Fighting Vipers

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Fighting Vipers
System(s): Sega Model 2B CRX, Sega Saturn
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega AM2
Genre: Fighting
Release Date RRP Code
ESRB Sega ELSPA USK Tectoy

Fighting Vipers (ファイティングバイパーズ) is a 3D fighting game developed by Sega AM2 for the Sega Model 2B CRX in 1995. It was ported the same year to the Sega Saturn with significantly reduced graphics. A version of the game was released for the PlayStation 2 as part of the Sega Ages series in Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 19: Fighting Vipers.

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 its 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.

Story

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...

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 as a fashion model, though she once dreamed of becoming a professional figure skater, though her lover and coach betrayed her, leaving her disillusioned.

• Bahn: despite only being a 17 year old High School Student from Nishino Machi, Bahn is a powerful and imposing fighter 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'.

• 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 heighten his own profile and become further famous.

• 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.

• Sanman: a mysterious fat oriental-looking man about whom nothing is known, other than his birthday (3rd of March) and an obsession with the number 3, hence the name for which he goes (san in the Japanese for "three"). Sanman drives a large customised scooter.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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. B.M. is boss of the game and is a powered up version of Mahler.

Pepsiman

File:Pepsiman.jpg

Pepsiman

Pepsiman is the mascot for Pepsi and Pepsi related products in Japan. He rescues those in need of thirst by delivering Pepsi, and often gets inflicted with pain from unforeseen consequences. He is only available in the Japanese version of the Sega Saturn version. To face him, you start the game in Arcade mode, and allow the CPU to attack you without fighting back. Before your HP reaches 0, the game will issue a "New Challenger" to which the game will return to the character select screen and slowly scroll to Pepsiman's position, while playing his theme song. Defeating Pepsiman allows you to play as him through the regular game. A new Option menu item will appear upon unlocking the character that allows you to revert the secret, causing the player to have to unlock him again.

The game also featured the Pepsi logo in the background and on certain characters (Such as Picky's skateboard)

Production Credits (Saturn Version)

Producer: Yu Suzuki
Director: Hiroshi Kataoka
Chief Programmers: Tetsuya Sugimoto, Hideya Shibazaki
Programmers: Masatoshi Shibata, Arata Hanashima, Masaru Nakamura, Susumu Mori, Shinji Ohshima, Yutaka Ito
Chief Graphic Designer: Yoji Kato
Character Designers: Manabu Sato, Kentarow Nishimura, Kaoru Nagahama
Movie Staff: Masahiro Sugiyama, Shin Kataoka, Wataru Kawashima
Asssistnat Graphic Designers: Takako Kawaguchi, Kazufumi Ohashi, Kaznori O
Music Composer: David Leytze
Sound Designers: Makito Nomiya, Tetsuya Kawauchi
Jacket Designer: Akira Yamanaka
Publicity By: Fumio Kurokawa, Kanae Tomikawa
Exhibition Players: Motoki Shinohara (Bunbunmaru),Hisashi Obara (Ikebukuro Raxel), Kouichi Hirane (Daikumachi-Dark-Honey)
Special Thanks: Daichi Katagiri, Arcade Fighting Vipers Team, All Staff Of Am R&D #2
Created By: Sega AM2
Presented By: Sega

Physical Scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source Computer & Video Games (UK)

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Fighting Vipers

Saturn Version

Saturn, US
Cover
Disc

Saturn, EU
Cover
Disc

Saturn, JP
Cover
50x50px Disc