Burning Rival (バーニングライバル) is a 1993[1] fighting arcade game developed by Sega-AM2 and published by Sega. It was released exclusively in Japan in July 1993.[1] It was also the first fighting game developed by Sega-AM2; however, Yu Suzuki wasn't involved in this work. It was created during the fighting game trend of the 1990s that began with Capcom's Street Fighter II. Despite the arcade game showing highly-detailed, cel-shaded anime-style graphics and animations by Zero-One Ltd., as well as a sense of humor, it didn't catch much attention and was never ported to any home console.
Plot
The game takes place in a fictional city located in central Canada known as "Destiny City," a midsized American metropolis. Once every few years, strong fighters gather here and hold a violent, secret no-holds-barred fighting spree. This year, too, a group of extraordinary fighters gathered, sick of fighting by the rules. Some coveted the titled of "World's Strongest," while others dreamt of acquiring vast wealth. Things in Destiny City heated up before the tournament began.
Gameplay
Screenshot of Burning Rival
Burning Rival plays similarly to other 2D versus fighting games during its release, which the player's character fights against his or her opponent in best two-out-of-three matches in a single player tournament mode with the computer or against another human player. The player has a character roster of eight selectable fighters to choose from, each with their own fighting style and special techniques. In one player mode, after selecting a character, the arcade randomly selects an opponent.
Characters
There are eight playable characters, and one boss. Their voices were recorded at the Power House Studio.
- Arnold (アーノルド) (voice actor: Francis Silva) - The lead character of the game. An orphaned karate student. He travels the country training, still in mourning for his master, whom he accidentally killed.
- Craze (クレーズ) (voice actor: Susumu Imura) - The best street fighter in the whole city. Bored with street fighting day after day, he's come to test his strength.
- Asuka (飛鳥 （あすか）) (voice actor: Haruka Itoh) - A modern-day female ninja. She wanders the world trying to find her older brother who disappeared while he was training.
- Santana (サンタナ) (voice actor: Greg Irwin) - A luchador nicknamed "The Fiery Wind of Mexico." His goal is to use the prize money to help his little sister, who suffers from a grave illness.
- Jackson (ジャクスン) (voice actor: Toshihiro Nagoshi) - The current kickboxing champion. He uses Muay Thai and finishes off his opponents by incapacitating them.
- Bill (ビル) (voice actor: Takenobu Mitsuyoshi) - A bodyguard for a secret organization. He entered the tournament for his beloved family, counting on the strength he gained playing football to see him through.
- Mr. Chin (ミスター陳 (Mr. 陳)) (voice actor: Takehito Tsumagari) - A kung fu master who owns a ramen shop. He entered the tournament to win the prize money and use it to expand his shop.
- Shingen (真幻 (しんげん)) (voice actor: Yasuhiro Takagi) - The spirit of a dead warrior. He is shrouded in mystery. The answer to where he came from and why he participated at the tournament is unknown. Appears again as the boss.
References
External links
- Burning Rival at The Large Cult Fighting Game March (Japanese)
- Burning Rival at GameFAQs
- Burning Rival at Museum of the Game
- Burning Rival at arcade-history