Eight Man (video game)
{{Short description|1991 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = Eight Man
|image = Eight Man arcade flyer.jpg
|developer = Pallas
|publisher = SNK
|director = Seigo Ito
|producer = Eikichi Kawasaki
|programmer = Nishidon
Shinchan
|writer = Kazumasa Hirai
|composer = Yoshihiko Kitamura
Yoko Osaka
Makiko
|series = 8 Man
|platforms = Arcade, Neo Geo AES
|released = Arcade{{vgrelease|WW|7 June 1991}} Neo Geo AES{{vgrelease|JP|20 November 1991|NA|20 November 1991|EU|20 November 1991}}
|genre = Beat 'em up
|modes = {{cslist|Single-player|co-op}}
|arcade system = Neo Geo MVS
}}
{{nihongo foot|Eight Man|8マン|Eitoman||lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade video game developed by Pallas and published internationally by SNK for both the Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and Neo Geo AES (home) platforms in 1991.{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:BeepMD_JP_1991-10.pdf&page=126|title=VG: エイトマン|magazine=Beep! Mega Drive|issue=25|publisher=SoftBank Creative|date=October 1991|page=124|lang=ja}} It is based on Kazumasa Hirai's 1963 manga and anime superhero of the same name, who is considered one of the earliest cyborg superhero characters from Japan.{{cite magazine|last=Sol|first=Bruno|url=https://archive.org/stream/Japanmania_04#page/n19/mode/2up|title=Manga Zone - Eight Man|magazine=Japanmania|issue=4|publisher=Grupo Zeta|date=August 1996|pages=20–21|lang=es}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ce4uTsv-3e4C&dq=8+man+robocop&pg=PA258|title=Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade|date=5 November 2010|publisher=A-Net Digital LLC|isbn=9780984593750|accessdate=2019-05-18|via=Google Books}} Staying true to its concept of a crime-fighting super-robot, players take the role of 8 Man and his robo-comrade 9 Man respectively in a fight against an invading evil robot army.
Gameplay
Eight Man is a side-scrolling beat 'em up game where players control the cyborg superhero 8 Man (P1) and his former rival comrade 9 Man (P2), across ten stages that take place in a futuristic setting where a bio-computer system called Cyber is threatening mankind with his army of robots.Eight Man user's manual (Neo Geo AES, US) During gameplay, players can only move between left and right in the levels, while enemies are fought with either the A or C button (which activates the character's special attack), in addition of the B button that serves for jumping and pressing it when holding the joystick down, the characters perform a slide movement. The levels are broken into different phases and some of them involves the players chasing a vehicle, while enemies are coming out to attack. Power-ups are also scattered along the way to be collected that will enhance the player's attacks, as well as granting screen-clearing bombs that damages all enemies in sight. After reaching the end of a level, a boss must be fought in order to progress onto the next stage.
If a memory card is present, the player is allowed to save their progress and resume into the last stage the game saved at.
Release
Eight Man was initially launched for arcades on June 7, 1991, and later during the same period for the Neo Geo AES in November 1991{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/neo-geo-all-catalog#page/n48/mode/1up|title=Neo Geo オールカタログ|magazine=Gēsen Tengoku|volume=1|type=supplement|publisher=Tokuma Shoten|date=September 25, 1993|page=50|lang=ja}}{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3ABeepMD_JP_1993-06.pdf&page=160|title=Oh! Neo Geo Vol. 10 - 8マン|magazine=Beep! Mega Drive|issue=45|publisher=SoftBank Creative|date=June 1993|page=158|lang=ja}}{{cite web|url=http://tk-nz.game.coocan.jp/gamedatabase/software/DB_SKC_NG1991-1992.html|title=NEO GEO Soft > 1991-1992|publisher=GAME Data Room|accessdate=2019-05-19|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001142653/http://tk-nz.game.coocan.jp/gamedatabase/software/DB_SKC_NG1991-1992.html|archive-date=2018-10-01|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Alomair|first=Badr|url=https://100daysofmegashock.wordpress.com/2019/05/07/100-days-of-megashock-19-eight-man/|title=100 Days of MEGASHOCK! #19 Eight Man|work=100 Days Of MEGASHOCK!|publisher=WordPress.com|date=May 7, 2019|accessdate=2019-05-19}}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
