Cosmic Carnage

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Cosmic Carnage

Developer(s) Sega
Publisher(s) Sega
Engine N/A
Platform(s) Sega 32X
Release date Flag of Japan 1994

Flag of the United States 1995
Flag of Europe 1995
Genre(s) Fighting
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s) ESRB: Teen (T)

Cosmic Carnage is a 2-D Fighting game released for the Sega 32X add-on for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis developed and published by Sega. It was one of the few original titles created for the add-on during its short life span.

Contents

[edit] Story

In an uncharted star system, a group of prisoners en route to a celestial space mine overpower the ship’s guards and take control of the ship, but during their breakout most of the ship’s controls are damaged.

After days of drifting, the criminals realise their only hope is to hijack another ship and use their distress signal to bring a military ship to their aid, a ship they then ram their own ship into. The impact however badly damages the both and destroys all but one of the escape pods, as well as killing all but four from each ship (eight in total) the few survivors fight for the final escape pod and a chance of survival.

[edit] Gameplay

The game was designed to use the Mega Drive’s six-button controller, much like Eternal Champions), and like Eternal Champions is very difficult to compete against the CPU characters using the standard three button controller. With the six button controller you are given two buttons to kick, two buttons to punch and two to ‘provoke’ (taunt) with the ‘provoke’ attack differing depending on how fast you press the button.

Four of the characters use armour to assist them in battle, you may choose one of the two options (‘light’ or ‘heavy’) for each of the three armours (body armour, leg armour and arm armour) each providing the character with it’s own special move. For instance Zena-Lan can perform a whirlwind kick in light armour and an electric ground pound attack with the heavy armour. The armour can be torn off however, removing these attacks, a game play feature Sega would use later in the decade for their Fighting Vipers games.

A ‘Fatality’ can be achieved by using special moves to win a battle in the final round of each fight (special throws will not perform a fatality), something that Sega had already used in Eternal Champions and was created and popularised by Midway Games’ Mortal Kombat series. In Cosmic Carnage either the opponents head will explode, their arms will be cut off or they will be cut in half at the waist. Also included is a ‘zoom feature’ similar to the one used in SNK’s Art of Fighting and Samurai Showdown games that amongst other things, highlights faults with the game’s sprites.

Achieving a ‘good ending’ for a fighter iss time based, so depending on how fast you kill you opponents, the more time there is left to escape to the life pod and to drift far enough away from the crashed ships, so the explosion won't hit you.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Fugitives

None of the fugitives may use armour.

  • Talmac – a tall, dark sinister figure with a skull-like face, spiked red hair and sharp claws. Apparently no one is sure if he wears a mask or not, because no one has gotten close enough to find out. His three special moves are Back Whip, Winder Rush and Tail Squeeze.
  • Yug – A gorilla-like humanoid, possibly a robot who relies almost entirely on his powerful arms for his attacks (punch attacks and throws) His special attacks are Spinning Double Strike, Blaze Hold and Strangle Hold.
  • Naja – A female serpent-shaped siren, with a cobra’s head and a long tail, instead of legs, that she uses as a battering ram. Her special attacks are Gale Wall, Gale Wave, Pile Dragon and Gale Arrow.
  • Deamon – a vicious alien who bears resemblance to the extraterrestrials of the Alien series of films with large talon-like claws and a scorpion-like stinger attached to the back of his head. His special attacks are Whirling Thrasher, Hammerhead Whip and Rolling Claw.

[edit] Soldiers

All soldiers use Light Armour and can be equipped with Heavy Armour before fights.

  • Tyr – Tyr’s character portrait makes him look identical to Jack Kirby’s drawings of the Silver Surfer however his in-game sprites are of a man wearing samurai like armour bearing more of a resemblance to the Turrican design. Presumably his character portrait is how he looks nude. His special attacks in light armour are Atomic Hammer, Dash Hurdler and Breast Charger and in Heavy Armour Mega Buster Drop, Mega Cyclone Wrecker and Mega Cannon, plus he has three special attacks regardless of which armour is chosen; Super Press, Tornado and Super Whip
  • Naruto – Again, Naruto’s portrait is that of a simple shadow being such as DC Comic’s Shadow Thief or Obsidian yet his in-game sprites dress him in colourful armour with elbow blades and a sword, his forte is martial arts and aerial moves. In Light Armour Naruto has the special attacks Naruto Slice, Spinning Kick and Whirlwind Kick, in Heavy Armour Spinning Double Slice, Whirlwind Blast Kick and Double Hammer Blast and both Dash and Drop Throw regardless of which armour he wears
  • Cyclic – an anthropomorphic green beetle that is very fast and agile and uses a number of projectile attacks. His Light Armour special attacks are Energy Smasher, Gravitation Crush and Energy Blast, his Heavy Armour special attacks Machine Gun Knuckle, Energy Thunder and Grenade Attack and Double Needle Kick and Neck Throw can be used in both armours.
  • Zena-Lan – a female soldier who’s head is constantly on fire, wears a military uniform and has electric attacks as well as good speed and agility. Her special attacks in Light Armour are Fury Punch, Bloody Spiral and Riding Crusher, in Heavy Armour they are Lightning Ring, Knee Blast and Blazing Charge and both armour styles, Flying Lariat.

[edit] Hidden Secrets

By holding down X, B and Z on the Six Button Controller at the same time and pressing START during the introduction screen, you will access the game Cyber Brawl

[edit] Sources

[edit] See also