Ninjas with a shield, a dodgeball and a Kusari-fundo. Rule of Cool or trouble waiting to happen.note
Japanese Game Show and Spinoff from Run For Money: Tousouchuu, having a shared Mythology. It's known officially as "battle for money 戦闘中". As of 2019, eight DVD volumes are released in Japan with all the aired episodes.
At the start of the game, each player is given 250,000 yen and a ball. They will have 100 minutes to find other players and eliminate them by hitting them with a ball.note Eliminating another player earns the eliminator their money. The game ends when there's one player left standing(, in which case they will win the grand prize,) or time runs out(, in which case nobody wins anything).
The show incorporated elements of The Legend of Zelda (spending part of your fund on allies and tools), and its parent show (missions for rewards).
It also has two licensed games, Sentochu Densetsu No Shinobu To Sabaibarubatoru and Video Game Chou Sentou Chuu Kyuukyoku No Shinobu To Battle Player Choujou Kessen.
The official site is seen here
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This Show provides examples of:
- Ain't No Rule: When a player is eliminated, the player who dealt the hit by him/herself or by his/her Shinobi takes all of the eliminated player's money, but there's no rule stating that you cannot share it with other players if your hit is pulled out by a effort of teaming up with other player; This has been actually done in Episode 4, before it was subsequently legalized.
- All or Nothing: You either win, or you lose. There's a bailout option available, but unlike Tousouchuu (which immediately ruled as successful exit), the player needed survive for 5 minutes (as the rules since episode 4) before a bailout is counted as a success. Such time gap is certainly enough for anyone else to team up and search for that player. Obviously, players cannot bailout when either less than 3 players are standing, or the time remaining is less than 5 minutes.
- Annoying Laugh: Sugimura's sharp laughing (particularly the high-pitched laugh when he finished off Nanao) in Episode 2 along with his comments in the show not only made him look evil in that episode, but also made many audience members feeling unconformable. After the show was aired, the former member of parliament was under heavy fire in real world.
- Boring, but Practical: The armor upgrade. Cheaper, easier to use, and more likely to stay with you than a Shinobi, but not nearly as cool. Most prefer the Shinobis, though the armor upgrade has saved many people from being hit at least once.
- Capture the Flag: A mechanism of a mission used in episode 3. It involves a predetermined number of levers which, once pulled down, instantly deactivated all Shinobis in play. In Episode 4, this was integrated with a team battle, which only targets the own team's Shinobis.
- Cast from Money: Players can strengthen themselves in many facilities... but all of them cost money, reducing the amount grand prize. Usually, the game starts with a grand prize of 5~6 million yen, but will drop drastically as game progresses, which usually ended in only 1 to 2 million at last.
- Shinobi-related upgrades costs a lot in game. Taking example in episode 3 and 4. A direct purchase Shinboi costs 600,000. Arena's entry fee 200,000 (making 400,000 for one Shinobinote ), Ring of Contract (Use to reactivate a stopped Shinobi.) costs 300,000 yen.
- Decapitated Army: Knocking off players holding Shinobi will immediately disable the Shinobi(s) he/she is holding with. This is particularly useful when dealing with special Shinobis.
- Didn't See That Coming: In episode 5, Fujimoto saw a event booth, with entry fee of 50,000 yen, claiming that players can take on Red Crow in the arena for a Shinobi. Thinking that taking on a Red Crow is no big deal, Fujimoto paid for it and was subsequently lead to the arena... only to find out that he was up against against 3 Red Crows, each equipped with a bullet gun, a weapon already proven too strong in Episode 2. As expected, he was knocked out by them in 5 seconds and realized it was nothing but a trap taking his 50,000 yen away.
- Entitled Bastard: Suzuki, a regular participant since Episode 30 in Tousouchuu infamously renowned of bailing out the game debuted in Episode 5. When a mission require players to scan for barcode in other player's arm to avoid sharing his/her money to others. He successfully tricked a player to believe he would not attack while scanning each other's barcode, but the fact was he attacked him at blank range and finished him off. Then when a mission that if a player pull down a lever he will get 500,000 yen while adding at most 2 eliminated players back into the game, acknowledged it won't matter if he bailout, pulled down the lever. At the final 10 minutes, almost the limit that a bailout can be called, as every audience anticipated, he called for bailout. However, remaining 3 player would team up and eliminated him before bailout timer run out.
- Through it was a morally questionable strategy in eliminating that unlucky player, many viewer would blame on that victim instead. The mission design was expected anyone can pull out this trick and has notified every players they need to judge whether the player is worthy to trust or not in the mission mail. Suzuki planned this from the beginning and executed it well since it doesn't matter to his image as what he did in Tousouchuu was much bigger which also dragged everyone down.
- A similar mission appeared in Episode 6 - This time a picture of 3 players are required to be taken into 1 photo to avoid weapon seizure. 3 players agreed to take photo each other, but when 2 of them are on the move, Suzuki was on the path, trying to pull the trick out convincing them to take photo with him. But when third player arrive at the spot too, the original 3 decided Suzuki was not trustable and drive him away, resulting his weapon seizure - and the ultimate failure of that game.
- Golden Snitch: Taking out other player did have advantage in game progress(as may purchase upgrade in game with their earnings), but it means nothing if you are not standing until the end. It is theoretically possible that a player win the grand prize with only one throw - if he/she deals the hit to opponent when only two players are left. (This has actually happened in the show - with the help of Shinobi)
- Instant Death Bullet : Like playing dodgeball, legs are vulnerable for attacks and difficult to be guarded, but also harder to hit than the torso.
