Eternal Champions

From Sega Retro

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EternalChampions title.png

Eternal Champions
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Virtual Console, Steam
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Sound driver: GEMS
Peripherals supported: Six Button Control Pad, Activator
Genre: Action

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP 		¥7,8007,800 G-4114
Sega Mega Drive
US 		$69.9969.99[1] 1145
Sega Mega Drive
US
(Mega Hit) 		$19.9919.99[2]
Sega Mega Drive
EU 		1145
Sega Mega Drive
EU
(Classic) 		1145-50
Sega Mega Drive
DE 		DM 149149
Sega Mega Drive
AU 		$139.95139.95[5] FETE00SMC
Sega Mega Drive
AU
(Platinum) 		FETE00SMC
Sega Mega Drive
BR 		047010
Sega Mega Drive
KR 		GM93041JG
Sega Mega Drive
AS 		1145
Wii Virtual Console
JP ▼ 		600pts600[10]
CERO: B
Wii Virtual Console
US ▼ 		800pts800[7]
ESRB: Teen
Wii Virtual Console
EU ▼ 		800pts800[6]
Wii Virtual Console
AU ▼ 		800pts800[11]
OFLC: Mature (M)
CERO
Missing Parameter!

Eternal Champions (エターナルチャンピオンズ) is a 2D fighting game developed for the Sega Mega Drive by Sega Interactive. The game was pitched as Sega of America's attempt to cash-in on the popular Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat franchises, and was released in 1993.

Story

“

Welcome to my chamber. I am the Eternal Champion, keeper of this vast fighting complex. It exists in a place and time corrupted by centuries of misuse and destruction.

My purpose in this grand scheme is to maintain the balance between good and evil, light and darkness, hope and despair.

Now this balance has been lost and the very fabric that holds the world together will be torn apart.

Your future, my present, has been destroyed by a cruel and unjust twist of fate.

Nine individuals from various periods in time were killed before their lives could affect this dark existence.

I have observed each of their short lives and have been powerless to stop the chaos.

I have spent the centuries harnessing my power for this very moment. I am the pure and untouched energy of all the great martial arts masters that have lived before me. Their skill, wisdom, knowledge, and inner-strength are at my command.

Even with the force of their collective powers, I can only reward one of the nine individuals with the gift of life. Any of them can have an equally profound effect on the future. For this reason, the contest must take place.

At the end of this contest, only one will remain. The victor will be returned to life a few seconds before his death, allowing him to avoid the past with the knowledge to change the future.

Only one may live so that the balance may be again achieved.

Let the contest begin...

„

— Intro demo


Gameplay

Much like its highly influential peers, Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat, Eternal Champions is a 2D one-on-one fighting game in which players fight as one of a variety of different characters, in this case dragged from different periods of time to do battle. The player fights their way through a contest, hoping to face the "Eternal Champion" and return to their normal life. Like Mortal Kombat, there is a high level of violence.

If the player loses a round in contest mode, they not only have to fight the person they fought prior to the person they lost to, but also the person before that fighter.

There is also a training room to build up a player's skills with various challenges to try, a two player mode, and a tournament mode for up to 32 people to fight in one-on-one contests with a choice between 3 different modes of tournament play. Characters can perform special moves by inputting combinations.

Each special move costs an amount of inner strength, which is the little Yin/Yang symbol that appears next to the health bar at the top of the screen during a fight. In stages, if an opponent lands on the correct spot, they will be killed by something from the background in a finishing move known as an "overkill".

The CPU is able to attack the player even if it's inner strength is empty. This was fixed in the sequel.

Although the game can be played with a standard three-button control pad, it will leave the player at a major disadvantage, with the updated six-button control pad being the preferred option.

Using a six-button control pad, three buttons are for kicks: A snap (weak), B thrust (medium) and C wheel (strong); the other three buttons are for punches: X straight (weak), Y lunge (medium) and Z swing (strong).  START  pauses the game, Up jumps, Down crouches and Left/Right move forward or backward depending upon the direction the characters are facing; Left/Right in the opposite direction of the one the character is currently facing blocks.

Each character has a taunt (X+Z), which decreases some of the user's inner strength, though decrease the opponent's Inner Strength by an even larger amount.

Using a three-button control pad, much like Mega Drive ports of the Street Fighter games, pressing  START  switches between punches and kicks. However, due to this, the pause game feature is activated by pressing A+B+C, which may interfere with moves that require all three buttons pressed at once). The controls are otherwise similar.

Eternal Champions was also packaged with the Activator in North America, and therefore is compatible with it. The game's manual has a list of moves for the activator.

