Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein

Director(s)Yoichiro Ikeda
Takayoshi TeradaProducer(s)Noritaka Funamizu
Koji NakajimaArtist(s)BengusComposer(s)Tetsuya Shibata
Takayuki IwaiSeriesStar GladiatorPlatform(s)Arcade, DreamcastReleaseArcade
Dreamcast
Genre(s)FightingMode(s)Single-player, multiplayerArcade systemSony ZN-2

Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein, released in Japan as Star Gladiator 2: Nightmare of Bilstein (Japanese: スターグラディエイター2 ナイトメア オブ ビルシュタイン, Hepburn: Sutāguradieitā Tsū Naitomea obu Birushutain), is a 1998 3D weapon-based fighting video game released by Capcom for the arcades. It is the sequel to Star Gladiator and runs on the ZN-2 hardware, an improved version of the PlayStation-based ZN-1 hardware its predecessor ran on. A Dreamcast port was released in 2000. The arcade version is set to be re-released in 2025 as part of Capcom Fighting Collection 2.^[2]

The control system from the first Star Gladiator was reworked and rebuilt for the sequel. Much like the first game, players are given an arsenal of four usable buttons. Two of the buttons are attacks for a fighter's weapon while one button is used for a kick attack and the final button is used for inward and outward sidesteps as well as dashes. The Plasma Combo System was discarded in favor of the Plasma Strike System, in which all characters have a Plasma Gauge (similar to the ones found in Street Fighter and Darkstalkers) and that they can store up to three levels of the Plasma Gauge, enabling them to pull off super moves called Plasma Strikes. Unlike the first game, fighters are able to battle on an endless 3D plane field, meaning that ring-outs were unavailable from within sight. Like other 3D fighting games, set combos were implemented through tapping a specific sequence of buttons. However, characters could perform special moves from within the combos themselves, akin to 2D fighting games (similar to the treatment found in the Street Fighter EX series). Characters can also counter incoming attacks using a Plasma Reflect or Plasma Revenge tactic against their opponent, requiring at least half of a Plasma Gauge level.

One new tactic introduced from within Plasma Sword is that characters were granted a unique special skill called a Plasma Field. With the use of one level from the Plasma Gauge, the character who activates it will emit a sphere of Plasma energy around them. If the opposing character is hit by it, the 3D plane field will be temporarily boxed in with four invisible walls, making escape from the Plasma Field quite difficult. The effects of the Plasma Field vary with each character, ranging from infinite Plasma Strikes, growing to gigantic sizes, and even stopping time.

The Arcade Mode of Plasma Sword has the player going through eight stages of combat. Upon reaching the fifth stage, the player character encounters a mid-boss that further advances the story of the player character. Once the player reaches the eighth and final stage, they battle a final boss specific to their player character. Depending on the number of Battle Ability points that the player acquires during Arcade Mode, the player character will have a unique ending. If the player is unable to gain the required amount of Battle Ability points needed in order to continue on, the player character will have an abridged ending. Should the player succeed in gaining the required number of Battle Ability points, they will have the opportunity to face off against another CPU-controlled character, who is considered to be the "true" final boss for the player character. Once they are defeated, the player is presented with an extended conclusion of the player character's story that is considered to be the "true" ending.

In the epic battle of the Final Crusade that had occurred last year, Hayato Kanzaki slayed the evil Dr. Edward Bilstein, brought the end of the Fourth Empire's terror and destruction, and signaled the restoration of peace and happiness.

Rumors have been circulating about the return of Bilstein in a new cybernetic body, as well as the appearance of a ghost who eerily looks like Bilstein's old cybernetic body. The Fourth Empire has rebuilt its forces and are determined to carry out Bilstein's will of universal conquest. Hayato, June, Saturn, and Gamof reenter the fight to defeat Bilstein and the Fourth Empire. They have new friends to assist them, such as their former enemy Zelkin, an extremely strong Japanese military war soldier named Gantetsu, a noble and aspiring young American modern-day superhero with a bird motif named Eagle, and a mysterious yet cheerful young Japanese rhythmic gymnast named Ele. Star Gladiators, Fourth Empire members, and neutral parties are thrust into a war to determine the fate of not only the Earth, but the entire universe.

With the exception of Rimgal and Kappah, the remaining characters of the original Star Gladiator return for the sequel. The ten returning characters are joined by fourteen new characters, of which ten are "mirror images" of the returning ones, while the remaining four new characters have their own unique fighting styles. The ten "mirror image" characters share the same weaponry, attacks, and Plasma Fields of the original cast, but have their own unique Plasma Strikes, character designs, and original stories. There are two sub-bosses/secret characters that can only be played through the use of codes.

There are two characters from the first game, who are being reintroduced as separate characters to this game: Black Hayato, Hayato Kanzaki's evil alter-ego was an alternate costume, whereas Edward Bilstein's original body becomes a separate entity known as "Ghost Bilstein".

Ele: A mysterious, yet kind and cheerful young girl who fights like June Lin Milliam. In reality, as evident by both of her and Gamof's endings, she is in fact June and Hayato Kanzaki's daughter, who came from distant future to stop Bilstein's ghost from killing them, most specifically to save her mother from her death.

Prince Saturn Kuida-Ore III: A royal prince of his home planet, Saturn who joined the Fourth Empire, out of jealously towards his self-proclaim rival, Saturn Dyer for being the best street performer. He simply refer himself as "Prince", an alias he took to use the empire's influence as a front to take out his rival.

