Tattoo Assassins (1995). Play Free Online

Summary

Tattoo Assassins was Data East Pinball’s ambitious answer to Mortal Kombat, built by screenwriter Bob Gale and businessman Joe Kamikow in the mid‑90s. After nine months of sprint development the game was essentially finished, but a rushed Sega acquisition meant the arcade version never left the prototype stage and most cabinets were scrapped. A handful of test‑market units appeared in 1994, showing the standard best‑of‑three fighting format, punch‑and‑kick attacks, and a bewildering roster of “special moves” accessed by joystick‑plus‑button combos. The most talked‑about feature was its advertised 2,196 fatalities – in practice only a few dozen survived, ranging from flamboyant flaming farts to tongue‑in‑cheek references to Data East titles like BurgerTime. While critics slammed the choppy animation and unpolished feel, a 2025 plan to revive the game in 4K with bug fixes sparked fresh interest among retro‑fighters who finally get to see the quirky endings that earned it a cult legend status.

Storyline

In Tattoo Assassins, the enigmatic Mullah Abah—spiritual leader of the Order of Colors—summons you to retrieve the ancient Ink of Ghize. This morphus fluid behaves like tattoo ink, but when applied it briefly transforms into real objects, granting its bearers uncanny power. Koldan the Conquerer, a rogue member of the Order, has seized nine tattoo‑enhanced fighters and now wields the Ink for his own domination. With the aid of the mysterious Lyla Blue, Mullah tasks you with possessing one of those nine warriors to confront Koldan and his death‑loyal legions. Your mission: battle through his forces, reclaim the Ink of Ghize, and stop Koldan before his transformed tattoos reshape the world.

Edited by Maya Carter