- Like Dodgeball, bounced or caught balls do not count as hits. It is also theoretically impossible to catch the big battle balls or sling bullets.
- In the Back : A usual tactic used by number of players, It is not a easy job to pay attention at the back, especially if other player in front of them. This prompted some players pulling hits from nowhere at the back. It is risky as Backstab Backfire also occurred occasionally too (there were cases that the players tried to backstab someone got him/herself eliminated).
- In episode 5 it turned into a Laser-Guided Karma: Where Tanaka backstabbed Saito, then Peter Aerts backstabbed Tanaka, and finally Manabe backstabbed Aerts. Coincidentally, they were all happened when the victim was engaging battle with other player else.
- Improbable Use of a Weapon : Peter Aerts shown his unexceptional skill in Episode 6, defended a incoming battle ball by knocking it off by his battle ball on the hand. The caption immediately followed , calling such unusual move is a legal defense.
- Chekhov's Gun : In Episode 4, a portrait with two dragons, and a Kasuga's statue (referring to events happened in Episode 18 and 30 on Tousouchuu, both filming in the same venue) was placed in game, which the former is the place to redeem twin-shinobi and the latter was a place hidden with a slingshot equipped with a shield. Doubles as a Chekhov's Boomerang.
- Necessary Drawback: Special Shinobis has their weaknesses compared to a normal one: Tower-shield Shinobi is has great defense in the front but cannot attack, giant battle ball Shinobi attack range is limited and its chain's sound attracts, Twin-Shinobi cannot operate if one of the two takes a hit, making it virtually more vulnerable for attacks.
- No-Gear Level: A rule appeared in Episode 2 and 3. All Green dodgeballs are banned when the ticker at the last 20 minutes. They must find red dodgeballs(from information of mission) if they do not have a giant battle ball Shinobi or holding a bullet weapons, otherwise, they must buy a bullet weapon or try to catch a thrown dodgeball in order to attack.
- Non-Player Character: The shopkeepers are decidedly neutral. The Shinobis (ninjas) ally with one player and stick with them.
- Obvious Rule Patch: In episode 2 the staff found the bullet gun was too strong which the player getting it taking out the remaining player and Shinobi. It was replaced by a slingshot - with a shorter range and 1 shot less in Episode 3.
- People Puppets: In episode 3, Nakata was renowned for using two different players as his "Original Shinobi". The first one he picked successfully taken out a real Shinobi as planned, while taking out a player running into the scene when Nakata left him alone. Nakata pick another player, making him turned against the first player he picked. One was out and one lost all his arms when they two battled against each other, and Nakata finished the remaining one off, essentially taking that three player's 900,000 yen. Making him getting 1.2 million at that point.
- Surprisingly Sudden Death : In Episode 6, Kano phoned to Bob Sapp, which Kano defeated in episode 3, offered him a chance to take on him one on one. Sapp accepted the deal and reaching the the alley where Kano was, however, a third player has spotted Sapp, he hide near the gate where Sapp will pass through and eliminated, which shocked Sapp, and Saito as well, since neither two expected someone else was hiding in the scene.
- TagTeam : A special in Episode 7, which 2 players are paired up as team from beginning. Whenever anyone was taking the hit the team will be eliminated.
- They Killed Kenny Again : Used subversively, mainly referring to Kasuga, appeared between Episode 2 since Episode 5, would end up eliminated in a shocking fashion every time. Which the first two appearance would both ended in being back-stabbed by someone else while holding a Shinobi. It was Followed by a double-hit elimination by Makihara's twin-Shinobi in Episode 4. The recent one featured him losing all his weapon and Shinobi (and can do nothing due to lack of money) and forced to hiding at corner for 30 minutes, although he was given a dim hope by finishing a mission without anyone spotted him. Manabe found him and finished him off before he could get out from the hiding place.
- There Can Be Only One: Only one player can left standing and win the game. If more than two players standing when time runs out, it will be a Game Over and nobody gets the prize.
- Whammy: Taking a hit by other player, or their Shinobi (Shinobi's attack are counted as the controller's attack). However, if the battle ball is caught by the player, or hitting anything else (including player's item) first before hitting the player the hit don't count.
- Zerg Rush : Having a Shinobi, even a special Shinobi is not always good thing, it is no match in against large numbers at the same time - as players have learned.
- Makihara had suffered such elimination in 2 consecutive episodes: In Episode 3, he won a giant battle ball Shinobi in arena, but a mission that can disable all active Shinobi essentially divided players into with/without Shinobis. Manabe knowing Makihara, who was defending on his own in a isolated defending spot, has lost his battle ball in earlier battle (She looted that loose ball and hidden it somewhere else) and informed her side. With everyone acknowledged Makihara was essentially unarmed. The 8 players without Shinobis teamed up against him and took him out easily and disabling every Shinobi in the area.
- Almost the same happened to him again in Episode 4, this time he won a twin-shinobi in arena, but he accidentally signed up in as blue team in the area which packed with red team members during team formation period. He subsequently meet his doom as soon as the team battle started: The red team spotted him being isolated and decided to go after him. Even he discovered that too and called for his teammate for a rescue, but it is too late. He was then chased and surrounded by everyone in the red team, taking out his Shinobis - then Makihara himself.
