BloodStorm
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| BloodStorm | |
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| Developer(s) | Incredible Technologies |
| Publisher(s) | Strata |
| Release date(s) | 1994 |
| Genre(s) | Versus fighting |
| Mode(s) | Up to 2 players |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Input | 8-way joystick, Buttons: 5 (Back Arm, Front Arm, Block, Back Leg, Front Leg) |
| Arcade cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade display | Raster, horizontal orientation |
BloodStorm is a fighting game released into arcades in 1994 by Strata and developed by Incredible Technologies, the same people who created Time Killers. It is considered by some as a 'sequel' to Time Killers, even though both games' backgrounds have nothing to do with each other (similar to how some say Waku Waku 7 is a sequel to Galaxy Fight). For its time, it was perhaps the most violent video game released on the market and was dubbed as a supposed “MK-killer” in an attempt to further rival Midway's success with Mortal Kombat, but the game was less than successful, much to Strata's chagrin. It was also one of the last games produced by Strata before the company went out of business.
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[edit] Story
(Note: This story is as explained from the FAQ written for it and its handbook. It also appeared in the premier issue of defunct gaming magazine EGM2 in 1994.)
The Mega War, fought centuries ago, left the earth in global ruins. The destructive nuclear horrors unleashed upon the planet and its population created uncountable amounts of death and devastation. In the wake of this sweeping havoc arose the planet itself to retaliate against the violence forced upon it. Polar shifts and massive earthquakes swallowed entire continents. From seething seas and walls of water arose angry volcanoes, spewing flame and death into the sky. Hungry fires, searing blizzards, and brutal storms ran rampant across the planet's surface for years, in an attempt to wash away the man-made horrors that it was forced to endure.
At last the earth settled into a new pattern, starting to find some semblance of balance and peace. The global changes had left a much harsher planet, and the remaining life forms adapted slowly to the new environment. The Earth's land masses, altered by man-made weaponry and ended through elemental means, had evolved into ten isolated provinces. The remaining populations within these new provinces found life difficult at first, but slowly evolution and natural selection allowed the human race to adapt and once again gain control of their destiny. Some of the provinces had strong natural forces, exposed through the abrupt upheaval, and the resourceful post-humans began to master these new powers. Other provinces continued to develop through the use of science and technology, creating elaborate life support systems and protection against the harsh environments.
As the years progressed, eight of the provinces began to communicate and trade together. An alliance was formed and a global quasi-government was established. The social structure evolved into a mixture of medieval practices, hybrid technology, and barbarism and barter.
Centuries have passed and the present day Earth finds mankind again at the brink of savagery and destruction. Life is now a series of hardships, deceptions, and lies for the members of the Provincial Alliance. The frozen tundra of Polaria and the volcanic Scorch are very close to all out war, halted only by the desolate, radioactive Death Zone that separates them. The Death Zone, once a founding member of the Planet Alliance, has remained silent for almost two centuries, hiding behind the mysterious and deadly red mists that define its borders. Obsel, the desert province, has been taken over by desperate and brutal female terrorists. The Ebony Coast, known for its trade and bartering systems, is now led by a mysterious and greedy leader whom no one trusts, yet all must tolerate. The people of Cyberia, a land inhabitable only through technological means, have re-engineered their population, and are losing their humanity to the machine.
With tensions running high, the Planet Alliance is beginning to falter and the provinces are no longer considered allies. And now the High Emperor, the one guiding force that all provinces had agreed to abide by, has been mysteriously and horribly murdered.
The ancient Provincial Agreement declares that a new ruler must be chosen through combat between the rulers of each province. Each province will come prepared for battle with their own Gauntlet of Ascension, a gloved weapon that only those in power may don. These ancient gauntlets are treasured and revered by their people, for they are the foremost symbol of power and honor each province can have.
But it is painfully clear that this tournament will not have the honor of previous BloodStorm contests. There have even been rumors that the combatants will bring back the Sunder Attack, a brutal combat move that separated the opponent's legs from his body without killing him. This horrible and humiliating maneuver has never been officially banned from the BloodStorm contest, yet it is so brutal and degrading that no honorable combatant has used it for centuries. However, these champions from radically different provinces are blind to the mysterious evil that surrounds the High Emperor's death, and instead only see their opportunity for personal gain, provincial expansion, or race domination and will do anything to achieve their goals.
The BloodStorm is about to begin!
[edit] Gameplay
As its predecessor, BloodStorm features many of the aspects carried down from it, such as the removal of an opponent’s arms and an ‘instant kill’, as well as a Special Death Move. The button layout is relatively the same, except there is no button for attacking with the head. They are labelled as back leg, front leg, back arm and front arm respectively. A button in the center is used to make the character block. As one would suspect, if a particular limb is lost in combat, it is rendered useless to attack with that button.
It is also a weapons fighter, but to differentiate it from Time Killers, the characters use weapons called ‘Gauntlets’ which also allow them to use particular powers and attacks with them. Other than being able to bash off an opponent’s arms, a technique called a ‘Sunder’ is also in the game. If executed when your opponent is stunned, it will destroy their lower bodies (allowing you to see their viscera underneath them). The character will not be able to jump, but can still move back and forth a little with the leg buttons.
Even after a successful Sunder attack, the fight can still go on, given the character’s life bar is not totally drained yet. However, if both limbs are lost afterwards (given they weren't already torn off prior to the Sunder attack) then s/he is completely helpless. Characters are restored back to normal form after a round is over much like Time Killers as well.
