Warriors of Fate

Infobox VG |title = Warriors of Fate


developer = Capcom
publisher = Capcom
released = Arcade: November 1992
Playstation: March 22, 1996
Sega Saturn: September 6, 1996
FOMA i-αppli: March 1, 2005
genre = Beat 'em up
modes = Up to 3 players simultaneously
platforms = Arcade, Playstation, Sega Saturn, FOMA i-αppli
input = 8-way Joystick, 2 Buttons
cabinet = Upright
arcade system = CPS-1 + QSound
display = Raster, 384 x 224 pixels (Horizontal), 4096 colors

"Warriors of Fate" is the English adaptation of the Japanese arcade game, nihongo|Tenchi wo Kurau II|天地を喰らう2・赤壁の戦い, which uses the manga "Tenchi wo Kurau" (based on the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" story) as the background, and also the sequel of "Dynasty Wars" ("Tenchi wo Kurau" in Japan). It was released by Capcom in 1992, an era in which they also published several similar horizontal-scrolling action games such as Final Fight, Captain Commando, King of Dragons, and Knights of the Round.

Gameplay

"Warriors of Fate" is a beat'em up with 9 stages, in each of which there are large mobs including spearman, archers, strongmen, bomb-wielding opponents, and at least one Wei boss. There can be up to three players on-screen at the same time. Using two buttons, Attack and Jump, the characters all have standard moves typical of Capcom side-scrollers of the day. Common enemies including Wei soldiers such as bandits, privatees, wrestlers, fatties and thieves will keep poping up from everywhere. In the end of each stage there is a Wei general as stage boss. Li Dian, Xiahou Dun, Xu Chu, Zhang Liao, Cao Ren, Xu Huang, the infamous Lu Bu as final boss. After defeating them all, there is also Cao Cao himself who would try to escape.

There is also a variety of weapons in the game which can be picked up. As with most side-scrollers, food is used to replenish health and can be found in various breakable containers in the game level. One notable feature of the game is the ability to summon a warhorse which adds more attacks to the characters, generally involving pole-arms (except long bow for Huang Zhong). Each character except Zhao Yun was given a special wrestling throw of their own, like in "Final Fight" and "The Punisher".

Even in the US release, the game was particularly gory for its time. Slash weapons and special moves would have an additional maiming effect on enemies when used for the final blow and the enemy boss can be blown up, decapitated, or had their bodies severed.

The game included two bonus stages in the middle wherein the characters compete in an eating contest which required rapid pressing of buttons and rotations of the joystick and another is where the characters practice their skills on the practice dummies of the final boss.

tory

Japanese version

"Tenchi wo Kurau II" follows Liu Bei's plight in Jingzhou from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a history-based novel of China, set in the Three Kingdoms period. In "Warriors of Fate", Shu Han, led by Liu Bei, as in the novel, was everything "good" and "righteous", while Wei, led by the ever suspicious and cunning Cao Cao, is portrayed as "evil" and "bad". Liu Bei's warriors begin by fighting Cao Cao's forces at the Battle of Bowang, then Battle of Changban, then finally join up with Sun Quan to fight at the Battle of Red Cliff.

English version

In the English adaptation, however, the Three Kingdoms theme was lost, and most names have been changed to names of Mongolian origin. The story takes place in a fictional realm where the evil overlord Akkila-Orkhan (originally Cao Cao) of Shang-Lo tries to conquer his neighbouring countries, converting them into ruin and despair. Kuan-Ti (originally Liu Bei), with the aid of the five great warriors, stands up against the conquering shadow and fights to defend his people and lands.

Playable characters

Unlike the first game, "Dynasty Wars", Liu Bei is not playable. The playable characters were Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, four of the famous Five Tiger Generals, and Wei Yan. Although in the novel Huang Zhong and Wei Yan had not joined Liu Bei before the Battle of Red Cliffs, they are available as playable characters in this game because of pleadings from fans of the Three Kingdoms.

Character	Name in game (Japanese ver.)	Name in game (English ver.)	Weapon (Melee)	Weapon (Mounted)	Special Abilities	Dash Attack	Special Throw
Guan Yu	羽 (Kan-U)	Portor	bare hand	guan dao	flying elbow	head butt	jumping backbreaker
Average and balanced in speed and power
Zhang Fei	張飛 (Chō-Hi)	Kassar	bare hand	viper halberd	crushing punch	sliding shoulder strike	- jumping vertical suplex - pile driver
High damage, low speed,
Zhao Yun	趙雲 (Chō-Un)	Subutai	sword	spear	uppercuting slash	rushing shoulder strike	none
Agile, long reach, low damage. Cannot do piledriver (will kick foe in the face instead).
Huang Zhong	忠 (Kō-Chū)	Kadan	bow, dagger	bow, halberd	triple shot	somersault	over the shoulder powerbomb
Ranged attacks, vulnerable in melee.
Wei Yan	魏延 (Gi-En)	Abaka	katana	katana	flash kick	sliding elbow	helicopter power slam
Combos, shorter reach

tage bosses

Continue Screen

Like Final Fight and the arcade version of Ninja Gaiden, Warriors of Fate featured notorious continue screen. Once the player loses all lives, the screen changes to the character on his knees begging for his life while 2 Wei soldiers move in for the kill. If the player does not insert a coin within the 20 second countdown, they will kill the character.

Other information

*The US version omitted a cutscene (Stage 6, the historical battle of Changban) which involved Liu Bei's wife turning her son Liu Shan to the player (in the novel she actually turned him to Zhao Yun), then throwing herself down a well.
*In homage to Capcom's earlier 1991 hit Street Fighter, several character moves seem very similar to special moves in "Street Fighter II". Subutai's special move is an uppercut slash that resembles Ryu 's "Shoryuken", Abaka's special resembles Guile's "Flash Kick", Lhaze's special resembles Dhalsim's "Yoga Flame", Taranis' special resembles Blanka's "Rolling Attack".
*There are 2 special chests in the game, containing 2 legendary weapons:
**In Stage 8, a secret chest in the boss room can be either empty or bring out the Hiryu, (lit. Flying Dragon) a Japanese katana. It may be a reference to the protagonist of the Capcom's hit video game Strider, Strider Hiryu.
**In Stage 9, a secret chest midway of the stage contains the Kusanagi (Ame no Murakumo), a blue flaming sword and the game's most powerful weapon.
*Special weapons - There are 3 enemies who carry special weaponry. Two carry unique swords, and one carries a unique mace:
**In Stage 6, a man on horseback named Xiahou En ("Sugisugi" in US version) appears on screen briefly. Killing him on screen earns the sword Qin Gong ("Seikou" in US version). This is a reference to the plot described in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where Xiahou En was killed by Zhao Yun, and the latter got the sword.
**In the end of the same stage, there is a black wrestler with the 6th boss. However, he can either drop the rainbow Shichisei (Seven Star Sword) or a barbecue.
**In Stage 8, there is a huge hall with a huge mob of wrestlers. Kill the dark-skinned wrestler and he will randomly drop the Kai club, a decorated mace.