Growl Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]

Developed and published by Taito in 1990
Also known as Runark in Japan, this curious 4-player brawler clearly evokes Indiana Jones, with a splash of eco-activism thrown in for good measure.
It's not espcially fun or innovative, although dismembering enemies with grenades and the occasional impala charge is quite amusing.
The rocket launcher and M16 assault rifle are anachronisms in the 1940s setting, although the flat caps and overalls and overalls worn by some of the enemies feel almost 19th century!
A special mention must go to the final boss, who seems to be some weird mash-up of Bond villain Baron Samdi and Wolverine; most peculiar!
#growl
#runark
#retrogaming

[@axelwulf6220]

Indiana Jones, Bayou Billy, Hulk Hogan, and Chuck Norris walk into a game....

[@CopiousDoinksLLC]

Damn, you really nailed it with those character portraits, holy shit.

[@CocaLightMan]

And Cocodrile Dundee

[@stormcrow28]

Amazing how 80s blouses, skirts M-16s, and FLASH Thermobaric launchers appear in a 1930s anti-poaching game. There must be some time travel going on

[@mikeg2491]

“Oh No He Got Me!” - plot writer

[@coolnut99]

@@mikeg2491 "THIS IS THE END FOR YOU!" :)

[@DrownedInExile]

And an Alien endboss.

[@mkphotofilm]

the 80s/early 90s short skirts are the most jarring, but as a kid, i never even noticed

[@teddychu1177]

I mean the final boss is a giant alien worm masquerading as a Monster Clown/Wolverine/whatever expy... so not out of the realm of possibility

[@ZWIPPMANN]

This game has a lot of gender equality

[@CopiousDoinksLLC]

I love how this game gave absolutely zero fucks. Within the first few seconds, your character has a Goddamn missile launcher at their disposal. At 1:46, you save a lion - which then proceeds to rip a person into actual shreds before it escapes. And it blatantly rips off Indiana Jones as the protagonist's avatar. The 90s were an awesome time to be alive, man.

[@edwardgaines6561]

They also rip off Hulk Hogan's look from the 80s.

[@Matthew_Paul]

Taito has several non-licenced characters in their games. So far I've seen they've rip off Tarzan, Riggs and Murtaugh, Conan, and now Indiana Jones.

[@DrownedInExile]

And weapons that shouldn't exist for another 30+ years. And an alien endboss.

[@andrecastro1980]

And the heroes were drinking some beer together at the starting point of the adventure.

[@mr7clay]

"What's the narrative for these ladies' attire?" "They were... uh, going to the club... baby seals."

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

They also seem to keep an inordinate amount of grenades down their tops...

[@miroslavzima8856]

@@AL82RetrogamingLongplays Well, they are literal bomb shells x)

[@DrownedInExile]

What's the narrative for any woman wearing short skirts and high heels? They look nice of course!

[@m-w-y7325]

@@DrownedInExile nothing much, back during times when poaching was popular, you would easily find comfort women around reservation areas for the fine gentlemen that came for the good hunt! (If you seen Full Metal Jacket, Rambo, Indiana Jones etc, you will see one of these evil girls in them)

[@Ataristic]

The message I take away from this is save the poor innocent animals... except bats. Bats are evil.

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

Also, you're completely safe from hand grenades, as long as YOU threw it ;)

[@mariagotica8569]

OF COURSE!!

[@neosilly1]

Batman: Who is evil?

[@hitkid2456]

​@@neosilly1 Bats are one of the animals which pollinate plants... Better not kill them.

[@GrandpaLee]

FINALLY. BEEN SEARCHING FOR THIS GAME FOR YEARS!!

[@kirkmorris4133]

Me too. This game owned

[@CopiousDoinksLLC]

It's funny because I remember seeing this game out of the corner of my eye when I was around 9 years old as kid in an arcade at Wet 'n' Wild on the Gold Coast. I spent the next 17 years of my life wondering what it was and then I discovered it on KZbin back in 2009. "FKN GROWL!! OMG!!!!" lol

[@JoahnnesPaulus]

Lo interesante de este juego es que en algunos momentos hay una cantidad exagerada de enemigos y no se vuelve tedioso, sino todo lo contrario , es muy divertido

[@normanm3799]

Super MUSIC ❤ 🌴 MACHO HETERO GAME🌴👍

[@persona83]

me like.

[@ablosch2452]

21:08 As Angry Video Game Nerd said, that was “Taito as fuck.”

[@konstantinkoverchenko9587]

Harrison Ford has been holding back for far too long and now he finally gets to turn it all loose. >_

[@janneaalto3956]

Am I imagining it or was that "You won't get away with this." at the beginning a straight sample from Indiana Jones and The Raiders of The Lost Ark? Because I could swear it was.

