Combatribes, The Play Online 🪙 SNES Games in Browser

Summary

The Combatribes on the SNES feels like a trimmed‑down arcade brawler, swapping numeric health for a simple life bar and stripping away the weapon‑grab mechanics that gave the original its chaotic charm. Stages are leaner, some enemy types disappear, and the flame‑eating boss in Act Two only loses his torch when he finally collapses, unlike the arcade version where his range shrinks with damage. The fifth level turns into a frantic boss‑rush, and the final showdown pits you against Martha Splatterhead on a high‑rise rooftop, with the crime boss completely omitted.

A hidden versus mode lets two players duke it out with Street‑Fighter‑style fireballs and blocks, and passwords let you replay any enemy or boss after the main run. The game’s core remains a classic 2D side‑scrolling brawler, but the two‑player cooperative moves—carrying enemies or endless kicking of downed foes—are gone, making each fight feel more solitary.

The North American release was heavily censored: blood turns white, the cyborg general “Swastika” becomes “Master Blaster,” the Slaughter Troops are renamed Demolition Troops, and a “Steak & Brew Burger” sign is altered to “Steak & Shake.” The later Virtual Console version even retitled the enemy organization from Ground Zero to Guilty Zero, preserving the game’s gritty vibe while softening its most controversial details.

Storyline

Combatribes drops you into a neon‑lit, futuristic New York City as one of three cyber‑enhanced vigilantes—Berserker (also listed as Berzeker), Bullova and Blitz—who are hired to take down the criminal organization Ground Zero. In the SNES port the trio are explicitly called cyborgs, reinforcing the high‑tech vibe of the setting.

The duo‑player beat‑’em‑up takes you through a string of themed stages: a biker gang terrorizes Times Square, circus performers run amok on Coney Island, roller‑skating thugs dominate a dance club, a punk crew fights inside a baseball stadium, and a militia holds a high‑rise building. Each area culminates in a boss fight that pushes the trio’s melee combos and special attacks.

In the arcade version the climax is a boss‑rush across the harbor, where the gang leaders are finally slain and a massive crime boss is killed by the female cyborg Martha Splatterhead, who then appears with clone minions for a final showdown. The SNES edition drops the hidden crime boss, establishes Martha as the gang leader from the start, and ends with a rooftop battle against her on the high‑rise, bookended by story cut‑scenes that explain the plot.

Edited by Maya Carter