Fighting Layer

Overview

Fighting Layer is a 3D fighting game developed by Arika and released by Namco in arcades (running the PS1-based Namco System 12 hardware) exclusively in Japan on December 1998.

From the developers of the Street Fighter EX series, Fighting Layer features a new cast of fighters (with the exception of Allen Snider and Blair Dame, both from the original Street Fighter EX) and is one of the few 3D fighting games to use a six-button layout. It's also known for its unusual bonus matches, including a hulking knight that cannot be knocked back and three animals (a tiger, a shark, and a large falcon).

Gameplay

Some of the gameplay systems included are:

Barrage Blow - A super attack that consumes one bar of meter.

Super Cancel - As in Street Fighter EX it is possible to cancel supers into one another.

Hard Reversal - An attack used to counter the opponent on wake-up, it is performed by pressing the same strength punch + kick whilst landing and consumes one bar of meter.

Hard Attack - A universal guard-breaker similar to the one in the Street Fighter EX games. It can be performed by pressing two attack buttons of the same strength together.

Blow Quit - If timed correctly a normal attack from you and the opponent can clash and cancel each other out.

Easy Combination - If a light punch connects and you keep pressing the button your character will perform a short chain combination.

The game also features a rather unique arcade mode. There are multiple routes the player can take depending on how the player performs in a bonus fight against a knight. These routes determine which bonus boss the player will face, the most absurd of which being the famed shark.

Characters

• Allen Snider
• Blair Dame
• Cappricio
• Exodus
• George Jensent
• Hong Gillson
• Janis Luciani
• Jig Jid Bartol
• Lan Yinghua
• Shang Fenghuang
• Sessyu Tsukikage
• Tetsuo Kato
• Joe Fendi (sub-boss, unlockable in the Arcade version)
• Clemence Keliber (sub-boss, unlockable in the Arcade versio)
• Preston Ajax (sub-boss, unlockable in the Arcade versio)
• Void Ignitio (boss, unplayable)
• Knight (bonus opponent, unplayable)
• Shark (sub-boss, unplayable)
• Tiger (sub-boss, unplayable)
• Falcon (sub-boss, unplayable)