DARKSTALKERS

'''Darkstalkers''', known in Japan and Asia as , is a series of 2D fighting games produced by Capcom during the late 1990s for the CPS-2 hardware. The series is notable for its cast of characters based on well-known fictional monsters (hence its Japanese title, ''Vampire'') and introduced many of the concepts used in later Capcom fighting games, including the use of sixteen color animation sprites later employed in the ''Street Fighter Alpha'' and the ''Marvel vs. Capcom'' series. There have been five arcade games in the series with a few console ports produced as well.

Contents

''Darkstalkers''

''Night Warriors''

''Vampire Savior''

Special releases

''Vampire Hunter 2'' / ''Vampire Savior 2''

'' (2005)

''Vampire: Darkstalkers Collection'' (2005, Japan only)

Characters

Cameos in other games

Merchandising

References

See also

External links

''Darkstalkers''

The first in the series, fully titled '''Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors''' features ten playable characters (Demitri Maximoff, Jon Talbain, Victor von Gerdenheim, Lord Raptor, Morrigan Aensland, Anakaris, Felicia, Bishamon, Rikuo and Sasquatch) and two non-playable boss characters (Huitzil and Pyron). The game features the same gameplay system Capcom developed for the ''Street Fighter II'' series, but with several new gameplay features such as ''Air Blocking'', ''Crouch Walking'' and ''Chain Combos''. The game featured a ''Special'' meter similar to the ''Super Combo'' in ''Super Street Fighter II Turbo'', which the player could fill up to perform a super powered special attack. Unlike the ''Super Combo'' meter in ''Super Turbo'', the ''Special'' meter in ''Darkstalkers'' gradually drains until the player performs their super move, preventing players from preserving their super moves for later use.
This game was ported to the Sony PlayStation.
'Story' - Demitri Maximoff, a powerful vampire, decides to hold a tournament to see which of the world's greatest monsters is worthy of the title "Lord of the Night". This plot was rewritten for ''Night Warriors''.

''Night Warriors''

The second game in the series, fully titled '''Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge''' or in Japan, was an upgraded version of the original ''Darkstalkers'' which introduced several gameplay changes to the game. The game introduced two new playable characters, Donovan Baine and Hsien-Ko, who were out to hunt the other ''Darkstalkers'' in the game (hence the Japanese title, ''Vampire Hunter''). The two bosses from the first game, Huitzil and Pyron, were now playable characters as well. The main change in ''Night Warriors'' is the ability for the player to stock up on their special bars, along them to store more than one special bar and preserve them through the entire match. Two types of Super Moves are featured in the game: ''ES Specials'', which requires a portion of the ''Special'' bar, and ''EX Specials'', which require a complete ''Special'' bar to perform. Player can choose between a "Normal" gameplay style or one that offers Auto-Blocking.
This game was ported to the Sega Saturn.
'Story' - Pyron, an alien overlord from the planet Hellstorm, decides to add Earth to his collection. Enter the world's most fearsome monsters; ironically, the last defense of mankind. Meanwhile, two darkstalker hunters make their presence known and join in the fray.

''Vampire Savior''

The third and final proper installment in the series, , retained the character roster of ''Night Warriors'', omitting Donovan, Huitzil and Pyron from the lineup. Taking their place were four new characters; Jedah, Lilith, Q-Bee and B. B. Hood. ''Vampire Savior'' eschews the traditional round-based system in favour of what is dubbed ''Damage Gauge System''; instead battles takes place during a period of one round with each fighter having two "life markers" (by default) which are diminish after one's life bar is completely emptied (similar to ''Killer Instinct''). The player can also regain a portion of their life during battle if they avoid taking further hits. The game also introduce the ''Dark Force System'' which allow players to perform special abilities unique to each character for a limited period.
This game was ported to the Sega Saturn and to the Sony PlayStation (as ''Darkstalkers 3: Jedah's Damnation'').
'Story' - Jedah, one of the high nobles of Makai, is resurrected after a premature death long ago. Seeing the state of the demon world, he decides that the only way to save the world is to recreate it. To this end, he conjures a dimension known as Majigen, to which he summons worthy souls to feed his new world. As luck would have it, those souls belong to the characters from the first two games, in addition to three newcomers.

Special releases

''Vampire Hunter 2'' / ''Vampire Savior 2''

'''Vampire Hunter 2''' and '''Vampire Savior 2''' were two simultaneously-released upgraded versions of ''Vampire Savior'' that were distributed only in Japan. The main difference between the two upgrades and the original ''Vampire Savior'' are in its character roster. ''Vampire Hunter 2'' features the same character roster as ''Night Warriors'', omitting the added characters from ''Vampire Savior'', while ''Vampire Savior'' features the new characters with Donovan, Huitzil and Pyron, but does so by omitting J. Talbain, Rikuo and Sasquatch.
===''Vampire Chronicle for Matching Service'' (2000, Japan only)===
Released for Sega Dreamcast by Capcom and published by Sega via SegaDirect. The game is a mix with characters from all prior ''Vampire'' / ''Darkstalkers'' games and allowed players to challenge others over the Internet.

