The Official Eternal Champions Thread [Archive]

Frisbee

07-19-2008, 02:34 PM

Wow, I haven't played Eternal Champions since college (1995 was when we were into it). It was an ok game. Didn't live up to its potential, but it was fun. I can't remember many strategies for the game.

If I remember correctly it was kind of a stiff playing game (like many of SNK's fighters...don't flame me!! It's true!), but it was interesting in the direction it went. I think it was also 24Mb, which was huge at the time.

I'm not even too sure this post adds anything to the thread, I guess I'm just remembering playing that game.

Vynce

07-19-2008, 02:39 PM

I haven't played Eternal Champions since my Sega CD days. Wasn't every character basically a charge char?

And, no Rik. Best forgotten. Fondly remembered, that is.

<EDT3K>

07-19-2008, 02:52 PM

there was several jap match vids on this! shit was pretty dope!

Zandwich

07-19-2008, 04:00 PM

i heard q is in this game

Sabin

07-19-2008, 06:19 PM

stop beasting out srk

Guardian

07-19-2008, 06:29 PM

IIRC Trident was pretty much God Tier. Fireball was an instant dizzy that gave u a guaranteed drill for like 60-70%.

That's scrubby though, I'm sure there are death combos in that game lol.

caliagent#3

07-19-2008, 06:38 PM

I heard the Genesis one was pretty broken - I think it was Trident who dominated the rest of the cast?

Sega CD one is pretty good though. They tweaked the special move system so not everything needed meter to perform, fleshed out all the characters, and added in a shit ton of them. The game comes down to landing dizzy combos, since those generally lead to infinite meter.

Genesis version was definitely shadow. Shadow mode and teleports were just way too good. Jetta was really good also with her speed up mode. But overall there is really no one that was able to touch shadow (pun intended).

IIRC Trident was pretty much God Tier. Fireball was an instant dizzy that gave u a guaranteed drill for like 60-70%.

That's scrubby though, I'm sure there are death combos in that game lol.

His FB was instant dizzy, but wasn't that good since it was so slow and had lots of start up. He's decent, def. not god tier though. He's probably just as good as xavier and slash.

edit:
Did anyone ever have that ddr type pad to play the game on??

Rik

07-19-2008, 06:50 PM

I wonder how fleshed out the game was though, it seems to have only had a tiny bit of exposure to whatever competitive scene there was back then. Oh and I do agree it feels stiff, reminds me of some KOF tittles and especially CVS2...although a bit more free and smooth then CVS2. I don't know if it is something worth revisiting but i dunno....it doesnt seem like garbage.

Frisbee

07-19-2008, 08:24 PM

You thought CvS2 felt stiff? I'll have to pop that game back in to remember, but I thought it was pretty smooth. I thought most of Capcoms were very well programmed in that respect. Even Fighting Evolution plays wonderfully from a control standpoint.

Most SNK fighters are different though. They're definitely not bad. I love many of them (especially the KOF series), but they have a way about the controls and how the characters react to input that just doesn't feel as nice as most Capcom games.

As for Eternal Champions, I just saw some videos of it on the internet to remind myself of the game. Yeah, it wasn't that great. We still had some good times playing it though. Kind of reminds me of a slightly better Time Killers.

BrentoBox

07-19-2008, 08:48 PM

I played Trident, and I have seen some great Xavier play.

Didn't know Shadow was top.

I never really got to compete against other people, but I would spam tridents freeze move, and then rushdown. Trident flashes green for a period of time and if the enemy touches you without blocking, they freeze. Even if the enemy hits you, they still freeze.

Some of the endings in that game were hella random!

Here are two. When you win, your character is returned to life moments before their death, in order to stop it.

Ending:
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 her 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.

Ending:
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.
As 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
occured because the Atlanteans were not only the masters
of the sea, but also of space.

BrentoBox

07-19-2008, 09:04 PM

Shadow mode: XYZ
Invulnerability- Shadow becomes a "shadow" and attacks without fear or injury. This effect
lasts for five seconds.

WTF? Who designed this game.

I bet that uses all of your meter, but still, that is crazy.

Tone!

07-19-2008, 09:12 PM

The only thing I clearly remember about this game is a guy having a mob do a driveby on the other guy as a fatality.

That was pretty hilarious..

Vynce

07-19-2008, 09:46 PM

edit:
Did anyone ever have that ddr type pad to play the game on??

The Activator. I've never seen or used one. I distinctly remember Mortal Kombat 2 supporting it as well. Imagine.

