Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors - A Deep Dive into Sunsoft's Sci-Fi Fighter

Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors is a 1995 arcade fighting game developed and published by Sunsoft for the Neo-Geo. It was later ported to the Sega Saturn and PlayStation in 1996. The game is notable for its unique mechanics, science fiction setting, and distinctive character designs.

Sunsoft's Entry into the Fighting Game Arena

Sunsoft, known for series like Hebereke and Blaster Master, ventured into the fighting game genre with Galaxy Fight. This marked their first side-viewed 2D fighting game and their first title for the Neo-Geo. Before this, they had experimented with the genre via the top-down arena-based brawler Sugoi Hebereke. Galaxy Fight was followed by Waku Waku 7, another 2D fighting game from Sunsoft on the Neo Geo, and later Astra Superstars in collaboration with SANTACLAUS.

Story and Setting

Legends speak of a Divine Being appearing every millennium. As the time arrives, warriors converge on the Denius system to meet Felden Crais, an omnipotent being who is neither benevolent nor malevolent. Galaxy Fight departs from the typical fighting game tournament plotline. Felden Cryce, an evil being who wishes to rule the galaxy, has taken physical form after 1000 years, and eight space warriors fight amongst themselves for the right to battle Felden for their own reasons.

The game embraces a science-fiction motif, setting itself apart from contemporaries. The roster includes a robot, a rabbit-girl, a jetpack-sporting space hero, and an alien beast.

Gameplay Mechanics

Galaxy Fight distinguishes itself with several unique gameplay mechanics.

Control Scheme

The game utilizes a four-button layout. Three buttons are dedicated to striking attacks of varying strengths (light, medium, and heavy), while the fourth button is used for taunts. This setup, while uncommon at the time, was later adopted by other fighting games. The game changes every normal attack depending on whether you're close or far away from your opponent.

Borderless Stages and Infinite Scrolling

One of the most innovative features is the absence of walls and corners in the stages. The screen scrolls indefinitely, allowing for battles that span vast distances. The screen can lock scrolling if both players get as far away as possible from each other. This design choice emphasizes horizontal movement. Characters have moves that launch opponents across the screen. The running mechanics allow characters to cover large distances quickly. Double-tapping forward makes your character run across the screen, and critically keep running even if you let go. Double-tapping back will stop them, or they will pass through the opponent to the other side.

Lack of Super Meters

Unlike many fighting games of the time, Galaxy Fight lacks super meters or desperation moves. Alvan is the only character who can become stronger when his health is low. Moves that feel like they should be supers, such as Juri's long combo and Rolf's napalm, are not.

Characters

Galaxy Fight features a diverse cast of characters, each with their own unique motivations and fighting styles. The characters are all distinct enough from one another.

Alvan: The "Prince of the Ruined Planet" Rozalis, seeking revenge against Felden for destroying his planet and murdering his family. He is the game's shortest character by height and can sprout out a horn on his forehead.
Gunter: A gigantic green-skinned fire-breathing monster from the planet Guljeff. He recognizes G. Done's mystical nature. Gunter's fighting style is simple yet extremely violent. He is the largest character in the game.
Golden Done (G. Done): A mysterious brown-skinned alien from the planet Mani. Both Alvan and Gunter sense his mystical nature. He desires freedom and peace and is on a mission regarding Felden.
Juri: A female thief from the planet Lezaar who seeks strength and beauty.
Kazuma: A samurai.
Musafar: An enormous robot built by the Fakir Empire to defeat all warriors and acquire their abilities. In his ending, Musafar travels back to his home planet intent on destroying the Empire, having recalled upon his apprehension and conversion into a robotic soldier tasked to collect and imitate techniques from the opponents.
Rolf: The self-proclaimed "Hero of the Galaxy" from the planet Airrass. He fights in a battle suit equipped with a flamethrower, jetpack, energy pistol, and visor.
Roomi: An alien from the planet Lutecia with the ability to sense her opponent's feelings. Her dream is to become popular.
Bonus Kun: Rouwe's own punching bag that has come to life. Rouwe has taught him basic fighting techniques. He is a mickey-take of Ryu from Street Fighter given his red headband and fireball attack.
Yacopu: Yacopu is Rouwe's pet rabbit and the game's midboss, fought before Felden. He originated from the Nintendo Game Boy title, Trip World.
Felden: The final boss of the game. A being composed of golden flame with a fiery blue crown.
Rouwe: A special boss that appears only if a player beats the game without losing a round. He was apparently responsible for the death of Kazuma's father.

Boss Characters

The game features several boss characters.

Bonus-Kun: A sentient punching bag trained by Rouwe. He appears after the fourth fight in solo play.
Yacopu: The mid-boss, a rabbit from the Game Boy game Trip World. He is fought on a different area of Lutecia, Roomi's home planet.
Felden Cryce: The final boss, who seeks galactic domination.
Rouwe: A hidden boss who challenges the player after defeating Felden with a 2-0 win record against every opponent.

Ports and Re-releases

Galaxy Fight was ported to several home consoles.

Neo Geo AES: The home console version limited credits and offered basic difficulty selection.
Neo Geo CD: This version included a controller configuration mode and an arranged soundtrack.
Sega Saturn: Developed by Santaclaus, this port was released in Japan, America, and Europe. It featured the Neo Geo CD's arranged soundtrack and a Special Command Mode.
PlayStation 2: The Neo Geo CD version was included in Vol.11 of the Neo Geo Online Collection series, titled Sunsoft Collection, along with Waku Waku 7.

Reception

Galaxy Fight received mixed reviews upon its release. Critics praised the unique character roster, fighting mechanic, and visual presentation. However, some criticized the lack of originality and the odd borderless gameplay.

AllGame praised the audiovisual presentation and controls but noted that the borderless gameplay might be difficult for some players to get used to.
Consoles Plus commended the visual presentation, gameplay speed, audio, and playability.
GameFan praised the unique character roster and fighting mechanic.
GamePro complimented the graphics, music, and character-specific attacks but felt that the game lacked originality and polish.
MAN!AC criticized the technical presentation and lack of gameplay innovations.
Mega Fun felt mixed about the audiovisual presentation, stating that the graphics did not fully utilize the Neo Geo's capabilities.

Legacy

Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors is a unique and interesting entry in the fighting game genre. Its innovative mechanics, science fiction setting, and diverse cast of characters set it apart from its contemporaries. While it may not be a perfect game, it is a worthwhile experience for fans of fighting games and retro gaming. Sunsoft learned valuable lessons from Galaxy Fight, which they applied to their later, more successful fighting game, Waku Waku 7. Galaxy Fight has a unique flavour of its own.

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