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The Fallen Angels (堕落天使, Daraku Tenshi) is a 1998 fighting arcade game from Japanese company Psikyo, developed by Steel Hearts. It was Psikyo's second attempt in the 2D versus fighting genre after Battle K-Road. Despite its public release, the game is incomplete; a "complete edition" of the game by Zerodiv (founded by former Psikyo programmer Keiyuki Haragami) was announced in 2019 to be released for arcades and later consoles, but no developments have occurred since.[1]
| The Fallen Angels | |
|---|---|
 Japanese candy cabinet marquee of Daraku Tenshi - The Fallen Angels. | |
| Developer(s) | Steel Hearts |
| Publisher(s) | Psikyo |
| Designer(s) | Kouzou Fujimoto (producer) Mitsuo Kodama (director) |
| Artist(s) | Toshiyuki Kotani |
| Composer(s) | Masaki Izutani Kumi Tanioka |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release | 1998 |
| Genre(s) | 2D Versus Fighting |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Two-player |
| Arcade system | Psikyo SH-2 |
Gameplay
editFallen Angels is a two dimensional fighting game that takes a somewhat realistic approach in its gameplay, with super powered moves and with fluid movements animated using real motions (which was also featured in Art of Fighting 3). Projectile attacks are limited to three characters, atypical for the game's genre. The game featured eight playable characters: Cool, Harry Ness, Yuiren, Yuiran, Tarō, Torao Onigawara, Ruccio Roche and Haiji Mibu. The boss characters are Trigger and Carlos.
Plot
editThe game takes place in 2010, ten years after a massive earthquake that shook an unnamed city. The earthquake severed the city from its surrounding areas, leaving criminals to run as they please. The game revolves around the inhabitants fighting against one another to accomplish their goals.
Development
editInformation about the game's development and fate are scarce, though it is widely reported that it was released without being completed. The developers of the game then reportedly moved back to SNK, supported by the observation that many of the characters bear striking resemblances to fighters that later appeared in SNK's The King of Fighters series and Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Game director Mitsuo Kodama was unhappy that the game's style influenced other rival companies (who left to found K2 LLC, later acquired by Capcom) In The King of Fighters '99, the boss character Krizalid resembles one of the characters and has a theme song titled "Dear Falling Angel".
Unfinished sprites for four unplayable characters have been found in the ROMs of the game, speculating that they were meant to be playable characters. They consisted of a female treasure hunter, a shirtless male brawler, a businessman, and a naked male with no genitals.
The once upcoming complete version of the game was to feature the four unused characters, along with many adjustments.[1]
Reception
editIn Japan, Game Machine listed The Fallen Angels on their May 1, 1998 issue as being the eleventh most-successful arcade game among machine operators surveyed during that two-week period.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Gematsu: The Fallen Angels complete edition announced for console, arcade
- ^ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 563. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 May 1998. p. 21.
External links
edit- The Fallen Angels at The Large Cult Fighting Game March (in Japanese)
- The Fallen Angels at the Killer List of Videogames
- The Fallen Angels at arcade-history
- Daraku Tenshi screenshots
- Daraku Tenshi Complete Unofficial Site
- "Daraku Tenshi:...Beta?" - beta analysis article detailing all the lost content from game at Unseen64