Matrimelee
A fighting tournament where the prize is a princess's hand.
Matrimelee is an arcade fighting game published by Playmore, serving as the fifth installment in the Power Instinct series. It was one of the last titles released for the Neo Geo arcade system, debuting on March 20, 2003. The game's name combines the words 'matrimony' and 'melee,' reflecting its tournament plot centered on a royal marriage.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Noise Factory
- Director
- Keiko Iju
- Designer
- Orie Kinugasa
- Programmer
- Hidenari Mamoto
- Hiroshi Hishikawa
- Kazuaki Ezato
- Artist
- Bunshichirō Ōma
- Range Murata
- Tomokazu Nakano
- Composer
- Toshikazu Tanaka
- Series
- Power Instinct
- Platforms
- Arcade
- Neo Geo AES
- PlayStation 2
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Matrimelee returns to a 1-on-1 match structure, discarding elements from Groove on Fight and bringing back the roster from Power Instinct 2, excluding Angela, Oshima, Sahad, and Kinta (replaced by his alter-ego Poochi). Four new characters and a boss named Princess Sissy join the lineup, alongside four unlockable guest fighters from Rage of the Dragons: Jimmy, Elias, Lynn, and Mr. Jones. The Stress meter system from Power Instinct 2 returns, now fillable to three levels, enabling super moves: Stress Shot (one bar), Ippatsu Ougi (two bars), and a hidden Kinjite (three bars) available only to select characters. Transformations are no longer possible.
Release
Matrimelee first appeared in arcades on March 20, 2003, with a Neo Geo AES home version following on May 29, 2003. A PlayStation 2 port, released exclusively in Japan on May 25, 2006, features enhanced graphics and sound, the return of Angela Belti and Kinta Kokuin, a new boss named Bobby Strong (a comedic interpretation of Nigerian-Japanese personality Bobby Ologun, who voiced the character), and the reintroduction of transformations. Gameplay improvements include easier execution of super attacks. This version retains all characters from Matrimelee except the four Rage of the Dragons guests, and its story occurs after the original game, depicting a 'Bonnou Kaihou' tournament held by the king to cheer up Princess Sissy, with the winner receiving any wish except the throne. It also includes an online mode and a Lust Cards System for purchasing cards that alter character attributes, unlock music video clips, or summon allies.
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