Playable characters

px Shadow Yamoto
px R. A. X. Coswell
px Jonathan Blade
px Jetta Maxx
Jetta Maxx initially started life off as a male clown character, who according to Michael Latham, saw his special move ideas recycled for the Senator secret character in Eternal Champions: Challenge From the Dark Side.
px Slash
px Trident
px Xavier Pendragon
px Mitchell Midleton Knight
px Larcen Tyler

History

Development

According to the series' executive producer and designer, Michael Latham, the character Dawson from Eternal Champions: Challenge From the Dark Side, was originally planned to appear in this game. Chin Wo and Blast, secret characters from Challenge From the Dark Side, were also planned for the original game as well. These characters were scrapped due to ROM limitations.

Legacy

Sega of America took great pride in Eternal Champions, with the game selling very well in Western territories and being re-released under the Mega Hit Series, Classic Mega Drive and Sega Platinum Collection ranges, amongst much spin-off merchandise. However, the game was never fully adopted by Sega of Japan, who preferred to concentrate efforts on the Virtua Fighter series (and later products such as Fighting Vipers and Last Bronx). As such, Eternal Champions was sidelined after Sega's US operations were downsized during the late-1990s and is unlikely to make a return in the foreseeable future.

Nevertheless Eternal Champions was followed by the Sega Mega-CD title Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side, released in 1995 and saw two spin-off games, Chicago Syndicate and X-Perts. A second sequel, Eternal Champions: The Final Chapter, entered production but work was halted by Sega's Japanese arm.

Eternal Champions has since been re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console service.

Comic adaptation

Sonic the Comic included few "Eternal Champions" comics strips, where the champions work together as a team. The story arcs are: "Eternal Champions" (issue #19 to issue #24) and "Larson's Revenge" (#37 to #40). Furthermore, Sonic the Comic had a special issue Eternal Champions Special, that is fully dedicated to the game, containing three "Eternal Champions" stories: "Death Isn't Forever", "Reality Check" and "Brains & Brawls".

Production credits

Program Code/Design (C) 1993 SEGA
All Rights Reserved
Source:
In-game credits


Source:
US manual
Eternal Champions MD US Manual.pdf
[14]

Digital manuals

  • Steam manual

Magazine articles

Main article: Eternal Champions/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Main article: Eternal Champions/Promotional material.

Merchandise

  • Badge

Artwork

  • EternalChampions Art 1.jpg

  • US prototype box art

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
65 [15]
66 [16]
92 [17]
62 [18]
65 №271, p38
97
90 [19]
80 №14, p42-44
81 №55
50 №1994-03, p61
95 [20]
71 №17, p22-23
82 [21]
82 №25
97 [22]
78 [23]
90
95 [24]
72 №51, p60-61
94 №29, p36-37
85 [25]
85 №17, p10
78
81 [26]
Sega Mega Drive
 81
Based on
24 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
60
[27]
Alaab Alcomputtar (SA)
90
[28]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE) PAL
83
[29]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
65
[30]
Console Mania (IT)
92
[31]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
92
[32]
Electronic Games (1992-1995) (US) NTSC-U
91
[33]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
63
[18]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
65
[34]
Freak (IL)
90
[35]
GameFan (US) NTSC-U
75
[36]
Game Power (IT) PAL
84
[37]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
90
[1]
GamesMaster (UK)
81
[38]
Game Informer (US) NTSC-U
86
[39]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
50
[40]
Hyper (AU)
85
[41]
Joker (SI)
93
[42]
Mega (UK) PAL
71
[43]
Mega Action (UK) PAL
84
[44]
Megablast (DE) PAL
73
[45]
Mega Force (FR)
95
[46]
Mega Power (UK) PAL
85
[47]
MegaTech (UK) PAL
82
[48]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL
97
[49]
Megazone (AU)
92
[5]
Player One (FR)
78
[50]
Power Unlimited (NL)
90
[51]
Sega Magazine (UK) PAL
95
[3]
Sega Magazine (UK) PAL
95
[52]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
72
[53]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
94
[54]
Sega Zone (UK) PAL
93
[55]
Sega Force (SE)
90
[56]
Svet Kompjutera (YU)
88
[57]
Sonic Mag: B.D. & Jeux-Video! (FR) PAL
85
[58]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
66
[16]
Sonic the Comic (UK) PAL
85
[59]
Supergames (AR)
80
[60]
Todo Sega (ES)
95
[61]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
84
[62]
Video Games (DE) PAL
81
[63]
VideoGames (US) NTSC-U
50
[64]
Sega Mega Drive
 82
Based on
43 reviews

Eternal Champions

Mega Drive, US
EC MD US Box.jpg
Cover
EternalChampions MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Eternal Champions MD US Manual.pdf
Manual
EternalChampions MD US Poster Back.jpgEternalChampions MD US Poster Front.jpg
Poster
Mega Drive, US (Mega Hit Series)
EternalChampions MD US Box Front MHS.jpg
Cover
Eternalchampions md us cart MHS.jpg
Cart
Eternal Champions MD US Manual (Mega Hit Series).pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, US (console pack-in)

EternalChampions MD US Cart NFR.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, EU
EC MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
EternalChampions MD EU Cart Blue.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, EU (Classic Mega Drive)
EC MD EU Box Classic.jpg
Cover
EternalChampions MD EU Cart Blue.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, JP
EC MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
EternalChampions MD JP CartTop.jpg
EternalChampions MD JP Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, AU
EC MD AU Box.jpg
Cover
EternalChampions MD AU Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, AU (Sega Platinum Collection)
EternalChampions MD AU Box Platinum.jpg
Cover
EternalChampions MD AU Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, Asia
EC MD Asia Box PAL.jpg
Cover
EternalChampions MD AS Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, BR
EC MD BR Box.jpg
Cover
EternalChampions MD BR Cart.jpg
Cart
Eternalchampions md br manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, KR
EC MD KR Box.jpg
Cover
EternalChampions MD KR cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, SE (Rental)

Mega Drive, ES (Special Collector's Edition)

Eternal Champions MD ES Manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, FR (Special Collector's Edition)

Eternal Champions Master Moves MD FR Leaflet.pdf
Leaflet

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Mega Drive
✔
CRC32 48f1a42e
MD5 bde8b2396241aa27463ca875e604b8d3
SHA-1 5e978217c10b679a42d7d2966a4ccb77e1715962
3MB 1993-10 Cartridge (US)
Sega Mega Drive
✔
CRC32 b9512f5e
MD5 c8e1cd8e715e92f19f91e073ca9ffae1
SHA-1 578475a736bef8c76ba158110cebadf495c2f252
3MB 1993-10 Cartridge (EU)
Sega Mega Drive
✔
CRC32 66aa3c64
MD5 9f72a583823d839d6e2d68a8d418fc5f
SHA-1 1b115e64e138ca045acfe64e2337fc68172be576
3MB 1993-10 Cartridge (JP)
Sega Mega Drive
✔
CRC32 c486b439
MD5 b61eab3ef7055625e5dcbc1ecb12b8b3
SHA-1 ba82947bef2c42021cc35512c21d91430c6fc55c
3MB 1993-11-17 CD-R disc[65] Page
Sega Mega Drive
 ?
CRC32 e0665f06
MD5 1f6621e0892cbd3705e8d2157013b69b
SHA-1 c06f2d9ff29b6e6ec2dbec06eab2eac21e80e423
3MB 1993-10 PAL region locked Page

