Numan Athletics

Gameplay

The game features eight events, each set in a different country, with a host similar to the one from Knuckle Heads tracking the Numans' progress. This host is accompanied by two bunny girls who appear from the bottom of the screen when a Numan succeeds in some, but not all, of the events. Achieving the best time or distance in any event earns a "world record," and the player is then asked to enter their initials.

The first event is Turbo Dash, held in the United States, which is Harry's home country. Here, the player uses the first and third buttons to make their Numan start running and tries to outpace the opponent. Next is Interceptor, set in Russia. This event resembles the Firing Ranges from Konami's Combat School. The player uses the first and third buttons to move the Numan left and right and the second button to shoot at bullets fired from a distant boat. If a bullet hits the ground, it explodes and knocks the Numan into the water, causing an automatic failure. If a bullet strikes the Numan directly, it blows off all their clothes, also resulting in failure.

Missile Toss takes place in Kenya, Bongo's home country. The player uses the first and third buttons to start running, then presses and holds the second button before reaching a red line. If any part of the Numan's foot crosses that line, the attempt is invalidated. This event is very tricky for players who do not know the correct moment to stop and the right angle for throwing the missile. Numan Sniper is set in Antarctica. The player uses all three buttons to fire at monsters appearing on the left, center, and right sides of the screen. It is similar to Interceptor, but with up to every Numan competing at once.

Reception

Numan Athletics was one of the most popular arcade games in Japan in October 1993. Electronic Games commended the game for its fierce, competitive nature and strange concept, saying it would test anyone's physical endurance. Italian publication Computer+Videogiochi agreed, further praising the game for sticking out among similar titles for its outlandish design, entertaining gameplay, and amount of in-game events, and also liked its colorful visuals and soundtrack alongside its multiplayer components. Reviewing the Japanese Wii Virtual Console version, Nintendo Life praised Numan Athletics for its competitive nature and uniqueness, finding it a surprising treasure for the service, writing that it is the distilled essence of what makes arcade games exciting – over the top, noisy, bold, and fun. Retro Gamer gave a similar response, comparing it favorably to Sega's DecAthlete and Konami's Hyper Sports for its unique and outlandish concept and entertaining, button-mashing gameplay, concluding that the premise does not change a whole lot in gameplay terms but it is as tight and enjoyable as the best in the genre. Game Watch applauded its exhilarating gameplay and gorgeous presentation, said its 4-person multiplayer made it a great party game, and also liked the techno soundtrack and responsive controls.