RushedDown

07-20-2008, 12:52 AM

is the wii one the sega cd version or genesis ?

Ryu & Ken

07-21-2008, 11:11 AM

My fav was Rax, how good was he ? as I thought he was da bomb

<EDT3K>

07-21-2008, 05:18 PM

is the wii one the sega cd version or genesis ?

the genesis!

but stage kill scenesin the sega CD version are pretty fucking extreme!

DevilJin 01

07-21-2008, 05:42 PM

I was a big fan of the game back in the day. It was the first 2d fighting game on the Genesis that had characters basically the same size as those of an arcade fighter. The graphics were unreal back in the day. It made SF2 and MK on the Genesis look absolutely terrible. Each character had so many special moves and the character designs were real unique for back then.

The control scheme was kinda weird for a 2d fighter for me though. Like...it had a 6 button SF style setup which was what I loved using but the weird charge/hold button commands for specials were just...weird for me. Especially combined with the meter dependent special moves. Back then all I wanted to do was abuse special moves any ways. The 1 player mode was pretty damned cheap also. The only thing you could hit the CPU with was throws (you could actually throw them all day) and if you lost a match...you had to go back like 2 or 3 characters or something like that. One of the most unforgiving 1 player modes in a fighting game. The final boss had a bit of SNK syndrome and definitely had way more crazy shit he could do than M.Bison in SF2.

I remember when they came out with the sequel on Sega CD and only wished my parents would spend the money so I could play it. It looked like a really good game but outside of emulators or having a Sega CD that works I don't know any other way you can play the game.

The Lone Dragon

07-21-2008, 10:46 PM

IIRC Trident was pretty much God Tier. Fireball was an instant dizzy that gave u a guaranteed drill for like 60-70%.

Hey, you stole my combo! I used to use that all the time.

And, I'm not afraid to admit that this game, especially the Sega CD version, scared the heck out of me when I was younger.

Dawson's overkill was scarring. Trident's and Xavier's were just creepy, even on the Genesis. Especially when you discovered them by accident.

Messed with my sleep on more than one occasion. Not for the kiddies.

On the plus side, the animation and graphics were phenomenal.

RushedDown

07-22-2008, 01:54 AM

the genesis!

that sucks

i was ready to buy it if it was the sega cd version

i woulda went out and scooped to of them shit wii sticks to

ramses is god like

Matman

07-22-2008, 03:34 PM

The Genesis version had awesome music.

I have to admit though, as much as I love the concept, the gameplay was a bit sluggish. It's still fun as hell though, especially trying to do those crazy fatalities.

<EDT3K>

07-22-2008, 05:53 PM

Dragonsend

07-23-2008, 05:23 PM

It has been a long time since I played Eternal Champions. I still have a sega and the game packed up somewhere. My fav was the guy with the crystal staff. Can't remember his name. It was an ok game. Each character had their own story etc.. Check it out below.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/genesis/file/366869/44652

Don't worry I read the hotlink copyright. :) It says This document cannot be hotlinked to any other forums/ sites other than Gamefaqs and Shoryuken.

RushedDown

07-23-2008, 05:28 PM

Dragonsend

07-23-2008, 05:31 PM

xavier

Thanks, I was thinking that was him but it has just been so long since I played.

KnightWarrior

07-25-2008, 11:24 AM

I wish they would remake this game

Nocturnal

07-25-2008, 04:18 PM

I wish they would remake this game

Eternal Champions HD Remix

katraqueyous

07-25-2008, 08:30 PM

I wish they would remake this game

Hell yeah, update of this game would great! I'm kinda surprised out long the franchise has been ignored. All of these 2D fighters popping up, why not a new Eternal Champions?

The game had a really GREAT story and concept. When I was younger, the little biography mode music used to bring shivers down my spine.

I couldn't beat the game for the life of me, the Eternal Champion was a TOTAL bitch to me. Him and his 5 or 6 forms. What a douche...

Ubersaurus

07-25-2008, 10:05 PM

It hasn't come back because it was a Sega America creation, and Sega Japan seems to be against anything Sega America does.

Hence why the saturn sequel was killed off, they thought it would cut into Virtua Fighter's sales. Nevermind it would all be money in Sega's pocket. Funny thing is how goddamn popular Eternal Champions was...there was even talk of action figures, a comic, and maybe a cartoon. And infighting threw it all away.

This is why I don't expect to ever see a new EC. Just too much politicking.

