon He-man And The Masters Of The Universe was still popular, as were the Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan movies, and the phenomenon had already permeated arcades. Atari’s Gauntlet sported a powerful tank character simply named Warrior, while Tecmo’s Rygar strode across various desolate landscapes, slicing anything that approached with his deadly diskarmour weapon. Then, in 1987, two more brawny heroes duked it out: Taito’s savage Rastan and Black Tiger, whom, like Rygar, wields a chained weapon to slay his enemies, this time a powerful metal sphere complete with multiple sharp points. Black Tiger, released by Capcom in 1987, offers little originality in terms of background story. Three demonic dragons, defined by their colours, have invaded the eponymous hero’s kingdom, bringing darkness and destruction. Throughout the remnants of the land, the hero must travel, killing the numerous devilish minions of the dragons, before facing off against the powerful beasts themselves. Known as Black Dragon in Japan (a confusing prominence for the game’s antagonist rather than protagonist), the game superficially shares much with Capcom’s biggest hit at this point in time, Ghosts ’N Goblins. Black Tiger, like Arthur, throws knives and also wears a suit of armour that disappears should he take too many hits. And while the fantastical landscape is a little less based on reality, there are plenty of familiar enemies, including deadly plants, skeletons and that annoying flying imp, Red Arremer. But to call Black Tiger a clone of the famous spooky adventure would do it a massive disservice. The beefy star wields a chained flail that is enormous fun to use, despite its limited range, while also hurling the knives in a lethal and simultaneous ranged attack. And while the game is very far from anyone’s idea of a complex RPG, there are a number of extra elements that elevate the gameplay beyond the usual hack-and-slash efforts of the era. Vanquished enemies drop coins of a currency known as ‘zenny’; these can be used at various points throughout the game after the player has rescued one of the petrified old wise men who are scattered around each level. Also littering the levels are fragile pots, each of which contain an item of varying usefulness. The most beneficial objects here are skeleton
It turned out the US arm of Data East had created a C64 version, but it was so poor that US Gold decided to delay the release Mark Hughes
keys – used to open the copious treasure chests that are also scattered around the world – and potions, which automatically cure any poison that the Black Tiger may have swimming around in his veins. Given these poisons can hamper his fighting ability (such as by removing his knives), or even reverse the player controls, it’s helpful to always have a supply of these bottles stuffed down your loincloth. The treasure chests themselves must be opened with care: most contain a reward of some description, but on occasion, deadly flames will spout out. Each level of Black Tiger is a thorny maze of platforms, traps and climbable structures, so it’s fortunate that its star is not only strapping, but also athletic, able to leap from pole to pole while hurling his flail at any enemy reckless enough to come near him. Dotted around the display are the aforementioned grey statues, and touching one releases the prisoner from his stony incarceration. Upon gaining freedom, these bearded wise men are eternally grateful, offering either the wares from their shop, money or a valuable tip on how to play the game. The shop offers four different types of weapon and armour power-ups, plus the option to buy more keys and potions should you be running short. Of course, whatever you choose, you’re going to need plenty of that shiny zenny in order to make a purchase.
Apart from Red Arremer, deadly plants and disappearing armour, Black Tiger also shares a horrendous level of difficulty with its
famous antecedent. Enemies are soon descending constantly upon the lone hero, often spitting venom or fire, and each level must be approached with care given that foes frequently respawn all around the lead character. With its cluttered display, keeping track of health and armour is another complication, and as with Ghosts ’N Goblins, there’s plenty of fussy platform action later in the game, with the eight-directional gameplay of Black Tiger making negotiating the stages within the time limit an even trickier prospect. Each level contains sub-dungeons that contain wise men, more enemies and treasures. Given that a certain amount of wise men must be rescued in order to proceed, exploration of all areas is required; fortunately, the game is sprinkled with directional signs which helpfully point the way to the exits, and the
Once we got to play the arcade game, we weren’t disappointed – it was a great arcade experience Mark Hughes