Fighters Megamix
From Sega Retro
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| Fighters Megamix | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| System(s): Sega Saturn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd. (JP), Sega of America (US), Sega Europe (EU) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developer: Sega AM2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Supporting companies: Digital Design Studio, Sega Test (testing) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distributor: Ecofilmes (PT), Sega-Ozisoft (AU), Tec Toy (BR) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (41 tracks) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peripherals supported: Saturn Backup Memory, Saturn Floppy Disk Drive | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre: Fighting Action/Kakutou Action (格闘アクション)[1], Action[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of players: 1-2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Fighters Megamix (ファイターズメガミックス) is a 1996 fighting game developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn. Several characters from various Sega games make up the cast, including the complete cast of Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers, plus others from prior AM2 games, both fighting and otherwise, in a similar manner to SNK's The King of Fighters series.
Contents
Gameplay
Fighters Megamix is a hybrid fighting game combining the fighting styles of Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers (although leans more towards the latter). All moves from the two games are retained, plus a new "dodge" action, allowing players to sidestep and avoid an attack (while also opening up an opportunity to counter). Furthermore, roughly 50%[8] of techniques from the recently released Virtua Fighter 3 are included for the Virtua Fighter cast, and new Megamix-specific techniques for the Fighting Vipers fighters.
Players can choose between a Virtua Fighter "VF" mode and a Fighting Vipers "FV" mode, which tailors the experience to the style of either game. Characters have also been balanced, meaning strategies from Virtua Fighter 2, 3 or Fighting Vipers may not necessarily work in Megamix. Some moves are "hidden" and are not listed in the game - they often involve using the walls of an arena to cause damage.
Stages are lifted from the preceeding games, meaning both open-ended arenas from Virtua Fighter (sans the concept of "ring-outs"), and the "cages" from Fighting Vipers are included. Megamix generally improves on previous Saturn outings of these stages - Tokio's stage for example features the plane taking off which was missing in the Saturn port of Fighting Vipers. Wolf's stage from Virtua Fighter 2 reintroduces the cage omitted from the Saturn port, bringing it closer to the edges of the arena so it can act like those seen in Fighting Vipers.
Accessing the disc's contents from a PC and decompressing a LZH file reveals some extra bonus artwork, similar to some other Sega-published games.
Characters
At the start, only the characters from Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers are available; extra fighters can be unlocked by completing different courses (1-player mode, series of seven bouts), many of which are based on other Sega games.
From Virtua Fighter 2
| Akira Yuki | |
|---|---|
| Pai Chan | |
| Lau Chan | |
| Wolf Hawkfield | |
| Jeffry McWild | |
| Kage-Maru | |
| Sarah Bryant | |
| Jacky Bryant | |
| Shun Di | |
| Lion Rafale | |
| Dural | |
From Fighting Vipers
| Grace | |
|---|---|
| Bahn | |
| Raxel | |
| Tokio | |
| Sanman | |
| Jane | |
| Honey/Candy | |
| Picky | |
| Mahler | |
| B.M. | |
| Kumachan/Pandachan | |
Extra fighters
| Kids Akira | |
|---|---|
From Virtua Fighter Kids. Unlocked by completing B-course. | |
| Kids Sarah | |
From Virtua Fighter Kids. Unlocked by completing B-course. | |
| Ura Bahn | |
An improved version of Bahn. Unlocked by completing C-course. | |
| Janet | |
From Virtua Cop 2. Unlocked by completing D-course. | |
| Bean the Dynamite | |
From Sonic the Fighters. Unlocked by completing E-course. Bean's alternative costume is one which resembles Bin, one of two playable characters from the arcade game Dynamite Dux (which in turn inspired Bean's design). | |
| Bark the Polar Bear | |
From Sonic the Fighters. Unlocked by completing E-course. | |
| Rent-A-Hero | |
From Rent-A-Hero. Unlocked by completing F-course. When damaged, Rent-A-Hero loses his armour to reveal either a Virtua Fighter or Fighting Vipers T-Shirt, depending on the selected gameplay mode. | |
| Deku | |
An original character specific to Megamix. Unlocked by completing G-course. | |
| Siba | |
Unlocked by completing H-course. Siba is based on a scrapped character from the original Virtua Fighter (also known as "Majido" and Akira, as not all arcade cabinets were updated to reflect the change in cast), sharing a similar character model but with an entirely different set of moves (involving a sword). Siba's stage is a cut-down version of the desert stage from Virtua Fighter 3. | |
| Hornet | |
From Daytona USA. Unlocked by completing I-course. |
Others
- School girl Honey: Unlocked by completing A-course. Select Honey and press
or 
. - Mr Meat/Niku: Original Character. Unlocked by starting the game at least 29 times. Select Kumachan and press .
