Bloody Roar[a] known as Bloody Roar: Hyper Beast Duel in Europe and Japan, is a 1997 arcadefightingvideo game developed by Raizing and published by Hudson Soft as the first game of the Bloody Roar series. The arcade version, build on Sony ZN-1 hardware, was released in July 1997 and titled Beastorizer in North America; the game was ported to the PlayStation that same year and in North America, where it was published by Sony Computer Entertainment, it was released under the Bloody Roar moniker in common with other regions.
The game's story centers on a group of warriors known as "zoanthropes", who have the power to transform into half-human half-animal "Beasts", and the Tylon Corporation, an underground organization that seeks to use zoanthropes as mind-controlled weapons. Bloody Roar received generally positive reviews from critics for its originality and graphics, while the audio received mixed opinions. The game's success led to it being followed by a sequel, Bloody Roar 2 (1998). The game was re-released on the PlayStation Network in North America on August 20, 2009.
Gameplay
Screenshot of the arcade version
Bloody Roar is a 3D fighting game in which combat takes place within enclosed arenas.[1] The basic controls involve punching, kicking, and directional inputs, supporting the execution of combos, air juggles, linking moves, counters, guard reversals, guard crushes, and throw recoveries.[2][3][4] Sidestepping, a feature added in the North American PlayStation version, is executed via the shoulder buttons.[2][3][5] Players can throw opponents against walls or fences, enabling wall juggles, corner traps, and ring-outs.[6][7] The characters build a Beast meter through attacks, with a full meter allowing transformation into an animal form thats grant enhanced speed, strength, new moves, extended range, and partial health recovery, though opponents can revert them via sustained damage.[6][4][8] The PlayStation-exclusive Beast Rave mode, which can be activated in beast form, temporarily boosts speed by 25 percent and enables rapid attack chaining at the expense of draining the Beast meter.[9][10]
The PlayStation version features a single-player Arcade campaign and a two-player Vs. mode; in the latter, players may choose a stage and set health handicaps. Other single-player modes include Time Attack (in which the player must achieve the shortest finishing time), Survival (in which health does not fully recover between rounds), and Practice (in which the player controls the opponent's behavior, facilitating the rehearsal of combos). The game includes a spectator mode in which computer-controlled opponents engage in a match. From the options screen, the player can adjust computer opponents' skill level, specify the duration allotted for each round, establish the number of rounds required for victory, enable or disable blood effects, and configure the destructibility of walls.[11] Completing the Arcade campaign with different characters unlocks new modes of play, which can be toggled in the Bonus screen; for example, the "No Gauge" mode renders the health and Beast meters invisible.[5]
Plot
The Gaia theory postulates that Earth is a single living organism, while humanity is a mere "cell" threatening both itself and the planet through destructive civilization. In ancient times, Gaia, foreseeing this danger from intelligent but physically frail humans, subtly intervened in human evolution. It inserted genetic material from other species into the human genome, creating a dormant "trigger" meant to activate under extreme environmental stress. This would birth a new kind of human, "zoanthropes", capable of transforming into powerful beast forms with extraordinary strength, speed, and animalistic traits, reducing reliance on civilization and allowing survival in a collapsing world.[12]
However, human genes rejected this foreign DNA, suppressing the trigger for millennia despite historical environmental damage. The plan remained latent until modern times, when the multinational corporation Tylon discovered this hidden genetic code during human genome research. Recognizing its potential, Tylon's weapons division classified the findings as top secret and began exploiting it to engineer zoanthropes as biological weapons. Through experiments (often involving kidnapping, forced awakening of dormant powers, and mind control), Tylon created artificial zoanthropes and hunted natural ones for study and weaponization.[12]
Suddenly, zoanthropes began manifesting worldwide. Some transformations occurred naturally under stress or genetic predisposition, while others resulted from Tylon's interventions or Gaia's desperate acceleration of the process, infusing life energy to force rapid changes and stabilize the new species amid escalating crisis.[12] The game's narrative centers on several interconnected characters drawn into this conspiracy:
Yugo Ōgami, a wolf zoanthrope, seeks the truth about his father Yuji's death. Yuji, a skilled mercenary and fellow zoanthrope, reportedly died on a mission in South America. Yugo suspects Tylon's involvement and hunts survivor Alan Gado, his father's comrade. When Tylon attacks Yugo to silence his investigation, rage and danger trigger his first transformation. Rescued by wanderer Jin Long, Yugo presses on, driven by personal vengeance rather than justice.[13]
Alice Tsukagami, a rabbit zoanthrope, was kidnapped as a child by Tylon and raised as a test subject. Experiments artificially awakened her powers, followed by combat training and near-brainwashing. She escaped with help from fellow captive Uriko, who sacrificed herself as a decoy. Haunted by guilt, Alice shifts from hiding to actively fighting Tylon to rescue Uriko and halt the weaponization program. Despite her traumatic past, she remains cheerful, embracing her "cute" rabbit form positively.[14]
Hans "Fox" Taubemann, an artificial fox zoanthrope, is a cruel assassin hired by Tylon. Abandoned young and hardened in the slums, he revels in violence but despises his "ugly" beast form and all zoanthropes, projecting his deep insecurities about his abandonment and perceived ugliness.[15]
Ryuzo "Bakuryu" Kato, a mole zoanthrope, is a mysterious ninja-like assassin and Tylon loyalist. Ruthless and power-hungry, he willingly underwent conversion for enhanced stealth and strength.[16]
