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======================
= 01: VERSION INFO =
======================
v 1.0
What you see, is what you get, and likely to not be updated. If someone
contacts me concerning a mistake or a serious question, then there will be a
corresponding update.
"Welcome to my chamber.
I am the Eternal
Champion, keeper of this
vast fighting complex.
It exists in a place and
time corrupted by
centuries of misuse and
destruction.
My purpose in this grand
scheme is to maintain
the balance between
good and evil,
light and darkness,
hope and despair.
Now this balance has
been lost and the very
fabric that holds the
world together will be
torn apart.
Your future, my persent,
has been destoryed by a
cruel and unjust twist
of fate.
Nine individuals from
various periods in time
were killed before their
lives could affect this
dark existence.
I have observed each
of their short lives
and have been
powerless to stop
the chaos.
I have spent the
centuries harnessing my
power for this very
moment. I am the pure
and untouched energy of
all the great martial
arts masters that have
lived before me. Their
skill, wisdom, knowledge
and inner-strength are
at my command.
Even with the force of
their collective powers,
I can only reward one of
the nine individuals
with the gift of life.
Any of them can have
an equally profound
effect on the future.
For this reason, the
contest must take place.
At the end of this
contest, only one will
remain. The victor will
be returned to life a
few seconds before his
death, allowing him to
avoid the past with the
knowledge to change the
future.
Only one may live so
that balance may again
be achieved.
..............................................................................
In 1993, the latest trend in the video game world was the fighting game,
bolstered by the recent successes of Street Fighter II (1991), Fatal Fury
(1991,) and Mortal Kombat (1992), all series that continue strong in arcades
to this day. Hoping to ride this wave of success, Sega developed the Eternal
Champions series for their Genesis and Sega-CD systems. While the series never
caught on, due to its limited availablity, among other things, it did employ
various features that were well ahead of their time, including stage fatalities
or "overkills", reflected projectiles, forcefields, training rooms filled with
elaborate traps, and a new method of executing moves which, to this day, still
remains fairly unique in the fighting game universe.
..............................................................................
All entries are direct transcripts. Grammatical errors, like "rightous" and
"brouht" in Jetta's bio, are transcribed as such.
============
= SHADOW =
============
SHADOW YAMOTO
Occupation-
Ninja 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.
============
= R.A.X. =
============
R.A.X. COSWELL
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
cuborg. In the year 2345,
Coswell was one of the
best human kickboxers.
The only problem was that
the sport was nol onger
a human competition, but
a battle between cyborgs,
robotically enhanced hu-
man beings. Since these
cuborgs 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
cubernetic 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.
===========
= BLADE =
===========
JONATHAN BLADE
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.
===========
= JETTA =
===========
JETTA MAXX
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.
===========
= SLASH =
===========
SLASH
Occupation-
Prehistoric Hunter
Time Zone-
50,000 B.C.
Fighting Style-
Pain
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.
=============
= TRIDENT =
=============
TRIDENT
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.
============
= XAVIER =
============
XAVIER PENDRAGON
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.
===============
= MIDKNIGHT =
===============
MITCHELL MIDLETON KNIGHT
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.
============
= LARCEN =
============
LARCEN TYLER
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.
All entries are direct transcripts. Grammatical errors, like "mankinds'" in
Midknight's ending, are transcribed as such.
You have completed the
test. You have proven
yourself strong enough
to return to the life
that was stolen from
you. You will return a
few seconds before your
death. Use the
knowledge of your fate
to change the prior
outcome of your life.
Prepare yourself! You
are about to receive the
ultimate reward... life!
The balance must be
reestablished and it
begins now!
============
= SHADOW =
============
When Shadow returned,
she quickly avoided
being thrown off the
roof. She was surprised
to learn that her boss
had tricked her into
coming to the roof. As
she rolled to her left,
her boss overshot his
mark and fell off the
building. Shadow
immediately went to the
police and was placed
under protective
custody.
After several attempts
on her life, Shadow
testified about her role
in the Black Orchid
Corporation. This
information saved a
great many lives and
changed business for the
better.
