Spikeout: Digital Battle Online

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Spikeout: Digital Battle Online
System(s): Sega Model 3 Step 2.1
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega AM11
Supporting companies: Digital Design Studio
Distributor: Deith Leisure (UK)
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1-4
Release Date RRP Code JP 1998-09 ¥480,000 837-13022-02 US 1998-12 $? 837-13022-02 UK 1998-12 £2,400 837-13022-02

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Spikeout: Digital Battle Online (スパイクアウト デジタルバトルオンライン) is a Sega Model 3 Step 2.1 arcade beat-'em-up game, and the first game in the Spikeout series. It has never been ported to home consoles. Spikeout is notable for being the first arcade beat-'em-up whose cabinets could be linked, resulting in a maximum of four players competing on the same level with different screens.

During development the game was known as Spike. It was followed by an update, Spikeout: Final Edition, in 1999.

Gameplay

In-game screenshot of the first level, Diesel Town.

Spikeout is a fully-3D beat 'em up which takes place in huge and sprawling stages – split into sections called Areas, further divided into little segments. Progressing through these "segments" are quite simple; beat up every enemy that appears within one of them. Once enough enemies have been defeated, the player then has to quickly "Break the Gate": Locate a flashing barrier/barricade of some sort (i.e. a door) – in the later Final Edition, with the additional help of a red directional arrow (ala Crazy Taxi) – to punch through to progress to the next segment/Area, within 30 seconds (in which doing so quickly enough will give you bonus points). Due to the semi-open nature of the levels, and the inclusion of multiple Gates in certain stages, it very much acts as a "choose-your-path" system.

Each Area usually ends in a face-off with the "Bosses" – signified by the brief, flashing "Here Comes the Boss" overlay – whom, for the most part, act as mini-bosses. You may face up to three of these bosses at the same time; along with the current enemies in the Area. (Note that once one or many boss(es) appear, you will only need to defeat them in order to clear a segment, and not any remaining enemies.) After successfully clearing an Area, the score results will appear, giving you extra bonus points (and health) for the amount of enemies you've defeated in the Area, and how fast you cleared the last 30-second "Break the Gate" in the Area.

Downed enemies can sometimes drop items such as "Life Up" health kits (which replenish your health) and "Special Attack" items which allow you to perform a "Special Attack"; the latter being represented as floating thunderbolt symbols. Many commonplace objects found within each stage can be picked-up and used as weapons – from baseball bats and swords, to chairs and car tires, to name a few. There's a constant time limit which can be replenished by downing a certain number enemies at a time within each stage – once the timer reaches zero, you get an instant game over. The KO counter on the bottom-left corner shows how many enemies you've defeated within each Area.  START  changes the view of the mini-map on the bottom-right corner.

In addition, Spikeout is also a co-operative multiplayer game; up to four players can join a game, and can do so at anytime. One distinction against other 3D beat 'em up games is that any player in a co-op session can go anywhere within the boundaries of an Area's segment, thereby making it possible for players to stick close to one another and fight together, or to split up and take care of a multitude of foes elsewhere. Friendly fire can also be performed among players if so chosen, and there are also a variety of taunts and commands one can use as means of limited communication with other players.

