Fighters Destiny (Fighting Cup in Japan) is a 3D fighting game developed by Genki for the Nintendo 64, distributed in Japan by Imagineer and overseas by Ocean Software, released in 1998. It is an unconventional fighting game: rather than the tried and true format of best two-out-of-three rounds (won by the first fighter to fully deplete the opponent's health), Fighters Destiny utilizes a scoring system much like real-life martial arts tournaments: fighters score points depending on certain actions performed, such as knocking down the opponent, performing a ring out, or landing a special attack. By standard, both fighters have a stamina gauge and each round lasts 30 seconds. If one's stamina is depleted, they will enter a state known as "Piyori" (stunned) and become open for a knockdown blow. If the 30 seconds pass and neither fighters have gained points, the round goes to judge's decision, and the point is awarded to whoever fought better in that half-minute. First one to seven points wins the fight.
While this all sounds complicated in theory, in practice, this means that a fight can last pretty quickly if you're good enough - by default, knockdown blows are worth 3 points and successful special attacks are worth 4, so you can literally win in just two strikes. But then again, you can customize the rules to your heart's content, changing how much each scoring method is worth, how many points will the match be worth (even making your whole game a succession of sudden death matches if you want) and so on.
Despite this innovative system, Fighters Destiny received mainly mixed to positive reviews upon release, and the fighting game community at large tends to overlook it, possibly due to a combination of factors: the lack of creativity on character designs (Ryuji is pretty much a shirtless, redhead Ryu, for starters), the fact that it was exclusive for N64 (a system notorious for not being big on quality fighting games) and the fighting system itself (due to not being what is considered a 'traditional fighting game' and thus putting off some players).
The game got a sequel in 2000, Fighter Destiny 2 (Kakutō Denshō ~F-Cup Maniax~), which didn't bring much in the way of innovation, except for a few new characters (though most of them were Moveset Clones of characters of the first game) and more polished (if rather garish) graphics.
A more detailed rundown of the series can be found here
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Not to be confused for Data East's Fighter's History.
Fighters Destiny contains examples of:
- Alternate Company Equivalent: It's kinda-sorta the closest the Nintendo 64 could get to a Virtua Fighter clone.
- And to bring the comparisons full-circle, Genki even handled the Dreamcast port of Virtua Fighter 3.
- Ambiguous Gender: Boro, the first game's boss.
- Animal Athlete Loophole: You get to fight a cow in both games' Rodeo Mode. And, if you survive them for 60 seconds, you take control of them.
- Artificial Stupidity: Averted, as the CPU characters actually play quite well.
- Announcer Chatter / Combat Commentator: You get plenty of commentator feedback during the fighting action.
- Awesome, but Impractical: Getting a Ring Out is worth only 1 point; to compare, a KO is worth 3.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Tomahawk and Zeige.
- Backstory: Very barebones.
- Charles Atlas Superpower: This game is quite bounded to reality physics, yet Saeki can perform a spinning Izuna Drop as his Finishing Move as if it was something mundane.
- Competitive Balance: Each fighter is graded accordingly to their abilities.
- Cross Counter: Some characters have a degree of counter-attack that requires millimetrical precision to be effective (activating the counter maneuver just before an attack is going to batter), but if successful and connected, it will grant 2 match point (default setting).
- A Dog Named "Dog" / Exactly What It Says on the Tin : Ninja is a ninja. Master is an elderly martial arts master. And Ushi is a cow. A Japanese cow.
- In Fighter Destiny 2, Mou takes Ushi's place. Now, what's the sound that cows make? Exactly.
- Enhanced Punch: Some of the punch and kick moves have enhanced properties that will allow, if connected as a counter-attack, to shamble the enemies balance and ground them immediately, granting 3 match points (default setting).
- Expy: Ryuji/Saeki is a blatant one to Ryu. Maybe they changed his name back in the sequel so it wouldn't get too obvious?note
- Tomahawk's face paint is very similar to the mask worn by Ultimate Warrior.
- Fanfare: This game has a very catchy one that plays whenever a character has won a match.
- Fiery Redhead: Dixon.
- Fighting Clown: Pierre. In the second game, he is extremely flamboyant.
- Finishing Move: Everyone of the characters have one or two, and all of them can only be used when the enemy is stunned. Some of them are very flashy an cool looking (Saeki's Izuna Drop is particularly raving to watch in action, as this series is more reality-bounded than other more over the top fighting games).
