Fighting Vipers
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| Fighting Vipers | |
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| Developer(s) | Sega-AM2 |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Release date(s) | 1995 |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Sega Saturn, PlayStation 2 |
| Arcade cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade system(s) | Sega Model 2 |
| Arcade display | Raster, standard resolution horizontal orientation |
Fighting Vipers is a 3D fighting game developed by Sega-AM2.
The game was first released in the arcade in 1995 using the Sega Model 2 hardware and ported the same year for the Sega Saturn with significantly reduced graphics.
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[edit] Gameplay
Fighting Vipers features a similar style of gameplay to Sega-AM2's more renowned Virtua Fighter series, specifically Virtua Fighter 2, using a simply Guard, Punch and Kick attack buttons with a focus on combo moves (the Saturn version using it's three extra buttons for three smaller combos).
The game is set apart with two unique features. Most notably, each of the 9 characters featured in the game sports armor of some kind or another, this armor can be broken off by opponents leaving characters much more vulnerable and able to take much more damage, a human shaped meter in the top corners of the screen monitors the damage to your armor. Secondly walls surround each arena, caging the combatants in, allowing for attacks in conjunction with them (bouncing off etc), if the correct combination is hit at the round's finale, characters can punch their opponent straight through the walls.
When ported, Fighting Vipers offered other modes besides Arcade and Vs. Playback Mode and Training Mode both of which are now used widely in the genre, by games such as Tekken and Soul Calibur. Players could save their matches and play them again in Playback Mode, while Training Mode talked you though the moves of each character one-by-one.
[edit] Story
[Taken from PAL Manual]
"Hyper-adrenal combatants in full-body armour, battling night and day in back-alley rings - only such young gurba warriors have earned the right to be called VIPERS...
Now in Armstone City, the mayor has formally announced a fighting tournament on a grand scale, with the final bout to be held atop the staggering City Tower in the centre of town.
With City Tower as their ultimate goal, eight young VIPERS start down the path to victory, a path which only one will see the end..."
[edit] Characters
Grace: the game's major 'sex symbol' Grace is an attractive 19 year old African-American born in Armstone City whose armor is themed after the protective gear for In-Line Skating, including the skates themselves. Grace is making her living a fashion model, though she once dreamt of becoming a professional figure skater, though her lover and coach betrayed her, leaving her disillusioned. According to her bio she is fond of Pasta, but dislikes Potatoes. Her Birthday is the 17th of November.
Bahn: despite only being a 17 year old High School Student from Nishino Machi, Bahn is a powerful and imposing figher in a long coat and hat, who has come overseas to find and fight his father, whom he has never met and abandoned him and his mother when they were small, he has declared himself 'Gengis Bahn III'. According to his profile Bahn dislikes Western Food. His birthday is the 25th of August.
Raxel: the narcissistic lead singer and guitarist for a hair metal band called 'Death Crunch' with KISS-styled armour (pretty much looking like Ace Frehley's outfit) and carrying a red Gibson Flying-V electric guitar, Raxel is the son of an Armstone City councilman, a drop out who left home after a fight with said father, Raxel has simply entered the tournament to highten his own profile and become further famous. According to his profile Raxel is a vegetarian. His birthday is the 26th of February.
- Note: Raxel's name is strikingly similar to Guns N' Roses' frontman Axl Rose. There is no official confirmation however that he is in any way based on him, as he doesn't really look like Rose, but more like ex-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach or Poison's vocalist Bret Michaels.
Tokio: a 16 year old pretty boy rebelling against a strict kabuki actor's household, Tokio is a former leader of a street gang called 'Black Thunder' but left after feeling responsible for another gangmember's death. He has entered the tournament for a challenge and for thrills, Tokio is also an avid Video Gamer, his prefence being (of course) Virtua Fighter. According to his profile Tokio dislikes Chicken, but likes Sushi. His Birthday is the 19th of April.
Sanman: a mysterious fat oriental-looking man about whom noting is known, other than his birthday (3rd of March) and an obession with the number 3, hence the name for which he goes (san in the Japanese for "three"). Sanman drives a large customised scooter. According to his profile Sanman dislikes Garlic, preferring 'Sweets' [uncertain if this is desserts or candy].
Jane: a butch and muscled 18 year old part-time construction worker, Jane trained her whole life to join the Navy, but did not make it past training. She was discharged after repeatedly losing control of herself during fights and injuring fellow seamen. Jane now wants to test just how tough she is, hence entering the Fighting Vipers tournamet. Due to all these flagrant traits, Jane is widely believed to be lesbian. According to her profile Jane enjoys Beefstake, but curiously dislikes nothing. Her Birthday is the 18th of August.
