The Combatribes (1990). Play online

Summary

The Combatribes is a Technos‑crafted arcade beat‑’em‑up that lets one, two or three players duke it out side‑by‑side. You pick from three bruisers – blue‑clad Berserker, speedy Blitz in red and powerhouse Bullova in yellow – each trading a distinct mix of speed, strength and agility. Beyond standard punches, the game sprinkles in flashy tactics like crushing opponents under parked motorcycles, tossing go‑karts, or slamming two heads together for extra shock value. Levels crawl through recognizable New‑York landmarks, from a Times Square biker gang to a circus‑squeaked Coney Island, a roller‑skating dance club and even a high‑rise militia hideout before a final harbor‑side boss rush.
In Japan the title topped arcade earnings as the second‑most‑successful table unit in August 1990, and a U.S. test run the next spring proved financially promising. A dual soundtrack CD with Double Dragon 3, released by Pony Canyon in 1991, preserves its aggressive tunes, though retrospective scores like Power Unlimited’s 50 % highlight mixed opinions on its narrative and controls.

Storyline

The Combatribes (often just called Combatribes) drops you into a neon‑lit, futuristic New York City where three vigilantes—presented as cyborgs in the SNES version—take on wave after wave of street gangs. Each character punches, kicks and throws enemies with over‑the‑top moves, pushing the chaos toward the city’s harbor.

The final stage becomes a frantic boss rush, forcing the heroes to battle every gang they’ve already cleared while chasing the mastermind crime boss across the docks. When the crime boss finally falls, he is slain by the infamous female cyborg Martha Splatterhead, who then turns her weapons on the players.

If two or three players are still in the game, Martha spawns one or two clones so the number of opponents matches the player count. Defeating all of the Marthas ends the game.