“Hey, man, you should give this game a try, it has Sai from Akatsuki Blitzkampf?”
“Oh, yeah? Let’s see…”
That was the exchange I had with a friend regarding this innocuous fighting game. It started as something small but quickly evolved into something truly magical. Accompany me on this small journey on Power Instinct Matrimelee, a fighting game like no other.
INTRODUCTION
Being weird is in its blood.
Power Instinct Matrimelee is the fifth game in the Power Instinct series. Developed by Noise Factory, who acquired the license from Atlus (yes, THAT Atlus) and published by SNK Playmore, this fighting game was released worldwide on the arcades, as well as the Neo Geo AES. There’s also a PS2 port that didn’t come out of Japan.The story is simple: a king from some country is offering the hand of his daughter in marriage (and for women, the hand of his older son) as well as the succession of the throne. For this end, he sets up a martial arts tournament where quirky fighters from all around the world gather to earn this fantabulous prize.
Chronologically, the game is set a year after the events of Power Instinct 2, and has no characters from the previous entry, Groove on Fight. However, don’t ask me anything about those games, as I haven’t played them.
And that’s all I can say! There’s not much to the history if you have only experienced one entry. If anything, it’s an excuse to experience earlier entries.
PRESENTATION
"HAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
As for the characters, they are quickly distinguishable. Sure, some of them are pretty basic (Chinnen is a typical Buddhist monk, Reij could be a Street Fighter/King of Fighters character and White is a hecking T. Hawk clone), but others are memorable and instantly catch the eye. To name a few:
- Not one, but TWO grandmas. I believe they are twins.
- One guy dressed as a dog who speaks gibberish.
- An old man whose level 1 super is beating you down with a cane and then farting on you. Also, can summon his old man spirit as a fireball. He is The Real Thing, after all.
WHO ARE YOU????
GAME FEEL AND MECHANICS
That little fellow in the middle is the nefarious Kuroko, receiver of beatings.
Mechanically, the game takes elements from King of Fighters while also adding its own twist to it. Pressing A+B makes your character do a dodge roll that’s invincible, while pressing C+D does an attack that knocks the opponent back (just like KOF’s blow back). You can also do proximity grabs with a direction + heavy punch! And even do short and long hops to mix up your game! It’s all very familiar if you’ve dabbled with SNK games before. But where’s the aforementioned difference?
Introducing: the referee! Also known as “Kuroko”. This NPC will appear in some stages and can be called by pressing B+C. From that point onward, both characters will have a permanent meat shield absorbing all projectiles and even physical attacks. But don’t think it’s a mere defensive obstacle, oh no. The referee can also be used offensively, because if they receive a powerful enough attack and get launched, the referee can damage the opposing player. They can also be used as a literal shield by holding them and then throw them directly without hitting them. Poor thing…
The meter is interesting, not so much in how it’s used but in how it’s built. Appropriately called “Stress Meter”, this meter is built by having your attacks blocked or by receiving damage, but not by dealing damage. When one bar is filled (up to three) your character will go psycho mode and create an aura around themselves that’s unblockable and launches the opponent. This is completely unavoidable: it simply happens and there’s nothing you can do about it. Afterwards, you can use said meter to do supers or guard cancels, like in other fighting games.
To finish this section, I want to talk about taunting. In Matrimelee it’s useful! On its own, it gives a lot of meter, so it’s great on okizeme (when the opponent in knocked down). However, were the opponent to taunt when you’re doing it, you’ll enter a state called Bloodline Battle. When this happens you must press the button that appears on screen faster than your opponent. Do so and you’ll deal damage. Do it enough times and you’ll launch your opponent. Quirky mechanic just like the rest of the game.
CONCLUSION
The loser gets their face painted.
Pros
- + Easy to pick-up.
- + Funny.
- + Fluid gameplay.
- + Varied cast of characters.
- + Unique mechanic in the form of an interactable referee.
- + Available for free with good netcode.
- + Availabe in English.
Cons
- - Lacks interesting deffensive mechanics.
- - Weird inputs that can be hard to perform for beginners.
- - Not many stages.
- - Not very popular.
8
Gameplay
While very reminiscent of King of Fighters, it's easier to play by giving the player more reaction time. Combos are fluid and easy to perform.
8
Graphics
Colorful and bright. Features cool character designs and backgrounds with lots of details. It's easy to get lost on them while fighting.
5
Story
Average fighting game story that's not deep and features unique endings for each character. It mostly stands out because of its quirkiness.
6
Sound
The music isn't particularly remarkable and in some stages it's bad, but it's funny.
10
Replayability
Infinitely replayable, as with all fighting games.
7.4
out of 10
Overall
A fighting game that knows exactly what it wants to be: unserious and funny. Fortunately it succeeds, and it's complemented by good fighting mechanics and a unique roster. A must for fighting game enjoyers!
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