{{Short description|1993 video game}} {{distinguish|Eternal Champion}} {{Infobox video game | title = Eternal Champions | image = Eternal Champions Cover Art.jpg | caption = Cover art by [[Julie Bell]] | developer = Sega Interactive Development Division | publisher = [[Sega]] | director = Christopher Warner | designer = Michael Latham | artist = Albert Co | programmer = John Kuwaye | producer = Mark Nausha | composer = [[Joe Delia]]<br/>John Hart<br/>Jeff Marsh<br/>Adrian van Velssen<br/>Andy Armer | series = ''Eternal Champions'' | platforms = [[Sega Genesis]] | released = {{vgrelease|NA|December 1993<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/game-pro-issue-54-january-1994/page/n43/mode/2up|title=Genesis ProReview: Eternal Champions|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=54|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=January 1994|pages=40–44}}</ref>|PAL|January 28, 1994<ref name="Evening News">{{cite news |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/0/0f/NorwichEveningNews_UK_1994-01-21_42.jpg |title=They're champs - in and out of ring Trading punches |date=January 21, 1994 |newspaper=[[Norwich Evening News|Evening News Extra]] |access-date=February 23, 2026}}</ref>|JP|February 18, 1994<ref name="Sega titles - Sega JP">{{cite web |title=Software List (Sega Release) |url=https://www.sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software.html |website=Sega Hardware Encyclopedia |publisher=[[Sega|Sega Corporation]] |access-date=May 15, 2023 |language=ja}}</ref>}} | genre = [[Fighting game|Fighting]] | modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] }} '''''Eternal Champions''''' is a 1993 [[fighting game]] developed and published by [[Sega]] for the [[Sega Genesis]]. It was one of the few fighting games of its time developed from the ground up as a [[home console]] title, rather than being released in [[arcade video game|arcades]] first.
Sega released ''Eternal Champions'' in hopes of capitalizing on the fighting game mania that the game industry was in the midst of following the massive success of ''[[Street Fighter II]]'' (1991) and ''[[Mortal Kombat (1992 video game)|Mortal Kombat]]'' (1992). The game tried to set itself apart with unique features such as a heavier emphasis on its story, characters pulled from different time periods, reflectable projectiles, force fields, fighters that carried weapons, a training mode where players had to defend themselves against robotic traps, a novel method of executing moves, and elaborate stage-specific finishing moves called "[[#overkill|Overkills]]".
Two years later, an enhanced version, ''[[Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side]]'', was released for the [[Sega CD]]. The game also spawned two [[spin-off (media)|spin-off]] games, ''[[Chicago Syndicate (video game)|Chicago Syndicate]]'' and ''[[X-Perts]]''. ''Eternal Champions'' was added to the [[Wii]]'s [[Virtual Console]] download service on December 3, 2007, and included with the [[Sega Genesis Mini]] [[microconsole]] released in 2019.
==Gameplay== [[File:Eternal Champions gameplay.png|thumb|left|In-game screenshot showing characters Shadow (left) and Trident (right)]]
The game followed the typical eight-way directional pad/stick with six-button layout common to most fighting games at the time (more commonly in this case, ''[[Street Fighter II]]''). Since the standard [[Sega Genesis|Mega Drive/Genesis]] controller has only three action buttons, players would have to purchase a six-button controller or [[Sega Activator]], or else use the start button to toggle the action buttons between punches and kicks. The joystick or [[D-pad]] is used to move away, towards, jump and crouch. There are three punches and three kicks that vary based upon speed and power. The weakest punches and kicks are fast but do minimal damage, medium attacks are a balanced mix of recovery speed and damage, and strong attacks are the most powerful but recover the slowest. Attacks can be blocked by pressing away (for high attacks) or down and away (for low attacks). Grapples are executed by standing close to an opponent and pressing toward or away and using either the medium or the strong punch button. These attacks cannot be blocked or escaped.
Each character has their own unique special attacks that are performed differently from those of other characters. If a character is hit several times in a row they become "dizzy" and their opponent can land a free attack. In ''Eternal Champions'', all special move commands are performed by either pressing multiple buttons together, or holding back or down to charge and then pressing towards or up together with a button. There are no rolling motions in this game, and a given special move may only be performed with a specific button.
