[[quoteright:211:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Combatribes_cover_8991.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:211:Berserker in the middle, with Blitz (left) and Bullova in the background.]]
->''"CYBORGS AIN'T LADIES!"''
-->--From the print advertisement for the SNES version.

Originally released for the arcades in 1990, ''The Combatribes'' was Technos Japan Corp.'s attempt to create another popular {{beat em up}} franchise following the success of their ''[[KunioKun Kunio-kun]]'' (''Renegade'', ''RiverCityRansom'') and ''VideoGame/DoubleDragon'' games. It was developed by most of the same staff members who worked on the arcade version of the first ''Double Dragon'' and while it did not have the same widespread popularity as its predecessors, it did inspired a console port for the SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem released in 1992. The player chooses from one of the titular "Combatribes", a group of three former military men with superhuman strength who have come to New York City to rid the city of its various street gangs and criminal mobs.

The most distinguishing feature of ''Combatribes'' is the unique variety of moves available for each character. In addition to the standard repertoire of punches, kicks and running attacks, our heroes can also push away enemies, pick up and throw them, kick or jump over a fallen foe, bash their heads to the ground, or even swing one around by his feet. The player can even pick up two enemies from opposite directions and bash their heads together. There are also large objects the player can pick up and toss, such as parked motorcycles and go-karts, as well as pinball machines. Because of the lack health items and special moves, the game is also notoriously difficulty compared to other beat-'em-ups, as health recovery is only offered between stages.

The SNES version is a relatively faithful conversion, missing a few enemy characters, the throwable objects and a few areas. However, it does add cut-scenes between stages and boss fights that fleshes out the almost non-existent plot of the arcade version, as an optional versus mode that allows player to control any character from the main game.

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!!''The Combatribes'' provides example of:
* BossRush: The final stage in the arcade version has the player fighting the previous gangs and leaders before the final boss fight. This is moved to the penultimate stage (just before the Slaughter Troops) in the SNES version.
* {{Bowdlerize}}: In the Super Famicom version, the defeated bosses are shown with bruised and bloodied faces at the end of each stage. In the SNES version, the blood were recolored to resemble sweat and tears.
* TheCameo: The dancing cats in the second stage have [[KunioKun Kunio]]'s face in the SNES port.
* CleanDubName
** Swastika, the cyborg leader of the Slaughter Troops, was renamed M. Blaster in the SNES port. His lackeys, the Executioners, became the Enforcers.
** The main gang itself was changed from "Ground Zero" to "Guilty Zero" in the Virtual Console re-release (having an organization with such a name taking over New York City would've been considered insensitive in a post-9/11 world).
* CoOpMultiplayer: The arcade version allowed up to three players, but the SNES port is limited to only two.
* ColorCodedMultiplayer / CompetitiveBalance: In the 2-Player mode, each player chooses his character at the start of the game, whereas the 3-Player mode has the characters already assigned to each control panel in the following order (from left to right).
** [[JackOfAllStats All Mighty]]: '''[[color:blue:Berserker]]'''
** [[MightyGlacier Power Type]]: '''[[color:gold:Bullova]]'''
** [[FragileSpeedster Speed Type]]: '''[[color:red:Blitz]]'''
* CoversAlwaysLie: [[http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=1921 The promotional art]] for the arcade version has the colors of Bullova and Blitz switched.
* DualBoss: In the arcade version, Splatterhead will create duplicates of herself to match the number of people playing if there's more than one player.
* DummiedOut: The arcade version has sprites for an unused baseball player boss, presumably a planned sprite swap for the Native American "Windwalker" boss in case they needed a more politically correct design.
* HeadSwap: The three player characters. In the arcade version, there are also head-swapped variants of the Little Fish and Enforcer enemies who were cut out from the SNES port.
* LawyerFriendlyCameo: Gring Terror (one of the {{mook}}s in the second stage) resembles [[{{Batman}} The Joker]].
* LetterMotif: The three main guys all had names that start with the letter "B".
* MeaningfulName: Little Fish, the biker mook from the first stage, whose name is a literal translation of ''zako'' (the Japanese word for "mook").
* MirrorMatch: The Vs. Mode in the SNES version allows two players to use the same character.
* {{Mooks}}: The arcade version featured a pair of generic unarmed mooks that appear in almost every stage (one in a t-shirt and another type in a tank top), as well as armed grunts that are stage-specific. The generic mooks were removed from the SNES port, which uses the Hate Squads (the wrench-wielding skinhead members of the Stadium Barbarians) as generic enemies instead.
* NintendoHard: Try beating the arcade version in one credit (especially with the health recovery turned off).
* NonActionBigBad: The man in suit in the arcade version.
* {{Portmantitle}}: "Combat" and "Tribes"
* ReformulatedGame: While the SNES port is a bit stripped down from the arcade version, it does add cut-scenes between stages and boss fights that provide a reason for all the carnage the heroes are causing.
* ShoutOut: Martha Splatterhead, the name of the final boss, comes from the zombie mascot of a punk band The Accused.
** NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast
* ThemeNaming:
** Berserker: Named after a tribe of Nordic warriors.
** Bullova: Named after a Native American battle axe.
** Blitz: Short for "blitzkrieg".
* TokenMinority: Bullova is the only black guy out of the trio.
* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: Oh so many brutal attacks you could perform on the mooks in this game. You could grab two of them and collide their heads together, swing them from their legs onto each other, jump and stomp on their backs, kick them while they're down, and then drive their heads into the pavement repeatedly. The arcade game has some very satisfying bloodspurts to accompany that last one.
* WouldHitAGirl: Since Martha went rogue against Bullova, Blitz and Berserker and became a cyborg, Berserker takes her down with the page quote when she asks, "You wouldn't hit a lady, would you?"
* XtremeKoolLetterz: Berserker was renamed Ber'''z'''erker in the SNES port.
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