Fighting Vipers
Developer(s)	Sega-AM2
Publisher(s)	Sega
Release date(s)	1995
Genre(s)	Fighting
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Platform(s)	Arcade game
Arcade cabinet	Standard
Arcade system(s)	Sega Model 2

Fighting Vipers is a 3D fighting game developed by Sega-AM2. Image File history File links Fighting. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates computer or video games. ... Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department 2 (popularly known as Sega AM2 or simply AM2) is a research and development team for the video game company Sega. ... Video game publishers are companies that publish video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer. ... Sega Corporation ) is an international video game software and hardware developing company, and a former home computer and console manufacturer. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a listing of computer and video game genres with brief descriptions and examples from each genre. ... Screenshot of Street Fighter II (1991, Capcom). ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... Online gaming redirects here. ... Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ... This arcade cabinet, containing Centipede, is an upright. ... An arcade system board is a standardized printed circuit board or group of printed circuit boards that are used as the basis for multiple arcade games with very similar hardware requirements. ... The Sega Model 2 is an arcade system board released by Sega in 1993. ... The rewrite of this article is being devised at Talk:3D computer graphics/Temp. ... Screenshot of Street Fighter II (1991, Capcom). ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates computer or video games. ... Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department 2 (popularly known as Sega AM2 or simply AM2) is a research and development team for the video game company Sega. ...

The game was first released in the arcade in 1995 using the Sega Model 2 hardware and ported the same year for the Sega Saturn with significantly reduced graphics. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In computer science, porting is the adaptation of a piece of software so that it will function in a different computing environment to that for which it was originally written. ... The Sega Saturn ) is a 32-bit video game console, first released on November 22, 1994 in Japan, April 27, 1995 in North America and July 8, 1995 in Europe. ... Computer graphics (CG) is the field of visual computing, where one utilizes computers both to generate visual images synthetically and to integrate or alter visual and spatial information sampled from the real world. ...

Gameplay

Fighting Vipers features a similar style of gameplay to Sega-AM2's more renowned Virtua Fighter series, specifically Virtua Fighter 2, using a simply Guard, Punch and Kick attack buttons with a focus on combo moves (the Saturn version using it's three extra buttons for three smaller combos). Virtua Fighter is a series of fighting games created by Sega studio AM2 and designer Yu Suzuki. ... Virtua Fighter 2 is the second game in the popular Virtua Fighter fighting game series by Sega. ...

Screenshot of the arcade version of Fighting Vipers.

The game is set apart with two unique features. Most notably, each of the 9 characters featured in the game sports armor of some kind or another, this armor can be broken off by opponents leaving characters much more vulnerable and able to take much more damage, a human shaped meter in the top corners of the screen monitors the damage to your armor. Secondly walls surround each arena, caging the combatants in, allowing for attacks in conjunction with them (bouncing off etc), if the correct combination is hit at the round's finale, characters can punch their opponent straight through the walls. Image File history File links 1051639274. ... Image File history File links 1051639274. ...

When ported, Fighting Vipers offered other modes besides Arcade and Vs. Playback Mode and Training Mode both of which are now used widely in the genre, by games such as Tekken and Soul Calibur. Players could save their matches and play them again in Playback Mode, while Training Mode talked you though the moves of each character one-by-one. Tekken (鉄拳, lit. ... Soul Calibur is the second game in the Soul series of fighting games developed and produced by Namco, consisting of Soul Edge (Soul Blade in the US), Soul Calibur, Soul Calibur II, and Soul Calibur III. Originally an arcade game, Soul Calibur was ported and released for the Sega Dreamcast...

Story

[Taken from PAL Manual]
"Hyper-adrenal combatants in full-body armour, battling night and day in back-alley rings - only such young gurba warriors have earned the right to be called VIPERS...

Now in Armstone City, the mayor has formally announced a fighting tournament on a grand scale, with the final bout to be held atop the staggering City Tower in the centre of town.

With City Tower as their ultimate goal, eight young VIPERS start down the path to victory, a path which only one will see the end..."

Characters

L to R Picky, Grace, Candy or Honey, Tokio, Jane, Bahn, Sanman, Raxel.

Grace: the game's major 'sex symbol' Grace is an attractive 19 year old African-American born in Armstone City who's armor is themed after the protective gear for In-Line Skating, including the skates themselves. Grace is making her living a fashion model, though she once dreamt of becoming a professional figure skater, though her lover and coach betrayed her, leaving her disillusioned. According to her bio she is fond of Pasta, but dislikes Potatoes. Her Birthday is the 17th of November. Image File history File links VFCASTpiece_copy. ... Image File history File links VFCASTpiece_copy. ...