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 GamePro, "January 1994" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 44
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Press release: 1997-06-19: BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND -- SEGA RELAUNCHES GENESIS GAMES AT VALUE PRICES
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sega Magazine, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-10), page 94
  4. ↑ File:SegaPro DE 18.pdf, page 31
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Megazone, "March 1994" (AU; 1994-02-23), page 44
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 http://www.nintendolife.com/games/megadrive/eternal_champions (Wayback Machine: 2017-06-26 17:22)
  7. ↑ http://www.nintendo.com:80/games/detail/QwPsErkMzT5WOzjlm58QjPDA5Q2lEej0 (Wayback Machine: 2011-02-19 10:07)
  8. ↑ https://archive.is/Ruu0D
  9. ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/software/05.html (Wayback Machine: 2018-03-05 23:22)
  10. ↑ http://vc.sega.jp:80/vc_eternal/ (Wayback Machine: 2007-11-19 12:30)
  11. ↑ http://www.nintendo.com.au/index.php?action=catalogue&prodcat_id=41&prod_id=19741&pageID=4 (Wayback Machine: 2012-04-03 02:06)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 https://steamdb.info/app/34288/ (Wayback Machine: 2017-05-22 19:13)
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 http://steamdb.info/app/34288/ (Wayback Machine: 2013-05-22 20:24)
  14. ↑ File:Eternal Champions MD US Manual.pdf, page 66
  15. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "March 1994" (JP; 1994-02-08), page 17 (19)
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
  17. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-15), page 64-65 (64)
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Electronic Gaming Monthly, "January 1994" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 44
  19. ↑ GamePro, "January 1994" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 40-44 (44)
  20. ↑ Hobby Consolas, "Enero 1994" (ES; 199x-xx-xx), page 56-61 (56)
  21. ↑ Mega Fun, "02/94" (DE; 1994-01-19), page 72-73 (64)
  22. ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "February 1994" (UK; 1993-12-28), page 60-65 (61)
  23. ↑ Player One, "Janvier 1994" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 80-82 (80)
  24. ↑ Sega Magazine, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-10), page 94-95 (94)
  25. ↑ Sonic Mag: B.D. & Jeux-Video!, "Mai 1994" (FR; 1994-04-15), page 32-33 (34)
  26. ↑ Video Games, "2/94" (DE; 1994-01-26), page 46-47 (44)
  27. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 72
  28. ↑ Alaab Alcomputtar, "" (SA; 1995-08-xx), page 72
  29. ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "August 1994" (DE; 1994-07-04), page 38
  30. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "March 1994" (JP; 1994-02-08), page 19
  31. ↑ Console Mania, "Gennaio 1994" (IT; 199x-xx-xx), page 84
  32. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-15), page 64
  33. ↑ Electronic Games (1992-1995), "January 1994" (US; 1993-12-21), page 68
  34. ↑ Famitsu, "1994-02-25" (JP; 1994-02-10), page 1
  35. ↑ Freak, "2/94" (IL; 1994-xx-xx), page 44
  36. ↑ GameFan, "Volume 2, Issue 1: December 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 27
  37. ↑ Game Power, "Gennaio 1994" (IT; 199x-xx-xx), page 34
  38. ↑ GamesMaster (UK) "Series 3, episode 19" (1994-01-11, 24:00) (+6:10)
  39. ↑ Game Informer, "January/February 1994" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 26
  40. ↑ Hippon Super, "March 1994" (JP; 1994-02-03), page 61
  41. ↑ Hyper, "March 1994" (AU; 1994-xx-xx), page 32
  42. ↑ Joker, "Junij 1994" (SI; 1994-xx-xx), page 23
  43. ↑ Mega, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-20), page 22
  44. ↑ Mega Action, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-28), page 16
  45. ↑ Megablast, "2/94" (DE; 1994-03-30), page 35
  46. ↑ Mega Force, "Janvier 1994" (FR; 1994-01-08), page 84
  47. ↑ Mega Power, "March 1994" (UK; 1994-02-17), page 24
  48. ↑ MegaTech, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-21), page 42
  49. ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "February 1994" (UK; 1993-12-28), page 61
  50. ↑ Player One, "Janvier 1994" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 80
  51. ↑ Power Unlimited, "Jaargang 2, Nummer 3, Maart 1994" (NL; 1994-02-23), page 34
  52. ↑ Sega Magazine, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-10), page 108
  53. ↑ Sega Power, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-06), page 60
  54. ↑ Sega Pro, "March 1994" (UK; 1994-01-27), page 36
  55. ↑ Sega Zone, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-27), page 46
  56. ↑ Sega Force, "6/94" (SE; 1994-09-14), page 20
  57. ↑ Svet Kompjutera, "Maj 1996" (YU; 1996-xx-xx), page 85
  58. ↑ Sonic Mag: B.D. & Jeux-Video!, "Mai 1994" (FR; 1994-04-15), page 34
  59. ↑ Sonic the Comic, "January 21st 1994" (UK; 1994-01-08), page 10
  60. ↑ Supergames, "Ano I, Numero I" (AR; 1994-xx-xx), page 14
  61. ↑ Todo Sega, "Enero 1994" (ES; 199x-xx-xx), page 42
  62. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 65
  63. ↑ Video Games, "2/94" (DE; 1994-01-26), page 46
  64. ↑ VideoGames, "February 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 68
  65. ↑ Hidden Palace: Eternal Champions (Nov 17, 1993 prototype J)


Eternal Champions

EternalChampions title.png

Main page | Comparisons | Development | Magazine articles | Video coverage | Reception | Promotional material | Region coding | Technical information | Bootlegs


Books: Eternal Champions Special (1994) | Eternal Champions: Sega Genesis Official Power Guide (1994) | Eternal Champions Adventure Gamebook 1: The Cyber Warriors (1994) | Eternal Champions Adventure Gamebook 2: Citadel of Chaos (1994) | Eternal Champions Official Sticker Album (199x)
Videos: Eternal Champions Strategy Video (1994)
Sega Mega Drive
Prototypes: 1993-10 | 1993-11-17 J | 11-17



Games in the Eternal Champions Series
Eternal Champions (1993) | Chicago Syndicate (1995) | Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side (1995) | X-Perts (1996) | Eternal Champions (LCD) (1994) | Eternal Champions: The Final Chapter (unreleased)
Eternal Champions related media
Book
 Eternal Champions Special (1994) | Eternal Champions: Sega Genesis Official Power Guide (1994) | Eternal Champions Adventure Gamebook 1: The Cyber Warriors (1994) | Eternal Champions Adventure Gamebook 2: Citadel of Chaos (1994) | Eternal Champions Official Sticker Album (1993)
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