Playable characters

	Spike
	A former New York boxer. Height, 185cm/6'0.8"; Age, 27. He is not good with interpersonal relationship, typically being silent and expressionless if he's not in a fight. His intimidating presence makes people fear him, except for White who works in the same factory as him. Spike always carries his 5-year-old son on his back. His boxing history makes Spike good at punching, particularly straight punches, while his kicks and big and flashy. He overwhelms opponents with pure strength. His greatest strength is his charge move, which takes extra long to charge but deals by far the most damage. His weakness is that his attacks easily miss when not facing an enemy head on.
	White
	A military man born in New York. Height, 185cm/6'0.8"; Age, 25. He has an optimistic and mischievous personality, always talking in a loud voice. The first person to beat him in a fight was Spike, and White has been keeping tabs on Spike ever since. He uses a punch-centric style like Spike, but with more uppercuts and even bigger kick motions. His attacks come out quick, but have the shortest reach of any character, so he needs to quickly close the gap between himself and enemies. Both White and Spike have good combos against enemies they've knocked in the air.
	Linda
	The intelligent daughter of a successful family, she had plans to become a judge in the future. While she is generally calm, she has a strong moral compass and will take action if she believes someone to be in the wrong. She serves as the mediator between White and Tenshin. Her fighting style mainly makes use of kicks, with all sorts of kicking techniques at her disposal. Unlike every other character, B is kick and C is punch. She uses kicks as combo starters which transition into close-quarters finishers. Her fast movements and long reach makes her easy for beginners to use, though still has some advanced combos.
	Tenshin
	A 23-year-old Japanese man, he towers over the other 3 characters at 193cm/6'4". He is a well-read, intelligent person who always speaks calmly. Because he chooses his words carefully to not be wasteful, he is the antithesis to White. Tenshin rarely gets angry, but can be the scariest if provoked. His fighting stye is a wild martials arts style consisting of various spinning techniques, back fists and roundhouse kicks. There is an elegant rhythm to his combos that let him overwhelm groups of opponents. His attacks cover a wide berth, but there are brief pauses in-between attacks, making him a bit tricky for beginners to use. Tenshin is suppodely modeled after chief stage designer Daisuke Sato.

