Pit-Fighter 2 copyright 2007 Atari Corporation and Hasbro Interactive
GamePro interview with Gary Stark and Sharon Plotkin, to be seen in an upcoming issue of GamePro
GamePro: Atari isn't very strong right now in the video game market. How do you plan to overcome this obstacle?
Gary Stark (project leader/designer/programmer): That's the understatement of the millennium! It's true that Atari is in a lull right now, however Atari has bounced back more than once during its term. Atari led the early industry with games like Asteroids, Centipede, and Dig-Dug. In the mid 80's, Atari was very strong with Gauntlet, 720, Marble Madness, and Road Runner. I don't think the Atari name will affect the player's judgment of the game. Especially because the new generation of video game players really doesn't know much about us. But that will change when they see Pit-Fighter 2!
GamePro: The arcade market is pretty weak as you know, and some manufacturers (we won't mention names...) are even pulling out of the arcade scene altogether. Do you think Pit-Fighter 2 can be a success in today's market?
Gary: The arcade market has seen its shares of ups and downs. 1983 was a bad time for example. But the industry has always rebounded. Right now, the home consoles can produce graphics as good as the arcade machines, but I can tell you personally that the new generation of arcade hardware will exceed the home consoles considerably. Pit-Fighter 2 is going to be the debut of the Titan engine. This new hardware will really shake up the arcade scene.
GamePro: We've heard about the Titan engine, but they're being pretty tight lipped about it. Can you tell us more?
Gary: Hehe, well you're going to be amazed that's for sure. Let's see... Here's what I can say. The Titan engine has the ability to manipulate polygons like that seen in the movie Final Fantasy. I'm not saying that PF2 is gonna look like that, but it will definitely be the best 3D imaging for an arcade machine to date.
GamePro: Tell us about your new "Coup de Grace" finishers.
Gary: This is going to be huge! Other fighters have featured finishing moves, that's nothing new. But PF2 will be the first to allow the player to perform one during combat. I know at first this sounds too powerful, but it isn't. When your opponent gets below one-quarter life, a warning will appear. Once the warning is there, the player can attempt a Coup de Grace. The trick is, if the attempt is unsuccessful, then you leave yourself vulnerable to big attacks.
GamePro: Wow that's hot! Can you tell us more, like what types of finishing moves we can expect?
Sharon Plotkin (animator): I can answer this one. Our Coup de Grace system, pronounced coo-day-gra in French, just in case the readers didn't know, will be the most comprehensive package of death blow style combat yet. The game announcer pronounces it during the game by the way. Chainman Eddie has a finisher where he wraps his new razor chain around the opponent's neck, then as the opponent gasps and struggles, Eddie quickly pulls at one end of the chain. It's pretty gory, but it fits this type of game really well. It was my favorite animation in the game, plus Chainman has always been my favorite character. I'm really excited that he's going to be playable now!
GamePro: Eleven years is a long time to wait for a sequel, what gives?
Gary: As we already discussed, Atari has had some rocky times. Pit-Fighter 2 was actually in development in 1991 and 1992. But the producers got spooked by the market and pulled the plug, favoring another project called Guardians of the 'Hood, which in my opinion was a mistake. Incidentally, the sequel was originally going to be "Pit-Fighter II" instead of "Pit-Fighter 2". That's a change we just recently decided on.
GamePro: I've heard that rumor, but I didn't think it was true. Can you tell us about the original sequel?
Gary: The original sequel, which was called "PFII: The Return of Chainman Eddie" - Sharon was really pulling to keep that title by the way - was slated for competition with Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat 2. The 3D effect was going to be greatly enhanced, as well as the digitized graphics. I didn't have a lead role in that game, and it's been a while, so that's about all I can tell you.
GamePro: Pit-Fighter brought so many innovations to the fighting game scene. What new things can we expect?
Gary: Pit-Fighter was the first fighter to have digitized characters. It even had 3D (well as 3D as can be expected for the time) movement, which we didn't see for some years later in other games. Many people don't remember, but there were a variety of weapons that could be used in hand-to-hand combat or thrown. Again, another feature that didn't find its way into mainstream fighters for several years after PF1. The game was really ahead of its time, as can be expected of PF2. New features will include the aforementioned Titan 3D engine and the Coup de Grace system. The weapon system is spectacular, and the variety of fighting disciplines is unprecedented. There is also a neat betting/point system in the game that allows the player to bet on himself with the money won in previous fights.
GamePro: Can you expand on "fighting disciplines"?
Gary: As you know, Pit-Fighter had a Tae Kwon Do artist, a kick boxer, and a professional wrestler, each with their own relevant fighting style. Pit-Fighter 2 has a different fighting style for about every 2 characters. You can expect to see versatile renditions of drunken boxing, ninjitsu, street brawling, gymnastics, Karate, and improvisational techniques.
GamePro: Wow! Just how many selectable fighters can we expect to see? Can you give us names?
Gary: Well, we're still in the final stages and some characters are being cut, but you can expect at least 22 playable immediately, with up to 4 secret fighters that the players have to find.
Names, hmm... Of course there will be Ty, Buzz, and Kato, along with every opponent previously unplayable from PF1. But new characters... off the top of my head I really can't think of them all, but some include Crane, Hi-Top, Repo, and Scorpio.
GamePro: Scorpio? That doesn't sound very original.
Gary: Scorpio will be a yellow ninja with a harpoon style weapon. He will have a sworn enemy in the game named Mr. Cold. Hehe, just kidding! There is not going to be a character named Scorpio, I just threw that in to see if you'd catch it.
GamePro: Videogame developer humor, you gotta love it! Sharon, can you tell us more about your role in the animation department.
Sharon: It's really tough! I have polygonic nightmares! But I think it will all be worth it when the game is finally released. As previously alluded to, the game will have more polygons per character than any other game that's currently out there. The models were a lot of fun to digitize and work with. New software allows us to do a lot of image manipulation that would previously have meant additional filming, but we now can do just about anything with a collection of basic shots. And yes, even with graphic manipulation the fighters look very real.
GamePro: We understand there will be multiple modes of combat. Does this refer to Tag Team and Vs. mode.
Gary: Exactly. A second player joining a game has the option of either fighting against the other player or fighting on their side as in PF1. Tag team mode is greatly enhanced from PF1. Some units will be shipped with four controllers to allow up to four players to play simultaneously. That's another feature unique to PF2. Titan allows us to have all those characters on the screen at once without frame skipping or hang-ups.
GamePro: Can you tell us about the name of the game- "The Wrath of Southside Jim" sounds kinda silly.
Gary: It won't once you play the game and get familiar with the story. Southside Jim is the leader of a huge gang (in the game obviously). The story focuses on his revenge after defeat in the first Pit-Fighter.
GamePro: The game is scheduled for release this fall, why did you wait so long to release the news?
Gary: Well, sometimes projects can get postponed or be delayed for reasons unexpected. We wanted to wait until we were confident in a release date. I can't promise that Pit-Fighter 2 will hit the arcades when we expect, but so far everything is on schedule for a fall release.
GamePro: Many other fighting games are concentrating on a darker image and many have non-human characters. How is Pit-Fighter 2 going to compete?
Gary: Pit-Fighter's biggest selling point in that respect is realism. This game is going to be VERY realistic. There will not be any half animal style characters or other fantasy based designs. As far as the feel of the game, we're concentrating on an underground feel that has an air of black market to it. I think the designers did a terrific job, and the fans won't be disappointed.
GamePro: Sounds refreshing. Is that what you're trying for.
Gary: Yes! This game will be like no other!
GamePro: Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedules to join us.
Gary: Thank YOU.
Sharon: Thanks.
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Pit-Fighter, Pit-Fighter II, Pit-Fighter 2, and Guardians of the 'Hood are registered trademarks of the Atari Corporation and Hasbro Interactive.
