A duology of Fighting Games by Racjiin (then known as "Racdym" prior to the year 2000) and Banpresto in The '90s both for the PlayStation. Each of the games feature fully rendered 3D polygonal characters and arenas fought in two dimensional battles (a la Street Fighter EX). In addition, each game features modes that allow players to customize the movesets of characters on the roster. Genei Tougi: Shadow Struggle was released in 1996 while the sequel, Critical Blow, came out the following year. They have never been released outside Japan.
The storylines of the games are set during what is known as the Power of Solid Fighting Tournament. The first tournament is held by a world leading financial group known as the Phillips Konzern, in which a huge cash prize is awarded to the winner while the second tournament is conducted by a shadowy syndicate known as the Merkuar Conglomerate.
Character designs for both games were made by Ryōji Minagawa of Spriggan fame.
This series provides examples of:
- Big Bad: Marry Phillips is this in Genei Tougi while Merkuar takes on the role in Critical Blow.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Toyed with in some of the endings of Critical Blow. Sieguei's ending features him having several duplicates of him made and being sent out new missions with Merkuar shown giving out an Evil Laugh in triumph. However, in Merkuar's ending, he is shown disintegrating into dust in defeat having failed to gain a new body for himself.
- Character Customization: Each game has a mode that allows customizing the characters movesets. Critical Blow used a more advanced form of this in its "Trading Mode". In this mode, the fighters' movesets could be modified by adding new moves, either unlocked in game or from trading with other players via PlayStation memory cards or upgrading already acquired moves.
- Darker and Edgier: Critical Blow becomes this in comparison to Genei Tougi. Whereas the Power of Solid fighting tournament in the first game is a widely publicized event, the tournament in the second game is a more shadowy and brutul affair. Notably, the Merkuar Conglomerate allows the use of weapons which the Phillips Konzern sanctioned tourney prohibited.
- Excuse Plot: In Genei Tougi, the Phillips Konzern puts on a highly publicized fighting tournament with a high cash prize reward for the winner. Critical Blow is somewhat less blatant in that it is at the very least has more a character-driven plot as well as a story mode, called "Theatre Mode" which primarily focuses on a young Hong Kong fighter named Rickey Leon as he seeks to avenge his grandmother's murder at the hands of the Merkuar Conglomerate (who also took over the Power of Solid Fighting Tournament from the Phillips Konzern).
- Put on a Bus: Harry Hopkins and Han Fei Lan, who were introduced in the first game, did not return in Critical Blow.
- Super Mode: Genei Tougi had this in the form of "Hyper Mode". It primarily functions to make a character dish out faster punches and kicks. The "Hyper Mode" ability did not return in the sequel.
