STAR GLADIATOR

GRAPHICS (10)

VERY clean and solid.  The luminescence of the plasma weapons is awesome.  The animation 
is awesome, too.  The backgrounds must be seen to be believed!  Animated 3D elements 
a-plenty  (I'm sure you've all heard about the 3D space battle in Saturn's area)!  
Character design is pretty "out-there".  I've heard some complaints, but I think all of 
them are pretty cool, and VERY original (except maybe Hayato).  The flexible nature of 
the 3D models is used very well.  For example, Gamof has a combo that ends with his hand 
glowing and GROWING before he hits his opponent.  I could go on forever.  I'll just end 
it by saying that the graphics are spectacular.

CONTROL (8)

Special attacks roll off very smoothly.  Everything feels pretty natural, except for 3D 
dodging (which is character oriented, meaning that a dodge always goes to your 
character's left or right, not toward or away from the "screen").

PLAY MECHANICS (9)

Soul Edge.  This game has the same layout (A,B,K,G) and the same sort of attacks.  To me, 
SG's characters are generally not as clumsy to control and there are more combos.  Of 
course, that could just be because the combos are listed on charts in the game, so I've 
figured more out.  If you like SE, you'll like this.  SG plays faster, though.  Also, SG 
includes some very original moves, like Hayato's saber-extension and Gore's growing 
ability.  The 5-hit and Final combos are jaw-dropping, too.

MUSIC + SOUND (8)

The sound effects are perfect.  Very clear and dynamic.  The soundtrack is high-quality, 
although not very inspiring.  A little too mellow for my taste.

ORIGINALITY (8)

Yes, it's a fighting game.  Yes, it plays somewhat like Soul Edge.  However, there are 
enough original elements to keep it fresh and the graphics have a completely unique look.

REPLAYABILITY (9)

Again, it's a fighting game.  There are several combos, special attacks, counterattacks, 
etc, to master.  The characters are VERY diverse and none are so unbalanced as to be 
unplayable.  There 11 confirmed playable, plus a possible 12th.  The AI is a little weak, 
but puts up a good fight if you notch it up one from the default setting.

OVERALL (8.5)

If you've been waiting for Soul Edge, you'll want to give this a try.  The gameplay's 
close enough to keep most SE fans happy, but different enough to be enjoyed by people who 
find SE to be a little awkward, so even if you don't like SE, try it anyway.

Siv
jyarbro2@utk.edu