Captain Tsubasa Vs.

"Ode to the Heavens"

It is unfortunate that most people have no idea what Captain Tsubasa is. The latter, which got its name from its main protagonist, Ohzora Tsubasa, is an anime that came out several years ago. The setting was unique, to say the least. Instead of the usual demons, bikini-clad vixens and laser beams being mindless thrown about, Captain Tsubasa evolved around football (soccer), a sport that wasn't even popular in Japan at that time.

By relying on such a concept, Yoichi Takahashi certainly took huge risks, but in the end, his efforts were beautifully rewarded. While never as popular as the mainstream power blocks (you know who they are!), the anime was still interesting to watch as it had a huge cast of characters along with stylish designs. It also sported an entertaining plot, which relied a lot on flashbacks (something which I particularly love).

Some years after Captain Tsubasa had comfortably installed itself on a seat that it would occupy for a long time, the huge leaps in the video gaming industry convinced Toei and Takahashi that it was time to approach this new field. Ever since I got into the Captain Tsubasa games, I like to think it was thankful that Bandai, who normally produces games inspired from anime, never got to buy the Captain Tsubasa rights. Instead, these rights went to Tecmo.

Within a single try, Tecmo managed to come up with something mind-boggling; yes, something that sadly went noticed, but something nevertheless spectacular. The NES and SNES Captain Tsubasa titles (and even a Genesis one, edited for European and American consumption in the form of Tecmo Cup Football Game) have always been my favorite 8-bit and 16-bit games, easily topping insanely popular games such as Final Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda or even Metroid (of which I don't give a damn anyway).

Moving on to fully exploit its agreement with Nintendo (which is why the Genesis version could not include the same characters, and why the latest Captain Tsubasa release is a GameCube-exclusive title), Tecmo then covered the GameBoy with two titles. Captain Tsubasa Vs, which came out in 1992 was the first of those and is actually the best out of the two, this situation becoming easily understandable by the fact that Bandai produced the other title.

To say Captain Tsubasa Vs is merely a port of the first NES title wouldn't be a far-fetched statement. Most people who have played Captain Tsubasa will thus be inclined to discard this away, thinking that they would just be playing the same game again, although there are some nice additions and changes here and there.

In a sense, they're right.

In another sense, they're wrong, and this mainly depends on perspective and their own criticizing abilities. Captain Tsubasa Vs. is a title that hides a remarkable achievement, a game that, from beginning to end, drips with that distinct Tecmo love.

Indeed,w hile playing this game, other than really enjoying myself with the stunning game engine, I mainly grew to admire Tecmo even more and to respect them for what they managed to do. To use such an engine on the limited GameBoy's capabilities and to succeed brilliantly is extraordinary. Of course, the system limitations still show through cons such as slow-downs, but this game is thoroughly spectacular.

To introduce you to the greatness that Captain Tsubasa Vs is, just be aware that this isn't a normal football game, but rather, a blend between the basics of a football title and the features of any RPG title (and, if I may add, use Final Fantasy to get the idea). The game itself is actually a football game where you kick a ball, run across the two halves that make up a rectangular pitch, and shoot that same ball into a net to score goals. As in football, you can pass the ball to your teammates, perform one-twos to shrug off defenders, dribble them to calm your qualms, and shoot whenever possible. You will also have to tackle the opposing players to take the ball from them, and so on.

Although Captain Tsubasa Vs does offer more than these 'normal' actions, it is still a football game at its core. The RPG part flows in when you actually play the game as the latter uses a true RPG system (think of Final Fantasy again!).

Indeed, instead of merely tapping the A and B buttons to pass, shoot and so on, you pick your choices via menus, which pop up whenever you need to make some action. And this weird system doesn't limit itself to a handful of actions as most would tend to think, but to everything in the game. Whether it is a pass, a dribble, or a punch at the ball from the keeper, selecting the appropriate option on the menu will allow the action to be performed (this bizarre way of wording the sentence is not a mistake; read on to find out why).

Of course, one now wonders how the menus get to be in the game and how they are actually used. While the system may seem complex at a first glance, it however becomes extremely simple after some time such that even people who have no grasp of the Japanese language can play this game. To return to the menus themselves, these show up whenever you have the ball and are threatened by opposing players, or, if you so happen to have the ball, upon your request (done by pressing B in this case). Once the menus appear at the bottom of the screen, it merely becomes a matter of choosing the appropriate outcome with the specific button and validating your choice.

It's very easy, but can take some time to grasp since the whole game is in Japanese and never got a duly translated release. Thankfully, since each move has an assigned direction that is kept throughout the whole game, just memorizing these will suffice. The game goes even as far as offering the player the ability to level up after each match whereby their Guts increase and their skills are sharpened.

But what is this 'Guts' I refer to?

Fans of the anime may or may not recall it, but one of the best aspects of Captain Tsubasa as an anime, was how the key players could perform astonishing moves that included terrifying, whirling shots, uber powerful tackles, and wacky combinations involving three or more players. Did you really expect the game was just about plain old football? Captain Tsubasa did not boast about normal players, but more about freaks who could develop techniques that would amaze even Gerd Muller.

