Charlie Ninja

[Discoalucard]

www.hardcoregaming101.net/charlieninja/charlieninja.htm

Two wacky ninjsa fights through an array of American stereotypes in this zany arcade game from Mitchell.

[drpepperfan]

Wow, looks gorgeous and fun as hell. What a hidden treasure!

[BdR]

..with who or what exactly "Charlie" is left up to debate.

The game has many stereotypical American enemies like Rambo and cowboys and it presumably takes place in USA. So maybe it was a weird translation mix up and they actually meant "Yankee Ninja" .. On the other hand, the credit screen mentions "character design Charlie Arai" so maybe that explains it.

[Deleted]

masc. proper name, familiar form of Charles (also see -y (3)); 1965 in Vietnam War U.S. military slang for "Vietcong, Vietcong soldier," probably suggested by Victor Charlie, military communication code for V.C. (as abbreviation of Viet Cong), perhaps strengthened by World War II slang use of Charlie for Japanese soldiers, which itself is probably an extension of the 1930s derogatory application of Charlie to any Asian man, from fictional Chinese detective Charlie Chan.

www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Charlie (boldening mine)

Methinks the developer's were having fun at their expense as well.

BTW, was 'injun' really used in the game?

[Woody Alien]

I discovered it years ago by browsing MAME ROMs and it was a pretty good find! At the time, if anyone cares, I reviewed it for another site (it's in Italian though). I don't understand why they didn't underline more the aspect of it being a "platform/beat-em-up" and the importance of special moves.

Presumably Charlie is the name of the character designer, but if so why they didn't call it "Charlie's Ninja"? Maybe it sounded too much like Charlie's Angels?

You might also probably mention that the last level seems to be the facility where the various multi-colored robot ninjas seen in some levels are produced, that the katana destroys bullets too and that the enemies get hurt if they walk on spikes but NOT, for some reason, if they go over mines and other hazards.

Also, is Sanders a... colonel?

[sotenga]

Oct 18, 2014 7:59:45 GMT -5 Woody Alien said:

Also, is Sanders a... colonel?

The tattoo on his arm seems to indicate he's just a corporal, but I figured they were more or less aiming for that gag.  

[Woody Alien]

Oct 20, 2014 19:20:34 GMT -5 sotenga said:

Oct 18, 2014 7:59:45 GMT -5 Woody Alien said:

Also, is Sanders a... colonel?

The tattoo on his arm seems to indicate he's just a corporal, but I figured they were more or less aiming for that gag.  

OK! I'm not too familiar with military grades.

Also, this game reminds me a bit of the anime Panty and Stocking, in that it's at the same time a celebration and a mockery of American culture. Maybe this is why it wasn't too famous?

[hudakj]

I'd say the "Charlie" monicker is just there to get across that he's an American given that it is a very American name to the average Japanese.  In other words "American Ninja" but not calling it such to make it possible to import it overseas.

Oct 17, 2014 14:47:05 GMT -5 @bugman said:

Oct 17, 2014 14:47:05 GMT -5 bugman said:

BTW, was 'injun' really used in the game?

No, the reviewer just used that word to imply that these were classic Hollywood style stereotypical Indians.