Rage of the Gladiator
Encyclopedia
Rage of the Gladiator is a WiiWare
game. It is the second WiiWare game to use the Wii MotionPlus
. The gameplay is similar to the gameplay of Punch-Out
.
According to an interview with Joystiq
, Ghostfire Games CEO Ed Roman states "The game consists entirely of boss fights. After all, boss fights are the most interesting aspects of most video games. So we skipped the "fodder" creatures. Each boss is essentially a little "puzzle" that you need to figure out how to defeat. Some require dexterity, others require memorization, and some require listening to what they're saying very carefully so that you react to their attacks appropriately."
In the same interview, Ed Roman cited a little-known 1990 Neo Geo
game Crossed Swords
as inspiration for the first-person fighting concept, in addition to influences from several popular games, such as the combat system in Punch-Out!!
, the combo system in God of War
, the cutscene
s in Final Fantasy
, and the tech trees in Diablo
or World of Warcraft
, as well as the background music
in films such as 300
.
Once you’ve beaten the first 10 bosses in "Normal Mode", you must face them all again in "Challenge Mode". In this mode, the bosses gain new powers and are much more difficult. The final boss is only unlocked at the end of Challenge Mode. This results in a total of 21 battles in the game.
After each fight, the player is able to upgrade their abilities before moving on to the next opponent, using a Skill tree.
Offense: Focuses on hitting harder, gaining critical strikes, leeching health from opponents, and conjuring spells.
Defense: Focuses on taking less damage, improved blocking, the ability to heal yourself in combat, and the ability to resurrect from death.
Magic: Focuses on generating more energy to perform combos, channeling electricity into opponents, and summoning spells like lightning and tornados.
's Jonathan Marx, "Rage of the Gladiator looks like it's shaping up to be a premium title for WiiWare.", and "Ghostfire Games is set to deliver an engaging gaming experience later this year".
In an interview with GameZone
, Michael Lafferty states "The games streaming in as downloads are getting better and better and Ghostfire Games has a real treat in store for Wii fans. Rage of the Gladiator is poised to be a benchmark game."
NintendoLife.com gave the game a 9/10, stating: "Rage of the Gladiator is the kind of WiiWare game we'd like to see more often, with excellent control, great design and bags of fun."
GameZone's Dan Liebman gave the game an 8 out of 10, saying "Ghostfire Games offers a new twist on the classic boxing simulator with Rage of the Gladiator. The mechanics are fairly familiar, and easy to grasp even if you’re a newcomer. Using the first-person perspective, the player is thrust into the sandals of Gracius, a comically melodramatic aristocrat-turned-brawler who must face a slew of bizarre enemies in the arena."
"With an emphasis on feel-good playability, it’s hard to go wrong with Rage of the Gladiator. Any old school boxing gamer will feel right at home."
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
game. It is the second WiiWare game to use the Wii MotionPlus
Wii MotionPlus
The is an expansion device for the Wii Remote video game controller for the Wii that allows it to more accurately capture complex motion. According to Nintendo, the sensor in the device supplements the accelerometer and Sensor Bar capabilities of the Wii Remote to enable actions to be rendered...
. The gameplay is similar to the gameplay of Punch-Out
Punch-Out!! (Wii)
Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game for the Wii. It is the latest game in the Punch-Out!! series. It was developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games. Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto served as the game's producer. It was first revealed at Nintendo's conference on October 2, 2008...
.
Plot
The game begins in the arena, but the story is told in cut scenes after boss battles. The Gracius (the player)is the twin son of the King of Avelencia, Marius making him a prince. Avelencia is a Greco-Roman style City State, teeming with mythical creatures. The King took Gracius's mother, Maia, as a bride by defeating the nearby city of Angalore. Gracius was born minutes before his twin brother, Luthor. Maia died in child birth, but prayed to the gods for her sons to be blessed with great strength and valor. A week prior to the start of the game Gracius and Luthor were made aware of their father's death. King Marius had been killed in his sleep, and witnesses claimed Gracius was the murderer. Gracius's own soldiers handcuffed him and took him away. Luthor told them to stop, but was restrained and ignored.Overview
Rage of the Gladiator is a fantasy-based first-person perspective fighting game. You play the role of Gracius, battling for his life in the arena.According to an interview with Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
, Ghostfire Games CEO Ed Roman states "The game consists entirely of boss fights. After all, boss fights are the most interesting aspects of most video games. So we skipped the "fodder" creatures. Each boss is essentially a little "puzzle" that you need to figure out how to defeat. Some require dexterity, others require memorization, and some require listening to what they're saying very carefully so that you react to their attacks appropriately."
