Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein

Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein, released in Japan as Star Gladiator 2: Nightmare of Bilstein (スターグラディエイター2 ナイトメア オブ ビルシュタイン), is a 1998 3D weapon-based fighting video game released by Capcom for the arcades. It is the sequel to Star Gladiator and runs on the ZN-2 hardware, an improved version of the PlayStation-based ZN-1 hardware its predecessor ran on. A Dreamcast port was released in 2000.

Gameplay
The control system from the first Star Gladiator was reworked and rebuilt for the sequel. Much like the first game, players are given an arsenal of four usable buttons. Two of the buttons are attacks for a fighter's weapon while one button is used for a kick attack and the final button is used for inward and outward sidesteps as well as dashes. The Plasma Combo System was discarded in favor of the Plasma Strike System, in which all characters have a Plasma Gauge (similar to the ones found in Street Fighter and Darkstalkers) and that they can store up to three levels of the Plasma Gauge, enabling them to pull off super moves called Plasma Strikes. Unlike the first game, fighters are able to battle on an endless 3D plane field, meaning that ring-outs were unavailable from within sight. Like other 3D fighting games, set combos were implemented through tapping a specific sequence of buttons. However, characters could perform special moves from within the combos themselves, akin to 2D fighting games (similar to the treatment found in the Street Fighter EX series). Characters can also counter incoming attacks using a Plasma Reflect or Plasma Revenge tactic against their opponent, requiring at least half of a Plasma Gauge level.

One new tactic introduced from within Plasma Sword is that characters were granted a unique special skill called a Plasma Field. With the use of one level from the Plasma Gauge, the character who activates it will emit a sphere of Plasma energy around them. If the opposing character is hit by it, the 3D plane field will be temporarily boxed in with four invisible walls, making escape from the Plasma Field quite difficult. The effects of the Plasma Field vary with each character, ranging from infinite Plasma Strikes, growing to gigantic sizes, and even stopping time.

The Arcade Mode of Plasma Sword has the player going through eight stages of combat. Upon reaching the fifth stage, the player character encounters a mid-boss that further advances the story of the player character. Once the player reaches the eighth and final stage, they battle a final boss specific to their player character. Depending on the number of Battle Ability points that the player acquires during Arcade Mode, the player character will have a unique ending. If the player is unable to gain the required amount of Battle Ability points needed in order to continue on, the player character will have an abridged ending. Should the player succeed in gaining the required number of Battle Ability points, they will have the opportunity to face off against another CPU-controlled character, who is considered to be the "true" final boss for the player character. Once they are defeated, the player is presented with an extended conclusion of the player character's story that is considered to be the "true" ending.

Story
In the epic battle of the Final Crusade that had occurred last year, Hayato Kanzaki slayed the evil Dr. Edward Bilstein, brought the end of the Fourth Empire's terror and destruction, and signaled the restoration of peace and happiness.

Rumors have been circulating about the return of Bilstein in a new cybernetic body, as well as the appearance of a ghost who eerily looks like Bilstein's old cybernetic body. The Fourth Empire has rebuilt its forces and are determined to carry out Bilstein's will of universal conquest. Hayato, June, Saturn, and Gamof reenter the fight to defeat Bilstein and the Fourth Empire. They have new friends to assist them, such as their former enemy Zelkin, an extremely strong Japanese military war soldier named Gantetsu, a noble and aspiring young American modern-day superhero with a bird motif named Eagle, and a mysterious yet cheerful young Japanese rhythmic gymnast named Ele. Star Gladiators, Fourth Empire members, and neutral parties are thrust into a war to determine the fate of not only the Earth, but the entire universe.

Characters
With the exception of Rimgal and Kappah, the remaining characters of the original Star Gladiator return for the sequel. The ten returning characters are joined by fourteen new characters, of which ten are "mirror images" of the returning ones, while the remaining four new characters have their own unique fighting styles. The ten "mirror image" characters share the same weaponry, attacks, and Plasma Fields of the original cast, but have their own unique Plasma Strikes, character designs, and original stories. There are two sub-bosses/secret characters that can only be played through the use of codes.

Development
The game was exhibited at the February 1998 AOU Show, then under the title Star Gladiator like its predecessor.

Reception
The Dreamcast version received mixed reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. An unnamed reviewer of Next Generation said of the arcade version in its September 1998 issue, "Capcom has taken few (if any) big steps forward with Plasma Sword, but the fighting game giant has managed to round out and deepen the gameplay essentials of its growing 3D library." 18 issues later, however, Jeff Lundrigan of the same magazine (now labeled NextGen) said of the former version in his early review on its March 2000 issue, "If you're working your way down the list of Dreamcast brawlers, this is the one to buy next to last (just ahead of Mortal Kombat Gold)." In Japan, Famitsu gave the same console version a score of 31 out of 40.

Also in Japan, Game Machine listed the arcade version in their June 1, 1998 issue as the third most-successful arcade game of the month.

In one (albeit early) review, Jake The Snake of GamePro called the Dreamcast version "a good-looking game with lots of visual variety. It's not in the top tier of fighting games with Soul Calibur [sic], but it does offer plenty of intense action—especially when you're trading huge special attacks with a human opponent." In another review, Kilo Watt said that the same console version "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."