*Ultraman Club 3: Mata Mata Shutsugeki!! Ultra Kyodai* represents the pinnacle of Bandai’s chibi-styled RPG efforts on the Famicom. Released exclusively in Japan in 1991, this title leans heavily into the "SD" (Super Deformed) aesthetic that dominated licensed Japanese games during the late 80s and early 90s. Players guide a diminutive Ultraman through a variety of extraterrestrial locales, tasking them with gathering the legendary Ultra Brothers to thwart a looming galactic threat.
The gameplay loop follows traditional JRPG tropes but injects a unique tokusatsu flair that sets it apart from standard fantasy fare. Unlike its predecessors, which experimented with varied genre elements, *Ultraman Club 3* doubles down on turn-based combat and party management. The character system is a highlight, allowing fans to utilize specific special moves and manage the iconic "Color Timer" mechanics that define the series' tension. Random encounters are frequent and can necessitate a degree of grinding, but the colorful 8-bit renditions of classic Kaiju keep the experience visually engaging for series devotees. The menu navigation is relatively intuitive, though the heavy use of Japanese text makes it a formidable challenge for importers without a translation guide.
Despite arriving late in the Famicom's lifecycle, the game boasts high production values with detailed sprite work and a soundtrack that perfectly captures the heroic spirit of Tsuburaya Productions. It serves as a refined conclusion to the Famicom trilogy, smoothing out the clunky mechanics of the previous entries into a much more cohesive and playable experience. For collectors of licensed Japanese software, this title remains a quintessential example of how to adapt a massive live-action property into a successful RPG format. It stands as a testament to an era where the Famicom was the undisputed home of the genre, offering a variety of niche experiences that rarely made the journey across the Pacific or the Atlantic.