In the same interview, Ed Roman cited a little-known 1990 Neo Geo
Neo Geo
was a family of video game hardware developed by SNK from 1990 to 1999, and fully discontinued in 2004.-Neo Geo MVS :The Neo Geo Multi Video System , is an arcade system board, being the first product in the Neo Geo family, and released in 1990...
game Crossed Swords
Crossed Swords (video game)
Crossed Swords is a hack & slash action RPG arcade game developed by Alpha Denshi and published by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade system in 1990 and Neo Geo console in 1991...
as inspiration for the first-person fighting concept, in addition to influences from several popular games, such as the combat system in Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!!
is a 1983–1984 boxing arcade game by Nintendo. It was the first in a series of successful Punch-Out!! games that produced an arcade sequel known as Super Punch-Out!!, a spin-off of the series titled Arm Wrestling, a highly popular version for the NES originally known as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!,...
, the combo system in God of War
God of War (series)
God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment...
, the cutscene
Cutscene
A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues...
s in Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
, and the tech trees in Diablo
Diablo (series)
Diablo is an action role-playing game franchise owned and produced by Blizzard Entertainment. , the series has sold over 18.5 million copies worldwide.-Story:...
or World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
, as well as the background music
Background music
Although background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
in films such as 300
300 (film)
300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant...
.
Gameplay
To win, the player must wait for the right moment, then dodge, jump, or block the enemy’s attacks. After avoiding an attack, the player may retaliate. Additionally, the player may counter-attack while the enemy is performing an attack. Once you learn to exploit the weakness of each enemy with the proper timing and agility, you can use this knowledge to defeat them.Once you’ve beaten the first 10 bosses in "Normal Mode", you must face them all again in "Challenge Mode". In this mode, the bosses gain new powers and are much more difficult. The final boss is only unlocked at the end of Challenge Mode. This results in a total of 21 battles in the game.
After each fight, the player is able to upgrade their abilities before moving on to the next opponent, using a Skill tree.
Skill Tree
The player is awarded "skill points" after each victory, which they can use to upgrade their character in one of three ways.Offense: Focuses on hitting harder, gaining critical strikes, leeching health from opponents, and conjuring spells.
Defense: Focuses on taking less damage, improved blocking, the ability to heal yourself in combat, and the ability to resurrect from death.
Magic: Focuses on generating more energy to perform combos, channeling electricity into opponents, and summoning spells like lightning and tornados.
Media
According to Cheat Code CentralCheat Code Central
Cheat Code Central is a video game website primarily known for its extensive list of cheat codes. Cheat Code Central, also known as CCC and CheatCC, offers previews, reviews, news, and various articles on the gaming industry...
's Jonathan Marx, "Rage of the Gladiator looks like it's shaping up to be a premium title for WiiWare.", and "Ghostfire Games is set to deliver an engaging gaming experience later this year".
In an interview with GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
, Michael Lafferty states "The games streaming in as downloads are getting better and better and Ghostfire Games has a real treat in store for Wii fans. Rage of the Gladiator is poised to be a benchmark game."
Reception
IGN.com scored the game an 8.5/10 and had the following to say: "The production values on display here are impressive, especially for a WiiWare game. Multiple control schemes offer something for both fans of old school and motion controls, the game looks great, and lots of voice acting brings these bosses to life."NintendoLife.com gave the game a 9/10, stating: "Rage of the Gladiator is the kind of WiiWare game we'd like to see more often, with excellent control, great design and bags of fun."
GameZone's Dan Liebman gave the game an 8 out of 10, saying "Ghostfire Games offers a new twist on the classic boxing simulator with Rage of the Gladiator. The mechanics are fairly familiar, and easy to grasp even if you’re a newcomer. Using the first-person perspective, the player is thrust into the sandals of Gracius, a comically melodramatic aristocrat-turned-brawler who must face a slew of bizarre enemies in the arena."
"With an emphasis on feel-good playability, it’s hard to go wrong with Rage of the Gladiator. Any old school boxing gamer will feel right at home."