As seen in ''[[Art of Fighting (video game)|Art of Fighting]]'' released the previous year, ''Eternal Champions'' has a "special attack meter" that decreases each time a character performs a special move such as a projectile; different special attacks decrease the meter by different amounts and the characters each have a taunt move that decreases their opponent's special attack meter as well. Characters can retreat into a defensive shell to recharge their meter. In tournament mode (the main single player mode), the computer opponent can do special moves even after its meter has reached zero. {{anchor|overkill}} The game introduces stage-specific finishing moves called Overkills. These are performed by defeating an opponent such that they fall upon a certain area of ground. If they land in the right spot, the [[life bar]]s disappear and some element of the background kills them.
==Plot== An omniscient being known as the Eternal Champion predicts that mankind will soon fade from existence due to the untimely and unjust deaths of key individuals throughout history who were destined for greatness. Seeking to restore balance to the world, the Eternal Champion gathers these souls from time moments before their deaths. The Eternal Champion only has enough power to restore life to one of these individuals, so he organizes and holds a fighting tournament between them, where the victor will be able to regain their life and change their fate while bringing balance to the universe, whilst the losers will be forced to die just as history recorded.
Unlike most fighting games, or video games in general{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}, there are no characters in this game who are "bad" or "evil". Each character has been chosen because he or she is either inherently good or has the potential to do great good and change the course of history for the better. Despite the ability to kill opponents in this game, it is not relevant to the story. Much like games such as ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' (which pioneered finishing moves in fighting games), the game's "[[#overkill|Overkills]]" have no impact on the story and are simply a gameplay element for the enjoyment of the player. It is actually revealed in a few character endings that some of the fighters become allies or friends during the course of the tournament.
===Fighters=== The game features nine playable characters. Beating arcade mode with any character reveals an epilogue detailing how the winner avoided their original death and then went on to make a positive change in their era.
*Blade – Jonathan Blade is a Syrian bounty hunter from 2030 A.D. He was hired by the government to help track down a terrorist that had stolen a lethal virus. Blade was about to apprehend the terrorist when special forces agents opened fire on both of them, accidentally causing the terrorist to drop the vial and release the virus. *Jetta – Jetta Maxx is a member of the Russian aristocracy from 1899 A.D. She was working undercover as a circus acrobat at the time of her death. A boxer revolutionary tampered with her tightrope equipment ahead of a major show in China. She fell to her death in front of the live crowd. When her true identity was revealed, it heightened tensions between both nations. *Larcen – Larcen Tyler is a former cat-burglar from 1920s [[Chicago]]. He used to do jobs for a local crime boss. He was hired to plant evidence in the hospital room of a rival mafia leader. It was only when he got to the location that he discovered that his real target was the Chief of Police, and the "evidence" was actually a bomb. Larcen was killed in the explosion that destroyed most of the hospital. *Midknight – Midknight is a vampire-like mutant hiding in Vietnam. In his former life, he was the noted British biochemist Mitchell Middleton Knight. He was hired by U.S. forces to spike water supplies during the [[Vietnam War]] in 1967. He became exposed to the chemical, and was mutated like every other victim. He was killed by a vampire hunter hired by the government before he could create a cure. *R.A.X. – R.A.X. Coswell is an American cyber-kickboxer from 2345 A.D. His trainer programmed a virus into his R.A.X. exoskeleton software to ensure he lost an important match. Coswell died during the match as a result. *Shadow – Shadow Yamato is a ninja assassin from modern-day (1993 A.D) Japan. She was thrown off the top of her employer’s skyscraper before she could publicly expose the murderous actions of her syndicate. *Slash – Slash is a prehistoric hunter from 50,000 B.C. He was sentenced to death by the elders of his tribe, who feared that Slash would use his high intelligence to usurp them. *Trident – An artificial being created by the Atlanteans from 110 B.C. He was killed by a rival before he could compete in the final match of a gladiator tournament. As a consequence, the [[Roman Empire]] banished his race to the sea, where they were eventually wiped out. *Xavier – Xavier Pendragon was an [[alchemy]] student from 1692 A.D. He was executed under a false charge of witchcraft during the [[Salem witch trials]].
The Eternal Champion appears as a non-playable boss character. He can only be played using a [[Game Genie]] cheat code. He is also playable in the Tiger Handheld version, ''Eternal Champions: Special Moves Edition''
All of the characters would return in ''[[Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Darkside]]''.
