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Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side (also known as Eternal Champions 2) is a fighting video game for the Sega CD. It was published in 1995 during the waning days of the Sega CD's lifespan and was revered as one of the system's most technically impressive releases. The game was a semi-sequel to the Sega Genesis game Eternal Champions and was part two of a proposed trilogy of games by Sega that would have cumuluated in a third and final game on the Sega Saturn. Both games were developed by an internal team at Sega named Deep Water, and both were designed by Michael Lantham, a developer with Sega of America from their early days. The game earned an M (for Mature) rating from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board for its graphic violence and gore.
Story As was the case with the first game, Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side followed the story of the Eternal Champion, who had felt the balance of the universe and time be disturbed by the deaths of key individuals who were meant to change the world for the greater good, and so to restore the balance, he held a great contest in which the winner would be granted the gift of life back to them, allowing them to fulfill their rightful destiny. But in this second chapter, it is revealed that the Eternal Champion has an evil counterpart: the Dark Champion. The Dark Champion appears and declares that he also will enter the contest, and that he has hidden four more warriors, preventing the contest from truly being fulfilled. Now the contestants must not only face the Eternal Champion, but the Dark Champion as well, if they want their lives back. Changes from Eternal Champions Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side improves upon many factors of the first game's presentation. Some of the changes include: Characters Occupation- Assassin Time Zone- 1993 A.D. Fighting Style- Taijutsu (Ninjitsu) Taijutsu is a system of unarmed combat similar to jujursu, and is a fore- runner of modern judo. This technique is mixed with ninjitsu, the art of invisibility. The Ninja fighting art combines all areas of offense and defense. This includes the use of dirks, darts, daggers, shuriken, caltrops, brass knuckles, smoke bombs, and various poisons. Biography- Shadow was the best assassin in the Black Orchid Corporation. She performed many tasks ranging from individual eliminations to end large, corporate takeovers. A true star at the Black Orchid headquarters, Shadow never thought much about the morality of her career. Ultimately, she learned that if a job was not satisfactorily completed, another assassin would, in turn, eliminate her. When Shadow realized that her own mortality was in jeopardy, she found that she couldn't bring herself to kill others. Since the corporation did not allow resignation, they arranged a fall from the 101st floor of the Black Orchid building. This stopped her from telling the world about Black Orchid, and similar corporations, and their dark secrets of hired killers. This knowledge would have had a huge impact on international business going into the 21st century. Occupation- Cyber-fighter Time Zone- 2345 A.D. Fighting Style- Muay Thai Kickboxing This fighting style is indigenous to Thailand, and is often called the 'Sport of Kings' due to its national pastime status. The style is a mixture of powerful kicks and devastating punches, with both fists and elbows. The fighter can use his hands, feet, knees, and elbows in order to injure his opponent. Kicks are used to deliver massive blows to the opponent's legs, knees, and thighs, which makes this one of the bloodiest fighting styles currently in use. Biography- R.A.X. (Robotic Arti- ficial eXoskeleton) is a cyborg. In the year 2345, Coswell was one of the best human kickboxers. The only problem was that the sport was no longer a human competition, but a battle between cyborgs, robotically enhanced human beings. Since these cyborgs could take and deliver more damage, the crowds stopped attending the human fights for the excitement provided by these new robotic combatants. Given these changes, he had no choice but to get cybernetic implants and join the crooked fight game which was run by a deceitful fight promoter. R.A.X. didn't trust this promoter, but needed his financial support so he could afford the operation. Soon after the operation, R.A.X. rose through the ranks and won the right to take on the champion. He was killed because the corrupt fight promoter traded R.A.X.'s life for a sure bet on the championship fight. The promoter used an advanced electronic virus planted in R.A.X.'s cubernetic brain to shut down all of his vital systems. This shut down occurred seconds before he was about to deliver the fatal blow to the reigning champion. Occupation- Bounty Hunter Time Zone- 2030 A.D. Fighting Style- Kenpo In modern terms, Kenpo is known as the "fist" method. It employs linear as well as circular moves utilizing intermittent power when and where it is needed. It is interspersed with minor and major moves that flow with continuity. Kenpo is flexible in both thought and action, blending with encounters as they occur. Biography- Blade was one of the best cops that ever worked a beat. Born in Syria and raised in Africa, Blade was dedicated to the extreme, working some of the meanest parts of New Chicago. Blade had, however, one small problem: his temper. After nearly being killed several times by an elusive suspect, Blade finally caught him. The suspect once again tried to kill him, but Blade was able to sidestep the laser and grab the suspect. Being only human, Blade ran out of patience and proceeded to beat the suspect until