Battle Clash is a 1992 light gun shooter video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is one of several titles that requires the Super Scope light gun. Set in a futuristic post-apocalyptic Earth where battles are fought with mechs called Standing Tanks (STs), a man named Mike Anderson participates in the Battle Game to face the ruthless champion Anubis. The player acts as the gunner of the ST Falcon piloted by Anderson, taking on Anubis and his subordinate chiefs in one-on-one fights.

Battle Clash was created by Team Battle Clash, a group within Intelligent Systems that developed games for the Super Scope, made up of Nintendo R&D1 staff responsible for light gun shooters such as Duck Hunt and Hogan's Alley. It was co-directed by Makoto Kano and Masao Yamamoto, and produced by Gunpei Yokoi. The soundtrack was scored by Yuka Tsujiyoko, best known for her work in the Fire Emblem and Paper Mario series. The game garnered average reception from critics; praise was given to the visuals, but other expressed mixed opinions regarding the sound and gameplay. Some reviewers also criticized its low difficulty. It was followed by Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge (1993).

Gameplay

thumb|left|Internal view of the ST Falcon, battling the ST Garam in New York

Battle Clash is a light gun shooter game which requires the Super Scope light gun peripheral for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System to be played. The plot takes place in a futuristic post-apocalyptic Earth, where battles are fought with mechs called Standing Tanks (STs) and the winner takes control of the world. A young man named Mike Anderson participates in the Battle Game to face the ruthless champion Anubis and avenge his father's death.

The player acts as the gunner of the ST Falcon piloted by Anderson, and the main objective of the game is to take on Anubis and his subordinate chiefs in a series of nine one-on-one fights. In addition, the game also has a time trial mode where the player must defeat enemies to achieve the best time possible and a two-player mode. It is one of several titles that requires the Super Scope. It was co-directed by Makoto Kano and Masao Yamamoto, both of whom formed Team Battle Clash, and produced by Gunpei Yokoi. Kouichi Abe, Osamu Yamauchi, Tadashi Inui, Toru Narihiro, and Toshihiro Nishii acted as co-programmers. Naotaka Onishi and Toshitaka Muramatsu were responsible for the graphical design. Nintendo first published the game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in October 1992, followed by a European release between January and February 1993, and later in Japan as Space Bazooka on June 21, 1993. The Western cover was illustrated by artist Stephen Peringer.

Reception

Battle Clash received average reception from critics and retrospective commentators. Nintendo Powers three reviewers found the game fun, highlighting the enemy mechs and sound effects, but noted its lack of depth. Super Pros Mark Wynne considered it a decent attempt at a Super Scope game. He felt that the "tongue-in-cheek" plot translated well into the large enemy sprites, but said its sound department was weak. Retro Gamer considered Battle Clash to be a great showcase for the Super Scope, while Destructoids Zoey Handley regarded it as one of the few games worth playing for the peripheral.

Legacy

A sequel to Battle Clash titled Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge was developed by the same team at Intelligent Systems, and published by Nintendo in North America in December 1993 and in Europe in May 1994. The game was only released in Western regions, as the Super Scope proved to be less popular in Japan. The ST Falcon was later included as a Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Notes

References

  • at Intelligent Systems
  • at Nintendo