07-25-2008, 10:19 PM

Interview with the creator:
http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=98&title=Interview:%20Michael%20Latham

Sega CD version combo video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0WlnbhbnqE

Sega CD version Overkills etc:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFM4A66fA9U&feature=related

katraqueyous

07-25-2008, 11:25 PM

Interview with the creator:
http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=98&title=Interview:%20Michael%20Latham

DAMN, I had no clue about that issue Sega of Japan had with the franchise. I always wonder why it just disappeared. A EC cartoon would've been dope too. :shake:

07-26-2008, 07:54 AM

EC was really pretty sweet in hindsight. I wish the hit detection were more SF2-like or at least more evolved in it's own direction...never got to play the Sega CD version, I hear that one made some improvements in the combo system.

Overall a lot of work went into the game. Well animated for the time and huge sprites, good music, atmosphere, etc. Even the box art was pretty cool.

Anyone else remember the EC poster?

Matman

07-26-2008, 12:50 PM

Funny thing is how goddamn popular Eternal Champions was...there was even talk of action figures, a comic, and maybe a cartoon. And infighting threw it all away.

This is why I don't expect to ever see a new EC. Just too much politicking.

There was actually a spin-off of the series that had Larcen (the catburglar) for the Game Gear. I think it was just a beat 'em up game that kept his moves. I heard it sucked shit through a straw.
He still kicks ass, though.

TS, thanks for finding that interview. I would've loved to have seen an Eternal Champions cartoon on a Saturday morning, right after Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat!
Even as a kid, I loved EC's storyline more than what the writers of the other two series had to pull out of their asses.

Sega not having the brains to produce ECII is a crime against humanity, especially if it was going to as awesome as Michael Latham said it was.

kane_warhead

07-26-2008, 12:56 PM

Didn't Shadow have a spin-off game?

Ubersaurus

07-26-2008, 01:24 PM

Yeah, it was called X Force on Genesis, I think? It was pretty crappy too I hear, but one of the most visually impressive games on the machine.

Sega CD one is ECII :P

axeman61

07-26-2008, 04:52 PM

Sega of Japan did fuck up here.

I wasn't at all good at the game, but I enjoyed EC's story. It's still one of the best "Tournament" premises in fighters, and I wish someone would at least pick that up.

But that stuff they were talking of adding into EC3 was craaaaaazy. That couldn't have been possible.

DevilJin 01

07-26-2008, 05:50 PM

LOL. I even remember when the game came out 7 Eleven was doing a promotion and had Eternal Champions big gulp cups with different character artwork on the cups. Those were the days. When fighting game characters were on your 7 Eleven cup.

Eternal Champions is just doomed to be another strong Sega series that'll probably never see a sequel.

NEBULOSO

07-27-2008, 11:27 AM

Interview with the creator:
http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=98&title=Interview:%20Michael%20Latham
Here's 2 other interviews:

Steven Lashower (though mostly about the activator...) - http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=40&title=Interview:%20Steven%20Lashower

Scott Berfield (talks a little about the original EC concept...) - http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=281&title=Interview:%20Scott%20Berfield

Switch Blade

07-27-2008, 11:35 AM

This was actually my very first fighting game. Along with Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter.

Brings back memories ^^

FlyMike

07-27-2008, 12:13 PM

EC was the shit. It is immortal, so the name is very fitting. Probably my first 2D fighter as well. The story was on point and so much better than a lot of the garbage out now. The main music was so epic and dynamic yet eerie at the same time. I just hated the last boss. I think I only beat him once with Rax or Jetta. I had one cousin who use to kill folks with Midnight and Shadow and his younger brother played Blade and Slash. But the ultimate champion in our small scene was this one guy who played Xavier and Trident. Dude was unbeatable. And he was the first person I witnessed that spent time in training mode for a fighting game. I never ever played the Sega CD one.

Hey, you stole my combo! I used to use that all the time.

And, I'm not afraid to admit that this game, especially the Sega CD version, scared the heck out of me when I was younger.

Dawson's overkill was scarring. Trident's and Xavier's were just creepy, even on the Genesis. Especially when you discovered them by accident.

Messed with my sleep on more than one occasion. Not for the kiddies.

On the plus side, the animation and graphics were phenomenal.

Hell yeah!! I absolutely feared playing this game by myself without my cousins or friends because of the brutal fatalities that happened without warning. By me being so young, I didn't exactly know what triggered most of them. But each and every one scared the shit out of me. I had nightmares of getting burned on stakes and drive-bys by the mob that frightened me more than the ones that went on in my own neighborhood by gangs. It still creeps me out reminiscing and if I can find the game I might be a bit spooked to pop it in my Genesis even now.

