Combat School: A Retro Arcade Challenge for the Brave
The Legacy of Combat School
In 1987, Konami introduced players to Combat School, also known as Boot Camp in North America. This arcade game quickly captured the attention of gamers with its unique trackball controls and challenging gameplay. Players assumed the role of a military recruit at a United States Marine Corps Recruit Training camp, embarking on a journey through rigorous training exercises.
The game’s popularity led to its adaptation for various home computers in Europe, including the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC, thanks to Ocean Software. Later, Konami brought the Commodore 64 version to North America under the Boot Camp title and released an MS-DOS version in 1989. Although an Amiga version was planned, it unfortunately never hit the market.
Gameplay Features
Combat School’s control panel is distinctive, featuring a trackball and two buttons whose functions change according to the in-game event. This setup allowed for a competitive experience, letting players face off against a CPU or a second player. Player 1 controlled Nick, a brown-haired recruit, while Player 2 took on the role of Joe, a blond-haired recruit.
The game consists of seven training events, each testing different skills. Failing an event too severely results in game over, but players were given one chance to redeem themselves by performing chin-ups to advance. After successfully completing these events, players faced a final challenge: a mission to rescue the U.S. President from terrorists. This side-scrolling level tested all the skills acquired during training, with the added difficulty of one-hit deaths, making it a formidable challenge.
Reception and Impact
Combat School was well-received, even ranking as the fourth most-successful table arcade unit of the month in Japan’s Game Machine magazine in July 1987. It was praised by Your Sinclair magazine for its engaging gameplay, drawing favorable comparisons to Konami’s previous hit, Hyper Sports. The game’s influence was apparent in later titles like Cabal, which adopted similar trackball controls.
Conclusion
Combat School remains a cherished piece of gaming history for those who appreciate the challenge of retro arcade games. Its combination of military-themed training and intense rescue mission offers a unique experience that still resonates with players today. Whether you’re a nostalgic gamer or a newcomer to arcade classics, Combat School is a journey worth undertaking.
For those interested, seek out this classic and experience firsthand the thrill and challenge that defined a generation of arcade gaming.