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4[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/trio_the_punch_oof.png]]
5[[caption-width-right:256:[[JustForFun/IHeardThatAs "Hot sauce!"]]]]
6
7->''"WIN WIN"''
8-->-- The end of each stage
9
10A 1990 UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame, ''Trio the Punch: Never Forget Me...'' is, essentially, madness given video game form. And not merely in the [[QuirkyWork conventional way]], no. It is the scrawling on the walls, babbling incoherently while trying desperately to remember where you placed your arms form of insanity. Created by Creator/DataEast of ''VideoGame/BadDudes'' fame, this game is also a BeatEmUp... or something similar, at least.
11
12In fact, the gameplay is not that incomprehensible. Upon starting, you're presented with a choice of three characters: a ninja, a tough guy, and a swordsman. You then have a simple objective: Upon defeating enemies, they will sometimes drop hearts. You must collect a certain amount of these hearts to face the boss, defeat it, and clear the stage. Sounds ordinary enough, right?
13
14Except it turns out that the gameplay is merely an afterthought to everything else, and the stages are usually trivial. Instead, the game focuses entirely on attempting to reduce its player to tears of confusion and anguish. Describing the entirety of what makes this game so utterly mindbreaking would be a several paragraph endeavor, but suffice it to say that with the armies of VideoGame/{{Karnov}}, the ([[LostInTranslation almost]]) inexplicable "WEEBLES FALL DOWN!" stage, copious amounts of BlindIdiotTranslation, never-interrupted stage music, battles with pink sheep that curse you, a surprise appearance from Colonel Sanders, and a GainaxEnding that gives ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' itself a run for its money, ''Trio the Punch: Never Forget Me...'' succeeds in its title's plea.
15
16In Japan, the game is considered to be one of the progenitors of ''kuso-ge'', or "crappy games", games known for their astoundingly horrible nature. In fact, the game was [[StylisticSuck deliberately designed to be bad]] (and insane), which also qualifies it as ''baka-ge'', or "stupid game".
17
18See also ''VideoGame/BoogieWings'', a similar [=DataEast=] game. Santos from this one notably had a cameo as a statue in the other.
19
20----
21!!This game provides examples of the following tropes:
22* BigDamnHeroes: Karnov's attacking some defenseless turtle! It's your character to the rescue.[[note]]Possibly this is supposed to refer to the folktale of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urashima_Taro Urashima Taro]].[[/note]] And- oh wait, now it's ''your'' turn to beat up the turtle. But it's okay, it was actually your mentor hiding under a hollowed out turtle shell for no apparent reason. [[LetsYouAndHimFight And now you]] [[SequentialBoss have to fight him.]]
23* BlatantLies: "YOU FIGURED IT OUT" No, you'll be just as confused as when you started.
24* BlindIdiotTranslation: Just about every line of text in the game. According to Wikipedia, the Japanese version, while being in, uh, [[ShapedLikeItself Japanese]], ''also'' had unusual grammar, making it a fitting choice for the translation.
25* BlobMonster: The mooks in several later, sci-fi-themed levels. Blue ones just ooze at you, yellow ones turn into vaguely lizard-like forms and walk at you, green ones bounce, and red ones... operate PoweredArmor.
26* BossOnlyLevel: The level with the GiantFootOfStomping only consists of a battle with it.
27* CarryABigStick: Chelnov's weapon as a boss character is a mallet that [[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Akane Tendo]] would find excessive.
28* CelebrityCameo: Colonel Sanders and what appears to be the Queen of England riding a large fish appear as enemies. The former may be a reference to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Colonel the Curse of the Colonel]]. The latter? ...
29* CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption: The final level has you beating up a bunch of harmless animals in a park. Even one of the messages for doing so is "CRUETY" (sic).
30* CursedWithAwesome: The sheep might actually be more powerful than the normal player characters, depending on how much you've upgraded their weapons. Regardless of upgrades, as a sheep, ''you're invincible when you duck.'' (But you die if you try to move while ducking.)
31* DoppelgangerAttack: The ninja's Double special adds a clone of him for battle.
32* DualBoss: One of the earlier boss fights is against two skeletons with machetes.
33* ExcusePlot: ...In...verted? While it's hard to call the game's plot a plot, it's clear that the gameplay is merely there to string together the bizarre levels and elements.
34* ExplosiveStupidity: At one point, Karnov puts a bomb, hides behind it with his ears covered, but then acts all like "WheresTheKaboom" and walks back to it, and it blows up in his face.
35* ExtendableArms: Mr. Chin can elongate his arms so they reach through the entire screen width.
36* FlashOfPain: Some of the enemies flash a darker color when hit.
37* ForcedTransformation: In the level "Curse of Sheeps", whether you win or lose, you'll be cursed to turn into a sheep for the next stage.
