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Neo Geo AES

Matrimelee

Neo Geo AES

Neo Geo AES

The king of certain country wants to find a worthy successor for the throne and the ideal husband for his little daughter (or a beautiful and strong woman for his older son). So he holds a fighting tournament where the prize is the hand of the princess and the throne succession. Power Instinct...

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Developer
Noise Factory

Released on
2002

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Neo Geo AES

Requirements
SNK Neo Geo AES

Downloads
Fighting

Publisher
SNK

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

The king of certain country wants to find a worthy successor for the throne and the ideal husband for his little daughter (or a beautiful and strong woman for his older son). So he holds a fighting tournament where the prize is the hand of the princess and the throne succession.

Power Instinct: Matrimelee is a sequel to the obscure and lesser known Power Instinct series. The characters of Matrimelee range from incredibly strange (including two hobbit-granny sprite clones & a furry) to the I’ve-seen-you-somewhere-before stereotypes (complete with a cut & paste ninja, a generic native American, and your basic karate guy). Several characters from Rage of The Dragons also make a cross-over to the game.

In Matrimelee, the staple super combo gauge is replaced with the “Stress Gauge”. Unlike most combo gauges, the Street Gauge doesn’t fill when players connect with attacks. Instead it fills when attacks are blocked and when damage is taken. This is to simulate the “stress” of not having your moves land, and/or the stress one may feel when punched in the face. When the Stress Gauge fills up, a super combo can be performed. Characters also become invulnerable to attacks and will also interrupt combos.

In some stages, a referee will be standing in the background. Players can actually call him into the foreground and use him to attack their enemies… either sending the ref flying into the opponent, or using him as a human shield for opponent’s projectiles. A “Bloodline Battle” can also be initiated if two players taunt one after the other. When a Bloodline Battle begins, both characters move to the middle of the screen. Between them lowers a television screen which randomly shows different buttons (A,B,C,D). Which ever player hits the buttons first, their character will gain a free attack on the opponent.

Matrimelee

Overview & History

Released by Noise Factory and published by SNK in 2003, *Matrimelee* (known in Japan as *Shin Gouketsuji Ichizoku Toukon*) is a wonderfully eccentric 2D fighting game for the Neo Geo AES. Acting as a spin-off and the fourth installment in the *Power Instinct* (*Gouketsuji Ichizoku*) series, the game serves up a delightfully bizarre premise: a royal tournament hosted by King Siba where a massive brawl determines who gets to marry the Princess Sissy—or inherit the throne—while the losers face humiliating royal punishments. Though released late in the Neo Geo's commercial lifecycle, it gained a cult following due to its vibrant, surreal anime aesthetic, quirky humor, and memorable roster of eccentric fighters, ranging from elderly martial arts masters to a skateboarding magical girl.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Mechanically, *Matrimelee* builds upon the foundation of the *Power Instinct* series with fast-paced, manic 2D action. A defining gameplay feature is the "Transformation" system, where characters can temporarily morph into more powerful, monstrous, or younger versions of themselves by executing a specific meter-based command. Players also utilize a unique Tension Meter (the Piggy Bank gauge) that fills as you deal or take damage, allowing you to unleash devastating super moves called "Gouketsuji Attacks." The game features a 4-button control layout (Light Punch, Heavy Punch, Light Kick, Heavy Kick) combined with rapid-fire dashes, high jumps, and screen-shattering throws. Character move lists are delightfully absurd; for instance, the elderly matriarch Oume Gouketsuji can fly on a broomstick and fire projectile dentures, while the pop-star wannabe Kurara Hananokouji summons giant stuffed animals to crush opponents.