Bahn: despite only being a 17 year old High School Student from Nishino Machi, Bahn is a powerful and imposing figher in a long coat and hat, who has come overseas to find and fight his father, whom he has never met and abandoned him and his mother when they were small, he has declared himself 'Gengis Bahn III'. According to his profile Bahn dislikes Western Food. His birthday is the 25th of August.

Raxel: the narcissistic lead singer and gutiarist for a hair metal band called 'Death Crunch' with KISS-styled armour (pretty much looking like Ace Frehley's outfit) and carrying a red electric guitar, Raxel is the son of an Armstone City councilman, a drop out who left home after a fight with said father, Raxel has simply entered the tournament to highten his own profile and become further famous. According to his profile Raxel is a vegetarian. His birthday is the 26th of February. KISS is an American glam rock/hard rock band formed in New York City in 1973. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ...

• Note: Raxel's name is strikingly similar to Guns N' Roses' frontman Axl Rose. There is no official confirmation however that he is in any way based on him, as he doesn't really look like Rose, but more like ex-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach or Poison's vocalist Bret Michaels.

Tokio: a 16 year old pretty boy rebelling against a strict kabuki actor's household, Tokio is a former leader of a street gang called 'Black Thunder' but left after feeling responsible for another gangmember's death. He has entered the tournament for a challenge and for thrills, Tokio is also an avid Video Gamer, his prefence being (of course) Virtua Fighter. According to his profile Tokio dislikes Chicken, but likes Sushi. His Birthday is the 19th of April. Guns N Roses (GNR) is an American hard rock band that gained fame during the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Skid Row is an American heavy metal band which became the hard rock prototypes of the late 1980s metal scene and were reasonably successful until they were eclipsed by the Seattle grunge bands in 1991. ... Sebastian Bach For the 18th Century composer, see Johann Sebastian Bach Sebastian Bach (born Sebastian Philip Bierk, on April 3, 1968) is a heavy metal singer, best known as ex-frontman of Skid Row. ... Poison was also the name of both a shortlived British punk group who eventually became the thrash metal band Anihilated, and a German black metal band. ... Bret Michaels Bret Michael Sychak, also known as Bret Michaels (born March 15, 1963 in Butler, Pennsylvania) is best known as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. ...

Sanman: a mysterious fat oriental-looking man about whom noting is known, other than his birthday (3rd of March) and an obession with the number 3. Sanman drives a large customised scooter. According to his profile Sanman dislikes Garlic, preferring 'Sweets' [uncertain if this is desserts or candy].

Jane: a butch and muscled 18 year old part-time construction worker, Jane trained her whole life to join the Navy, but did not make it past training. She was discharged after repeatedly losing control of herself during fights and injuring fellow seamen. Jane now wants to test just how tough she is, hence entering the Fighting Vipers tournamet. Due to all these flagrant traits, Jane is widely believed to be lesbian. According to her profile Jane enjoys Beefstake, but curiously dislikes nothing. Her Birthday is the 18th of August.

Candy (Honey in Japan): a petite 16 year old Fashion Student with a pleasent nature, Candy designed her trademark plastic fairy suit herself, and has entered the tournament to promote her original fashion line. Candy became, by far, the most popular of the characters, and remains so, particularly in Japan, with, for instance, people regularly dressing as her (Cosplay) for Video Game conventions. According to her profile Candy likes Strawberry Cheesecake Ice-Cream but dislikes Carrots. Her Birthday is the the 3rd of September. Cosplayers Cosplay ), a contraction (or portmanteau) of the English words costume and play, is a Japanese subculture centered on dressing as characters from manga, anime, tokusatsu, and video games, and, less commonly, Japanese live action television shows, fantasy movies, or Japanese pop music bands. ...

Picky: a 14 year old stereotypical skateboarder Picky's armour is styled after protective gear for skateboarders, he carries his skateboard on his back, and hits opponents with it. Picky began skateboarding to impress his first love, Kathryn, but later on he left her for Candy. According to Picky's bio he likes Potato Chips [Crisps] and dislikes Tomatoes.

Mahler: the ninth character, not selectable, and unlockable in the Sega Saturn port, Mahler is a 20 year old mystery with a grudge against the Mayor of Armstone City [who has organised the tournament] wearing poisonous armour resembling a snake. He isn't officially registered as a member of the tournament. According to his bio his hobby is Windsurfing, and he likes Mexican Food, but dislikes seafood. His Birthday is the 20th of January. B.M. is boss of the game and is a powered up version of Mahler.

Mahler

Image File history File linksMetadata Snakey. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Snakey. ...

