Elfmania

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Elfmania

Elfmania is a Fighting game, developed by Terramarque and published by Renegade, which was released in Europe in 1994.

Beautiful, colourful or cute things can often be the most dangerous - they can lull you into a false sense of security and then striking out when least expected, stunning you like a rocket-charged python. Elfmania is such a thing. Who would have thought, after Streetfighter 2, Body Blows and Mortal Kombat, that what's basically a bunch of fighting fairies would inspire an office into aggressive bouts of one-on-one fisticuffs and high-pitched screaming.

In single-player mode you start off with cash in the form coins which buy the services of fighters. More experienced ones cost more dosh, so at the beginning you can only choose between one of three characters, who cost $75 each. Beating the hell out of each enemy (in a very nice elf-like fashion, of course) gives you more coins, allowing you to hire tougher fighters for later bouts.

In two-player mode you can have a quick flick through the fighters and, well, I never knew that elves had such a varied racial culture. There's a sumo wrestling Japanelf, a vicious and contemptible sword wielding Turkelf and a king equipped with a fiendishly destructive mallet. These three constitute the toughest enemies, but because everyone is yours for a price, if you win enough bouts, you can hire these fighters later on in the game.

Okay, a cute beat 'em up might sound perverse, but Elfmania has managed to prove two things: 1.) Consoles are not the only place you can find decent beat 'em ups. 2.) You don't have to rip anyone's head off, have blood spouting everywhere and have special moves that are about as easy to execute as an American mass murderer to produce a top class, strategic and fun game. Very well done.