Stages

	Diesel Town
	Diesel Town is an urban setting where most of the areas are industry-related. Area 1 (Gas Station) After exiting a tunnel, the player is in a confined space with only a few enemies to beat before breaking down the first game. Several enemies will pop out of buildings on the straight path to a gas station, where the path is blocked by a fuel track. The music is Fuel. The bosses are Douglas and Norah. A first aid kit is dropped by Akemi. Area 2 (Construction Site) The path leads up a flight of stairs to a bridge under construction. On the other side of blocked-off bridge is another set of stairs leading down, where the gate blocks people from falling down and being unable to get back up the stairs. After breaking the gate and dropping down to ground level, one gate is nearby to the right, while the alternate gate lies past a tunnel to the left. The music is Stairs. The boss is Victor. A first aid kit is dropped by Atkins. Area 3A/6B (Under the Bridge) Entered from the main gate in Area 2 or from Area 5B. Entering from the construction site takes the player through a street past a basketball court. On the other side of the first gate is a dirt-surfaced area surrounding the bridge from before, with graffitied walls on the other side. Entering from the Warehouse starts on the bridge's side, but takes the player into the basketball court for the stage's final boss fight. If area 3, the music is Hoops; if area 6, the music is Diesel Town. The bosses are Justin and Elliot, but in 6B, King acts as a mini-boss for segment 1. If 3A, a first aid kit is dropped by Amos; if 6B, first aid kits are dropped by Ritche and Abel. Area 4A/5B (Warehouse) A warehouse for the Traffic Company, full of crates which acts as platforms to higher spots where special attacks and first aid kits can be picked up. Some enemies carry a hammer which can be used to stun enemies when hit on the floor or against the crates. The music is Warehouse. If 4A, the boss is Curtis; if 5B, the boss is Randolph. A first aid kit is dropped by Clint. Area 3B (Underground Waterway) While it is a straight path through the underground waterway, there are side paths where the enemies come from. The music is Drain. The boss is Curtis. A first aid kits are dropped by Hadlan and Ellison. Area 4A/5B (Factory) It is accessed either from the Drain (Area 3), or from the Warehouse (Area 4). The music is Factory. The bosses are Huey, Louie and Dewey (referencing DuckTales). A first aid kits are dropped by MacLaurin and Cary. Area 6A (Water Towers) Only accessed if the Factory is Area 5. The highest point in Diesel Town, on platforms and rooftops around water towers. The music is Diesel Town. The boss is Randolph. A first aid kit is dropped by Porter.
	Astro Mall
	Astro Mall is a shopping mall. The stage has much fewer terrain-related obstacles and more advanced enemy patterns. Area 1A/3B (Third Floor) The topmost floor of Astro Mall's main shopping area. If Area 1, the music is Theme of SPIKEOUT; if Area 3, the music is Astro Mall. If Area 1, the boss is Kingoro; if Area 3, the boss is Oswald. A first aid kit is dropped by Kaizi. Area 2 (Second Floor) The second floor of Astro Mall's main shopping area, where music is sold. The music is Theme of SPIKEOUT. The boss is Lenny. A first aid kit is dropped by Adlai. Area 3A/1B (Ground Floor) The ground floor of Astro Mall's main shopping area. If Area 1, the music is Theme of SPIKEOUT; if Area 3, the music is Astro Mall. If Area 1, the boss is Kingoro; if Area 3, the boss is Oswald. A first aid kit is dropped by Eddie. Area 4A (Entrance Hall) Exiting the ground floor leads to the Entrance, where the Sega Mall name can be seen. This area branches off in 2 directions. The music is Entrance. The boss is Wang. First aid kits are dropped by Chang Heng and Hong Pao. Area 5 (CD Store) A CD/record store. The music is Records. If entered from the entrance, boss is Homer; if entered from the food center, the bosses are Geena and Wanda. A first aid kit is dropped by Adrian. Area 6 (Underground Parking Lot) An underground parking lot. The music is B01F. The boss is Geena and Wanda. A first aid kits are dropped by Henry and Wilson. Area 5/6 (Aquatic Gift Shop) One of the shops adjacent to the Entrance is aquatic-themed. The music is Fish. The boss is Cheng Long, whose moveset and animations are taken from Akira Yuki in Virtua Fighter 3tb. A first aid kit. Area 6/7 (Merry-Go-Round) Directly follows the Starfish area and uses the same enemies. The music is Fish. Taking the escalator up leads to a merry-go-round with fish. The boss is Duke. A first aid kit is dropped by Blaso. Area 7/8 (Elevators) From the Fish area, the player reaches a small area surrounding an escalator. All the enemies carry sports equipment or outfits. The music is Athletics. Enemies donning sports gear pile out of elevators. The boss is Carlos. A first aid kit is dropped by Edward. Area 8/9 (Sports Shop) The escalator leads up to a sports shop. Uses the same enemies as the elevators area. The music is Athletics. The boss is Homer. A first aid kit is dropped by Lowell. Area 4B (Food Center) It is only accessed from 03F (Area 4). The area is filled with chairs to use as weapons. Has no boss, although King essentially fills the role of boss. The music is Junk. Area 7/9/10 (Sonic Room) The final area in all routes, but with a different entry door. A tall cylindrical area, with a giant sonic:Sonic the Hedgehog statue in the middle. The walls are plastered with early artwork for Sonic's redesign in Sonic Adventure, and there are displayed props referencing Tetris, Space Harrier and Fantasy Zone. The music is The Hedgehog. The boss is Ryuji. First aid kits are dropped by Honekawa and Ando. If it is Area 9, the enemy Ishikura drops a first aid kit.
	Imperial Opera
	Imperial Opera is the mansion home of big bad Mikhael. Area 1 (Hedge Maze) Lengthy path through the maze. The music is Park. The boss is Hornet. A first aid kit is dropped by Whirlwind. Area 2 (Fountain Steps) Exiting the maze takes you to a fountain at the steps of the Imperial Opera. This area spans the entire front of the building, with the main gate being the front door, but there being an alternate gate to the right. The music is Park. The bosses are Blake, Muir and Clay. Area 3B (Right Courtyard) Taking the alternate gate leads to the courtyard surrounding the mansion. The music is Court. The boss is Bryan. Area 4B (Left Courtyard) Going through a tunnel leads to the other courtyard mirroring the shape of the previous courtyard. Past the first gate is a stairway and balcony dedicated to the boss fight. The music is Court The bosses are Cobra, Scorpion and . A first aid kit is dropped by Scorpion and Beetle. A first aid kit is dropped by Goldstein.. Area 3A (Lobby) The entrance lobby for the mansion, comprised of 3 floors, with a higher floor blocked by stanchions. The boss is Immelmann. A first aid kit is dropped by Gordon. The music is Lobby. Area 5B (Side Entrance) A side entrance in the courtyard balcony leads to a hallway near the flights of stairs that are blocked by stanchions. breaking the gate leads to a lower floor outside the opera theater. Uses the same enemy types as the lobby. The music is Lobby. The boss is Immelmann. Area 4A/6B (Opera Theater) The opera theater where all further areas take place. It is entered through a different door depending on the route. The curtains are a mid-stage gate. The music is Imperial Opera. The bosses are Schneider, Rodriguez, Wilhelm. A first aid kit is dropped by Denzel. Area 5A/7B (Hell) The stage is redecorated to feature hellish imagery. The boss appears at the start of the area. The boss is Belial. A first aid kit is dropped by Doppelganger. The music is Cerberus. Area 6A/8B (Theater Stage) The stage is again redecorated into a white stone design, with a floating platform in the middle. This platform will typically have a force field around it, but will sometimes drop it and become a bridge, for in case the player is knocked off the stage. There are 2 big first aid kits on platforms to the sides which can be reached either by jumping up from the main platform or jumping down from further to the sides. Final boss fight against Mikhael. The music is Finale.

