Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein

About Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein

Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein (1998) is Capcom's 3D weapon-based fighting sequel to Star Gladiator, adding Plasma Fields that trap opponents with character-specific effects.

Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein in Depth

A year after Hayato Kanzaki of the Star Gladiators killed Fourth Empire leader Dr. Edward Bilstein on the planet Zeta, the Earth Federation enjoys peace, but the Empire is rebuilding amid rumours that Bilstein has been reborn, and Federation troopers sent to Zeta are wiped out by unknown forces. The reworked controls give four buttons: two weapon attacks, a kick, and a button for sidesteps and dashes. The Plasma Combo System is replaced by the Plasma Strike System, with a gauge of up to three levels powering super moves called Plasma Strikes. Fights now take place on an endless 3D field, so ring-outs are gone, and while set combos work as in other 3D fighters, special moves can be woven into them as in 2D games and the Street Fighter EX series.

Half a gauge level allows a Plasma Reflect or Plasma Revenge counter. The new Plasma Field costs one level: the character emits a sphere of energy, and if it hits, four invisible walls box in the arena, with effects that vary by fighter, from unlimited Plasma Strikes to growing to giant size or stopping time. Arcade Mode has eight stages, with a story mid-boss at the fifth and a character-specific final boss at the eighth. Earning enough Battle Ability points unlocks a fight against a "true" final boss and an extended ending; otherwise the player sees an abridged one.

Making Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein

Capcom developed it on the ZN-2 board as a sequel to 1996's Star Gladiator, reworking its control system and mechanics. Next Generation said in 1998 that Capcom had "taken few (if any) big steps forward" but had managed to "round out and deepen the gameplay essentials of its growing 3D library". The 2000 Dreamcast version received mixed reviews, praised for its refined play and visual style but criticised for a lack of originality: NextGen ranked it next to last among Dreamcast fighters, just ahead of Mortal Kombat Gold, while Famitsu gave it 31 out of 40 and GamePro called it "a good-looking game with lots of visual variety", if not in Soulcalibur's top tier.