Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein

Video Games (8 out of 10)

In Sachen Optik legt zwar Soul Calibur noch ein Brikett mehr ins Feuer, die stimmungsvollen Backgrounds (O.K. es sind trotzdem Tapeten) sorgen aber zusammen mit den treibenden Beats der Musik (erinnert von den Themen sehr an Technosoft mit ihrem Thunderforce-Soundgewitter) und der pfeilschnellen Fighting-Engine für ein Beat‘em-Up-Erlebnis der Extraklasse. Trotzdem hat man den Eindruck, dass 3D-technisch in Sachen Texturen und Polygon-Count noch mehr drin wäre - Namco hat‘s vorgemacht. Was Capcom wohl nie lernen wird, sind die dilettantischen Intros und Outros, die einem Spiel dieses Kalibers definitiv nicht würdig sind. Geizig war man leider auch in Sachen Spielmodi: Außer einem Group Battle und Training gibt‘s neben dem Arcade-Mode nichts mehr zu erkunden.

Video Games (79 out of 100)

(PAL version)
Technisch hätten wir uns von Plasma Sword mehr versprochen, aber das Gameplay kann bis auf das angesprochene Konter-Manko voll überzeugen, wenn man nicht auf die Hardcore-Tiefe eines Virtua FIghter 3 fixiert ist. Die Moves sind schnell verinnerlicht, das Combo-System größtenteils auf Button-Tap-Aktionen beschränkt und daher eher simpel als komplex, und die Aktionen mit reichhaltig Lichtspielereien untermalt - also alle Anzeichen für ein spaßiges Mainstream-Beat'em Up im Space-Gewand. Note: Clicking the link will not directly take you to the site. Instead put the URL in the address bar and hit send to view it.

The Video Game Critic (B)

Besides the run-of-the-mill gameplay, the only real flaw I could find was the weak endings in the single player mode. The main villain is pretty cool looking, but what kind of name is "Bilstein"? Couldn't they come up with something more intimidating than that? Oh well, Plasma Sword is definitely a keeper if fighting games are your thing.

Game Informer Magazine (7.25 out of 10)

With the game's plethora of combos and crazy special moves, you quickly become engrossed by its outrageous sci-fi antics. I wasn't a fan of the first incarnation, but the sequel is steering this series in the right direction.

GamePro (US) ( )

As a matter of fact, Plasma Sword falls short on many levels except for its rock-solid gameplay, which is arguably the most crucial aspect for a fighting game. There are all new combo possibilities that didn't exist in the first game, and getting the characters to do their thing is extremely simple. The game can be enjoyed casually, but it also has a depth to it. Plasma Sword won't win any points for originality (and certainly not for sheer graphics alone), but it still comes out as a fun title that is worth at least a rental.

Consoles Plus (70 out of 100)

Plasma Swords aurait pu être un bon jeu avec un peu plus de pêche et d'originalité.

IGN (6.8 out of 10)

Familiarity aside, the action itself can become a little addictive. Two-player games are infinitely better than going solo, but spending a few hours by yourself unlocking all the special moves you can find isn't out of the question. The characters themselves are pretty similar in command, but offer a nice variety in the design department. Don't be disillusioned, however -- a varied design doesn't exactly mean that it's good. Featuring what looks like rejects from Super Friends and Space Ghost, most of the aliens are more hilarious than they are frightening. Also on the downside is the fighter selection. Although there is a healthy amount of people (and uh, things) to choose from, half of them are basically just 'evil' or cloned versions of the top row of characters. The incentive to play the game with a different fighter suffers because of this.

GameSpot (6.6 out of 10)

Plasma Sword isn't a bad game, but it's not a very good game, either. The Dreamcast is capable of much better graphics, but even if the game looked like Soul Calibur, it still wouldn't be terribly exciting. Hard-core Hayato fans would be better off waiting for his 2D debut when Marvel vs. Capcom 2 releases in the States later this year.

