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Superior Soldiers

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Arcade

August 1999. 90% of humanity has died due to a strange energy falling on Earth. The remaining humans have named this energy Force. To protect themselves against the Force they have remodeled their bodies and created a new generation of man. Besides the names of several characters, the North Am...

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Developer
Irem

Released on
1993

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Fighting

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

August 1999. 90% of humanity has died due to a strange energy falling on Earth. The remaining humans have named this energy Force. To protect themselves against the Force they have remodeled their bodies and created a new generation of man.

Besides the names of several characters, the North American version, Superior Soldiers lacks other things that are seen in the Japanese version, Perfect Soldiers. The Japanese version has an announcer shouting the name of the game at the title screen, as well as names of “who VS. who” at the VS. screens in Engrish. However, the well-known “Winners Don’t Use Drugs” screen and new color graphics were added to the North American version.

Superior Soldiers

Overview & History

Released by SNK in 1993 for the Neo Geo arcade hardware, *Superior Soldiers* (known in Japan as *Itsutsuboshi* or *Five-Star Warriors*) is a sci-fi 2D fighting game that pits bizarre genetic mutants against one another in a post-apocalyptic future. Set in the year 2088 following a catastrophic orbital disaster, Earth's remaining population has mutated due to cosmic radiation. Players select from a bizarre roster of bio-engineered fighters—including cyborgs, insectoids, and cybernetic mutants—to overthrow a tyrannical regime in a tournament for planetary dominance. While overshadowed by SNK's massive hits like *Fatal Fury* and *Samurai Shodown*, this cult classic remains notable for its distinct sprite scaling and unconventional character designs.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard arcade fighters of its era, *Superior Soldiers* heavily emphasizes a unique z-axis dodging mechanic and aggressive momentum. The combat engine features dynamic background and foreground sidestepping, allowing fighters to evade incoming projectiles and close the distance quickly. Characters possess distinct multi-hit combos, devastating desperation moves triggered at low health, and specialized projectile attacks. The game utilizes a traditional four-button layout: Weak Attack, Strong Attack, Jump, and a dedicated Dodge button. Visually, the title makes striking use of Neo Geo's hardware scaling to zoom the camera in and out depending on the distance between combatants, creating a cinematic sense of depth during intense skirmishes.