CB Chara Wars: Ushinawareta Gag

CB Chara Wars: Ushinawareta Gag

Table of Contents

Introduction

In the golden age of 16-bit gaming, the Super Famicom served as a vibrant canvas for some of the most creative and bizarre crossovers in media history. One such standout gem is CB Chara Wars: Ushinawareta Gag, an action-packed title released in 1992. Developed by Almanic Corp. and published by the industry giant Banpresto, this game serves as a colorful tribute to the works of legendary manga artist Go Nagai. By shrinking down iconic, often dark and violent characters into "Chibi" or super-deformed (SD) versions, the game offers a unique blend of slapstick humor and traditional sidescrolling action that captured the imagination of Japanese gamers in the early 90s.

Story & Setting

The title of the game translates roughly to "CB Chara Wars: The Lost Gag," and the narrative is as whimsical as the name suggests. The story is deeply rooted in the CB Chara Go Nagai World universe, an OVA series that reimagined Go Nagai’s most famous creations—such as Devilman, Mazinger Z, and Violence Jack—as tiny, big-headed characters living in a shared world.

In this adventure, the world has literally lost its sense of humor (the "Gag"), leading to a chaotic situation where the balance of the universe is at stake. Players must guide these pint-sized heroes through a series of surreal environments, ranging from urban cityscapes to demonic dimensions, to restore the comedy and order to their world. The setting is a delightful parody of Go Nagai's usually grim and apocalyptic themes, replacing gore with gags while maintaining the recognizable designs of his iconic monsters and heroes.

Gameplay

At its core, CB Chara Wars: Ushinawareta Gag is a sidescrolling action-platformer with light RPG elements that add depth to the experience. Players have the opportunity to control three primary characters based on Go Nagai’s legends: Akira Fudo (who can transform into Devilman), Koji Kabuto (representing the Mazinger franchise), and Ryo Asuka.

Each character features distinct movement speeds, attack ranges, and special abilities. The gameplay loop involves navigating complex, multi-layered stages and defeating waves of enemies to collect "G-Points." These points act as a currency, allowing players to visit shops scattered throughout the levels. In these shops, you can purchase health restorations, permanent stat upgrades, and secondary weapons. This equipment system was quite advanced for a standard action game of the era, allowing for a degree of character customization. The difficulty can be surprisingly steep, requiring players to master the unique physics of each character and use their special powers strategically to overcome challenging boss encounters.

Platforms

This game was released as a console exclusive for the Japanese market, specifically targeting the hardware capabilities of the Super Famicom.

Legacy

While CB Chara Wars: Ushinawareta Gag never received an official Western localization, it has maintained a strong cult following among import collectors and fans of Dynamic Planning’s properties. It represents a specific era where developers like Almanic Corp. (who later became Givro and developed the acclaimed Wonder Project J) experimented with genre-blending and high-quality sprite animation. The game is often remembered as one of the more successful uses of the Go Nagai license during the 16-bit era, successfully translating the manic energy and irreverent humor of the original OVA into a playable format.

Fun Facts

  • The game is directly based on the three-episode OVA CB Chara Go Nagai World which was released in 1990 to celebrate Go Nagai's work.
  • Despite the cute "Chibi" aesthetic, the game still features many of the grotesque monster designs found in Devilman, though they are presented in a much more comedic fashion.
  • Almanic Corp., the developer, consisted of several former Enix staff members, which is why the game features more robust RPG-lite mechanics than typical action games of the period.
  • There are no alternative names for this game; it is strictly known by its full Japanese title even in the retro-gaming and emulation communities.

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