The very best aspect of the anime does exist in the game and its implementation is perhaps its finest feature, next to the game mechanics. Each team has its star players. Nankatsu has Tsubasa and his best friends, Taro Misaki and Ishizaki. Furano, feared by all for its impervious and dedicated midfield, has the exuberant Matsuyama. Meiwa, home of the legendary striker, Kojro Hyuga, is also ultimately respected for its goalkeeper, Ken Wakashimazu, who uses the craziest moves to effectively guard his net. Eventually, these players and some others join to form the Japanese squad.

If, based upon this single paragraph, you are thinking that you will just go on and crush your opponents, think again because the other national teams, whether European or Asian, are miles ahead of yours. Meet England and cry in agony (literally!) as Richard mind-bogglingly ridicules all your players with his dribbles. Be awe-inspired as Maradona-like, Diaz, suddenly shows why he is considered as one of the best players in the tournament.

Captain Tsubasa Vs. indeed covers the first chapter of the anime in its entirety until you are asked to face the best European team, Germany. Needless to say, the German squad is leagues above yours with players such as Capellmann, who will turn all your defenders into goofballs, and Mezza, another demon-like midfielder, without forgetting the stupendous center-forward Karl Heinz "The Kaiser" Schneider. Struggle through all these encounters, with the later matches requiring you to try numerous times, and get to develop unique strategies that will enable you to finally win.

Defeat the almighty German team and your dreams of touching the trophy may at last be realized. After the real nightmare this game offers due to its extremely high difficulty setting, you shout in glee, thinking all your efforts are about to be rewarded.

…Or so you think…

Captain Tsubasa Vs. boasts a tremendous addition over the original title, the inclusion of an all-stars team as the real final match. And by 'all-stars', I really mean it; the team regroups all the best players throughout the whole game, from Schneider to Robson. It even goes further by adding another supercilious striker, Carlos "Cyborg" Santana, who will not be seen anywhere else in the game due to the puzzling absence of the Brazilian squad. This GameBoy title manages to be awe-inspiring with the way every match is set and how each new team will force you to adopt a different strategy.

Most of all Captain Tsubasa Vs. looks shockingly good. Of course, the transition from NES to GameBoy has resulted in some weird designs that do not suit the great characters found in this game, but the visuals are still among the best on the portable. Each player, when seen during an event, is impressive and looks clearly like his anime self. Fans will instantly recognize everybody and while these events mainly serve the purpose of delivering the story, Tecmo obviously took the time to pull something fantastic. If anything else, special shots' animations will be more than enough to display the passion dripping around this game.

While certain player positions are far from being perfect, with the players looking like ghosts in such cases, the animation itself is clear. Of course, there are minor slow-downs that arise in most special actions (and even during volleys), but these do not last very long and do not detract from the game. The background too is accurately done and still appears to whiz by as the players run around and accomplish their roles. Unfortunately, due to the system limitations, the designs in this instance are merely average. It is no longer possible to know the players based on their designs, except in a few cases, such that one is doomed to either understand Japanese or memorize the numbers. Obviously, given how one is expected to make changes before each match, it all comes down to the first option.

The music in Captain Tsubasa Vs. is simply taken from the original NES title with little to no change. You'll perhaps be very tempted to refrain from rapidly delving into the game, as the introductory music, Ode to the Heavens, is superbly orchestrated. The final match is played upon the legendary Captain Tsubasa musical acme, Fire Sprinter, which is Toho's ecstatic theme in the console games. Different tracks are also played during certain "important" matches such as the final national match against the Meiwa of Hyuga and Sawada. Burning Vigor is by far the best track in the game and can be heard in all Captain Tsubasa titles with certain alterations each time.

Sound effects get fairly redundant after a while, but given the nature of the game, that is to be expected. In addition, they sometimes seem out of place, but this is a thing you will notice about any Captain Tsubasa title. Moreover, the GameBoy capabilities tend to leave a trailing factor in the sound effects. Even when the actions have already been performed, the sound effects accompanying it can still be heard. Either that, or some other teams are practicing under the pitch.

While clearly a port of the first NES title, Captain Tsubasa Vs. does present new options to increase its lifespan. An exhibition mode thus enables quick matches between teams of your choice, as you control the first. In order to do so, you must however obtain specific passwords from the main Story Mode. It is fortunate that such a mode was added, as the Story Mode is not very attractive once you've finally beaten it after weeks of struggle. Without such a mode, the game would indeed lack replay value. Now, it is even possible to play as Meiwa, among others. Additionally, two players can also play against each other by making use of the Link Cable.

With such additional options, the bet of porting the brilliance of the Captain Tsubasa titles to a portable system is superbly achieved. However, in this specific case, I have stopped regarding Captain Tsubasa Vs. as a mere port. There are several reasons behind this, but the main one still hovers around the way the game was designed. To pull such astounding graphics on the GameBoy and to be able to use the same mechanics were crazy ideas. Yet, Tecmo attempted them and succeeded.

In the end, Captain Tsubasa Vs. doesn't even profess to be simply another grandiose title in the most underrated legacy ever; it is above all a perfect example of how a port from the NES to the GameBoy should be done. It's as if Tecmo suddenly decided to defy the whole world with another unknown gem, proudly brandishing this title, and shouting "FEAR ME ALWAYS!". Should you, the inexperienced, the incredulous or the sneerer, want to dispute this fact, the Kaiser is always willing to prove you otherwise, provided you give this game a chance.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/24/06