Developer: Aicom Publisher: Treco Release: 1992 Genre: Action
Street Fighter II changed the fighting game genre forever. But it is interesting to look back on the games that came before it. There were many interesting takes on the genre before Capcom and SNK more or less set the rules. Fighting Masters is among that pre-SF crop. With its large roster of characters and nuanced combat one would think it would find an audience, especially as the genre was not saturated yet. Unfortunately thin gameplay and ruthless ruin this one. It is fun for about ten minutes but a chore after that.
Fighting Masters tells the story of a galaxy comprised of twelve planets. A demon known as Lord Valgasu rises up and plots to dominate the galaxy. He holds an underground tournament and challenges the twelve rulers of the galaxy, defeating all of them except one. Now as the sole hero left you fight to free the enslaved rulers and Valgasu himself.
I will give Fighting Masters credit; it has a large and eclectic cast unlike most other fighting games. Dirk is the only human in the roster and is a bit generic. Morin is his female counterpart but at least a bit more interesting due to her move set. Uppercut (how original) is a cyclopean boxer. Literally. Goldrock is a living golem who apparently is from a vague Egyptian themed world. Rotundo is a….I don’t even know how to describe it. With a roster of twelve characters you are bound to find at least one character whose look and gameplay you like. That is about the only positive praise I can give the game.
The gameplay in Fighting Masters has more in common with wrestling than traditional fighting games. The simple button layout allows you to block, attack, and jump. Basic attacks like punches and kicks do little damage but will stun the opponent. At this point it is safe to move in and perform a throw. Every character has multiple throws that vary in their range and power. This is important as you can combo your opponent by throwing them into the barriers in each arena. Depending on the throw you can gain an extra six or seven hits before they slam into the ground for more damage. The computer also can and will do the same to you. Executing combos is the key to avoiding long drawn out bouts as normal attacks are pathetic in comparison.
Fighting Masters has the makings of a cool and unique system. Unfortunately it does very little with it. The gameplay is shallow and lacks depth. Each character only has two command throws and it grows old fast. The combo system can be fun when it works, emphasis on works. The collision detection is absolutely atrocious and not in your favor. Because the characters have long life bars matches are long, repetitive wars of attrition as you and your opponent try to slam each other first. It’s a damn shame as the grapple system is a sight better than the actual wrestling games on the system up to that point like Wrestle War and Beast Wrestler. Had they given the characters a few more moves this could have been solid.
As such this makes for a better multiplayer game than a solo fighter as the computer AI is ruthless and incredibly cheap. It is absolutely insane how easily they can grab you; they will break your moves and even toss you in midair. Their move priority trumps yours at every turn. Even hitting them with a quick stun isn’t enough to avoid being slammed; they recover in less than a second. Watching this happen repeatedly is something else, I’ll tell you what. Some characters are worse than others in this regard. Grinder is awesome to play as but a nightmare to fight and the same goes for Uppercut. If you somehow manage to reach the final boss prepare for CPU bullshit that is as bad as SNK’s worst. With its limited backdrops (just 3) and lackluster visuals there is nothing to keep you coming back if you have no friends.
In Closing
Make no mistake, Fighter Masters is bad and one of the worst fighting games on the Genesis. There are few redeeming qualities and it will not hold your attention longer than a few minutes. You are better off spending that time in one of the many better fighting games on the system. History has rightfully forgotten this game.
