Warriors of Fate

Did You Know?

• In Japan, Game Machine listed Warriors of Fate as the most-popular arcade game in their December 15, 1992 issue.
• In North America, RePlay reported it to be the fifth most-popular arcade game at the time.
• Play Meter listed Warriors of Fate as the forty-fifth most-popular arcade game at the time.

Gameplay

Warriors of Fate is a side-scrolling beat 'em up that spans nine stages. Each level is packed with large groups of enemies, such as spearmen, archers, strongmen, and bomb-throwing foes, and always ends with at least one boss. Up to three players can fight together on screen. The controls are simple, with just Attack and Jump buttons, and the characters perform standard moves common to Capcom's arcade brawlers from that era. At the end of every stage, players face one or more of Wei's generals, including Li Dian, Xiahou Dun, Xu Chu, Cao Ren, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, and the legendary Lu Bu as the final boss. After defeating them, Cao Cao himself must be beaten before he can escape. Two bonus stages require rapid button mashing. Weapons can be picked up throughout the levels, and food found in breakable containers restores health. A standout feature is the ability to call a warhorse, which grants new attacks using pole-arms, except for Huang Zhong who uses a long bow. Every character except Zhao Yun has a unique wrestling throw. The playable roster consists of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, and Wei Yan; in the US version, they are renamed Portor, Kassar, Subutai, Kadan, and Abaka.

Story

In the Japanese version, Tenchi wo Kurau II follows Liu Bei's plight in Jingzhou from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a 14th century Chinese novel by Luo Guanzhong set in the Three Kingdoms period. Cao Cao invades Liu Bei's lands after the death of Dong Zhuo and recruits his general Lu Bu. Shu Han, led by Liu Bei, is portrayed as good and righteous, while Wei, led by Cao Cao, is portrayed as evil and cunning. Liu Bei's warriors begin by fighting Cao Cao's forces at the Battle of Bowang, then the Battle of Changban, and finally join Sun Quan at the Battle of Red Cliff. If the Five Tigers slay Cao Cao, Wu and Shu unite, restore the Han dynasty, and bring peace; if not, Cao Cao escapes and history continues as intended with turmoil and the eventual demise of Shu. In the English adaptation, the Three Kingdoms theme was lost and most names changed to Mongolian origin. The story takes place in a fictional realm where the evil overlord Akkila-Orkhan of Shang-Lo tries to conquer neighboring countries. Kuan-Ti, with the aid of five great warriors, stands up against the conquering shadow.