- AM2 Palm Tree: The emblem of the AM2 logo. Unlocked by playing the game for at least 84 hours. Select Kumachan and press .
1P mode courses
Unlike Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers, the single player mode of Fighters Megamix is about clearing "courses"; nine sets of seven opponents, which when beaten unlocks new features. These are denoted by letters; initially only courses A, B, C, D are available, which when completed adds E, F and G, then H, and finally I. The seventh "final" opponent in each course is an unlockable character, and is kept a mystery until the course is beaten.
While the rules don't change between courses, each has its own credits music and three "portraits", which can be viewed again later.
| Course A: Novice Trial | |
|---|---|
| Course B: Virtua Fighter | |
| Course C: Vipers | |
| Course D: Girls | |
| Course E: Muscle | |
| Course F: Smart Guys | |
| Course G: Dirty Fighters | |
| Course H: Bosses | |
| Course I: Secrets |
History
Development
Fighters Megamix was first announced at the Sega Saturn Senryaku Happyoukai conference on the 8th November 1996. It was initially conceived as a "festive" game for supporters of the Sega Saturn (similar to NiGHTS into Dreams the preceeding year), at one point being known as Fighting Festival[8].
Much like Fighting Vipers, Sega of America demanded that certain aspects of the game were changed for a US audience. The PAL version retains all the content from the Japanese game[9].
Release
In North America Fighters Megamix was made available to rent at Blockbuster stores from May 2nd 1997, eleven days before its full retail release[3].
Legacy
Unlike most other fighting games by Sega AM2, Fighters Megamix had no arcade release. However a watered down version was released for the Game.com in 1998.
Production credits
- Main article: Fighters Megamix/Production credits.
Magazine articles
- Main article: Fighters Megamix/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
- Main article: Fighters Megamix/Promotional material.
Artwork
Physical scans
| Sega Retro Average | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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91 |
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| Based on 31 reviews | |
| Saturn, JP |
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  Box |
| Saturn, US |
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  Box |
 Disc  Manual |
| Saturn, EU |
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 Cover |
 Disc  Manual |
| Saturn, PT |
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   Box |
Disc |
| Saturn, AU |
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 Cover |
Disc |
| Saturn, BR |
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 Box |
Technical information
- Main article: Fighters Megamix/Technical information.
Trivia
- The ending theme for 1P Course H is a remixed version of "Everlasting Love" from Shenmue.
External links
- Sega of America webpage: Saturn
References
- ↑ File:Fightersmegamix sat jp backcover.jpg
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/segasaturn/software.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-03-04 08:13)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Press release: 1997-04-30: Sega's ''Fighters Megamix'' hits Blockbuster stores early
- ↑ http://www.sega-europe.com/saturn/satinfo.html (Wayback Machine: 1998-12-02 14:09)
- ↑ Computer Trade Weekly, "638" (UK; 1997-05-19), page 21
- ↑ DIGITISER, #1997-05-17: "1997-05-17", x72
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Computer & Video Games, "June 1997" (UK; 1997-05-11), page 68
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Sega Saturn Magazine, "March 1997" (UK; 1997-02-19), page 54
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "March 1997" (UK; 1997-02-19), page 51
- ↑ Ação Games, "Março 1997" (BR; 1997-xx-xx), page 10
- ↑ Console Mania, "Marzo 1997" (IT; 1997-0x-xx), page 55
- ↑ Consoles +, "Février 1997" (FR; 1997-0x-xx), page 82
- ↑ Consoles +, "Juin 1997" (FR; 1997-0x-xx), page 98