Planet Dreamcast (6 out of 10)

Despite the score, Plasma Sword is not a terrible game. Don't get me wrong; it's not great by any stretch of the imagination, but it's certainly a lot better than utter dreck like Time Killers and Criticom. Still, the bar has been raised by amazing home ports such as Soul Calibur and Tekken Tag Tournament, so a merely "arcade perfect" port of an extremely average game isn't enough to stay competitive on today's next generation systems. If Plasma Sword had appeared on the Playstation it would have fared a bit better, but as a Dreamcast title, there are better fighters to occupy your time.

Mega Fun (52 out of 100)

Wenn man das gute PowerStone von Capcom diesem Werk gegenüberstellt, muss man sich fragen, warum die Programmierer nicht mehr aus dem Titel herausgeholt haben. Dieses Spiel könnte genauso gut auf der PlayStation erschienen sein, denn grafisch und spielerisch ist auf dem Dreamcast weit mehr machbar, was Capcom eigentlich auch schon bewiesen hat. Bei der großen Auswahl an klasse Prügelspielen wird dieser Titel wohl allenfalls in Japan Erfolge feiern.

Jeuxvideo.com (10 out of 20)

En résumé, Plasma Sword, sans constituer un mauvais titre (loin de là), se caractérise principalement par son aspect banal et désuet qui aurait néanmoins pu faire recette il y a quelques années. Malheureusement, ce titre offre bien trop peu d'innovations pour parvenir à se faire remarquer et ne résistera pas longtemps face à la concurrence compte tenu de son manque cruel d'originalité. En bref, Capcom nous a habitué à beaucoup mieux dans ce domaine et se contente de nous offrir un énième jeu de combat totalement dépourvu de charme et pêchant par sa trop grande banalité.

Revista Oficial Dreamcast (5 out of 10)

Por eso, Plasma Sword no dispone de ningún aliciente que justifique su compra. Si buscas un buen titulo de lucha, hallarás mejores opciones en tu tienda favorita. Y varias de ellas también de Capcom.

Computer and Video Games (CVG) ( )

Plasma Sword's special moves are kinda cool and light up the screen with a spectacle of blistering lightning bolts and blinding explosions. The two-player mode brings more life into the game and will keep you and your mates amused for a while at least. But ultimately, with games like Power Stone 2 pushing the boundaries of fighting games ever further, you can't help but expect more from a Capcom fighter than the rather poor Plasma Sword delivers.

Super Play (Sweden) (4 out of 10)

Det är sannerligen trist att ta del av ett spel som Plasma Sword som dessutom kommer från ett så välrenommerat spelhus som Capcom. De flesta beat 'em up-entusiaster kommer snabbt att upptäcka Plasma Swords brister, främst för att spelet är så transparent. Lika genomskinligt som spigg faktiskt. Ett tecken på att Capcom inte ens har orkat att dölja spelets brister.

Joypad (4 out of 10)

En effet, hormis quelques coups spéciaux assez spectaculaires, Plasma Sword n'offre rien de bien palpitant : l'animation des combattants, hachée au possible, fait furieusement penser à la série Toshinden, la modélisation manque de soin (bonjour les jonctions de polygones !), le jeu ne comprend que 11 combattants (les onze autres sont de simples clones ! ), enfin le gameplay est loin d'offrir le même plaisir et les mêmes possibilités que les productions habituelles de Capcom. Très franchement à éviter vu la concurrence.

Gamekult (3 out of 10)

Plasma Sword, est un jeu qui aurait mérité d'être un titre de lancement pour la Dreamcast. Malheureusement, ce lancement a eu lieu il y a plus d'un an, ce qui transforme le titre de Capcom en vieillerie. Graphiquement peu fouillé, techniquement inintéressant, ludiquement bien pauvre, ce jeu se destine avant tout aux collectionneurs...

Eurogamer.net (UK) (2 out of 10)

The Dreamcast is a wonderful console. It is powerful, well-supported, reliable and has a superb library of top-notch software titles. Any owner of a Dreamcast will probably be bankrupted in the coming months by the deluge of quality software for the platform. Put bluntly, Plasma Sword is not one of these pieces of quality software. If your Dreamcast is going to bankrupt you in the run up to Christmas, then at least make sure that you're bankrupted due to purchasing good games. Take it from us - this travesty isn't worth the walk to the rentals shop, never mind the risk of financial insolvency.