Sequels and Re-Releases

Fighting Vipers was re-released for the PlayStation 2 as part of the Sega Ages line, though a PAL version was never issued. The PlayStation 2 (PS2) (Japanese: プレイステーション2) is Sonys second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3 (which is to be released in November 2006 in Japan and North America, and March 2007 in Europe). ... The Sega Ages collection are video game re-releases from developer and publisher Sega, in conjunction with developer 3D AGES (a Sega funded development studio). ...

A sequel, Fighting Vipers 2 was released, it introduced new characters (Emi, a computer geek who fights with a self-developed mecha armor, and Charlie, a BMX rider) and was ported to the Sega Dreamcast but only in Japan and Europe. A sequel is a work of fiction in literature, film, and other creative works that is produced after a completed work, and is set in the same universe but at a later time. ... The Sega Dreamcast (Japanese: ドリームキャスト; code-named Blackbelt, Dural, and Katana during development) was Segas seventh & final video game console and the successor to the companys Sega Saturn. ...

Sonic the Fighters

Fighting Vipers has a direct link with Sega's famous blue mascot Sonic the Hedgehog via the less known Sonic title Sonic the Fighters (a.k.a. Sonic Championship). The story behind Sonic the Fighters is that a bored Sega-AM2 programmer working on Fighting Vipers decided to put in Sonic the Hedgehog in the game for amusement. After winning the approval of Sega-AM2 head Yu Suzuki and Sonic Team head Yuji Naka, Sega-AM2 commissioned a Sonic fighting game that became Sonic the Fighters. Sega Corporation ) is an international video game software and hardware developing company, and a former home computer and console manufacturer. ... Mascots at the Mascot Olympics in Orlando, Florida. ... Sonic the Hedgehog ) is a video game character and the protagonist of a series of games released by Sega, as well as numerous spin-off comics, cartoons and books. ... Sonic the Fighters (Sonic Championship in US arcades), is a fighting game. ... Yu Suzuki Yu Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 裕 Suzuki Yū, born May 10, 1958) is a prominent producer of arcade and video games. ... Sonic Team is a computer and video game developer established in 1988 as Sega AM8. ... Yuji Naka Yuji Naka (中 裕司 Naka Yūji, born September 17, 1965), is a video game designer, programmer , the former head of Sonic Team, a group of Sega programmers/designers, and the head of PROPE. He programmed the original Sonic the Hedgehog game, while Naoto Oshima designed the character and Hirokazu...

Prototype of the character select screen of Sonic the Fighters.

Sonic the Fighters plays very similar to Fighting Vipers, minus the armor feature and with the addition of the depleting Barrier System (limiting how much you may block an opponent's attacks). An early screenshot even shows the game using the character select screen of Fighting Vipers (or possibly Tails and Sonic in Fighting Vipers). Hidden within the data of the arcade version of Sonic the Fighters is an additional character named Honey, a yellow cat wearing Candy's red plastic fairy costume, even the name being a nod to this character. Honey's model is missing from the Sonic the Fighters port on Sonic Gems Collection, thus severely hindering her playability. However, her data is still there, though it is scrambled. Image File history File linksMetadata Menu. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Menu. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sonic Gems Collection is a GameCube and (in Japan and Europe) PlayStation 2 compilation of the more obscure games of the Sonic series. ...

Trivia

• Honey's name was changed for the US/PAL releases of the game to Candy.

• Candy had two Gashapon figures in the second series of the Sega Girls line, as well as a regular version the line featured a bonus version in her swimsuit costume.

• All of the Fighting Vipers characters were used in Sega-AM2's Fighters Megamix for the Sega Saturn.

• In Japan, the Saturn version of Fighting Vipers featured an additional unlockable character, Pepsiman, the Japanese mascot of Pepsi. He was removed from the US and PAL releases, much probably due to legal issues.

• Through hacking of the arcade ROM of Fighting Vipers, three secret characters were discovered; Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails, and Takashi Iizuka, director of Sonic Team.

• A soundtrack was released for the game, but only in Japan.

• A U.S. television advertisement for this game included the word "fuckin'".

Gashapon Gashapon (ガチャポン in katakana - more accurately, gachapon), also referred to as Candy toy or trading toy, is a Japanese onomatopoeia, made up of two sounds: gacha for the turning of a crank on a toy vending machine, and pon for the sound of the toy capsule dropping into the receptacle. ... Fighters Megamix is a 1997 fighting game developed by AM2 and published by Sega exclusively for the Sega Saturn. ... A secret character (not to be confused with an unseen character) is a playable character in a video game that can only be played by completing some task in the game. ... Pepsi-Cola, most commonly called Pepsi, is a soft drink produced by PepsiCo. ... The copyright symbol is used to give notice that a work is covered by copyright. ... Look up fuck in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

External links

• Fighting Vipers at MobyGames

MobyGames is a website devoted to cataloging computer and video games, both past and present. ...