============
= R.A.X. =
============
When R.A.X. returned, he
quickly began to
overload the systems in
his body. As the
ruthless promoter pulled
the transmitter from his
jacket, R.A.X. fired an
energy bolt from his
power generator. The
energy bolt flew
straight and true to its
target, knocking out the
promoter and shorting
out the transmitter. As
his opponent closed in
on him for a final blow,
R.A.X. hit his air jets,
avoiding the devastating
punch. R.A.X. quickly
countered and knocked
his opponent flat to the
mat.
After the fight, R.A.X.
had the electronic virus
safely removed. The
fight promoter was
jailed for attempted
murder. The public,
outraged by all the
corruption, shut down
the cyborg fights and
returned to more human
and humane competition.
===========
= BLADE =
===========
When Blade returned, he
was able to pull the
scientist aside before
any serious damage was
done. Enraged, Blade
knocked out over twenty
government agents before
confronting the one that
had betrayed him. At
this point, Blade
realized that he had
accomplished nothing.
This anger was the force
that led them to the
brink of death.
This world incident led
to a number of
government reforms. A
world peace council was
established with Blade
as president. This
council went on to bring
peace and stability to
the whole world.
===========
= JETTA =
===========
When Jetta returned, she
quickly flipped back off
the high wire onto the
safety of the platform.
The saboteur left the
grandstand and tried to
escape. He was later
captured by the imperial
guards. Embarrassed by
the incident, the
Chinese government
pressured the extremist
groups to turn to more
peaceful negotiations.
China was then able to
settle on a peace plan
that would give them
full democratic control
of their country.
After these changes were
in place, Jetta returned
to Russia. Without the
threat of war, the Czar
was able to focus his
attention on the
homeland. Instead of
fighting the Socialists,
the Czar negotiated a
government similar to
the one in England.
===========
= SLASH =
===========
When Slash returned, he
quickly pulled himself
free from the ropes that
held him in place for
the stoning. Once he
was free, the clan
members attacked him.
With his newfound
knowledge, he used their
own force to throw them
off balance. Slash
finally used a trick
from Xavier. He raised
his club into the air
and the tip became alive
with fire. The angry
crowd backed away in
fear.
Once he had their
attention, Slash was
able to communicate his
ideas. Eventually, he
was appointed to head
the clan. This small
change in pre-man
history led to a life of
peace rather than
violence. This in turn
saved the earth itself
from the ravages of war.
=============
= TRIDENT =
=============
When Trident returned,
he quickly avoided the
falling pillar. He was
then able to face his
opponent in a fair
fight. Ultimately,
Trident's skill proved
too great for the Roman.
At the exact moment of
delivering the final
death blow, Trident
realized the futility
of it all. Not only did
he refuse to finish the
Roman, but felt
compelled to tell his
people the error of
their ways. Trident
succeeded in convincing
the Atlanteans and the
Romans to work together.
Together they formed a
central government using
the best ideas from each
culture. Their ideas of
government, science, and
society spread around
the world. The great
wars never occurred
because the Atlanteans
were not only the
masters of the sea, but
also of space.
============
= XAVIER =
============
When Xavier returned, he
realized that there was
only one way out of his
situation. He asked
his accusers if his
equipment could be
burned at the stake with
him. Since they felt
the equipment was just
as evil as Xavier, they
had no objection. When
the unlimited power
source was placed
nearby, Xavier held his
cane to it and drew the
precious power it held.
As Xavier drew power
from the container, a
strange wind quickly
surrounded him,
protecting him from the
flames. The wind moved
faster and faster until
Salem itself began to
change. Xavier had moved
through the portals of
time. He now had the
power to travel through
time.
Xavier used his ability
to move through the
ages, becoming an expert
on world history. He was
able to fix key events
in time, allowing the
world to become filled
with science and
tolerance for the
unusual.
===============
= MIDKNIGHT =
===============
When Midknight returned,
he quickly sidestepped
his attacker to avoid
the stake through the
heart. He then used his
superhuman speed to
flash behind his
attacker and drain his
life force. Realizing
that death was not the
answer, Midknight
collected what was left
of his lab and departed
for Italy.
