Numan Athletics

 is a 1993 competitive sports arcade game developed and released by Namco. It runs on the company's NA-2 hardware, and has eight unusual competitions to test the strength and might of four mutant athletes called "Numans" (Sharon L'Alles, Harry Boffin, Masaemon Nakamura, and Bongo Tembo). Up to four people can play simultaneously (or, depending upon the event, alternately). The game later went on to spawn a sequel, "", in 1994; it featured seven brand-new (and selectable) Numans.
Gameplay.
Each of the eight events takes place in a different country, and the Numans' journey is charted by a "Knuckle Heads"-style compere (along with his two "bunny girls", who come up from the bottom of the screen when a Numan succeeds in some, but not all, of the events):
Reception.
"Numan Athletics" was one of the most popular arcade games in Japan in the month of October 1993. "Electronic Games" commended commended the game for its fierce, competitive nature and strange concept, saying that it would "test anyone's physical endurance". Italian publication "Computer+Videogiochi" agreed, further praising the game for sticking out among similar titles for its outlandish design, entertaining gameplay, and amount of in-game events. They also liked its colorful visuals and soundtrack, alongside its multiplayer components.
Reviewing the Japanese Wii Virtual Console version, "Nintendo Life" praised "Numan Athletics" for its competitive nature and uniqueness, and found it to be a surprising "treasure" for the service. They wrote: ""Numan Athletics" is the distilled essence of what makes arcade games so exciting – it’s over the top, noisy, bold – and fun". "Retro Gamer" gave a similar response, comparing it favorably to Sega's "DecAthlete" and Konami's "Hyper Sports" for its unique and outlandish concept, alongside its entertaining, button-mashing gameplay. They concluded their review saying: "The premise doesn’t change a whole lot in gameplay terms – at the end of the day, you’re still going to spend most of your time hammering away at buttons – but it’s as tight and enjoyable as the best in the genre, holding up well alongside the likes of "Hyper Sports" and "DecAthlete"". "Game Watch" applauded its "exhilarating" gameplay and "gorgeous" presentation, and said that its 4-person multiplayer made it a great party game. They also liked the techno soundtrack and responsive controls.