Captain Tsubasa (キャプテン翼) is a popular manga, anime, and video game series in Japan. The anime and manga are by Yoichi Takahashi. It focuses on the adventures of a Japanese Soccer team and its Soccer captain "Tsubasa Ozora." The series is characterized by dynamic soccer moves, often both stylish and impossible, similar to Dragon Ball Z or Shaolin Soccer. Plot focuses on Tsubasa's relationship with friends, rivalry with opponents, training and competition, and the action and outcome of each Soccer match.

Characters

Players

• Tsubasa Ozora - The main character, plays MF
• Kojiro Hyuga - Plays CF
• Hikaru Matsuyama
• Taro Misaki
• Jun Misugi
• Takeshi Sawada - Known for his oddly shaped head
• Kazuki Sorimachi
• Genzo Wakabayashi - Goalkeeper
• Ken Wakashimazu - Goalkeeper

Non-players

• Yayoi Aoba
• Yoshiko Fujisawa
• Kaori Matsumoto (in anime version, Kyoko Koizumi)
• Sanae Nakazawa

See also: List of Captain Tsubasa characters

Manga history

• • Captain Tsubasa
  • Captain Tsubasa World Youth
  • Captain Tsubasa: Road to 2002

Anime history

• • Captain Tsubasa
  • Captain Tsubasa J
  • New Captain Tsubasa
  • New Captain Tsubasa Europe
  • Captain Tsubasa Road to Dream 2002 (officially known as simply "Captain Tsubasa")

Video game history

Captain Tsubasa is considered a sports RPG or Soccer simulation. Characters run down the field in real time, but when coming into contact with an opposing team member, a turn based battle is initiated. The player can select moves such as slide tackle or head butt depending on the situation, and success is based on individual teammate stats, which improve with each winning game. Animations are impressive for the original Famicom, demonstrating smooth and dynamic moves, large and fast moving sprites, and excessive physics-defying moves.

Captain Tsubasa was brought to the US as Tecmo World Cup Soccer, as part of the Tecmo sports franchise. It was heavily Americanized, featuring a different main character, a different intro, different music, and had all characters changed to look more American, i.e. no spikey black hair. Tecmo World Cup, Tecmo World Cup '92, and Tecmo World Cup '93 for the Genesis are unrelated to the Captain Tsubasa series.

Each game in the series improved on graphics and gameplay. The final Captain Tsubasa game for the Super Famicom, Captain Tsubasa J, which is based on the anime series, abandons the RPG formula and plays as a traditional Soccer action title. Captain Tsubasa J was later ported to Sony PlayStation.

Blitz Ball, a fictional sports game featured in Final Fantasy X, copies most of the gameplay design of Captain Tsubasa.

List of games

• NES
  • Tecmo World Cup

• Famicom
  • Captain Tsubasa
  • Captain Tsubasa 2

• Super Famicom
  • Captain Tsubasa 3
  • Captain Tsubasa 4
  • Captain Tsubasa 5
  • Captain Tsubasa J

• Game Boy
  • Captain Tsubasa Vs.
  • Captain Tsubasa J

• Sega CD
  • Captain Tsubasa

• PlayStation
  • Captain Tsubasa J
  • Captain Tsubasa New Legend

• Game Boy Advance
  • Captain Tsubasa: Eikou no Kiseki

• GameCube
  • Captain Tsubasa Golden Generation Challenge

See also

• Football in Japan