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

It wouldn't surprise me if it was - Taito clearly intended for this to be a beat 'em up based on Indiana Jones, but problably added saving wild animals, as opposed to recovering lost artifiacts, to avoid lawsuits...

[@robbyrobot3303]

The voice sample is insanely high fidelity for the time.

[@_diico]

with those weapons that the hunters took... What the hell did they expect to find in the jungle? Krakens!?

[@angrytheclown801]

Have you seen that lava cave with the bats? You better take a military base worth of ordinance with you.

[@DrownedInExile]

Aliens of course. Just look at the end boss!

[@_diico]

@@DrownedInExile But the ones with the weapons were the hunters that you defeat throughout the game... you use their weapons, they are commanded by an alien.

[@DrownedInExile]

@@_diico Maybe the hunters were hunting the Alien? They heard rumour of some new animal in the jungle, and wanted first dibs. But the hunters became the prey.

[@_diico]

@@DrownedInExile hey.... you have a point. Thinking this way....

[@KamenKami]

Michael Bay should make a movie of this.

[@rakamamend666]

Thanks for bring back my memories 25 years ago, this is my fav game that I was looking for

[@zerosub9450]

We need a remake.

[@jimmyrobbins4079]

YES!!! I hope Dotemu (the company who made Windjammers 2) makes a sequel/remake to this

[@edwardgaines6561]

Yeah, the sprite art is pretty bad, even for the time it was released. Imagine if Capcom or Konami did this game instead!

[@FahadLamiHD4D]

@@jimmyrobbins4079 That would be amazing

[@robbyrobot3303]

​@@edwardgaines6561the voice samples are insane tho. Sounds so clear

[@edwardgaines6561]

@@robbyrobot3303 True! And the opening stage theme is so good!

[@j23_stuff]

The roller skating rink near me had this arcade when I was a kid. Good times

[@theophanesantoniou8539]

the music at the first stage is absolutely legendary!!!

[@SolCresta3405]

What the hell is that final boss?

[@angrytheclown801]

The game where you use classic beat em up weapons like machine guns, stick grenades, and rocket launchers to fight the famous enemies like Hollywood Bedouin nomads, secretaries, and dudes in suits that look ready to sell you mattresses on Presidents Day.

[@megna1]

one of the best memories of my youth!

[@megaben99]

So, I had this Idea for a remake of Growl called: Growl Defenders of the Rainforest (Title Pending) it would be a mixture of a role playing game and a first person shooter. You can vist towns, take on side quests, etc. However When you get into a random encounter the game suddenly shifts to a first person perspective and suddenly turns into a first person shooter. Combat will focus on melee and ranged weapons. Also. when you save animals from the poachers you can learn new abilities or even summon your animal friends to aid you in battle. Its a standard RPG with a twist. I am a fan of classic rpgs like final fantasy but I am also a fan of games like Fallout 3 so this game idea is a combination of both.

[@luisreyes1963]

Sounds like a great idea for a sequel to GROWL. 🦁

[@megaben99]

@@luisreyes1963 Thanks.

[@DrownedInExile]

Sounds a little like Far Cry.

[@JJ_cl83]

Sounds like a gamechanger, as ideas go! 💡 Follow through with it, good luck to ya!

[@scoobydoobydoo4880]

14:20 is where epicness begins!

[@mine9127]

I finally found the title hahaha...

[@LoneWolgon1991]

“Growl is anything but average, why’s that? Well you play as hulk Hogan and Indiana Jones! This game is Taito as f*ck.” 0:53

[@yokan3701]

unfortunately the protagonists do not even have a name

[@PRORAGEGUY]

but un genesis, they have

[@QF_Dan72]

An awesome beat em up.....only to be ruined by the conclusion. The final boss does not make any sense

[@elReydelasmáquinas-k1u]

Uno de los jefes finales más ultrafáciles de la historia

[@AlexUnderViD]

Amazing walkthrough well done

[@christidavis7295]

Growl Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]

[@AngryCalvin]

First time I saw this game as a Sega Genesis port I thought it was a 16 bit version of Bayou Billy.

[@danielseaton3504]

Notice how the women were more unrelenting then the guys,always got hit more by them,made busting out the whip that much more fun haha

[@andrewvasquez1960]

Game is now available on switch, dropped today

[@spiralthai]

Oh my god!! I just see that last boss of this game is Alien !!

[@RayoSombrio78]

You even could beat ladies. This game would be impossible now

[@hitkid2456]

SEGA's had that going on too, but at least you could also be a woman in them lol

[@Kyur.]

