Sunsoft begins on the Neo Geo (95')!

Sunsoft is a japanese company who had its golden age during the days of the NES. In fact, the firm was regarded as one of the most qualitative in its creations, with titles using 100% of the 8-bits' potential. Aficionados probably remember of the fabulous Batman, the excellent Addams Family or the no less legendary Master Blaster... and younger ones (so to speak) of Aero the Acro-Bat, or Final Fantasy Game Boy ports. But the company is also the author of remarkable adaptations such as Sega's Fantasy Zone for the NES or ADK's World Heroes for the Super NES, only to mention these. Still, Sunsoft tries its luck on the Neo Geo in 1995 with Galaxy Fight. The competition is tough on this system, especially in the field of VS Fighting, since the same year were released Samurai Spirits III, The King of Fighters 95', Kabuki Klash, Real Bout Fatal Fury, World Heroes Perfect... not to mention all the other major titles already available.

The editor opts for originality - i'm not talking about the genre choice on the system - by offering a tournament between the best fighters in the galaxy. Suddenly, the roster can try to look a little exotic. Nanar cosmonaut, space ninja, stone golem, thrash-can robot, interstellar prostitute... and so on. We have nothing against a bit of madness and a fortiori, characters coming straight out of Total Recall and Spaceballs. The coolest warrior probably remaining Golden Done, a black man looking like an american pimp of the seventies. The Boss of the game are just as surprising, with a cat, a clone of Dio (World Heroes 2) and a martial arts master grandpa (à la Jubei from Fatal Fury 2). Very good ideas, but the roster already shows the limits of the soft, eight selectable heroes and three Bosses being a bit little for a title of 1995. Meanwhile, Kof 95 offers twenty-four characters, WH Perfect nineteen, RBFF sixteen...

About Galaxy Fight aesthetics, there is nothing much to complain. Sunsoft has created varied and original stages featuring very different landscapes, from planets in a system apparently far from ours. Game's arenas have no limits, ie it's possible to get around from one side and the other at will. "3d" effect is applied to the ground, but also on the background, thanks to differential scrollings pretty well managed. It's certainly far from the visual quality of a Samurai III or any Kof game, but the style is far away from the beaten tracks and it's not bad at all. On the other hand, animation of the game is literally a model of fluidity! The characters have a smooth way of moving, perfectly decomposed and fast enough. Sounds and musical themes are excellent quality, as often with this editor. Sunsoft is getting out with honors for its first game on the Neo, and this is a good performance given that the level was set very high by SNK.

Galaxy Fight's gameplay isn't ripped from any other fighting game, and it is remarkable in itself, given that this is the first VS game of the company. Only three buttons are used for the fight: punch, kick, and powerful blow. The number of attacks and special moves is average, combos exist but are few, and the game doesn't feature Desperation Moves. This is not totally bad, but it's still a bit bland... we would have loved some degenerate combinations, and especially DM or SDM. In addition, collisions are not hyper-precise while timing of attacks requires a period of adaptation. Game mechanics quickly show their limits. With its very honest realization, its original atmosphere and undeniable fun, it only lacked the essential to Galaxy Fight to become a classic hit on Neo Geo: a much more consistent roster and a richer and more accurate gameplay. But the ones who love the japanese editor can rest assured, Sunsoft has largely caught up with its second title on the machine right next year: Waku Waku 7!