Ultraman Fighting Evolution (PlayStation)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 2.5 stars OK
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 5.7 (2.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Greg Kasavin
• Reviewed on: 04/13/1998
• Updated on: 05/02/2000
• Released on: 01/31/1998
• Originally published on GameSpot: Ultraman Fighting Evolution (PlayStation) Review

Everybody knows Ultraman. He's a hundred times taller than Superman, bug-eyed, loud-mouthed, and not above smacking some alien hooligan right smack in its kisser. He's the epitome of Japanese pop culture packed into a concise red-and-silver tights-wearing package, and like him or not, he's garnered more than his fair share of fans since his humble 1960s origins. No surprise there've been more than a few video games based on his television Earth-saving exploits, and while those games have rarely been very good, they've always remained true to the source material. Ultraman Fighting Evolution, the first full-3D Ultraman game ever, is no exception. It's your typical worse-than-average 3D fighting game, but it captures the spirit of Ultraman perfectly such that no fan of the series could possibly be disappointed.

Ultraman Fighting Evolution looks great. The colorful, motion-captured fighters look like they were ripped right out of the show. That is to say, they don't seem so much like ten-story-high heroes and monsters, so much as they seem like guys dressed in spandex and stuffy latex costumes trying to act like ten-story-high heroes and monsters. Three generations of Ultrapeople are present, in the form of classic Ultraman and TV descendants Ultraseven and Ultraman Taro. But even their fanciest kung fu showmanship won't make the going easy against the likes of their alien foes. These include the ubiquitous scissor-handed Alien Baltan, crazy space ape Dada, big yellow dinosaur Eleking, karate kicking squid man Alien Metron, and the funky gold space robot King Joe. Four hidden characters are also lurking about just waiting to be found.

You won't be shortchanged as far as pretty special effects are concerned. Each fighter packs a whopping unblockable projectile that lights up the whole screen, and every hit that connects causes sparks to fly. Even the backgrounds, though not particularly original, look nice (and even beautiful in some cases) in their full polygonal splendor. Ultraman Fighting Evolution sounds just as good as it looks, with audio effects lifted straight from the show including Ultraman's raspy battle cries and Baltan's guttural laughter. The musical score is also true to the series in all its upbeat, orchestral splendor. Some audio quality is forfeited in the transition to PlayStation-generated streaming audio, but the soundtrack remains catchy and enjoyable, and above all else perfectly suited to the half-serious nature of the game.

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