Originally developed by Sunsoft and released on the Neo-Geo system, Galaxy Fight is a quirky 2D fighter that takes place in a distant galaxy on multiple planets.
There are 8 fighters in total, all oddly unique in their own way. Rolf and Kazuma are your standard brawler/ninja template by appearance, but the others – like Roomi for instance – is a cute Japanese girl with over-exaggerated fists and feet in a purple spandex suit. As strange as it sounds, it works out quite well.
Galaxy Fight has a feature that wasn’t common in most fighting games at the time – the stages are open-ended and they don’t have invisible corners that can trap players. This adds a twist to the gameplay. Since it’s not possible to corner your opponent, you have to re-think your strategy during battle.
The computer AI can be a bit tricky at times. While most fighting games offer some kind of balance, Galaxy Fight tends to sway more in the CPU’s favor. Regardless of how good you may be at 2D fighters, an offensive approach will not work. The CPU will cancel your attacks and beat you into oblivion. The best approach is to play defensively, and block often while looking for an opening.
The in-game controls are extremely smooth. There is no difficulty executing combos and special moves, and that is crucial in a fighting game. The combat uses four buttons – Square punches,; X is medium kick; Circle is strong kick; and Triangle is taunt. Holding away from your opponent allows you to block.
Galaxy Fight really shines as a 2-player experience, but it’s a shame there is no online function. Hopefully MonkeyPawGames will consider this option for future releases.
Compared to the Neo-Geo original, the Playstation graphics look a bit chunky. This is perplexing since there have been many fighters on the system that had smooth 2D sprites. Luckily, there is an option to smooth out the rough edges, but some of the sprite detail is lost when this feature is turned on.
Galaxy Fight is a challenging fighter; even veterans of the genre will gnash their teeth in frustration at the AI. Despite the imbalance in gameplay, GF is still a worthy addition to the genre.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: Playstation 3 (Available on PSN)
Developer: Sunsoft
Publisher: MonkeyPawGames
Price: $5.99
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |   |
| The graphics look a bit chunky, but the smoothing feature fixes it. | |
| Sound | |
| The music is a collection of catchy, cyber-punk tunes. | |
| Gameplay | |
| CPU AI is unforgiving to say the very least. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| While it may not be Street Fighter II or The King of Fighters, Galaxy Fight is still a solid fighter. | |