==Development== Though only credited within the game under "special thanks", veteran comic book artist [[Ernie Chan]] created much of the character designs and art for the game.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=How to Get a Job in the Game Industry |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=16|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=April 1996|page=42}}</ref>
==Release== The cartridge was the second "packaged game" to be included with the [[Sega Activator]], an elaborate infrared ring controller that players stood in and punched and kicked in order to make the characters perform different combat movements. It was one of only a few games that actually recognized the Activator and took advantage of most of the features of the unit. The player using the Activator was given an advantage of receiving 50% less and inflicting 50% more damage than the player using a regular controller.<ref>''Sega Visions'', February–March 1994.</ref>
===Promotion and other media=== A [[Slurpee]] flavor entitled "Sega Eternal Champions Cherry" was once available in [[7-Eleven]] stores throughout the United States. It came in cups with pictures of the characters on them, and the bottom of the cup contained a temporary tattoo. There was also a special cash and rebate promotion in July 1993 that was featured on [[MTV]].<ref>''Sega Visions'', June–July 1994.</ref> ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' sponsored ''Eternal Champions'' tournaments in the United States as part of a roaming video game show.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/Sega-Visions-Issue-15#page/n14/mode/1up/s |title=Sega Visions Issue 15 |date=October 1993 |access-date=2014-05-21}}</ref> The game, however, was not yet completed so the participants were only given the choice of four characters to play as: Shadow, R.A.X, Larcen and Slash.
Two [[gamebook]]s, titled ''Eternal Champions Adventure Gamebook: The Cyber Warriors'' and ''Eternal Champions Adventure Gamebook 2: Citadel of Chaos'', were released by Puffin Books. In the books, the reader controls the newest Champion and travels through time helping the game characters battle a megalomaniacal artificial intelligence called the Overlord, who is bent on replacing them with duplicates so that they cannot change the course of history for the better. Both books were released as sticker albums by [[Panini (stickers)|Panini]] in 1993.<ref name=strange>{{cite web | last=Allen | first=Jennifer | title=The very strange yet promising yet too-weird world of Eternal Champions | website=Eurogamer.net | date=August 13, 2023 | url=https://www.eurogamer.net/the-very-strange-yet-promising-yet-too-weird-world-of-eternal-champions | access-date=May 18, 2026}}</ref>
''Eternal Champions'' was adapted by the UK Sega Magazine's ''[[Sonic the Comic]]'' in a stand-alone magazine ''Eternal Champions Special'', which introduced the main characters and served as an adaptation to the game. The characters also appeared in two stories in the main ''Sonic the Comic'' series, first in ''Eternal Champions'' (issues 19-24) and then ''Larson's {{sic}} Revenge'' (issues 37–40) which dealt with the professional thief Larcen Tyler returning to 1920s Chicago and working with the female ninja Shadow Yamoto to take down the crime boss who killed him. ''Eternal Champions'' was the only non-[[Sonic the Hedgehog (series)|Sonic]]-related Sega property to receive a special issue of ''Sonic the Comic''.<ref name=strange/>
===''Eternal Champions: Special Moves Edition''=== Eternal Champions: Special Moves Edition is a handheld game by [[Tiger Electronics|Tiger]] and is a part of the Sega Tiger Electronic Pocket Arcade game series. The game is essentially a smaller and simpler version of ''Eternal Champions''. It includes all nine characters and the Eternal Champion as a playable character. This version has three different types of gameplay, one-on-one, one against three, and team battle.
==Reception== {{video game reviews |EGM =8/10, 7/10, 5/10, 5/10<ref name="egm">{{cite magazine|title=Review Crew|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|volume=7|issue=1|publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=January 1994|last1=Semrad|first1=Ed|last2=Carpenter|first2=Danyon|last3=Manuel|first3=Al|author4=Sushi-X|url=https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/87bb9f91-b5f4-415d-b808-735a7314798e|via=[[Video Game History Foundation]]|page=44}}</ref>}}
In the United Kingdom, it was the top-selling Mega Drive game in February 1994.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/7/7f/CVG_UK_149.pdf |title=Charts |magazine=[[Computer & Video Games]] |publisher=[[Future plc]] |issue=149 (April 1994) |date=15 March 1994 |page=12}}</ref> It sold over 1.6 million copies.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Horowitz |first=Ken |title=Playing at the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |chapter=Omega Group |year=2016 |isbn=9780786499946|page=307}}</ref>
