Growl

Overview

Growl, also known as Runark in Japan, is a beat ’em up fighting game that follows four forest rangers battling evil poachers who are driving animals to extinction. Developed and published by Taito and originally released in 1990 (or 1991) to the arcades, it has an unmistakable Indiana Jones vibe and somewhat anticipates the future classic Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (1992).

In Growl, up to four players face a large number of enemies across seven stages, brawling their way through by combining attacks or using weapons picked up during the game. Movement is eight-directional, and the controls consist of a joystick and two action buttons: attack and jump. Pressing both buttons while surrounded by enemies triggers a special attack that hits all foes around you. A longer jump can be performed by pressing both buttons along with the joystick pushed upward. The game also features grabs and the ability to hit enemies while they are on the ground. Another interesting element is the rescued animals, which can assist the heroes and attack enemies.

This brawler features an interesting roster of weapons and characters, responsive controls, and fast-paced gameplay, while also introducing some innovations to the beat ’em up genre. However, it was neither a massive hit nor a critical darling. Even so, Growl was ported to the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1991 and later received versions for Xbox, Windows, and PlayStation 2 in 2005 as part of the Taito Memories Joukan collection. In 2020, it was released on Antstream.

What we have here is the world release of the game’s arcade version ready to be played online, on your browsers (HTML5), without the need of installation and other hassles.

Controls

• Directional – Arrow Keys (Move)
• Button B – X (Attacks)
• Button A – Z (Jump)
• Attack + Jump next to enemies – Special attack
• Attack + Jump + ↑ – Higher jump
• Insert Coin – Shift
• Start – Enter
• Attention – These controls are default for Player 1. Hover your mouse into the lower part of the screen and a control bar will show up. Click on the gamepad icon and set the Player 2 controls if you want to play Growl with a friend.

More info and beat ’em up

• Growl @ Gaming Room – Source, with more info and media. In Portuguese.
• Mutant Madness
• Running Battle
• The Super Spy
• Ninja Combat
• Gladiator True Story
• Altered Beast
• Yuyu Hakusho Wars
• Hobo 2 - Prison Brawl
• Stickman Ultimate Street Fighter 3D

Growl gameplays, tips or walkthroughs

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Don't troll, don't use profanity, don't spam your crappy url. Only comments in english. Your comments must follow our Terms And Conditions.