Candy (Honey in Japan): a petite 16 year old Fashion Student with a pleasant nature, Candy designed her trademark plastic fairy suit herself, and has entered the tournament to promote her original fashion line. Candy became, by far, the most popular of the characters, and remains so, particularly in Japan, with, for instance, people regularly dressing as her (Cosplay) for Video Game conventions. According to her profile Candy likes Strawberry Cheesecake Ice-Cream but dislikes Carrots. Her Birthday is the 3rd of September.
Picky: a 14 year old stereotypical skateboarder Picky's armour is styled after protective gear for skateboarders, he carries his skateboard on his back, and hits opponents with it. Picky began skateboarding to impress his first love, but later on he left her for Candy. According to Picky's bio he likes Potato Chips [Crisps] and dislikes Tomatoes.
Mahler: the ninth character, not selectable, and unlockable in the Sega Saturn port, Mahler is a 20 year old mystery with a grudge against the Mayor of Armstone City [who has organised the tournament] wearing poisonous armour resembling a snake. He isn't officially registered as a member of the tournament. According to his bio his hobby is Windsurfing, and he likes Mexican Food, but dislikes seafood. His Birthday is the 20th of January. B.M. is boss of the game and is a powered up version of Mahler.
[edit] Sequels and Re-Releases
Fighting Vipers was re-released for the PlayStation 2 as part of the Sega Ages line, though a PAL version was never issued.
A sequel, Fighting Vipers 2 was released, it introduced new characters (Emi, a computer geek who fights with a self-developed mecha armor, and Charlie, a BMX rider - also some bonus ones, like Del Sol, a Mexican wrestler with a Sun mask, and Kuhn, a Dural exact copycat) and was ported to the Sega Dreamcast but only in Japan and Europe.
[edit] Sonic the Fighters
Fighting Vipers has a direct link with Sega's famous blue mascot Sonic the Hedgehog via the less known Sonic title Sonic the Fighters (a.k.a. Sonic Championship). The story behind Sonic the Fighters is that a bored Sega-AM2 programmer working on Fighting Vipers decided to put in Sonic the Hedgehog in the game for amusement. After winning the approval of Sega-AM2 head Yu Suzuki and Sonic Team head Yuji Naka, Sega-AM2 commissioned a Sonic fighting game that became Sonic the Fighters.
Sonic the Fighters plays very similar to Fighting Vipers, minus the armor feature and with the addition of the depleting Barrier System (limiting how much you may block an opponent's attacks). An early screenshot even shows the game using the character select screen of Fighting Vipers (or possibly Tails and Sonic in Fighting Vipers). Hidden within the data of the arcade version of Sonic the Fighters is an additional character named Honey, a yellow cat wearing Candy's red plastic fairy costume, even the name being a nod to this character. Honey's model is missing from the Sonic the Fighters port on Sonic Gems Collection, thus severely hindering her playability. However, her data is still there, though it is scrambled.
[edit] Trivia
- Honey's name was changed for the US/PAL releases of the game to Candy.
- Two gashapon figures of Candy were produced as part of Yujin's "Sega Gals" collection. The first featured Candy in her standard red, plastic armor. The second was a secret, rare figure of her appearing as she would if her armor was destroyed in the game.
- All of the Fighting Vipers characters were used in Sega-AM2's Fighters Megamix for the Sega Saturn.
- In Japan, the Saturn version of Fighting Vipers featured an additional unlockable character, Pepsiman, the Japanese mascot of Pepsi. He was removed from the US and PAL releases, much probably due to legal issues.
- Through hacking of the arcade ROM of Fighting Vipers, three secret characters were discovered; Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails, and Takashi Iizuka, director of Sonic Team.
- A soundtrack was released for the game in Japan.
- Del Sol's name means "From the Sun" in English and it shows on the guy's outfit. Curiously, his alternate outfit is similar except moon-themed.
- B. M. was equal to Mahler outfit-wise on Fighting Vipers. At Fighters Megamix, B. M. kept the outfit and Mahler wore a green robe, long blonde ponytail and just an eyemask. However, this new look was scrapped as on Fighting Vipers 2 Mahler was back to his FV1 look and this time it was B. M. who changed, to a leopard-colored outfit.
[edit] External links
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Virtua Fighter • Virtua Fighter 2 • Virtua Fighter 3 • Virtua Fighter 4 • Virtua Fighter 5 |