he was near death. He survived, and sued the police, who in turn, fired Blade to hush the scandal. He ended up moving back to Syria to become a Bounty Hunter, making better use of his quick temper. His final case dealt with a rogue scientist who had escaped a government bio-weapons lab with a vial containing a top secret virus that would kill 95% of all human life. He was threatening to smash the vial open if the government didn't stop all bio-research. The Syrian government hired Blade to safely retrieve the vial. Blade agreed to do it if they didn't interfere. They agreed. He cornered the scientist in an alley and forced the scientist to agree to peacefully give up the vial. The government, however, had followed him and seized the moment to make their move. Shots from laser rifles filled the alley. The last image that Blade saw before he died was the smashed vial containing the virus. Occupation- Circus Acrobat Time Zone- 1899 A.D. Fighting Style- Savate / Pencak Silat Savate is a form of hand and foot fighting practiced by the French. This method of fighting to the knockout was once popular with the aristocracy. Savate is noted for its flamboyant kicking techniques. It is practiced by relatively few people today. Pencak Silat is the national fighting art of Indonesia. Known as a dancing martial art, it mainly encompasses the study of empty-hand fighting. Many of the moves are based upon evation and warding off attack. When attacks occur, they are met with lightening strikes that drive opponents off bal- ance so they can then be dropped to the ground. Biography- Jetta was always a rebel; asa youth, she changed her given Russian name to Jetta Maxx to sound more like a performer. Born in Russia, cousin to Czar Nicholas II, Jetta traveled the world as a performer in a famous international circus. During her many travels, which included visits to France and Indonesia, she learned gynmastics and martial arts. In 1899, her circus troop visited China. At the time, China was being ripped apart by the Boxer rebellion, the Chinese attempt to rid their homeland of foreigners. Unfortunately, many innocent Chinese were also dying. Spurred by her compassion, Jetta decided to help infiltrate the Yihe Quang, or "Rightous Harmony Fists" and get them to turn their ways to pacifism before the major foreign powers brouht all their milit- ary forces to bear. In addition, she realized that Russia's involvement in the fighting of the East would further weaken its stability. Before Jetta was able to bring a peaceful end to the fighting and change the history of Russia and China, she fell victim to an act of sabotage by a radical from the Yihe Quang. During a command performance for the crown emperor of China, Jetta's safety net and tension wire were cut during the grand finale. She plummeted to her death. Occupation- Prehistoric Hunter Time Zone- 50,000 B.C. Fighting Style- Melee This style includes any moves or attack that will cause pain or damage. This includes eye poking, ear-drum popping, neck throttlling, nostril pulling and hair yanking. The most deadly moves come from build-up attacks. These attacks occur when Slash begins to build strength for a given move, but holds it in. When a move is held, its strength will begin to grow. Slash also carries a large wooden club that he uses to dispense pain. Biography- Slash, extremely advanced for a prehistoric crea- ture, was the greatest hunter and the best fighter of his genera- tion. These skills didn't just come from his great strength, but also from the emergence of an early intelligence. With this intelligence, he was able to outsmart most of his opponents. The clan elders resented him for his intelligence, and rejected all of his ideas including an agriculture plan which would free the clan from its enslavenment to a life of drudgery as hunter/gatherers. The elders turned down the idea because they saw no value in having free time. THey enjoyed the violence of the hunt. One day, Slash publicly spoke out against the elders in a clan meeting. Proclaimed to be an evil force, he was stoned to death by the clan. Occupation- Gladiator Time Zone- 110 B.C. Fighting Style- Capoeria Fighting A Brazilian form of combat adopted by African slaves to fight against oppression. In it, the foot is considered the strongest weapon, while the head represents the most vulnerable target area. Thus, bringing the foot to the oppoenent's head, the strongest force to the most vulnerable point, is at the heart of its strategy. This in- volves not only kicking, but also somersaults and handsprings. Biography- Tirdent is so-named because of the trident that replaced the hand he lost in a duel with a shark. The people of Atlantis during this time lived above the water. They were competing with the Romans to see who would control the Earth's surface. The loser would be plunged into the watery depths. The Atlanteans spent their time in puruit of science. They realized early on that a major part of the land was going to sink into the ocean. To handle this, they built great enviroments that were enclosed in bubbles so that they could survive the ocean's depths. They offered a fair settlement to the Romans; half of each culture would stay on land, and the other half would go to sea. The Tomans would not agree, and would only settle the issue through battle. The Atlanteans had no choice but to create a warrior that could stand up against the warlike Romans. Trident was their champion. The Romans rigged the fight and crushed Trident under a large stone pil- lar. With this loss, the Atlanteans were forced to go undersea, and their culture was lost forever. Occupation- Warlock / Alchemist Time Zone- 1692 A.D. Fighting Style- Hapkido Cane Fighting Hapkido