Capcom’s space opera side series saddles up
I previously reviewed Plasma Sword, the sequel to Capcom’s 3D weapon fighting game Star Gladiator. I played Plasma Sword and really liked Capcom’s approach that 
combined elements from Star Wars with elements of anime and fighting games. Years later, having played games like Soulcalibur, I wanted to play a fighting game with weapons. I’m glad I got my hands on the first game in the series, Star Gladiator — Episode 1: Final Crusade.
In Star Gladiator, in the year 2348 humans have explored space for centuries, allowing for regular peaceful and trade relationships with various alien lifeforms. Unfortunately, some alien species have made threats against Earth, resulting in a defense project created by Dr. Edward Bilstein that uses energy of the human mind or plasma power. Once the project became known, Bilstein gained fame and profit. However, the Earth Federation uncovers that Bilstein engaged in unlawful human experimentation during plasma power research and imprisoned him in a satellite. Four years later, a federation 
base was attacked by disciples of Bilstein known as the Fourth Empire. With the Fourth Empire’s attacks toward Earth continuing, the Federation’s hopes rely on a project allowing plasma-powered users to activate their gifts on a whim. That project’s name is Star Gladiator.
Star Gladiator is a complete departure from usual setup for fighting games like Street Fighter and Darkstalkers. Instead of using a six-button scheme for punches and kicks, Capcom used a four-button setup that resembles Soulcalibur. You have buttons assigned for kicks, defense, and weapon attacks. I found this simple and easy as I did not struggle with fight mechanics.
You also have use of two counter moves called Plasma Reverses: One is called a Plasma Reflect, which allows blocking of an opponent’s move and stunning them for a brief 
period. The other, Plasma Revenge, allows you to counter an opponent’s fast attack while you unleash your own lighting attack. Star Gladiator also introduces the Plasma Combo System, which allows you to setup rapid attacks that, with the right timing, can result in a technique called Plasma Final that inflicts major damage. Finally, another standout feature in Star Gladiator is the plasma strike ability that lets you deliver heavy damage, if timed perfectly on the opponent.
Keeping with the mechanics, let me deliver a safety warning: This game has a rotating and hovering arena that may cause motion sickness. With the rotating arena, if you are knocked out of bounds, you will lose automatically. I learned a hard lesson about using the Plasma Reflect and Plasma Final techniques: Like any other weapon-based fighter, your timing must be accurate; otherwise, your character will be open for a ring-out attack or Plasma Final that will end the round before you can blink. And, for those who see the Plasma Strike as an easy use anytime weapon: Plasma Strike is an impressive move; however, it can only be used once per round.
The graphics and music are top tier for a 3D fighting game from the era it was released. It looks good and tries hard but without being over the top. The replay value is strong and is a great showcase for the start of the 3D weapon fighter genre.
Star Gladiator is a classic 3D fighter that showed how fighting games transitioned from the arcade to the home market. I commend Capcom for thinking forward and not relying on the same formula. Star Gladiator is an example of Capcom’s brilliance in the fighting game arena and the series is long overdue to return. There’s certainly room for it in today’s space.
backward in storyline to tell the story of the future. Street Fighter 
roster, even the lower-tier characters.
Also adding value is the soundtrack, one of Capcom’s masterpieces. The game is set in the mid-to-late 1980s and it sounds appropriate to that era. Beyond the bangers for multiple characters — Sagat, Balrog and Juli/Juni instantly come to mind — even the narration deserves praise. It’s over the top but it fits perfectly. The soundtrack also works well with the graphics. The sprites are big and colorful as are the detailed and stunning stages. It’s one of Capcom’s better-looking games and is a massive improvement from the rest of the Alpha series. It almost looks like it belongs in an entirely different game series.
adjacent, and it’s not really Street Fighter. There are mechanics, characters, and other Street Fightery-type things here that make it part of the brand mystique, but this isn’t like the others and that isn’t necessarily a good thing.
for its time, is good. The backgrounds are gorgeous in some stages, and the polygons are super blocky and polygonal. However, this was 1997, so it’s acceptable given what everything else polygon-based looked like at the time. Again, as Rival Schools was around at the same time, it’s comparable to that game but it doesn’t look quite as good. The soundtrack is passable, much like the graphics. It wasn’t impressive but it wasn’t terrible, either. It’s reminiscent of other Capcom fighters at the time, despite this not being developed by Capcom.
characters in the Ratio System is questionable and their movesets being pressed between 
need no introduction and you’re allowed to have repeat praise heaped on your shoulders.
item from Guile, which would help him defeat M. Bison. Third Strike boss Gill drives the plot overall, tying up the loose ends between 
from 18 base roster fighters and duke it out in feudal Japan with various motivations. All are investigating a coming catastrophe, but their intention in the face of a sinister environment is unique. Timeline-wise, the game is set between the prequel Samurai Shodown V and the original Samurai Shodown. So, you’re getting a taste of the story before the main series even kicks off.
everyone’s mind, but to get there, Tekken 7 stakes its ambitions on looking back to tell the story of the future. Spoiler alert: With Heihachi gone, there’s only Kazuya and Jin left to carry on the blood feud of the clan. The surrounding entities are on either side of the conflict between father and son, and there will be casualties. But that isn’t Tekken 7’s main story to tell. Really, it’s two questions: How did Kazuya become enmeshed in the devil gene foolishness, and how is Heihachi entangled in that as well? The answers lay with new character Kazumi Mishima, Kazuya’s mother and Heihachi’s wife. She plays a central role in unraveling the mystery of Kazuya’s transformation using the devil gene and why Heihachi threw his child off a cliff more than 40 years before.
many things will be true at once: The sound will be phenomenal, and the graphics will be stunning. After all, this is a Tekken title; the King of the Iron Fist tournament does not slouch. What’s striking is, this is a four-year-old game and it still looks decent. Tekken has never been one to hold back when it comes to looks, and even with the upgraded PlayStation 4 Pro, it’s still a good-looking game. Tekken 7 could look worse with the benefit of more processing power, and some sections do show the age of the game. However, it’s minimal as far as Tekken is concerned, and Tekken 7 is still a powerhouse when compared to everything else on the market.
As far as Tekken’s playability, I can’t really attest to it on a hands-on level. Full disclosure: I’m not a good Tekken player. That said, however, I find it a little easier to pick up Tekken and play with the new features added in the arcade mode. I really like that there’s an easy combo assist feature. It makes it far less frustrating to learn the combo system, and it makes it much easier for beginners to understand how moves flow together.
good in the first Injustice is much-better looking the second time around. The user interface got a newer, sleeker coat of paint, and all the character models and backgrounds look better and cleaner, too. The character select screen even looks better and more fluid. NetherRealm’s fighting game visuals get better with each game, so this is just a testament to their growing prowess. The music isn’t standout, but it’s serviceable.