Sega of Japan did fuck up here.

I wasn't at all good at the game, but I enjoyed EC's story. It's still one of the best "Tournament" premises in fighters, and I wish someone would at least pick that up.

But that stuff they were talking of adding into EC3 was craaaaaazy. That couldn't have been possible.

Lol what were they talking of adding?

DevilJin 01

07-27-2008, 12:19 PM

Funny the different contrasts in feelings between Michael and Scott over the game. Scott's concept of what the game could or should have been is pretty comical. Beating up on dwarves? Sounds like a typical DnD loving white kid's fantasy come true. He's probably a regular WoW player today.

I'll be honest...I never thought the controls of EC were awesome but they worked and overall the game felt enough like SF to keep me interested. I just liked it simply because it looked leaps and bounds better than any other fighting game on the system.

The sprites were basically the same size as they would have been in an arcade port and this is back when we used to have deal with SF ports where characters shrunk like half their arcade size. Plus the character designs were really cool and you actually cared about the storylines of the characters.

Oh and yeah...the fatalities were pretty creepy. In order to get them to work your opponent had to fall on the right part of the stage when they died. Trident's stage fatality always freaked me out. I liked the idea of stage fatalities and the fact that you couldn't just do them on the fly made them more interesting than MK fatalitis to me. When it happened you were like "OH SHIT".

Watching the game on YouTube made me realize how scary Xavier's stage and music were. Straight out of the Exorcist his theme music was. I really wish I could have played the Sega CD version cuz every fatality was basically redone to be 3 times more gory and nasty.

axeman61

07-27-2008, 01:44 PM

Lol what were they talking of adding?

It was in the original interview with Mike Latham posted here.

Sega-16: Information about the Saturn Eternal Champions game is almost non existent. How far along was it when it was cancelled? Are there any demos, screen shots, or perhaps concept art floating around?

Michael Latham: I had about 20 pages of the design when I got informed of its cancellation, but as I told you, I had the basic story always worked out from the beginning. The idea was that just like the Eternal Champions, there was a second set of fighters fighting to regain their lives (called the Infernals), and this created a certain balance to the time line. The story of the Saturn version was that a third force, called Chaos, comes in and starts ripping apart the time line and the two sides have to work together fight this new threat. So you can choose the side of the Eternals or Infernals, good and evil, but not black and white as you think, and then fight to fix the damaged time-line.

What was the real cool part was that things you did affected the timeline in real-time in the game, and so it would effect the characters looks, abilities, histories, and the way the world looked. You could even effect the time flow during the fight which created all kinds of twists for the game mechanics. If you were successful, you could find a way to return everyone to their timelines and their effect on history then created a very special ending, and there were other sub-endings, 30 in all. My friend Tony Van (a very successful game producer and designer in his own right) warned me you never end any movie, TV show, or game with a "to be continued" ending like I did in the Sega CD versions; if you do you are doomed, and there will never be another one. A wise insight, from a wise guy.

FlyMike

07-27-2008, 07:56 PM

Wow lol, how the fuck did they intend to accomplish all that? As awesome as it sounds, somewhere along the way they must have forgotten the fact that EC is a FIGHTING GAME. So I assume that by integrating those innovations the end result would have been a cool game with neglected and shallow gameplay.

That's it. All this talk is making me want to dust off the Genesis, find a copy of EC on Ebay, and get it cracking once again. I really want to play the Sega CD version though. Were these games never released in classics collection or something? Because I don't have a computer so ROMs are out of the question for me.

Josh-TheFunkDOC

07-29-2008, 12:46 PM

didn't read thread, has anyone mentioned all the infinites in the sega cd version yet? shit is COMEDY. there's a lot more than just mr. whitefolks' combo vid...

the owl is the best, he's got the balance & feel of a MUGEN character

caliagent#3

07-29-2008, 01:55 PM

Oh and yeah...the fatalities were pretty creepy. In order to get them to work your opponent had to fall on the right part of the stage when they died. Trident's stage fatality always freaked me out. I liked the idea of stage fatalities and the fact that you couldn't just do them on the fly made them more interesting than MK fatalitis to me. When it happened you were like "OH SHIT".

The first time i saw one of the fatalities i thought the game or genesis had broke :rofl:. Me and my father were playing on tridents stage. I had won the match and saw the life bars float up and disappear. I got up to go reset the game, but my brother happened to stop me just in time when he noticed something happening on the screen.