SNES

WeaponLord

While at first glance, Weaponlord seemed a standard fighter, after a few hours, I was frightened by the innovations in gameplay. The combo system is flexible enough for Street Fighter two-in-ones and what totally blew me away was the ability to link together long, sickening "death combos". While the animation seems choppy sometimes, you quickly become accustomed to the game and get in that zone where the controller is an extension of our body. Great job Namco!

It should be noted that WeaponLord features an incredibly challenging computer opponent, and novices will quickly be cut to shreds before they know what hit them. Yet if you're patient enough, you will find a very deep fighter that rewards skilled players. The only major drawback is that there are only seven characters, which is a rather small list compared to the Street Fighter series. Even despite these issues, the depth of play makes WeaponLord a must-have title for the fighting game enthusiast.

Some gamers may be put off by Weaponlord's complexity and it's surely not for the squeamish. But Weaponlord's multi-tiered fighting cuts a notch above the rest of the recent pack.

Weaponlord's gameplay is pretty mediocre, and all the moves are weapon based: thrust, slash, and strike. To be honest, there's not much difference between them. There are some special moves and throws, but the throws do minimal damage, and the action is slow compared to fighters like Street Fighter 2 Turbo. Some might appreciate the slowness since it fosters a more deliberate, calculated approach as opposed to button mashing. You can decapitate a defeated opponent, but the lousy animation makes it hard to see what's going on. As far as fighters go, Weaponlord is unusual but not exceptional.