Ludography
BloodStorm cover

1994 · Incredible Technologies · Arcade · Fighting

BloodStorm

One of the bloodiest fighting games of the '90s, BloodStorm introduces a post-apocalyptic grimdark story where leaders of multiple provinces fight to the death to rule Earth.

Released
1994
Platforms
Arcade
Genres
ArcadeFighting
Developers
Incredible Technologies
Publishers
—
Perspective
Side view
Themes
ActionScience fiction
Country
United States

About

BloodStorm is a 1994 arcade fighting game published by Strata and developed by Incredible Technologies. It is considered a spiritual sequel to Time Killers.

BloodStorm was dubbed as a possible "Mortal Kombat-killer" in an attempt to surpass rival Midway Games's success with Mortal Kombat, though it did not prevail. It was the last game Strata produced before the company went out of business. Home ports for the Saturn and PlayStation were announced in early 1995, but were later cancelled.

›Story

The Mega War, fought centuries ago, left the earth in global ruins. The

destructive nuclear horrors unleashed upon the planet and its population

created uncountable amounts of death and devastation. In the wake of this

sweeping havoc arose the planet itself to retaliate against the violence

forced upon it. Polar shifts and massive earthquakes swallowed entire

continents. From seething seas and walls of water arose angry volcanoes,

spewing flame and death into the sky. Hungry fires, searing blizzards, and

brutal storms ran rampant across the planet's surface for years, in an attempt

to wash away the man-made horrors that it was forced to endure.

At last the earth settled into a new pattern, starting to find some

semblance of balance and peace. The global changes had left a much harsher

planet, and the remaining life forms adapted slowly to the new environment.

The Earth's land masses, altered by man-made weaponry and ended through

elemental means, had evolved into ten isolated provinces. The remaining

populations within these new provinces found life difficult at first, but

slowly evolution and natural selection allowed the human race to adapt and

once again gain control of their destiny. Some of the provinces had strong

natural forces, exposed through the abrupt upheaval, and the resourceful

post-humans began to master these new powers. Other provinces continued to

develop through the use of science and technology, creating elaborate life

support systems and protection against the harsh environments.

As the years progressed, eight of the provinces began to communicate and

trade together. An alliance was formed and a global quasi-government was

established. The social structure evolved into a mixture of medieval

practices, hybrid technology, and barbarism and barter.

Centuries have passed and the present day Earth finds mankind again at the

brink of savagery and destruction. Life is now a series of hardships,

deceptions, and lies for the members of the Provincial Alliance. The frozen

tundra of Polaria and the volcanic Scorch are very close to all out war,

halted only by the desolate, radioactive Death Zone that separates them. The

Death Zone, once a founding member of the Planet Alliance, has remained silent

for almost two centuries, hiding behind the mysterious and deadly red mists

that define its borders. Obsel, the desert province, has been taken over by

desperate and brutal female terrorists. The Ebony Coast, known for its trade

and bartering systems, is now led by a mysterious and greedy leader whom no

one trusts, yet all must tolerate. The people of Cyberia, a land inhabitable

only through technological means, have re-engineered their population, and are

losing their humanity to the machine.

With tensions running high, the Planet Alliance is beginning to falter and

the provinces are no longer considered allies. And now the High Emperor, the

one guiding force that all provinces had agreed to abide by, has been

mysteriously and horribly murdered.

The ancient Provincial Agreement declares that a new ruler must be chosen

through combat between the rulers of each province. Each province will come

prepared for battle with their own Gauntlet of Ascension, a gloved weapon that

only those in power may don. These ancient gauntlets are treasured and

revered by their people, for they are the foremost symbol of power and honor

each province can have.

But it is painfully clear that this tournament will not have the honor of

previous BloodStorm contests. There have even been rumors that the combatants

will bring back the Sunder Attack, a brutal combat move that separated the

opponent's legs from his body without killing him. This horrible and

humiliating maneuver has never been officially banned from the BloodStorm

contest, yet it is so brutal and degrading that no honorable combatant has

used it for centuries. However, these champions from radically different

provinces are blind to the mysterious evil that surrounds the High Emperor's

death, and instead only see their opportunity for personal gain, provincial

expansion, or race domination and will do anything to achieve their goals.

The BloodStorm is about to begin!

Keywords

  • martial arts
  • post-apocalyptic
  • versus

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

As with its predecessor Time Killers, BloodStorm features many of the aspects carried down from it, such as the removal of an opponent's arms and an instant kill attack, as well as a Special Death Move. The button layout is similar. They are labeled as "back leg", "front leg", "back arm" and "front arm" respectively. A button in the center is used to make the character block. If a limb is lost in combat, its corresponding button is rendered useless.

BloodStorm is a weapons-based fighting game, though it differs from Time Killers in that the characters use weapons called "Gauntlets" that allow them to use particular powers and attacks with them. Other than being able to bash off an opponent's arms, a technique called a Sunder is in the game. If executed when an opponent is stunned, it will destroy their lower body. The character will not be able to jump or use kicks, but can still move back and forth a little with the leg buttons.

Story

BloodStorm is set in a distant, post-apocalyptic future where the world, ravaged by war and famine, has divided into eight provinces ruled by the High Emperor. At the start of the game, the Emperor is assassinated by an unknown assailant, bringing the Empire to the brink of a global war. In accordance with ancient laws the ruling kings and queens of the provinces agree to gather and have a tournament, dubbed the BloodStorm, to determine the next High Emperor, in hopes of preventing further conflict.

Development

Home ports for the Saturn and PlayStation were announced in early 1995, but were later cancelled.

Reception

In North America, RePlay reported BloodStorm to be the eight most-popular arcade game at the time. Play Meter listed the game to be the seventeenth most-popular arcade game at the time. According to Electronic Gaming Monthly, "BloodStorm enjoyed some success in the arcades, but it had very tough competition (MKII)."

Entertainment Weekly gave the game a D and wrote that "If The Simpsons ever did a parody of Mortal Kombat, the result might be BloodStorm, a brutal fighting game in which players cut each other's arms off, launch cruise missiles at one another, and get impaled. But BloodStorm isn't funny, except in a snickering, Beavis and Butt-Head sort of way — like when the screen flashes 'Cat Fight!' before two female combatants step into the ring."

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Arcade1 April 1994North America

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Collections3 collections

Genres

Development status

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.