Upon the game's release, ''Eternal Champions'' was given a polarizing mixed reception,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defunctgames.com/reviewcrew/98/eternal-champions-what-did-critics-say-back-in-1994|title=Eternal Champions: What Did Critics Say Back in 1994? - Defunct Games|publisher=Defunctgames.com|access-date=18 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defunctgames.com/reviewcrew/99/eternal-champions-cd-what-did-critics-say-back-in-1995|title=Eternal Champions CD: What Did Critics Say Back in 1995? - Defunct Games|publisher=Defunctgames.com|access-date=18 January 2015}}</ref> and held an average aggregate score of 62.5% at [[GameRankings]] at the time of the site's 2019 closure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/genesis/366869-eternal-champions/index.html|title=Eternal Champions|website=Gamerankings.com|access-date=18 January 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209000057/http://www.gamerankings.com/genesis/366869-eternal-champions/index.html |archivedate=December 9, 2019}}</ref> ''[[Mean Machines Sega]]'' gave it a score of 97%, calling it "at least as good" as ''[[Street Fighter II]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/mean-machines-sega-magazine-16/MMSega_16_Feb_1994#page/n59/mode/2up/ |title=Mean Machines Sega Magazine Issue 16 |date=February 1994 |access-date=2014-05-21}}</ref> and ''[[Electronic Games]]'' gave it a 91%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/Electronic-Games-1994-01/Electronic%20Games%201994-01#page/n67/mode/2up|title=Electronic Games 1994 01|date=January 1994 |access-date=18 January 2015}}</ref> The four reviewers of ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' were divided, with two of them recommending the game based on the large number of options and the selection of moves, while the other two described it as a major disappointment, citing mediocre graphics and unexciting characters.<ref name="egm" />
In 2008, [[IGN]] gave the Virtual Console release a score of 6 out of 10, criticizing its difficult to learn play mechanics while praising the game's story, training mode, and "inner strength meter". IGN concluded "it's not likely that many players who've never previously heard of the game will have the patience to spend that much time getting to know it."<ref name="IGN review">(January 3, 2008). [http://uk.ign.com/articles/2008/01/04/eternal-champions-review Virtual Console version review], IGN.</ref>
In 1995, ''[[Mega Zone]]'' included the game on their Top 50 Games In History summarizing: "Huge characters and heaps of playability put it up their with ''MKII'' and ''SFII''."<ref>{{Cite journal |date=April 1995 |title=Top 50 Games In History |url=https://archive.org/details/sup50top50games/page/n3/mode/2up |journal=MegaZone |issue=50 |pages=4}}</ref> In 2006, IGN ranked the game's finishing moves ("Overkills") as the best gore effects in video game history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/700/700130p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100809113259/http://pc.ign.com/articles/700/700130p1.html |archive-date=2010-08-09 |title=Top 10 Tuesday: Best Gore Effects |website= IGN |date=April 4, 2006 |url-status=dead |access-date=2011-01-18}}</ref> In 2011, ''[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]'' included it on the list of ten "most blatant ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' ripoffs" but added that it was "one of the more successful faux-''MK'' fighters" and "the only thing that sucked was the difficulty."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.complex.com/video-games/2011/04/10-mortal-kombat-rip-offs/ |title=The Klone Wars: The 10 Most Blatant "Mortal Kombat" Rip-Offs Ever |magazine=Complex |date=2011-04-18 |access-date=2014-01-14 |archive-date=2012-08-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829215705/http://www.complex.com/video-games/2011/04/10-mortal-kombat-rip-offs/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Complex'' also featured it on the 2012 list of the 25 Sega franchises they would like to see revisited<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.complex.com/video-games/2012/02/25-sega-franchises-we-want-to-see-revisited#13 |title=25 Sega Franchises We Want To See Revisited |magazine=Complex |access-date=2014-01-14 |archive-date=2012-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415053946/http://www.complex.com/video-games/2012/02/25-sega-franchises-we-want-to-see-revisited#13 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and ranked it as the 24th best 2D fighting game of all time in 2013.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.complex.com/video-games/2013/08/best-2d-fighting-games/ |title=The 25 Best 2D Fighting Games of All Time |magazine=Complex |date=2013-08-15 |access-date=2014-01-14 |archive-date=2013-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216050653/http://www.complex.com/video-games/2013/08/best-2d-fighting-games/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Legacy== Though ''Eternal Champions'' saw strong sales and was at one point a popular enough property to warrant a sequel, a remake, two spin-offs, and various multimedia tie-ins, after the planned third game in the core fighting series was cancelled, Sega has not produced any new product for the franchise. The entire series had been absent from the compilations of [[Sega Genesis]] games that have been released on various platforms over the years, until the first entry saw a release through [[Steam (service)|Steam]] on September 13, 2010. Rap group [[Bone Thugs-N-Harmony]]'s 1995 album ''[[E. 1999 Eternal]]'' was loosely inspired by the video game, not just in title, but even as far as the use of samples, such as the character bios theme for "Eternal", and the bad ending theme being the basis of the original "Crossroad", which would later be remixed, becoming the group's biggest single and earning them a [[Grammy]].
