Kizuna Encounter - Super Tag Battle, the Video Game by SNK [Shin Nihon Kikaku] [Osaka, Japan]

Type of the machine : Video Game
Kizuna Encounter - Super Tag Battle © 1996 SNK.

2-on-2 tag team battle with 10 selectable characters with huge sprites to challenge Shin King Lion and the powerful shaman Jyazu. Very fast-paced and fun!

SNK Neo-Geo MVS hardware
Game ID : 0216

Main CPU : 68000 (@ 12 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound Chips : YM2610 (@ 8 Mhz)

Screen orientation : Horizontal
Video resolution : 320 x 224 pixels
Screen refresh : 59.19 Hz
Palette colors : 4096

Players : 2
Control : 8-way joystick
Buttons : 4 =>
[A] Punch, [B] Kick, [C] Attack with weapon, [D] Switch fighter

Released in September 1996.

This game is known in Japan as "Fu'un - Super Tag Battle" (translates from Japanese as 'Wind and Cloud - Super Tag Battle').

A special 4-player version named Kizuna Encounter Special Edition supports the Link-Up feature for 4 player play but it was a limited release.

In the Japanese version :
* King Lion is named 'Kage Shishioh'.
* Kim Young-Mok is named 'Kim'.
* Shin King Lion is named 'Shin Shishioh'.

* Gozu, Mezu and Jyazu are the only characters who can make double jumps.

* Boss Code (Play as either Shin King Lion or Jyazu) : At the character selection screen highlight Mezu, then highlight the following characters in this order : Mezu, Kim, Rosa, Gozu, Rosa, Kim, Mezu, Gordon, Joker, Eagle, Hayate, Chung, King Lion & Gozu. Now press D. You should listen Jyazu's laugh to confirm the code, now select Gozu and press Up to reveal Jyazu or select King Lion and press Up to reveal Shin King Lion. Note : Endings are disabled for either Jyazu or Shin King Lion and they fight alone.

* Hidden Matches : Beat Jyazu with the following teams to access an extra match : Gordon & Rosa, Hayate & Eagle, King Lion & Gozu, King Lion & Mezu. This extra match consist in a fight between your two characters (one of them is controlled by the CPU)

1. Savage Reign (1995)
2. Kizuna Encounter - Super Tag Battle (1996)

Object designers : Rolly R, POnta, Pinkey, G. Ishidaman, Kattsun, Tashiboo, Sasa, Futatsu..., Odachan, Akairo Megane, Yorumo O.K.YO, Tohru, Takehiro Isaji, Kaoruru
Back designers : Muramama, Eiko, Daisuke, Hidenao JF9, Shimiji
Programmers : Jaron, 0014 Take4, Bashi
Music composers : Jojoha Kitapy, Tate Norio, Mitsuo
Producers : Takashi Nishiyama, H. Matsumoto, Akira
Directors : Mituzo, Kanbei Hama, Wakama2, Suery from OBC

* Voice Actors :
Rosa : Hiroko Tsuji
Gozu : Konichi Hayashi
King Lion : Masaru Naka
Chung Paifu : Humio Niwa
Syo Hayate : Konichi Hayashi
Kim Young-Mok : Yoshiaki Fujita
Mezu : Konichi Hayashi
Gordon Bowman : Hisanori Higashi
Joker : Takeshi Kokubo
Max Eagle : Kunihiko Tatsumi

Consoles :

SNK Neo-Geo (1996)
Sony PlayStation 2 (2007,"NeoGeo Online Collection Vol.8 - Fuun Super Combo")

* Notes :
The SNK Neo Geo AES European homecart version of Kizuna Encounter is one of the most expensive and rare video games of all time, there is rumored to be no more than 10 copies, 4 confirmed circulating in Europe and the US, and the last one sold for around $12,500. Several rumors as to the scarcity of European cartridges make the rounds among fans but it is widely believed that the game's poor sales in Europe led to cartridges getting sent back to Japan. It is likely their ROM chips were deleted and used for other games or that the cartridges were simply outfitted with Japanese labels and sold again since the Japanese versions as such were identical to the European ones.

Game's rom.
Machine's picture.