That's the Current Era in a nutshell.

[@DrownedInExile]

12:03 Panty shot! I'm a bad person.

[@therealsethscarlet7084]

Here again, due to the New Indiana Jones Movie this Year. (I expect a Reference to this Game in that Movie, like a Hulk Hogan Cameo or a Mention of the Title of this Game xd).

[@ribeirowalter3527]

Bons e saudosos tempos de fliperama.

[@m-w-y7325]

The Genesis version was lacking a lot of stuff but despite the limitations, they managed to include everything from the Arcade, but the final Boss in arcade is very lack luster compared to the Genesis which has pouncing/rushing attacks along with the Arcade ones in his first form and then turns into a massive Alien Golem creature that belches plasma explosive balls and rolls around like a maniac, arcade version Bosses seem to be able to damage each other from throwing attacks which was removed in Genesis. Also the Whip turns out to be the most OP weapon again and the Cave part was just stupid, feels like left over level that was made earlier as an Indiana Jones game but later on just added as a filler with the awfully detailed bats. Oh I like music of both versions, doesn't seem to be much different except Genesis one feels more softer compared Arcade which feels more punchy.

[@MelancoliaI]

Grew up playing the Genesis version, loved the Alien boss' laugh MEAH MEAH MEAH MEAH!

[@m-w-y7325]

@@MelancoliaI loved that laugh! It was quite an iconic boss, an alien poaching leader.

[@russellmoore8187]

Seanbaby brought me here 👍

[@nickolasrizzato2607]

Reminds me of golden axe

[@nehemiahpouncey3607]

This game has a secret bad ending if You lose to the final boss. It's an alien invasion plot of him Taking over.

[@mahrusfly4860]

Good

[@luisreyes1963]

A most excellent adventure with GROWL! 🦁

[@agentcooper6179]

That wasn’t the same endboss I fought.

[@mauriciolacardoso]

The mega drive version has a different boss!

[@alsat8931]

Michael Bay : The Game

[@hitkid2456]

So was C64 Transformers. Practically anything you did in that resulted in self destruction!

[@dino__studio]

4:46 Shredder is that you?

[@TheLevitatingChin]

I like the bobby growler on the women.

[@KHayes666]

Indiana Jones & Hulk Hogan

[@shyguy6334]

I may have this game

[@OldNerdPlayingOldPCGames]

Another big like my friend 🙂 👍

[@sosadday6819]

80s PETA

[@UpIrons777]

Indiana Jones about 50 times more violent.

[@becketmariner]

You mean a vengeful YWHW melting Nazis into the untermenshen genetic slime they, or a Nazi bruiser getting sliced by a propellor, or Thug guards getting crushed by a rock crusher rock, or a sacrifice to Kali getting burnt by lava and heart ripped, and a traitorous American industrialist "aging" out, or a KGB Psy agent getting mind blowing information.... is not gory enough and violent?

[@user-lp7ld2wu2v]

Great play

[@blastradius9136]

Indiana Jones?

[@MelancoliaI]

SHBROOM!!!

[@jettmanas]

I remember this game. Great beat em up. Nice job w/the frustrating platforming in the cave. Saving animals is nice, but explosives, guns, swords, hitting while down, animal attacks, etc. on the ladies- so cruel 0.0 Wild endboss. Good playthrough.

[@edwardgaines6561]

If women want equal rights, they'll get equal lefts too.

[@seppokalevi7]

3:04 GIBS

[@sebastiancalermo7497]

No me gusta este remake. Horrible

[@juanelpito]

es la original no es remake

[@andresgonzales4184]

???

[@therealsethscarlet7084]

This is basically, Hulk Hogan and Indiana Jones vs Peta....and that's is Awesome and I liked, yeah, Hogan and Jones saves Animals and attack Peta. (I hope a Sequel or something like that of this Game, where now the Enemies are the Fake Animal Rescue Channels, and we play as John Cena, Lebron James, John Wick, Ryuko Matoi and Ruby Rose for save Innocents Animals)

[@becketmariner]

The dudes wearing the Fez are Salah and he had enough of Indy's shit... 17:27

[@GrandpaLee]

But I think there's a more classic version of this game with his signature 3 frame jumpkick I need to look up more

[@alsat8931]

Shoulda picked yellow, hits harder and faster melee

[@persona83]

Never heard of this game before. Seems interesting. And there's even a Genesis version.

[@hitkid2456]

That version is vastly inferior however. I don't even want to try it.

[@solomonsamuel4174]

I use to play this as a kid then about 8 years ago it took me a near $60 to finish it 😂😂😂