===Sequels=== {{Main|Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side}} ''Eternal Champions: Challenge From the Dark Side'' kept the special attack meter but made most special attacks use less of the meter than in the previous game. Therefore, the characters gained a multitude of special attacks that did not deplete the special attack meter. Three new types of finishing moves were added in ''Challenge from the Dark Side'': the second Overkill in each stage called Sudden Death (which could be activated when the victim still had a little life left), Vendetta, and Cinekill. Combo attacks were also introduced: Jumping attacks could be linked to ground attacks and most normal attacks could be linked to other normal attacks. In addition, the game was significantly more violent and bloody than its predecessor, especially in the new finishing moves. According to an interview with Michael Latham, there were also plans for a [[Game Gear]] version of the original game,<ref>''Eternal Champions Special'', Spring 1994.</ref> but this never materialized.
A third game, ''Eternal Champions: The Final Chapter'', was advertised for the [[Sega Saturn]], but the game was canceled shortly after beginning development in order to push the ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' series in the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Gaming Gossip |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=82 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=May 1996 |page=38|quote=... one title that won't see the light of day on the Saturn is Eternal Champions. You may have noticed it on the back of the Saturn box, but the Q hears that Sega simply wanted to focus on the Virtua Fighter series...}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |author=Dan Elektro|title=Vapor Trails |magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=116|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=May 1998|page=43 |quote=A Sega spokesperson replies, 'We channeled all our resources for fighting games into the Virtua Fighter series, which was more recognizable given its success in the arcades.'}}</ref> According to an interview with Michael Latham, this decision was made by [[Sega|Sega of Japan]]: "Sega of Japan felt that ''Eternal Champions'' was keeping ''Virtua Fighter'' from being more successful in the US and that it would be better if the company focused on only one franchise... and as Sega is a Japanese company, the Japan side won. It was a crushing blow and was the only time in working nearly a decade at Sega I considered quitting. I mainly stayed with the hope to change that decision, but sadly never could. Even when we did the NetFighter project for Heat.net, we weren't able to use the ''Eternal'' characters as a hidden bonus. From Japan's view, the game never existed, in spite of its stellar sales and even offers to do comic books and a cartoon around it."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sega-16.com/2005/02/interview-michael-latham/ |title=Sega-16 Interview: Michael Latham |publisher= Sega-16.com |date=February 8, 2005 |access-date=2013-09-06}}</ref>
===Spin-offs=== There are two video games which are spin-offs of the main ''Eternal Champions'' series, and are considered as being part of [[Multiverse|alternate universes]] to the main story of the core games, starring several popular ''Eternal Champions'' characters. The first game is ''[[Chicago Syndicate (video game)|Chicago Syndicate]]'', an [[action game]] released for the [[Game Gear]] handheld console in 1995. The plot is based in an alternate reality where Larcen Tyler did not die in year 1920 as stated in ''Eternal Champions'', and now seeks revenge on the Chicago Mafia. The second game, ''[[X-Perts]]'', is a side-scrolling [[beat'em up]] released in 1996 for the Genesis. Like ''Chicago Syndicate'', its plot is based in an alternate reality, this time one where Shadow Yamoto did not die in the year 1993 and instead formed a vigilante group. Additionally, there were also two gamebooks called: The Cyber Warriors & Citadel of Chaos, released in 1994.
===Film adaptation=== On August 16, 2024, a film adaptation based on the game was announced with [[Sega]] partnering with [[Skydance Media]] and set to be written by [[Derek Connolly]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kit|first=Borys|date=August 16, 2024|title=Skydance, 'Jurassic World' Scribe Derek Connolly Tackling Sega's 'Eternal Champions' (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sega-eternal-champions-movie-skydance-1235975970/|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=August 17, 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{moby game|id=/eternal-champions|name=''Eternal Champions''}} * [http://vc.sega.jp/vc_eternal/ Official Virtual Console website] {{in lang|ja}}
{{Eternal Champions}}
[[Category:Eternal Champions| ]] [[Category:1993 video games]] [[Category:Fighting games]] [[Category:Martial arts video games]] [[Category:Mortal Kombat clones]] [[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]] [[Category:Sega video game franchises]] [[Category:Sega Genesis games]] [[Category:Sega video games]] [[Category:Video games about death games]] [[Category:Video games developed in the United States]] [[Category:Virtual Console games]]