- ↑ Edge, "February 1997" (UK; 1997-01-24), page 88
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "June 1997" (US; 1997-0x-xx), page 44
- ↑ Freak, "3/97" (IL; 1997-xx-xx), page 1
- ↑ Fun Generation, "04/97" (DE; 1997-03-12), page 93
- ↑ Gambler, "8/1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 1
- ↑ GameFan, "Volume 5, Issue 3: March 1997" (US; 1997-xx-xx), page 29
- ↑ GamePro, "July 1997" (US; 1997-xx-xx), page 92
- ↑ Game Informer, "March 1997" (US; 1997-0x-xx), page 46
- ↑ Game Informer, "May 1997" (US; 1997-0x-xx), page 12
- ↑ Level, "8/97" (TR; 1997-xx-xx), page 1
- ↑ MAN!AC, "04/97" (DE; 1997-03-12), page 82
- ↑ Mega Fun, "03/97" (DE; 1997-02-05), page 70
- ↑ Next Generation, "April 1997" (US; 1997-03-11), page 128
- ↑ NeXt Level, "März 1997" (DE; 1997-02-21), page 74
- ↑ Player One, "Juin 1997" (FR; 1997-xx-xx), page 70
- ↑ Saturn Fan, "1996 No. 26" (JP; 1996-12-13), page 194
- ↑ Saturn Fan, "1997 No. 3" (JP; 1997-01-31), page 66
- ↑ Sega Magazin, "April 1997" (DE; 1997-03-12), page 70
- ↑ Sega Magazin, "Juni 1997" (DE; 1997-05-14), page 31
- ↑ Sega Power, "March 1997" (UK; 1997-02-12), page 34
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "June 1997" (UK; 1997-05-14), page 60
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "1996-22 (1996-12-27)" (JP; 1996-12-13), page 280
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "Readers rating final data" (JP; 2000-03), page 11
- ↑ Super Power, "7 1997" (FI; 1997-0x-xx), page 38
- ↑ Ultra Game Players, "March 1997" (US; 1997-02-25), page 70
- ↑ Video Games, "6/97" (DE; 1997-05-28), page 96
| Fighters Megamix | |
|---|---|
| Main page | Comparisons | Credits | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Video coverage | Reception | Promotional material | Technical information | Bootlegs Books: Fighters Megamix Fighting Master's Guide (1997) | Fighters Megamix Official Guide (1997) | Fighters Mega Books (1997) | Fighters Megamix Comic Anthology (1997) Music: Fighters Megamix Sound Tracks (1997) | Eyes (1997) |
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| Games in the Fighting Vipers series | |
|---|---|
 |
Fighting Vipers (1995) | Fighting Vipers 2 (1998) |
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Fighting Vipers (1996) | Fighters Megamix (1996) |
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Fighting Vipers 2 (2001) |
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Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 19: Fighting Vipers (2005) |
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Fighting Vipers (2012) |
| Fighting Vipers related media | |
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Fighting Vipers Original Soundtrack (1996) | Fighting Vipers Sega Saturn Original Soundtrack (1996) | Fighting Vipers 2 The Sound Album (1998) |
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Fighting Vipers Technical Manual (1996) | Fighting Vipers: Crimson Angel (1996) | Fighting Vipers Sega Saturn Manual 2: Biting the Vipers (1996) | Fighting Vipers: My Sweet Honey (1996) | (1997) Fighting Vipers Perfect Guide (1997) | Fighters Mega Books Mix Ultimate Guide (1997) | Fighting Vipers 2 Official Guide (1998) |
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Sega Official Video Library Vol. 1: Fighting Vipers (199x) |
- Saturn Backup Memory-compatible games
- Saturn Floppy Disk Drive-compatible games
- 1-2 player games
- JP Saturn games
- All JP games
- US Saturn games
- All US games
- EU Saturn games
- All EU games
- DE Saturn games
- All DE games
- PT Saturn games
- All PT games
- Magref with missing PDF
- UK Saturn games
- All UK games
- PL Saturn games
- All PL games
- AU Saturn games
- All AU games
- BR Saturn games
- All BR games
- Saturn games
- 1996 Saturn games
- All 1996 games
- Saturn fighting games
- All fighting games
- Saturn games with TrueMotion video
- All games
- Old-style rating (gamesmaster)
- Rating without PDF source
- Old-style rating (hobbyconsolas)
- Update ratings template
- 1 old ratings
- Fighters Megamix
- Fighting Vipers (franchise)
- Virtua Fighter (franchise)