A notable feature in the game is that when you defeat your opponent, you gain a ‘passable power’ much like in a style in the Mega Man series. These powers or weapons can be used at any time to give you a further advantage. Also, you can save your progress in a game with a password feature by pressing buttons during the player select screen. However, since the data was saved only until the machine was turned off, it was less than beneficial unless used to pick the game back up where it ended.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Main Characters
Hellhound - The fiercest fighter and general of the Fire people of the Southern Providence. He takes pleasure in making war with their mortal enemies, the Ice people, especially Freon in particular.
Freon - Leader of the Ice people in the Southern Providence. While he is a noble man, Freon loathes Hellhound and the Fire people, and wants to destroy them.
Tempest - The daughter of the High Emperor who was murdered before the events leading up to the BloodStorm contest. She has the ability to use the winds for her attacks and feels she is the rightful heir to the throne.
Razor - A suave and handsome man who was once in love with Tempest, and at the time the feeling was mutual. But her advisors framed him and had him imprisoned and given to Talon, who performed cybernetic experiments on him just before he escaped.
Tremor – The strongest and wisest of a race of people known as Earthians. He has become aware of the destruction going on between the races, and has tried to negotiate with various provinces to get it to stop, but has been unsuccessful. He sees the BloodStorm contest as a chance to destroy the sickness and disease and bring a much needed cure to the planet.
Mirage – The leader of a cannibalistic amazon race who live in a harsh desert, having overtaken the male population in many ways. Her plans are to lead her people out of their world and take over the whole planet through the BloodStorm tournament. Her gauntlet can fire deadly grenade bombs at her foes.
Talon – A cybernetic warrior who’s steel heart makes him a cold and cruel ruler of Cyberia. He also tortured and performed experiments on Razor, who managed to survive. Originally aiming to find a cure for the disease destroying cell tissue, he eventually saw those of flesh and bone as inferior, and aims to convert all into cyborgs.
Fallout – A mysterious warrior who emerged from a radioactive part of the planet known as “The Death Zone”, who wanted to fight in the tournament, his reasons behind it are, for the most part throughout, unknown.
[edit] Nekron's agents
(These can be encountered through special requirements)
Shadow
Ratchet
Blood
Craniac
Golem
Dementia
Wraith
[edit] Main Bosses
Sin
Chainsaw
Nekron
[edit] Secrets
BloodStorm is also notorious for having an excessive amount of hidden secrets for an arcade game. Among these secrets are a large amount of taunt codes (a few of which poke fun at Midway and Mortal Kombat in particular, like one that mocks the 'Goro Code' rumor of MK II), 'big head' characters featuring the game's programmers (which was derived from NBA Jam), 'special screens' that allow you to fight the hidden 'secret agents', 'taxi' codes (which throw the players into another background), morph codes (which let you change your character), gauntlet codes (changes your character's gauntlet to someone else's), and even vulgar trash talk codes. There were also a few backgrounds that were somewhat interactive, and such backgrounds are keys to finding the hidden opponents within the game.
[edit] Plans for a Sequel?
At the time of its release, the game had made a few small hints that there might have been a sequel to BloodStorm planned for the future. One such hint is if you managed to defeat all of Nekron’s agents before fighting Nekron himself, beat the game, and let the credits finished rolling, it will give you a secret code with a message saying if you were to call one of the producers of the game and tell him this code, the player "may appear in BloodStorm II". However, these plans were most likely scrapped once Strata closed down.
[edit] Taunt Code Quotes
- "Get with it, Strata is the new king of fighting games."
- "Who cares where Goro is?"
- "Go cry somewhere else... This game is for a man."
- "Is that a roll of coins in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"
- "I fart in your general direction!"
- "ROTFLMAO"
- "Drugs suck."
- "First time on a fighting game?"
- "I will give you a hint... the block button is the one in the center."
- "Sorry buddy, this is a real fighting game."
- "I am the greatest BloodStorm champion that ever lived!"
- "BloodStorm rules!"
- "I like it when you play with my buttons."
- "Don't wizz on the electric fence!"
- "You don't know shit about this game - go buy EGM."
- "Sushi-X rules this game!"
- "Press your lips here."
- "Pucker up your cheeks and blow."
[edit] Trivia
- Because of its extremely graphic nature of violence, in some areas the game was issued as The Storm.
- Interestingly, Incredible Technologies, who produced the Golden Tee series of golfing games, own both BloodStorm and its predecessor, Time Killers.
- Senator Joe Lieberman, a long-time opponent of violent video games, appears in one of several of the game's 'big head' codes as a way to poke fun at him for his stance on video game censorship. One of the taunt codes clearly addresses him as well ("Hello, Senator").
- Sushi-X, an editor of the game magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly, was mentioned in one of the taunt codes ("Sushi-X rules this game!"). In that same vein, another taunt code mentions EGM ("You don't know shit about this game...go buy EGM!").
- This game (along with Mortal Kombat) was parodied as "Bonestorm" on an episode of The Simpsons.
- The ”Don’t wizz on the electric fence” taunt code is a reference to Ren & Stimpy.
- One of the taunt codes was also an advertisement for the handbook made for BloodStorm, giving out the address of where to send it and instructions. Considering the company shortly went out of business after the release of this game, it is probably useless information by now.
- Mortal Kombat game actor Daniel Pesina was fired from Midway in 1994 after appearing in an ad for BloodStorm dressed as Johnny Cage.
- Luis Mangubat was one of the art designers for the game.