Midknight restarted his
work on a cure for the
plague. After a few
months of work, a cure
was found. The discov-
ery was bittersweet
however, since the cure
was based on his own
blood chemistry. So
while the cure worked
for others, it did
little to cure his
affliction. It stopped
his decay, but left him
in his current state
forever.
Midknight became famous
for his efforts and
became head of the World
Science Organization.
His immortality gave him
the experience and
wisdom to deal with most
of mankinds' major
diseases.
============
= LARCEN =
============
When Larcen returned, he
quickly threw the bomb
out the window. Larcen
was captured by a couple
of policemen standing
guard around the
hospitalized police
chief. Larcen was
brought to the chief's
room. The chief was so
impressed with Larcen's
bravery that he made him
a member of a special
government task force
against organized crime.
After months of prep
work, the task force
took down Mr. Taglalini
and his organization.
Larcen went on to head
the task force which
eventually widened its
scope to include
international cartels.
This task force was
responsible for
eliminating organized
crime forever.
How can you "arrange" to have someone pushed off a roof? I'd throw out a
snappy comment but I don't even think it's worth it.
* SLASH
What? I guess in a lot of other games Slash would be a gag character and
that's why his ending turned out that way. I suppose though, that it would
be hard to reason with neanderthals even if you were one yourself, so you'd
have to do something absurd... Still, there's no way that... ugh...
* TRIDENT
Notice that the further back a character is in history, the better their ending
seems to be. I'm really not getting how the Atlanteans prevented war via space
travel though. Space must be the answer to everything.
* XAVIER
All right, I could deal with the unlimited clean burning power, I mean, in a
sense, Xavier is like Nikola Tesla except Tesla had his ideas stolen by GE
instead of being burned at the stake, but there are very few instances in games
where time travel doesn't feel like a serious cop-out.
* MIDKNIGHT
Ah, Jeet Kune Do. The martial art that one character in every fighting game
and anime seems to practice, but no one teaches. I'm in a sad state when I
find the vampire aspect more believable than the Jeet Kune Do.
A: ... It means chaos and disorder in Japanese. I'm not Japanese myself,
but I can never think of screen names for anything.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Why did you write this?
A: Short answer: No one else was or appeared to be going to. Long answer: I
grew up in arcades playing Street Fighter II and whatnot, but at home it was
mostly Sega Genesis. I played Eternal Champions quite a bit, and enjoyed it
because it seemed to have a lot more backstory than the other fighting games
out there, and that tended to be important to me. This is for anyone out there
who was similarly intrigued, but never managed to finish the game either.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Who did you play as most often in the game?
A: I started out with RAX, but as time passed I moved on to Trident, who I
would maintain is still one of the cheapest fighters in video game history.
Plasma bolt (dizzy), spinning trident (re-dizzy), spinning trident (re-dizzy),
slash (dead). Sometimes, they could not get up off the floor, and others, they
were not allowed to. Stylistically, I'd have to say that I liked Larcen the
best though.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Why do you think the series only lasted two games?
A: Well, first off, Sega had a bad tendency to make poor developmental
decisions, and was already going under to some degree even before Saturn came
out. Sega CD was before its time, Master System didn't sell in the U.S. (for
the most part, Sega was much more popular in Europe, but gaming in general
wasn't), and all sorts of other things. This wasn't as pronounced in 1993 when
EC was originally released, but it was probably a factor as SNES had the mad
hook-ups from developers.
Second, Sega already had a serious franchise fighting game in Virtua Fighter,
which was also ahead of its time in terms of rendering, though a victim of the
same problem that afflicts a lot of fighting games, namely, if you button mash
a bit, you can kill anything and anyone with almost no skill.
Third, structurally, it did not allow for sequels. Even when Challenge came
out, I was a bit surprised, but saw it more as playing the same role as Super
Street Fighter II did to that series. Just look at the plot: you have a group
of nine characters, all from completely different time periods, fighting for
the same thing: to save their own lives and help change the future in which the
Eternal Champion lived. One person from this group was sufficient enough to
save everything. From this standpoint, it would be difficult, if not
impossible to author a sequel, unless you take into account some kind of
butterfly effect which further damages some aspect of the distant future, which
seems highly unlikely given the circumstances of the tournament. Even then,
could you bring back the characters from the previous tournament? It's
possible, but even then, since all the chatacters would again be fighting for
their own lives, and still entering from separate time periods, there could be
no character interaction and little further individual character development
without losing the integrity of the series. This was basically a one shot
deal, and they had to put all their efforts into the game at least suspecting
that.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Will you ever do something like this for Eternal Champions: Challenge from
the Darkside?