Jin Long, a tiger zoanthrope, is a former Tylon assassin who defected. Cursed by his bloodline and tragic family losses, he suppresses his powers through willpower and martial discipline, viewing transformation as a rampage to avoid. His presence mysteriously awakens dormant zoanthropes in others.[17]
Alan Gado, a lion zoanthrope, is a mercenary who survived the ambush that seemingly claimed Yuji's unit. Blinded in one eye, he wages a solo war against Tylon for revenge and answers. Honorable and principled, he embraces his beast form only against worthy foes.[18]
Mitsuko Nonomura, a wild sow zoanthrope, is a devoted mother whose daughter Uriko was kidnapped by Tylon. Hailing from a lineage of latent zoanthropes, her maternal fury triggers full transformation as she searches desperately, attacking perceived threats instinctively.[19]
Gregory "Greg" Jones, a gorilla zoanthrope, is an optimistic circus ringmaster. After his troupe's bankruptcy, he recruits zoanthropes as star performers, viewing their abilities as natural talents rather than anomalies. Persistent and good-natured, he tries forcing recruitment through transformation if refused.[20]
The single-player campaign culminates in a final boss encounter with Uriko,[5] an artificial chimera zoanthrope. Alice fights to save Uriko, and is later adopted by her aunt Mitsuko after the rescue. Bakuryu undergoes molecular decomposition, and is dismissed as a failed prototype by Tylon's scientists. Yugo and Gado uncover Yūji's fate (having been killed by Tylon's experiments), fueling their assault on the corporation, and Gado returns to the battlefield after destroying Tylon. Meanwhile, Fox suffers a breakdown after inadvertently killing his mother, Long goes into a self-imposed exile, and Greg attempts to recruit Yugo into his circus before pivoting to starring himself.
Development and release
Bloody Roar was developed by Raizing and published by Hudson Soft in 1997 using the Sony ZN-1 hardware.[21] In North America, the arcade version was released under the title Beastorizer,[22] and the PlayStation version was shown at E3 1997 with the title.[23] The visual design of the game was created by Mitsuakira Tatsuta (who also designed the characters of the game) and Shinsuke Yamakawa.[24] The arcade soundtrack was composed by Atsuhiro Motoyama, Kenichi Koyano, Manabu Namiki, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Masaharu Iwata and Tomoko Miyagi, and published in 1997 by Wonder Spirits. Takayuki Negishi composed and arranged original music for the PlayStation version. The music was recorded at Sound City, Tower Side, FE1, with Takayuki Hijikata and Makoto Matsushita at the guitars, Michio Nagaoka at the bass and Toshinobu Takimoto at the drums.[24]Bloody Roar was released for the PlayStation in North America on March 5, 1998.[25] It was re-released on the PlayStation Network in North America on August 20, 2009.[26]
The PlayStation version of Bloody Roar was met with a generally positive reception upon release. Reviewers consistently highlighted the game's exceptional gameplay depth and speed. Many described Bloody Roar as exceptionally fast, fluid, and versatile, incorporating elements from multiple established fighters while introducing distinctive features that elevated the experience. The core fighting system was said to blend influences from Tekken, Virtua Fighter, and Fighting Vipers, delivering smooth 3D movement, sidestepping, juggles, air combos, guard reversals, counters, and wall interactions in enclosed arenas.[3][6][9][29][31][34] The controls were frequently noted as accessible and precise, suitable for both beginners and experienced players, with simple inputs enabling effective combos and special moves.[3][6][28][34] The Beast transformation mechanic was singled out as the game's most innovative contribution, allowing characters to morph into powerful animal forms with unique moves, enhanced attributes, partial health recovery, and greater range.[3][6][9][29][34] The additional Rave mode was said to add strategic layers by further amplifying speed and combo potential at the cost of draining the Beast meter.[3][4][9][10]
The technical aspects, particularly the graphics and performance, drew strong acclaim. The engine was often deemed comparable to or even superior in smoothness to Tekken 2, described as featuring high frame rates, stable performance, impressive lighting effects, detailed textures, dynamic shadows, and spectacular beast transformation animations.[3][6][9][34] Andrew Reiner of Game Informer and "Scary Larry" of GamePro noted that the character models were somewhat blocky, and Scary Larry additionally cited disappearing walls and slowdown in the ruins stage as minor issues.[29][34]
The audio elements received generally positive but more mixed assessments. The sound effects, including transformation cues, impact noises, and digitized animal sounds, were praised for their quality and immersion.[9][10][34] "Doc" of Superjuegos appreciated the charismatic quality of both the arcade and PlayStation-specific music options.[10] Others found the hard rock/heavy metal style repetitive, limited in variety, or unappealing.[3][7][9] Douglass Perry of IGN singled out Alice's vocalizations as annoying, calling her a "broken record" and negatively comparing her to Demonica from Dark Rift (1997).[3]
The narrative, character design, and content volume elicited more reserved or critical responses. The storyline was acknowledged but rarely emphasized as a strength. The character designs and personalities were frequently described as functional yet generic or lacking memorability and emotional appeal compared to those in Tekken or Street Fighter,[1][6][3][28] with Next Generation dismissing their backstories as uninteresting,[32] and Ralph Karens of Video Games regarding the victory screens as inadequate motivation.[7] The roster of only eight base characters drew repeated criticism for feeling limited, even with the dual human-beast forms providing additional variety, and reviewers noted a scarcity of unlockable content or hidden fighters.[6][29][30][31][32]
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