Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors

Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors (ギャラクシーファイト ユニバーサル・ウォーリアーズ), or simply Galaxy Fight (ギャラクシーファイト), is a 1995 arcade fighting game originally developed and published by Sunsoft for the Neo-Geo MVS arcades. It was Sunsoft's second fighting game after their 1994 Super Famicom spin-off of their Hebereke series, Sugoi Hebereke, as well as their first side-viewed 2D fighting game.

A year later in 1996, Sunsoft produced another 2D fighting game also for the Neo-Geo titled Waku Waku 7. Two years after that, in 1998, they joined a small company SANTACLAUS in producing the Sega ST-V powered arcade game Astra Super Stars.

The arcade version of Galaxy Fight uses 32 4-megabyte ROM chips.^[1]

Gameplay

Rolf (right) and Gunter (left) fighting each other in Galaxy Fight.

Though Galaxy Fight is similar to Sunsoft's later game Waku Waku 7 (which uses the same engine), the games have few elements in common (one of them being the mid-boss, Bonus-Kun). The players choose one of eight characters and travel among the in-game solar system to defeat the opponents inhabiting each of the planets before they get the chance to fight Felden and settle their personal scores with him.

The game uses a four-button layout where the first three buttons are used for non-specified striking attacks (they can be anything ranging from punches and kicks to tail whips and bites) with each specific button yielding different strengths of attacks. The fourth button is used specifically for taunts which has no practical impact. Combining several buttons together may yield new attacks or special moves depending on the character.

There are no walls in the stages to corner players; instead, the screen can scroll indefinitely.

Characters

• Alvan: Alvan is the "Prince of the Ruined Planet". His planet, Rozalis, was invaded and destroyed and his family was murdered by Felden 1000 years ago. Alvan managed to survive thanks to the magic crimsom stone and challenges Felden to save the life of the few living beings that still left in his planet.
• Bonus Kun: Rouwe's own punching bag that has come to life. Rouwe has taught him basic fighting techniques. Bonus-Kun is a homage/parody of Ryu.
• Gunter: A gigantic green-skinned fire-breathing monster of immense power. Only he and Alvan appear to recognize G. Done's mystical nature. Gunter's fighting style is simple yet extremely violent.
• Felden: The final boss of the game (excluding Rouwe). He is a being composed of golden flame with a fiery blue crown. When facing Alvan, Felden reveals that he was the one who placed the curse on Alvan's planet.
• G. Done: Nobody knows much about this street thug character except for Alvin and Gunter, who can apparently sense his mystical nature. Despite his appearance, he desires nothing more than his freedom in peace and is on a self given mission regarding the reappeared tyrant Felden.
• Juri: A female thief that is obsessed with becoming stronger and more beautiful, she despises those she considers ugly.
• Kazuma: "The Raging Storm" Kazuma travels with Rolf in his adventures throughout the galaxy, looking for powerful warriors, seeking to be stronger and continue with the tradition of the martial arts of his family.
• Musafar: Musafar is a robot built by the Fakir Empire. His objective is to defeat all the warriors and get their weaknesses so that the Fakir Empire can take over the Galaxy.
• Rolf: The self-proclaimed "Hero of the Galaxy." He fights in a battle suit that resembles a 20th-century space suit sans helmet, equipped with a short-range flamethrower, jetpack, small energy pistol, and an ear-mounted single-eye visor.
• Roomi: Roomi is an alien from the planet Lutecia. She has the special power to sense her opponent's feelings before they attack. She is ditsy, childish girl and her dream is to become popular, like Juri. During the course of the game, Rolf is commissioned by her father to bring her back home. In her ending, she becomes a singer that doubles as a fighter.
• Rouwe: A special boss that appears only if a player beats the game without losing a round. He was apparently responsible for the death of Kazuma's father. His punching bag became the character Bonus-kun and was playable in Waku Waku 7.
• Yacopu: Yacopu is Rouwe's pet rabbit and the game's midboss, fought before Felden. He originated from the Nintendo Game Boy title, Trip World. He has the ability to shape-shift himself into whoever he fights against, providing a mirror match.

Ports and related releases

Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors was later ported to the Neo-Geo AES home console, which includes easy-to-access difficulty settings and limited credits. Its next port was the Neo-Geo CD version, which was ported by Sunsoft and features some of the same features as the Neo-Geo AES version, but with arranged background music. This version was later ported to the Sega Saturn and released worldwide. Later, a perfectly decent Sony PlayStation port was released in Japan and Europe. In 2008, the Neo-Geo CD version of Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors was included with the Neo-Geo AES version of Sunsoft's other fighting game Waku Waku 7 in Vol.11 of the Neo Geo Online Collection series for the Sony PlayStation 2, titled Sunsoft Collection (サンソフトコレクション). While the Neo-Geo CD soundtrack of Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors was added in this version, the soundtrack of Waku Waku 7 is completely different from the unreleased Neo-Geo CD version that was later ported to the Sega Saturn. SNK was unable to add the Neo-Geo CD / Sega Saturn version of the soundtrack because of licensing issues. The Neo-Geo AES home console version of Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors was later ported to the Wii Virtual Console in Japan by D4 Enterprise on March 23, 2010.

Soundtrack

A soundtrack album of the Neo-Geo version was released by Pony Canyon and Scitron Label on March 17, 1995 exclusively in Japan under the catalog number PCCB-00177. It contains nearly every background music, as well as sound effects and voice samples from the arcade version. It was composed by Masato Araikawa and Takayuki Sasaki, and performed by Jun Kojime.

Reception

GamePro gave the Neo Geo version a positive review. They complimented the graphics, music, and the way each attack is suited to its particular character, but added that the game lacks the originality and polish to reach true greatness, concluding that "Galaxy Fight will definitely whet the appetite of fighters everywhere. But it doesn't provide the Big Bang needed to unseat Mortal or Killer in the arcades."^[2]

See also

Waku Waku 7

Sources

External links

• Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors at the Killer List of Videogames
• ClassicGaming.com - Review
• Kazuya's review of Galaxy fight at NeoGeoForLife.com