DESCRIPTION

Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers, a pair of arcade hits from Sega, combine to form Fighters Megamix for the game.com system. You can play the game by yourself or challenge a friend to a few rounds. Two-player games require two game.com systems, two cartridges and a Head-2-Head cable.

This hybrid videogame lets you choose from eight different fighters: Akira Yuki, Pai, Lion and Jacky from Virtua Fighter 2 and Bahn, Candy, Sanman and Mahler from Fighting Vipers. By winning a certain number of fights (and therefore completing courses), you can unlock hidden characters from Sega's Daytona USA and Virtua Cop.

The characters vary in fighting styles and abilities. For example, Bahn's strength lies in the power of his standing punches while Lion uses his uncanny speed to his advantage. While all the fighters can walk and run left and right, punch, kick, dodge, block, duck and jump, you must experiment with the controls to discover their individual special moves.

Fights in this game consist of a series of best two-out-of-three matches. Every time your character gets hit, his or her health meter will diminish. A few of the fighters wear armor, which, until it breaks, reduces some of the damage taken from hits. Blocking also cuts down on the degree of damage taken. The fights are timed, so you should finish each course as quickly as possible.

Options in the 1P Mode of Fighters Megamix let you choose from three skill levels, three round lengths and three time limits. The VS Mode adds the option of letting you shorten or lengthen the life power (health meter) of each fighter.

A special Survival Mode lets you fight as many opponents as you can defeat. Fights in this mode only last one round and you are allowed only one life bar. You get to decide how long you want fights to last (3, 7 or 15 minutes).

If you've slapped more quarters into Virtual Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers than you care to admit, yet you still yearn to crack some skulls, slap Fighters Megamix into your game.com system and knock yourself out. Or better yet, knock out your opponent. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide