Dual Heroes

Dual Heroes (デュアルヒーローズ) is a fighting game for the Nintendo 64 video game console, released on December 5, 1997 in Japan, April 12, 1998 in Europe and October 31, 1998 in North America. The game was developed by Produce and published by Hudson Soft (Electro Brain in North America).

Dual Heroes
North American Nintendo 64 cover art
Developer(s)Produce!
Publisher(s)Hudson Soft
Electro Brain
Artist(s)Keita Amemiya (character design)
Platform(s)Nintendo 64
Release
  • JP: December 5, 1997
  • PAL: April 12, 1998
  • NA: October 31, 1998
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

Dual Heroes is a fighting game.

In a "medal match" players can win a medal, either from an A.I. opponent or from another player.[1]

Story

120 years ago, in preparation for the coming doom, mankind began an exodus to the manmade satellites in outer space. But the "Day of Judgment" arrived even before half the population had escaped to space. The shift in the tectonic plate caused the shape of the Pacific Ocean to change and a new continent was created.

After 100 years, the only inhabitable areas were limited to the area around the new Pacific Ocean and the new continent. New nations were founded on this continent and mankind began rebuilding their lives. In the midst of rebuilding, "Gaiathyst" a mineral which releases an energy similar to gravity was discovered as a new source of endless energy.

The nations began to war with each other for domination, but conventional weapons were found useless due to the influence of the Gaiathyst. To fight under these conditions, the power suits used to mine Gaiathyst were improved for combat. But the "Gaiathyst War" came to an abrupt end by the invading forces of the Zodgierra Empire from outer space.

After conquering the nations, Emperor ZORR creates the "SAP", a super gravity producing device. Orbiting over the new continent, the super gravity of the device, prohibits beings not wearing a power suit to exist under it. Protected by the super gravity, ZORR commands his empire from a tower under the SAP.

A few brave make a stand to defeat ZORR. They are the true Heroes.

Development

Dual Heroes was developed by Produce! It was the first fighting game to use analog controls.[2] Hudson Soft programmed multiple AIs for each character, in an effort to imitate different players controlling the character on different occasions, and thereby make the game's single-player mode more closely emulate the multiplayer fighting game experience.[3]

The game was shown at E3 1997, being 70% completed.[4] A complete build was later shown at the 1997 Nintendo Space World.[5]

Reception
Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings39.92%[6]
Review scores
PublicationScore
GameSpot3.7/10[7]
IGN2.8/10[8]
N64 Magazine28%[9]
Nintendo Power6.6/10[10]

Dual Heroes was often mocked and criticized for its gameplay, controls and fighting mechanics, it took out the title of "Worst Game Ever" when a poll was run by an Australian Nintendo magazine Nintendo Gamer (formerly N64 Gamer). The game's poor quality was attributed in part to the poor AI, which often sent your enemy running with a devil-may-cry attitude over the edge of precipices and to their deaths in chase of the player's character.

Dual Heroes makes the N64 look so bad, it could easily be a system seller -- meaning N64 owners selling their systems to get a PSX or a Saturn.

—IGN's Peer Schneider.[8]

A reviewer for GameSpot declared the game to be one of the worst fighting games for home consoles.[7]

One writer for Nintendo Power commented that the game did not add much to the fighting game genre.[10]

See also

References
  1. Scary Larry (October 1997). "Dual Heroes". GamePro. No. 109. IDG. p. 94.
  2. "News". Computer & Video Games. No. 182. January 1997. p. 10.
  3. "NG Alphas: Dual Heroes". Next Generation. No. 24. Imagine Media. December 1996. p. 227.
  4. IGN Staff (June 20, 1997). "E3: Dual Heroes Update". IGN. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  5. "Live From Space World 97". N64 Magazine. No. 11. January 1998. p. 62.
  6. "Dual Heroes for Nintendo 64". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  7. GameSpot Staff (April 28, 2000). "Dual Heroes Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  8. Schneider, Peer (November 9, 1998). "Dual Heroes". IGN. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  9. Mortlock, Dean (February 1998). "Import Arena". N64 Magazine. No. 12. p. 58.
  10. "Now Playing". Nintendo Power. No. 114. November 1998. p. 136.
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