'' (2005)

A port of the Japan-only Sega Dreamcast title ''Vampire Chronicle for Matching Service'' to PSP,.

''Vampire: Darkstalkers Collection'' (2005, Japan only)

Released on the PlayStation 2. A compilation of all five arcade ''Darkstalkers'' games with secret "Arranged Versions" of each game.

Characters

★ Anakaris (Mummy)--''Voiced by Kan Tokumaru''

★ Baby Bonnie Hood (Human Bounty Hunter based on ''Little Red Riding Hood'') (Bulleta in Japan)--''Voiced by Miyuki Matsushita''

★ Bishamon (Samurai ghost inhabiting a cursed suit of armor)--''Voiced by Kan Tokumaru''

★ Demitri Maximoff (Vampire)--''Voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama''

★ Donovan Baine (Dhampir and a Vampire Hunter)--''Voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama''

★ Felicia (Catgirl)--''Voiced by Kae Araki''

★ Hsien-Ko (Hopping corpse, Jiang-shi, or more typically "Chinese Vampire") (Lei-Lei in Japan)--''Voiced by Michiko Neya''

★ Huitzil (Robot) (Phobos in Japan)--''Voiced by Juurouta Kosugi''

★ Jedah Dohma (Dark Messiah, with Grim Reaper similarities)--''Voiced by Isshin Chiba''

★ Jon Talbain (Werewolf) (Gallon in Japan)--''Voiced by Yuji Ueda''

★ Lilith (succubus and younger "sister" of Morrigan, created from one third of the latter's soul)--''Voiced by Hiroko Konishi''

★ Lord Raptor (Zombie/Ghoul) (Zabel Zarock in Japan)--''Voiced by Yuji Ueda''

★ Morrigan Aensland (Succubus)--''Voiced by Yayoi Jinguji''

★ Pyron (Alien fire elemental)--''Voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama''

★ Q-Bee (Bee-based monster known as "Soul Bee")--''Voiced by Miyuki Matsushita

★ Rikuo (Merman) (Aulbath in Japan)--''Voiced by Yuji Ueda''

★ Sasquatch (Yeti)--''Voiced by Kan Tokumaru''

★ Victor von Gerdenheim (Golem, based on Frankenstein's Monster)--''Voiced by Kan Tokumaru''

★ Marionette (Puppet. Copies it's opponent.)--''Voiced by NA

★ Shadow (Shadow creature. In game, takes the character of the defeated enemy.)--''Voiced by NA

Character	appears in
	Darkstalkers	Night Warriors	Vampire Savior
Anakaris
B.B. Hood
Bishamon
Demitri
Donovan
Felicia
Hsien-Ko
Huitzil
Jedah
J. Talbain
Lilith
Lord Raptor
Morrigan
Pyron
Q-Bee
Rikuo
Sasquatch
Victor

Cameos in other games

While the Darkstalkers franchise did not see continuation past the third game in the series, several individual characters (usually the females) appeared in later Capcom games. The most well-known of these crossover titles is probably the Marvel vs. Capcom series. Super deformed variations of the Darkstalkers appear in '', '' and the tongue-in-cheek puzzle game ''Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo''.^[1]

Merchandising

★ A ''Darkstalkers'' animated series was produced for US audiences. It starred a young boy named Harry Grimoire, who was created for the cartoon. Since the series was not drawn in the same anime style used to draw the game sprites, the Darkstalkers characters look noticeably different.^[1]

★ A four-episode OVA anime series was released, titled ''Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge'' (''Vampire Hunter: The Animated Series'' in Japan). Viz published the anime in North America.

★ Viz translated and released a set of 6 comics based on the ''Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge'' OVA, and later combined them into a single trade paperback.

★ UDON Comics created a 6-issue ''Darkstalkers'' series.

★ The ''Darkstalkers'' franchise will be added to the Universal Fighting System Collectible Card Game in November 2007.^[3]

★ Yujin released gashapon figures of most (if not all) of the Darkstalkers characters; including several "Midnight Blissed" figures.

References

1. http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/darkstalkers/darkstalkers3.htm
2. http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/darkstalkers/darkstalkers3.htm
3. http://www.sabertoothgames.com/ufs/ufs.asp

See also

★ Marvel vs. Capcom (series)

★ SNK vs. Capcom (series)

★ Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo

★

★ Capcom Fighting Evolution

★ Namco x Capcom

★ List of fighting games

External links

★

★ Voice Credits from IMDB

★ Darkstalkers Series at MobyGames

★ Gamespy retrospective