Uno10/Spikeout

www.amusementvision.com/products/spikeout_dbo_fe/#operate
www.arcade-system.com/tests_html/spikeout.htm
www.amusementvision.com/products/slashout/
www.amusementvision.com/products/spikers_battle/howtoplay.html
ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%91%E3%82%A4%E3%82%AF%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A6%E3%83%88
www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6gz72k4siw&t=56s
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxYh0vUyKi8&t=2m53s (note: recovery mechanic exclusive to spikers battle)

for reference

www.geocities.jp/wazaichiman/spike/spiketop.html
www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-Dice/7222/yougo.html

probably use these above as reference as well?

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 split 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), with the 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 non-linear 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.

There's a constant time limit which can be replenished, seemingly depending on how you finish an enemy -- 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. 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.

Controls/Mechanics

The control scheme to Spikeout. The four buttons are (from left to right) Shift, Beat, Charge and Jump.

The Shift button/mechanic () is a peculiar gimmick, and may very well be the staple of the Spikeout series: It was presumably introduced in an attempt to resolve the issue of crowd control in a third dimensional plane, and is a feature never before seen in any 3D beat-'em-up preceding it, and would not be replicated in any game after it.

By holding down the button, you are put in "Shift mode", allowing you to constantly strafe -- letting go of puts you out of it. This mode of movement not only makes for precise movement, but it also makes avoiding any incoming attacks from any direction easy; thereby making the main method of defense in the game. However, in addition to this, you are also able to "target" a single or group of enemies once you get close enough to them. This therefore makes the Shift mechanic a sort-of hybrid between the "strafing" mechanic and a "lock-on" mechanic; constantly shuffling between each via it's "enemy position" algorithm.

Attacking is accomplished by two distinct methods that can be strung together: The Beat button (), and the Charge button ().

Charge moves can be used at any time, given that any other move (Beat or otherwise) isn't already in motion once the button is released. Furthermore, you cannot hold There are four different "levels" of Charge attacks you can perform, and depend on which point the "Charage bar" lands on/overlaps over from the "Charge Gauge" at the top-center corner. The four levels of Charge attacks are as follows:

• Normal Attack (Level 1) - A weaker variation of the regular Beat move. Performed by simply tapping .
• Knockdown Attack (Level 2) - Knocks the opponent vertically up in the air. Good for mid-air followups on ground.
• Groggy Attack (Level 3) - A jab at the opponent's abdomen, briefly making them "stunned" and open for any further attacks. This can also work on bosses.
• Supercharge Attack (Level 4) - A "finisher move" of sorts, it initiates a concentrated blow which sends the opponent hurling.

You are also able to perform button combinations with the three buttons: +, +, +.

Pressing , and together will initiate the Special Attack (Super Attack in oversea versions)

Taunts/Commands

Due to the multiplayer elements of Spikeout,