Fighters Destiny
| Fighters Destiny | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Imagineer/Genki |
| Publisher(s) |   Ocean of America, Inc. Ocean Software Ltd. Imagineer |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 |
| Release | January 27, 1998 December 11, 1998 |
| Genre(s) | Versus fighting |
| Mode(s) | Up to 2 players simultaneously |
Fighters Destiny (ファイティングカップ, Fighting Cup in Japan) is a video game developed for the Nintendo 64 in 1998. The product of Imagineer and Genki, it closely models the 3D fighting game standard set by Virtua Fighter, but integrates a unique point scoring system. The game's generic characters and unoriginal presentation have been panned by critics, but reviewers praise its point system and consider it to be one of the best fighting games on the Nintendo 64. A sequel, Fighter Destiny 2, was released in 2000.
Gameplay
In Fighters Destiny, the player controls a polygon-based character in a three dimensional battle arena. The game features typical hand to hand combat fighting: using a variety of punches, kicks, locks, and throws, players attempt to pummel their opponents into submission. Each character also has a large list of special commands (called "moves") that can be accessed during battle. These different moves range from simply pressing the "B" button to inputting highly complicated button combinations.
In most versus fighting games, the objective is to deplete the opponent's health gauge. Fighters Destiny follows the same concept but also relies on a customizable point scoring system to determine the winner. These points, which are displayed as yellow stars under the character's health gauge, can be earned in a variety of ways. Knocking the character off of the fighting platform (a "Ring Out") is worth one point, taking down an opponent with a throw nets the player two points, while a typical K.O. is worth three points and executing a "special" is worth four. Finally, if the adjustable time counter runs out, then the winner is awarded one point by virtue of judge's decision. By default setting, the first fighter to score seven points wins the match.
K.O.'s can be achieved with instant-K.O. hits (referred to as "1-shot") or counterattack moves, or can be executed with a finishing blow when the player's opponent is in "Piyori condition," a brief spell of dizziness in which opponent's life bar has been drained completely and the fighter is allowed only limited control. "Specials" can only be executed when the opponent is in Piyori condition. If players are able to survive until Piyori condition passes, their health gauge refills completely. The health bar also refills continuously (albeit slowly) throughout the fight.
Fighters Destiny offers five different gameplay modes. By playing the traditional versus computer mode, players can earn a new character (Boro) and learn new skills for their character. They can also select to fight against a second player, challenge their skills and gain new characters in "Record Attack," play through the "Master Challenge" to expand their character's command list, and train against a robot character. When players learn new skills playing the computer or the Master Challenge, they can save their character's expanded command list to the Controller Pak; afterwards, the new command list can be accessed in any mode to aid the player.
Characters
There are nine regular characters in Fighters Destiny: Ryuji, a Japanese karate master; Abdul, a well-balanced fighter from Mongolia; Tomahawk, a professional wrestler from the United States; Meiling, a Chinese kung fu expert; a Japanese Ninja with a massive catalog of special moves; Pierre, a French clown with a deceptive fighting style; Leon, an all-rounder from Spain; Bob, a powerful Brazilian fighter; and the tough aerial combat specialist Valerie from Germany.
In addition to the standard nine characters, there are five secret characters that can be "unlocked" by completing various challenge modes. To acquire the Joker, for example, players must win "Survival Mode" by defeating one hundred consecutive enemies. The other secret characters include the final boss of the one-player game, Boro, a quick and powerful Swiss fighter; Rob, a training robot from Germany, which is unlocked by beating Record Attack in less than one minute; Master, an old Japanese karate expert unlocked by beating all challengers in Master Challenge without losing to Joker; and Ushi, a fighting cow from Hong Kong, unlocked by staying in the ring longer than one minute in Rodeo, and can't be KO'd or thrown out of the ring or the unlock will be unsuccessful.
Reception and sales
| Publication | Score | Comment |
|---|---|---|
Fighters Destiny has received mixed reviews; surprisingly, it garners better reviews from critics than it does from general audiences. Despite the game's critical acclaim, it missed its initial Christmas release date and was subsequently greeted with lukewarm sales figures, selling only 18,000 copies in the first two months of its North American release.[1] As a result, Infogrames Entertainment (the parent company of Fighters Destiny distributor Ocean Software) decided to shave US$20 off of the price tag, dropping the game's price to US$49.99. "Fighters Destiny has been praised as the best fighting game for the N64 by the vast majority of video game media," said Mike Markey, vice president of sales and marketing, Infogrames Entertainment. "The aim of the new price point is to make the game more accessible to all consumers."[2]
Sequel
| Fighter Destiny 2 | |
|---|---|
| Fighters Destiny 2 box art. | |
| Developer(s) | Imagineer |
| Publisher(s) | SouthPeak Interactive |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 |
| Release | June 22, 2000 |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
In 2000, a sequel to Fighters Destiny, titled Fighter Destiny 2, released. Publisher SouthPeak Interactive dropped the s in the title due to copyright issues. Fighter Destiny 2 made improvements upon its predecessor, boosting the FPS to 60, and adding graphic and audio enhancements. Some of the characters make a second appearance in the sequel, but the majority of the cast is all new. Although the game mechanics remain unchanged, a new "Fighter's Arena" mode has been added, a giant board game that allows players to build up their characters' attributes in addition to having them learn new fighting skills.
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See also
References
- ^ IGN Staff (March 27, 1998). "Fighting For Its Destiny". Retrieved 05 August.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ IGN Staff (April 6, 1998). "Kick Butt For $49". Retrieved 05 August.
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