emphasizes a nonviolent code of counterdefense. If the force of an attacker's blow is strong, it must be met with a soft reception and countermoves. If the force is soft, it must be countered with a powerful defense. This approach leads to the fluid circular motion and constant mobility of the art. The cane is used in place of the limbs. Almost all hits and defenses are performed by the cane. Biography- Xavier always made poor career choices, so it was no surprise that his last job should end in failure. After nailing still smoking horseshoes onto the mayor's prized workhorse, Xavier found himself with a shack full of smithy tools and no job. Stirred by a love for science, Xavier decided to try his hand at alchemy, the age-old quest for the formula which would turn lead into gold. Instead, he found a way to create an unlimited source of cheap, clean-burning energy that would put Salem on the map forever. Also, he found that his alchemy had changed him, giving him strange, new powers. Before Xavier could use this power and document it for the good of future generations, he found himself bound and gagged as the people of Salem carted him off to the town square. They burned him at the stake on the false charge of being a warlock. While some of Xavier's powers could be mistaken for witchcraft, they are all based on real science. Occupation- Bio-Chemical Scientist Time Zone- 1967 A.D. Fighting Style- Jeet Kune Do Known as the "way of the intercepting fist", this style is a collection of the basic mental and physical concepts, observations of combat maneuvers, and philosophies of attitude gathered and developed by the late Bruce Lee. Biography- Knight worked for the CIA on loan from Interpol. Born in London, he was one of the best biochem scientists working in the intelligence community. The CIA needed Mitchell to work on a biochemical weapon to end the Vietnam War. He created a virus that would weaken its victims until they hovered near death, waiting for the antidote. The virus was to be intorduced into the water supply of Vietnam, but Mitchell wouldn't stand for that much human destruction. He stole back his formula and fled back to London to hide. Unfortunately, Mitchell was cornered at the airport by both CIA and Interpol agents. During the escape, he fell from a nine-story building into a chemical vat used by the airport. The force of the impact broke the seal on the virus container and released the strain into the chemical vat. This mixture created an unexpected result - he was transformed into a living vampie. Using his newfound cunning and strength, Mitchell fled to London where he spent the next 133 years vainly searching for a cure to his disease. No longer indentifying with his own past, Mitchell came to be known as Midknight. The cure had become more important since the government used the virus during the Vietnam War by using the contents of the airport chemical vat. Many third-world coun- tries became overrun with living vampires. Midknight was also running out of time because his body (with the exception of his neck and face) was rotting away due to the fact that he would not kill another person to renew his life energy. Midknight was about to solve the last hitch in the antidote when a gov- ernment agent killed him by firing a magnesium stake through his heart. Occupation- Ex-Cat Burglar Time Zone- 1920 A.D. Fighting Style- Praying Mantis Kung-Fu A style of kung-fu characterized by fierce grasping movements, clawing attacks, and punches, this fighting style originated in a Shao-Lin temple. The priests needed a technique that would allow them to attack larger and stronger opponents. The priests observed two fighting mantises and used the style to make this a brutal and specialized art. Biography- Born in an era of crime bosses and racketeering, Larcen grew up respecting and idolizing the many powerful crime bosses who ruled the streets. As a youth, he went to work for Mr. Taglalini, one of the most powerful bosses. Under his wing, Larcen grew up to be one of the world's best cat burglars. He did many 'jobs' for Mr. Taglalini, including the planting of illegal evidence in the hideouts of the other crime bosses. There was one thing Larcen wouldn't do, and that was kill. Instead, he used martial arts to stop and drop hi attackers. One day, Mr. Taglalini asked Larcen to plant a package on a crime boss who was recovering in the hospital. When he entered the room that supposedly contained the boss, he instead found the recovering chief of police who had been hurt in a prior assassination attempt. It seemed that the mob wanted the chief dead because he was in- corruptible, and was about to declare war on the mob. Larcen suddenly realized that he had been set up. The package he carried probably contained a bomb. At this moment, he decided that he had chosen the wrong side. He wouldn't kill. He tried to throw the bomb out the window, but it was too late. The resulting explosion not only killed Larcen and the chief, but also most of the people in the hospital, including several youngsters in the children's wing. Secret Characters ** Criticism The game generated plenty of early excitement based on its impressive computer generated cut scenes, and a wide range of diverse playable characters and secret Easter eggs that seemed to test the power of the system. However, by 1994 many consumers had already lost faith in the Sega CD and were frustrated with Sega of America for releasing a CD-ROM system that was not a true hardware upgrade. The fact that Sega had already announced its plans for the Sega Saturn and Sega 32X further dampended the response to the game as it was seen as too little, too late. | ||||||||
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