A: (sigh) Probably not. Even though Sega had a couple of quality games in
their lineups over the years, tracking that kind of thing down for working
systems and whatnot is becoming increasingly painful. I couldn't even use my
old Genesis to write this because the video plug kept on overheating (don't
ask, I don't know why).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Who did you have the easiest time beating the Eternal Champion with?
A: Midknight. I had it pretty easy with Larcen too, and thought he'd be the
one, but with Midknight the EC barely touched me. Too much flying across the
screen and throwing for him to handle.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Will you be writing a strategy guide for this game?
A: Nope. Ask someone else for help. Writing strategies for fighting games is
against my religion and I'm really treading on thin ice with this one.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How did X fighter learn Y martial art? That does not make sense!
A: Fighting games aren't designed to make sense. If you ask me, I just assumed
that the whole "training complex" thing was utilized to hone the skills of the
various characters before the actual tournament. The EC probably taught a few
of them some skills here and there (he IS the culmination of all previous
masters after all) and let them figure it out from there. This is one of those
odd games where it seems like the fun training minigame stuff is actually
plot-relevant.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Did the virus spilled in Blade's time period affect Midknight and RAX in the
later timelines?
A: This is the biggest plot hole in the game by a considerable margin. If 99%
of the world's population had been wiped out, there wouldn't have been enough
government left to want to hunt Midknight down, and I doubt that the last
remnants of humanity would be so fixated with having their physically strongest
specimens bitch it out in a dark room during RAX's period. There are two
possible explanations for this: 1) each timeline is a singularity operating
outside the influence of the others (utter BS) or 2) lots of people were
killed, but they contained it... somehow...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Are all the Atlanteans frogmen like Trident or were they kind of human?
A: Short answer: no clue. Long answer: the text indicates that Trident was
"created", but beyond that we don't really know anything. Since the Atlanteans
were pretty forward thinking so far as underwater domes go, seemingly before
the Romans issued the challenge, it seems possible that they were.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: You know, the Blade in this game seems kind of similar to the one in the
comic series...
A: Aaand that's all the time we have for questions!
======================
= 07: CONTACT INFO =
======================
First, I'm going to have to ask you to search through this to make absolutely
certain your answer isn't here. I've tried to be detailed without being
concise, so hopefully there is an answer here.
Second, this is an in-depth FAQ, only on the plot of this game. If you e-mail
with questions about how to beat the Eternal Champion or do the overkills, it's
more likely than not that the e-mail gets sent to the trash.
Third, no wacky theories. Since (I think) the development of this storyline
was limited to the games, I'm just going with what's in them. I really have no
interest whatsoever in fanfic or anything of the sort, so just move right along
and create your own site if you have to, just leave me out of it.
Fourth, harassers will be blocked. Flames, despite mob opinion, are
not-so-surprisingly counterproductive.
That said, my e-mail is fearfaq(at)hotmail.com (replace the at with an @, I do
this to mess with the spambots. Try to be good and give me some idea of what
you're talking about in the e-mail title.
=====================
= 08: FINAL NOTES =
=====================
As all good FAQ / Walkthroughs come to an end, so must come the shout outs.
Props to:
-- Sega, because even though hardly anyone else noticed it, they did make some
pretty fun games.
-- CJayC, for being an all around good chap and putting up the gamefaqs
site you are likely using. Along with the disclaimer in the beginning.
Posting this as well, cheers.
-- People who write FAQs, thanks for keeping me from being the designated
tech support for my friends. And vice versa.
No props to:
-- Those who would infringe on the copy rights. I don't make money off
of any of this, but seriously, that shit ain't cool yo, and it doens't
take that much to get permission.