38* GainaxEnding: After fighting your way through hordes of zombies, robotic tanks, slime monsters, a lot of ninja, Karnov enemies, Chelnov, and strange bosses, the final level takes place in a peaceful park. Oh no, is some horrible monster threatening the peace? You make your way forward, and... nope. Your character encounters a few nearly harmless animals and, for no other reason than that [[{{Railroading}} you must to beat the game]], kills them all. So then does the final boss appear? Again, nope. Upon killing the last animal, you get the good old "WIN WIN" message. The game then has the audacity to tell you "YOU FIGURED IT OUT" before scrolling down under the sidewalk, where a pair of giant orange bloodshot eyes stares into the screen. The pair of eyes then lifts the sidewalk under your character's feet into the air before dropping it back down. You then exchange a few words with your mentor, and the game ends.
39-->'''ROSE SUB:''' That was great!\
40'''MR. CHIN:''' Best we ever had!
41:: or[=:=]
42-->'''KAMAKURA:''' Thanks for cheering me up\
43'''MR. CHIN:''' Superb
44:: or[=:=]
45-->'''SANTOS:''' I'm faint from hunger\
46'''MR. CHIN:''' Well done well done
47* GameBreakingBug: There are a few. Including, according to at least one source, the ability to ''freeze the arcade machine'' if you get unlucky while performing your special move in midair.
48* GameOverMan: Its just as fucked up as the rest of the game: Of all the faces to show up on the continue screen, you get Michelangelo's ''Dying Slave''. And if you continue the face changes to a cartoonish one.
49* GiantFootOfStomping: One of the bosses. The way to efficiently defeat it is to [[spoiler:[[TacticalSuicideBoss wait for it to break through the floor]]]], as it takes far longer to beat it normally.
50* GoombaStomp: A variation; jumping can't kill any enemies, but you do harmlessly bounce off anything you land on that isn't the ground, including projectiles.
51* HoistByHisOwnPetard: If you leave the bomb-setting Karnovs alone, they will check up on their own bombs after a few moments, only to be killed in the ensuing blast.
52* InterfaceScrew: Not in the game itself, but during the "Enter your initials" high score screen, the game randomly skips letters, going in no set order. By the way, you're [[TimedMission timed]]. Good luck!
53* ImprobableWeaponUser: The weapons used by the player characters range from a punching bag to what appears to be a giant grill lighter.
54* LarynxDissonance: All enemies make one of two sounds when hit: A meow-like sound or a deep grunt. When bosses are destroyed, they simply loop that sound infinitely until they leave the screen.
55* LostInTranslation: Certain aspects of the game make slightly more sense with knowledge of Japanese culture. ''Slightly.''
56* LudicrousGibs: One of the ninja's special attacks involves getting hit by lightning and exploding into bits.
57* ManekiNeko: One of the bosses.
58* MercyInvincibility: Inverted for some of the boss enemies. Most have long periods of Mercy Invincibility, but a few have none at all, so they can be destroyed with one or two well-placed hits.
59* MindScrew: The ''entire game.''
60* NinjaLog: The ninja character briefly turns into a log when he gets hit.
61* OldMaster: Mr. Chin, who upgrades your weapons with a "LUCKY! CHA CHA CHA!" during a roulette section after each level, and battles you twice throughout the game.
62* PaletteSwap: The purple Karnovs, who spit out poison instead of fire.
63* PatchworkMap: While there isn't any definite transition between stages, you go from a desert to a jungle in the span of a few stages, and end up in a pleasant park by the end.
64* PoisonMushroom: The unlucky option on the slots lowers the levels of both the main and sub weapon.
65* RatchetScrolling: Most of the stages are short and wrap infinitely in themselves, but you can still only scroll to the right.
66* SharedLifeMeter: The "enemy" meter shows the combined life of all bosses if there are more than one, which often exceed the maximum amount visible.
67* ShoutOut: The three playable characters appear to be parodies of other videogame protagonists. Rose Sub the barbarian is clearly based on VideoGame/{{Rastan}}, Kamakura the ninja reminds of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfKage'''s protagonist, and Santos could be based upon the VideoGame/BadDudes.
68* StatusEffects: Poison. There doesn't seem to be any way to cure it except to perform your magic attack. Hopefully you haven't used it by then.
69* TimeStandsStill: In the level "THAT WAS GREAT" the phrase "WEEBLES FALL DOWN!" appears bit by bit on the screen. When the exclamation mark appears, all action freezes. Yes, ''all'' action, enemies and player alike. Why? It's a reference to the Japanese children's game "Daruma-san ga koronda" (lit. "The Daruma doll fell down")[[note]]the boss in this level is a giant Daruma doll[[/note]], which bears similarities to Red Light Green Light. Not that it would be out of place if it ''was'' completely meaningless.
70* TimedMission: There's actually a time limit for every stage that you won't see until there's 30 seconds left.
71* TooLongDidntDub: The giant foot boss is labeled "TAROSUNOASHI" in Latin characters written directly on its sprite; clearly this is supposed to mean "foot of [[{{Golem}} Talos]]".
72* VictoryPose: Along with a heroic cry of... something.
73* WhatTheHellHero: Upon killing a dog, the game displays the word "CRUETY" (sic). Is it condemning your action? Hard to say, especially since you need to in order to complete the game...

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