Numan Athletics

Numan Athletics[lower-alpha 1] is a sports arcade game, released by Namco in 1993. It runs on the company's NA-2 hardware, and has eight unusual competitions to test the strength and might of four mutant athletes called "Numans" (Sharon Les Halles, Harry Boffin, Masaemon Nakamura, and Bongo Tembo). Up to four people can play simultaneously (or, depending upon the event, alternately). The game later went on to spawn a sequel, Mach Breakers: Numan Athletics 2, in 1994; it featured seven brand-new (and selectable) Numans.

Numan Athletics
Japanese promotional sales flyer
Developer(s)Namco
Publisher(s)Namco
Composer(s)Nobuyoshi Sano
SeriesNuman Athletics
Platform(s)Arcade
Release
  • JP: September 1993
  • NA: 1993
Genre(s)Competitive sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemNamco NA-2

Gameplay
In-game screenshot of the "Interceptor" event.

Each of the eight events takes place in a different country, and the Numans' journey is charted by a Knuckle Heads-style compere (along with his two "bunny girls", who come up from the bottom of the screen when a Numan succeeds in some, but not all, of the events):

  • Turbo Dash: Set in the United States (Harry's home country), this event is like the 100-Metre Dash from Konami's Hyper Olympic; the player must use the first and third buttons to make their Numan start running, and try to beat the other player's. If a player gets the best time (or distance) in any event, it shall be a "world record", after which the player is prompted to input their initials.
  • Interceptor: Set in Russia, this event is like the Firing Ranges from Konami's Combat School; a player must use the first and third buttons to make their Numan walk left and right and the second one to fire at bullets launched by a distant boat. If a bullet hits the ground, it explodes and blows the Numan into the water, thus automatically failing the event. If a bullet hits a Numan, it blows all their clothes off, and they will again automatically fail the event.
  • Missile Toss: Set in Kenya (Bongo's home country), the player must use the first and third buttons to make their Numan start running, then press and hold the second button once they reach the red line (if they goes over it, it invalidates the attempt); this event can be extremely difficult for players who do not know exactly when to stop and which angle to throw a missile.
  • Numan Sniper: Set in Antarctica, the players must use all three of their buttons to fire at monsters on the left side, in the centre of, and on the right side of the screen; this event is similar to Interceptor (only with up to every Numan simultaneously).
  • Vs. Express: Set in Japan (Masaemon's home country), the player must press the second button when a red light in the top-right corner of the screen and a Shinkansen comes into view from the right side of it, then alternate pressing the first and third ones to build up their Numan's power meter, then push it back off the right side of the screen again. If the player cannot press the second button before the Shinkansen hits their Numan, the Shinkansen's impact will send them flying, therefore automatically failing the event.
  • Tower Topper: Set in France (Sharon's home country), the player must use the second button to make their Numan jump from one building to the other before a flame under them disappears; if it does, the Numan falls to the ground and automatically fails the event.
  • Nonstop Rock Chop: Set in Australia, the players must use the first and third buttons to build up their Numans' power meters, then press the second one to make them punch into the rocks and destroy them. If a Numan's power meter is not completely filled when the second button is pressed, their hand shall get jammed in their current rock.
  • Niagara Jumps: Set in Zambia, the player must use the first and third buttons to make their Numan start running to the right, then press the second one to jump "onto" the Falls and press it twice more to cross them; the Numans also still have to cross the blue line on the other side of the Falls, and if a player times a jump wrongly, their Numan will splash into the Falls and drown. After this event, the Numans' results will be tabulated, and any of them who did not make it to the end will be described as "retired", while the one who came first will become the subject of the game's ending sequence: there are four ending sequences, one for each Numan.

Reception

Electronic Games magazine commended Numan Athletics for its fierce, competitive nature and strange concept, saying that it would "test anyone's physical endurance".[1] Italian publication Computer+Videogiochi agreed, further praising the game for sticking out among similar titles for its outlandish design, entertaining gameplay, and amount of in-game events.[2] They also liked its colorful visuals and soundtrack, alongside its multiplayer components.[2] The game was popular in Japan, where it became among the most-popular arcade games of the year.[3]

Reviewing the Japanese Wii Virtual Console version, Nintendo Life praised Numan Athletics for its competitive nature and uniqueness, and found it to be a surprising "treasure" for the service.[4] They wrote: "Numan Athletics is the distilled essence of what makes arcade games so exciting – it’s over the top, noisy, bold – and fun."[4] Retro Gamer gave a similar response, comparing it favorably to Sega's DecAthlete and Konami's Hyper Sports for its unique and outlandish concept, alongside its entertaining, button-mashing gameplay.[5] They concluded their review saying: "The premise doesn’t change a whole lot in gameplay terms – at the end of the day, you’re still going to spend most of your time hammering away at buttons – but it’s as tight and enjoyable as the best in the genre, holding up well alongside the likes of Hyper Sports and DecAthlete."[5] Game Watch applauded its "exhilarating" gameplay and "gorgeous" presentation, and said that its 4-person multiplayer made it a great party game. They also liked the techno soundtrack and responsive controls.[6]

Notes
  1. Japanese: ニューマンアスレチックス Hepburn: Nyūman Asurechikkusu

References
  1. Carter, Jay (April 1994). "Insert Coin Here". Decker Publications. Electronic Games. pp. 22–23. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  2. "Killed Games - Numan Athletics" (in Italian) (31). Gruppo Editoriale Jackson. Computer + Videogiochi. November 1993. pp. 136–137. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  3. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 460. Amusement Press. 1 November 1993. p. 25.
  4. Brunskill, Kerry (29 December 2013). "Matters Of Import: Welcome To The Bizarre World Of Namco's Numan Athletics". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 4 April 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  5. Retro Gamer Team (25 September 2014). "Numan Athletics". Retro Gamer. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  6. Inamoto, Tetsuya (27 February 2018). "【特別企画】まもなくサービス終了！ Wii「バーチャルコンソールアーケード」のススメ". Game Watch. Impress Group. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
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