| FX Fighter | |
| Developer: | Argonaut Software |
| Publisher: | GTE Entertainment |
| Released: | June 16, 1995[1] [2] |
| Genre: | Fighting |
| Engine: | BRender[3] |
| Modes: | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Platforms: | MS-DOS |
FX Fighter is an early realtime 3D fighting game for MS-DOS CD-ROM PC. It was developed by Argonaut Software and published by GTE Entertainment in June 1995. OEM versions have support for 3D acceleration, bundled with 3D graphics accelerator cards such as the Diamond Monster 3D.[4]
A sequel, FX Fighter Turbo, was released in 1996.
The game features 8 different characters, 8 different arenas, movie cutscenes, and 40 attacks per fighter. The player selects a character to face against 8 of the best fighters in the universe, with the prize being the most powerful weapon in the universe.[5]
FX Fighter was originally conceived as a Super Nintendo Entertainment System game and originally titled Fighting Polygon. It was first shown in November 1994 at Nintendo's Shoshinkai Software Exhibition in Japan, based on the Super FX 2 chip to deliver polygon graphics, otherwise unattainable on the SNES. The game was previewed in GamePro[6] and Nintendo Power.[7] It was compared to Sega's Virtua Fighter. At the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in January 1995, GTE Entertainment and Nintendo announced that they would be jointly developing and publishing the game.[8] [9]
However, after Nintendo decided to port Killer Instinct to the SNES, the SNES version of FX Fighter was canceled by Nintendo to avoid competition between the two games.[10]
For the launch of FX Fighter, GTE Entertainment shipped 200,000 units to stores and dedicated more than $2 million to its promotional campaign.[11]
Entertainment Weekly gave the PC version an A− and wrote that the game was as good as any that was offered on home consoles, but remarked that playing games on a television screen was better than a computer screen.
Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game, rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "Even without the spectacular visuals, FX Fighter would be better than Mortal Kombat II - and that's saying a lot."[12]
Frank Snyder of Computer Game Review was largely positive toward the game, calling it "definitely worth checking out".[13]
A comic based on the video game was created by Jim Lee of Wildstorm Productions, which was hosted by GTE Interactive Media's web site.[14]
| FX Fighter Turbo | |
| Developer: | Argonaut Software |
| Publisher: | GTE Entertainment |
| Released: | November 5, 1996 |
| Genre: | Fighting game |
| Engine: | BRender[15] |
| Modes: | Single player, multiplayer |
| Platforms: | Microsoft Windows 95 |
FX Fighter Turbo is a sequel released for the PC in 1996 with new characters, moves, environments, costumes, special effects, network play, and support for Microsoft Windows and the S3 Graphics chipset. As are many other fighting games at the time, this game is influenced by Mortal Kombat in the form of fatalities, a feature not in the previous game. All the previous characters return, plus the new Linna and Kwondo.