Gantetsu: A Japanese military man of Earth Federation who is also a heavy drinker, and uses Plasma Axe like Gamof Gohgry. Despite lacking of strategic thinking, he makes up for it with his tough stamina and relentless endurance in combat. In the past, he lost his troop by an unknown assailant, which he believed Byakko. He is sent by his superior to capture Franco Gerelt for his alignment with the Fourth Empire. However, as Gantetsu learn the truth behind Gerelt's betrayal towards the earth, Gantetsu is the first person to forgive him.

Claire: A loyal Spanish female fencer of the Fourth Empire, who is also an old friend of Franco Gerelt. Because of her fencing skill, she is known as Scarlet Del Sol. She is also revealed to be entrusted with a trigger planted inside Gerelt's chest, after Bilstein implanted it to force Gerelt to serve him. Out of respect towards Gerelt, Claire did not activate the trigger, and prefer to demand explanation why he planned to betray the empire. This also results her to be suspected as a traitor as well. Ultimately, she sacrifice her life to save Gerelt from Gore's assistant, Luca, allowing Gerelt to be set free and rejoin his family, safely.

Omega: A prototype Vector robot who was long deemed faulty by its creator for being too compassionate. As it briefly activates by its own, Omega seeks to find the answer about what "heart" is. Until its encounter with Ele, at the same time its battery runs out, Omega comes to learn that it has a human heart. It's corpse would later be found by a group of kids many years later, with one of them pointing out that the robot is "smiling".

Eagle: An American superhero, who dressed as an eagle inspired by an alien named Zelkin Fiskekrogen. Once an ordinary man who used to work as a faux superhero at Gorakuem Amusement Park, the Fourth Empire's tyranny, is what drive Eagle to become a real super hero.

Luca: An artificial being created by Gore Gajah to serve him. Despite her kind and cheerful personality, she also has unusual sadistic tendencies and is naive to the concept of pain and death, killing other people as if it were a game. She refers herself as a human, unbeknownst to her origin. In her true ending, upon learning the truth from Omega and Bilstein, Luca suffers a mental breakdown and unknowingly kill Gore. In Claire's ending, she presumably dies in attempt to take both Gerelt and Claire's lives with her, but only fail to kill Gerelt. In Gore's ending, however, Luca survive and currently on the run with Gore, with Luca herself admit to prefer Gore's current handsome look.

Shakers: The clones of Blood Barbarian with a love of rock music. In the player Shaker's ending, they initially fight each other to determine who is the original Shaker, until the true ending ultimately decide that all clones form a rock band.

Rain Bilstein: A daughter of Edward Bilstein who fights with a Plasma Scythe. Her father sent her to capture all of the male Plasma masters and imprison them at his lair, with a prime target being Hayato to capture his DNA, and use it impregnate his own daughter, making her the mother of "New Human Beings": people who would hypothetically have unstoppable Plasma power to the point of easy universal domination. Rain's true vision is also to turn men into her slaves. In her ending, Rain betrays her father and dethrone him, due to his domination plan is too boring.

Byakko: A mysterious Plasma Claw-wielding humanoid white tiger alien ninja of The Four Saint Beasts, created by the Union to foil Bilstein's plans, including on disposing any third-party Plasma wielder they meet. Unbeknownst to Byakko, the Union plans to betray him, due to the former becomes more powerful. In his true ending, after learning of the Union's betrayal, Byakko is currently on the run from them.

Kaede: A kunoichi who uses Plasma Hammer, in contrast to Rain's Plasma Scythe. She was sent by the Earth Federation to seal off the Plasma power of all the other fighters. When her benefactors turn on her in her true ending, she steals all of their money from their safe and escape, so she can spend the rest of her days in complete luxury. She serve as both optional sub-boss and hidden character.

Rai-On: In contrast to his fellow ninja of The Four Saint Beasts, Byakko, Rai-On is very ruthless and aggressive. In his true ending, connected to Byakko's own ending, after Byakko learn that the Union attempt to dispose him for becoming too power which cause the ninja escape, Rai-On sent three other members of the Four Saints to help him find and dispose their former teammate. He serve as both optional sub-boss and hidden character.

The game was exhibited at the February 1998 AOU Show, then under the title Star Gladiator like its predecessor.^[3]

The Dreamcast version received mixed reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.^[4] An unnamed reviewer of Next Generation said of the arcade version in its September 1998 issue, "Capcom has taken few (if any) big steps forward with Plasma Sword, but the fighting game giant has managed to round out and deepen the gameplay essentials of its growing 3D library."^[20] 18 issues later, however, Jeff Lundrigan of the same magazine (now labeled NextGen) said of the former version in his early review on its March 2000 issue, "If you're working your way down the list of Dreamcast brawlers, this is the one to buy next to last (just ahead of Mortal Kombat Gold)."^[21] In Japan, Famitsu gave the same console version a score of 31 out of 40.^[10]

Also in Japan, Game Machine listed the arcade version in their June 1, 1998 issue as the third most-successful arcade game of the month.^[22]

In one (albeit early) review, Jake The Snake of GamePro called the Dreamcast version "a good-looking game with lots of visual variety. It's not in the top tier of fighting games with Soul Calibur [sic], but it does offer plenty of intense action—especially when you're trading huge special attacks with a human opponent."^[23][c] In another review, Kilo Watt said that the same console version "won't win any points for originality (and certainly not for sheer graphics alone), but it still comes out as a fun title that is worth at least a rental."^[24][d]

• Project X Zone 2

Unless otherwise specified, all sources are cited from the 1999 Dreamcast port using official English translations.

• Official Japanese website (Includes character biographies)
• Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein at MobyGames
• Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein at the Killer List of Videogames