History

Development

Spikeout was envisioned by director Toshihiro Nagoshi, while he was still a part of AM2 and sometime after the release of Virtua Fighter 3tb, during which point that arcade games in Japan were slowly beginning to stagnate.

“	[Spikeout] was my personal rebellion. [laughs] I wanted to develop a game where you could play for a long time on just one coin. It was great for the players, but profits suffered because you have to take the arcade operators into consideration. At that time there was a drought of arcade games and I virtually wanted our new game to “Spike-Out” and reinvigorate the market. The fact that it was a character based action game emphasized that.	„
— Toshihiro Nagoshi

Development began on April 1997, with the development team consisting of AM2 team members that worked on Virtua Fighter 3 and Scud Race, with a few from the Fighting Vipers team as well. Special difficulty was reserved for the implementation of the multiplayer network; although the team was already familiar with networking due to their experience with most of AM2's numerous driving games, as Spikeout was a game that featured more "character data" than cars, they endured numerous trials and errors getting it to function properly.

Officially revealed under the working title of "Spike" during a private Japan-only Sega arcade show on May 19th 1998, under the AM2 banner, the announced title had two peculiarly ambitious features that were dropped in the final product:

• The game was originally meant to be a 16-player multiplayer game, with the players split into four separate teams in-game – as opposed to the finalized 4-player-only game. Presumably, the number of allowed players was cut down to four due to both the enormous and difficult task of creating sixteen separate, playable characters, as well as performance issues having so many players (and enemies) on-screen.
• Spikeout was meant to have linked machines "self-play" in the absence of other human players – AI-controlled allies would've automatically joined the battle to assist the single human player.

Just before it's release, the game was shown again in playable form at the Amusement Machine Show 1998, still under the AM2 banner.

Legacy

A Dreamcast port of the game was being developed, but never saw the light of day outside of a few copies; with Nagoshi himself stating that the main reason the port was never completed was due to the Dreamcast having insufficient hardware capabilities at the time for such a port. (It would take a full seven years before a consumer-based Spikeout title would be released on a console.)

The engine for Spikeout was later utilized in the Dreamcast game Rent-A-Hero No. 1. Sega Logistics Service announced it would end service on Spikeout arcade machines on March 31, 2017.

Production credits

Main article: Spikeout: Digital Battle Online/Production credits.

Magazine articles

Main article: Spikeout: Digital Battle Online/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Arcade (UK) 100

	100
Based on 1 review

Spikeout: Digital Battle Online

Model 3 Step 2.1, World

External links

• Sega of Japan's Japanese Spikeout page (archived)
• Sega of Japan's English Singapore Spikeout page (archived)
• Amusement Vision's Spikeout Digital Battle Online and Final Edition page (archived)