Down that chanko
It looks like Hamster has returned to its big bag of nameless titles for this week’s retro re-release, as Technos Japan’s sumo wrestling title Shusse Ozumo is now available to download on Nintendo Switch.
Released in arcades back in 1984, Shusse Ozumo does its best to recreate the noble chest-smacking combat of sumo, featuring large, expressive sprites and surprisingly detailed backgrounds. As this release never saw the light of day outside of Japan, this Switch edition contains no English text, but that shouldn’t be too much of an issue, given it’s relatively simplistic gameplay
One or two players can face off in competition, with the goal being to force your opponent from the ring, or take them down to the ground. While Shusse Ozumo is obviously some 35 years old today and shows its age immediately, it did pave the way for a series of similar sumo titles in Japan, and is something of a pioneer within its own genre.
Shusse Ozumo is available to download now on Nintendo Switch, priced around $8.