|rev1 = AllGame
|rev1Score = (Arcade) {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite web|last=Biondich|first=Paul|url=http://allgame.com/game.php?id=9989&tab=review|title=Eightman (Arcade) - Review|work=AllGame|publisher=All Media Network|date=1998|access-date=2019-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116021310/http://allgame.com/game.php?id=9989&tab=review|archive-date=2014-11-16|url-status=live}}
|rev2 = GameFan
|rev2Score = (Neo Geo) 296 / 400{{cite magazine|last1=Halverson|first1=Dave|author-link1=Dave Halverson|author2=Sgt. Gamer|last3=Stratton|first3=Tom|last4=Cockburn|first4=Andrew|url=https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_1_Issue_08/page/n9|title=Viewpoint - Neo Geo - Super Eightman|magazine=GameFan|volume=1|issue=8|publisher=DieHard Gamers Club|date=July 1993|page=11}}
|rev3 = GamePro
|rev3Score = (Neo Geo) 21 / 25{{cite magazine|author=Gideon|url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_030_January_1992/page/n103|title=Neo Geo For Real! - Eightman|magazine=GamePro|issue=30|publisher=IDG|date=January 1992|page=101}}
|rev4 = Joypad
|rev4Score = (Neo Geo) 84%{{cite magazine|last1=Demoly|first1=Jean-Marc|author2=Steph|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AJoypad_FR_004.pdf&page=72|title=Test - Neo Geo - Eightman|magazine=Joypad|issue=4|publisher=Yellow Media|date=January 1992|pages=72–73|lang=fr}}
|rev5 = Mega Fun
|rev5Score = (Neo Geo) 73%{{cite magazine|last1=Noak|first1=Philipp|last2=Hellert|first2=Stefan|url=http://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=8807&s=3|title=Special - Neo Geo - Eightman|magazine=Mega Fun|issue=11|publisher=CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG|date=August 1993|pages=28–30|lang=de|access-date=2019-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021232116/http://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=8807&s=3|archive-date=2018-10-21|url-status=live}}
|rev6 = Micom BASIC Magazine
|rev6Score = (Neo Geo) {{Rating|3.5}}{{cite magazine|last1=Yamashita|first1=Nobuyuki|author2=Itabashi|url=https://archive.org/stream/micomBASIC_1992-07#page/n232/mode/1up|title=Super Soft 大特集 - 今、『NEO・GEO』がおもしろい！: 8マン|magazine=Micom BASIC Magazine|issue=121|publisher=The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation|date=July 1992|page=209|lang=ja}}
|rev7 = Player One
|rev7Score = (Neo Geo) 65%{{cite magazine|last=Drevet|first=Cyril|url=https://www.abandonware-magazines.org/affiche_mag.php?mag=32&num=1075&album=oui|title=Tests De Jeux - Neo Geo - Eight Man|magazine=Player One|issue=17|publisher=Média Système Édition|date=February 1992|pages=60–61|lang=fr}}
}}
RePlay reported Eight Man to be the fourth most-popular arcade game at the time.{{cite magazine|title=The Player's Choice - Top Games Now in Operation, Based on Earnings-Opinion Poll of Operators: Best Software|magazine=RePlay|volume=17|issue=2|publisher=RePlay Publishing, Inc.|date=November 1991|page=4}} Eight Man received mixed to positive reception since its initial release in arcades and Neo Geo AES.{{cite magazine|last=Knauf|first=Andreas|url=https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=10984|title=News - Neo Geo - Eightman|magazine=Video Games|issue=6|publisher=Future-Verlag|date=February 1992|pages=12–13|lang=de|access-date=2019-05-18}}{{cite web|author=R.I.P.|url=http://www.gamezero.com/team-0/final_word/neo-geo/eightman.html|title=The Final Word game review - Eightman -- Pallas/SNK Corp.|work=Game Zero Magazine|publisher=Game Zero|date=February 1996|access-date=2019-10-02}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/arcade/575665-eight-man Eight Man] at GameFAQs
- [https://www.giantbomb.com/eight-man/3030-19336/ Eight Man] at Giant Bomb
- [https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7696 Eight Man] at Killer List of Videogames
- [https://www.mobygames.com/game/eight-man Eight Man] at MobyGames
{{Portal bar|1990s|Japan|Video games}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eight Man (video game)}}
Category:Cooperative video games
Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games
Category:Side-scrolling beat 'em ups
Category:Superhero video games
Category:Video games about cyborgs
Category:Video games about police officers
Category:Video games based on anime and manga