- Exception: Tomahawk and Ziege can use a "720°" style grapple move that is very difficult to connect with but has a very short escape time and will always grant 4 round points (default settings) when it works, just like any Finishing Moves, and it is a move that can be used on a healthy character (there is the simpler version of it, both in execution and usage, when the character is stunned, just like all other Finishing Moves)
- Flat Character: Everybody. There's no backstory to talk about.
- Grapple Move: Whenever a character is grapped, related to how difficult to execute and land was the throw he is getting grabbed by, there is a gauge that will allow the grabbed warrior to escape it if button mashing is done. Throws play a huge role in this game and are lethal if the fighter that is getting grabbed either is stunned, caught off guard while attacking or pressing the automatic defense button.
- Leitmotif: Saeki's Theme for Fighters Destiny 2 is rearranged to be other characters' theme too.
- Lethal Joke Character: Pierre is technically the second worst fighter in the game tier and by a huge margin, because his moves are unsafe and he relies on confusing the opponent, yet he can increase his attack power up to 50% if he can manage to do 5 times in a row the "Nose Size Increasing Spin Move", with each of the successful spin adding a +10% to his attack power.
- Life Meter: Pretty much it is this: once depleted, the character won't be defeated, but it will stagger around standing, still capable to jump and sidestep. A single punch-kick-throw will stop this and 2/3 match points will be gained. If by any chance the adversary won't be capable to land any of this, all of the health will be restored.
- Japanese Ranguage: If you look at Pierre's stage background in the second game, blimps fly around with his name spelled as "Pielle".
- Joke Character: Samurai, itself being just a training doll with a moveset that is a worsened carbon copy of Ninja's.
- Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Pierre can increase the power of his attacks if he does the "Nose Size Increasing Spin Move" up to five times, and this is a feature (increasing power for the remainder of the match) only he can do.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: D-Dog is Dennis Rodman in everything but name and basketball-playing.
- Dixon looks a lot like Keith Flint.
- Non-Lethal K.O.: The fall out of the ring is pretty long drop. In a realistic setting, falling from such a height would result in a broken spine, ribs or limbs - and that's if the person isn't unlucky enough to die. Yet no one seems to suffer such effects.
- Old Master: The Master, a.k.a. the guy who teaches you the ropes and new moves.
- One-Hit KO: Knockdown attacks and throws automatically score points toward a fighter's score, regardless of the opponent's stamina.
- Ring Out: This is possible. It only earns one point, though, so ringing an opponent is a subpar method of taking them down.
- Secret Character: Fabien>Moo>Master>Cherry>Samurai, in order of tier power.
- She's a Man in Japan: In the Japanese version, Cherry is acutally a male crossdresser, but was given a feminine voice overseas to imply that he is female. He does however retain obvious masculine characteristics such as his tattoos and muscular build.
- SNK Boss: Joker from the first game is the closest the games have of this. Even more so than Master.
- Fabien in the second may also qualify. Both of these characters are the fastest in the respective games and exploit their Specials (which are worth most points in the game) whenever possible - that is to say, whenever they manage to get you into Piyori (which, with Fabien, can be pretty quick, given how powerful he is).
- Spin Attack: Pierre can spin on himself in a very flamboyant way not a a way to hurt the enemy at the moment, but to enhance is attack power 10% for each spin, to a maximum of 50%!
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Barring Dixon and Fabien, all of the second game's newcomers are this to the people who were left out (only with a few moves changed for balance redistribution):
- Federico for Leon
- Adriana for Valerie
- Ziege for Tomahawk
- D-Dog for Bob
- Kate for Boro (except pretty nerfed)
- Taught by Experience: The more times you defeat "Master" in the "Fighting Arena Mode", the more new movesets and specific character combos you will unlock, until reaching the full potential of a character.
- Time to Unlock More True Potential: The starting characters have limited movesets compared to when they have been used enough time to complete.
- Took a Level in Badass: The returning characters have had their look fleshed out and their alternate costume look morish compared to the past ones.
- Unblockable Attack: All Finishing Moves cannot be escaped from
- Victory Pose: Every character has one, sugared with a sweet short victorious tune.
- Whammy: Losing to the Joker in the first game's Master Mode doesn't just end the game, it ends up forfeiting all earned moves.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Cherry from the second game.
