Ultra Vortek

Overview

Ultra Vortek is a 2D dark sci-fi fantasy fighting game developed by Beyond and published by Atari for the Atari Jaguar on September 5, 1995.

Like most of the other Western-made fighting games of the '90s, Ultra Vortek is heavily influenced by the Mortal Kombat series, lifting its use of digitized actors, gratuitous violence, grimdark themes, and brutal finishing moves.

Set in a dystopian future, the world of Ultra Vortek has humanity driven to ruin by a number of calamities, including a robot uprising and a revolt of genetically-cloned humans, with rampant gangs attempting to control what's left. Now a demonic creature, known as the "Guardian of the Ultra Vortek", announces that he will destroy the world unless he is defeated in combat.

Along with its infamous secret finishing move (that transforms the losing fighter into a pile of steaming feces), the game is known as the only game to support the rare Jaguar Voice Modem (JVM) peripheral for dial-up multiplayer.

Characters

The game includes seven playable characters from the start, two boss characters, and a hidden palette-swap. Each of the seven characters are organized into three separate factions (or "gangs"):

MeatHackers

This faction is made up of humans with natural abilities, mainly those who harness the power of the Ultra Vortek.

• Lucius - One of the highest-ranking members of the gang, acknowledged as the master of the Vortek's power. Fights with martial arts.

• DreadLoc - One of the leading opposition members of the gang, who rejects the Vortek's power in favor of street smarts and handheld weapons. Armed with an axed polearm.

PowerShifters

This faction is made up of mutant super-soldiers (known as SQUEEB units) who are able to shape-shift into other forms.

• Volcana - A Squeeb with fire-based abilities. Due to her human appearance, she was engineered for espionage.

• Grok - A Squeeb with a thick rocky exterior. Engineered for urban riot control. A hidden boss version of Grok, known as Carbon, is playable with a cheat code.

• Mercury - A Squeeb made up of molten quicksilver. Due to being able to melt down into different forms with ease, he was engineered for internal machine maintenance.

S.M.A.C.

Short for "Society of Machines, Androids, and Cyborgs", this faction is made up of various synthetic lifeforms.

• Buzzsaw - A logging robot equipped with multiple saw blades.

• Skullcrusher - A construction robot with grappling claws and a cutting-torch eye laser.

Boss Characters

These characters serve as the game's bosses and are unlockable with cheat codes.

• Shadow - Sub-boss used for the game's three one-round "endurance" matches. A shadow who transforms into each of the seven playable characters in silhouette. The first two matches has players fighting two Shadow opponents consecutively, while the third match has players fighting against all seven consecutively (all with low lifebar).

• Guardian - Final boss. The "Guardian of the Ultra Vortek" and a demonic being who promises humanity's total destruction if he cannot be bested.