Rating: 4.6/5
Joy Mech Fight, released for the Famicom in 1993, is a 2-button fighter, developed by Nintendo's R&D1 division. JMF is one of many post SFII fighters released during the 90's, however it is notable for being one of the few commercial fighters for an 8-bit console, as well as the only developed by Nintendo. The gameplay is clearly influenced by it's contemporaries, such as Street Fighter II & Fatal Fury, and as such, offers a solid experience, despite it's somewhat rigid controls. To compensate, many traditional commands have been replaced/streamlined, to better suit the FAMICOM. Despite it's low execution barrier, JMF is still a worth your time, offering 2P vs, as well as various 1 player sparring modes, along with a lengthy Arcade mode. The game boasts the largest roster of any fighter at the time, consisting of 36 unique robots, and would hold that honor for five years, until The King of Fighters 98' reached 38. However, most of the fighters are locked from the get-go, making playing JMF somewhat inconvienient. Ther game, along with Kirby's Adventure, is considered a technical marvel, and truly pushed the limits of the by-then, underwhelming FAMICOM. It's presentation, along with it's general size, and depth, immortalize it as one of the most important achievments of the FAMICOM's lifespan. Sukapon, the hero of JMF, was rumored to be considered for the roster of Smash Bros. Brawl. However, this never made it past the earliest stages of development. Whether of not this franchise will ever see the light of day remains to be seen. Perhaps once again, a never generation will get to experience Mech Joy.
You also need an emulator to run this game. To grab one quickly, please check out our NES emulators section.