I heard a lot of good things about Golden Axe. Heck, even Ar..

I heard a lot of good things about Golden Axe. Heck, even Arcade1Up released a Golden Axe cabinet. I've tried it yesterday and....I wasn't in love with that game. Gave up after one stage. Just not my cup of tea. I decided to try a more obscure title: Combat School. And to my HUGE surprise, it was a LOT of fun. I didn't expect it to be so much fun....I was intrigued but wasn't expecting much from this 1987 game. But gosh....I kept trying again and again. You never know which more obscure title can be a lot of fun. It's a basic game, sure...but who cares! It's enjoyable! The control panel consists of a trackball and two buttons with different functions depending on the event. The game can be played against a CPU-controlled opponent or a second player. Player 1 takes control of Nick, a brown-haired recruit in an orange shirt, while Player 2 is Joe, a blond-haired recruit in a blue shirt. The game is composed of seven training events whom the player must complete. Upon a near-success failure to complete an event (failing too severely results in game over), the player must do a set number of chin ups as punishment (this chance is given only once) in order to continue into the succeeding events, or it's game over. ***COM'ON....chin ups by mashing up a button? How can you hate that game!*** The events are as follows: Obstacle Course – Set in a side-scrolling segment, the player must reach the end of the stage under the allotted time while climbing walls and clearing bars. Losing to the CPU or to one another does not mean game over as long as the players cross the finish line within the allotted time. ***This reminded me of Track & Field arcade*** Shooting Range No. 1 – The player must shoot as many targets as possible under the allotted time. If played against a second player, then the one who shoots the most targets win. ***Reminded me of Cabal*** Iron Man Race – Similar to the obstacle course, but set in a top view angle. The player must reach the goal while avoiding mines and other obstacles. Eventually the player must cross a lake by either swimming or rowing a boat. Losing to the CPU or to one another does not mean game over as long as the players cross the finish line within the allotted time. ***That was fun LOL I kept trying to drown the CPU, haha I loved it*** Shooting Range No. 2 – Same as the first one, but now with moving targets. ***This REALLY has a Galaga vibe and you know I say this as a compliment*** Arm Wrestling – The two recruits are pitted against each other in a match of strength and stamina. This is more like a bonus stage than an actual course: the player is not penalized for losing. In the arcade version, if both players are graduated, before the mission, the two players must face each other in an extra arm wrestling round in order to determine who will win and play the mission. Only the victor is allowed to play the mission. ***Yeah....never won a single Arm Wrestling match. Still trying to figure that out*** Shooting Range No. 3 – The third and final shooting range stage features penalty targets. Fighting – The player faces his instructor in hand-to-hand combat in the final event. There is no make-up punishment in this event; if a player loses, it is game over no matter what. In the home-computer versions, if played with a second player, then the two players must fight each other. Only the victor is allowed to graduate. After all seven events are cleared, the player graduates from basic training only to be sent on a mission (the 8th and final stage) to rescue the U.S. President from armed terrorists. The final stage consists of a single side-scrolling level where the player must fight off terrorists using all the skills acquired during the course of training. This stage can only be played by one player. Without a continue feature or spare stocks of lives, and because the player dies with one hit (minus the part that pits the player in a hand-to-hand combat against the terrorist leader) from anything, the final stage is extremely difficult to clear. ***The only downside of that game? I wish it would be longer or there would be more levels!!! Like the shooting range ones or the obstacle courses? MOREEEEE!!!!!*** Made by Konami in 1987/1988....easy to play on Mame....GAME ON! And enjoy :)