Battle Blaze (1992). Play online

Summary

Battle Blaze throws you into a medieval‑fantasy arena where swords, morningstars, daggers and other blades become your only answer to a line of oddball rivals. You can pit yourself against opponents in a classic colosseum brawl or set out on a quest to bring down the Dark Lord’s floating castle.

Each character feels distinct: the vengeful hero Kerrell, beast‑led Shnouzer, long‑reaching Adrick with his Dark Blade, twin‑dagger twin Tesya, half‑orc Lord Gustoff brandishing a flail, and even Kerrell’s twin brother Lang—who only surfaces in Battle mode. The ultimate showdown is a demonic Autarch, a claw‑wielding boss you can’t normally play.

The game’s controls feel noticeably stiff and the movesets are thin compared to its contemporaries, a problem compounded by a U.S. launch that slipped to early 1994 because of bugs, Nintendo’s approval delays, and a company relocation. The Japanese cover art was illustrated by Yasushi Torisawa.

Critics gave Battle Blaze mixed scores, hovering around the mid‑range mark—EGM 5/10, Super Play 7/10 and an overall 59% aggregate—making it a curious footnote in SN‑era fighting titles.

Storyline

Battle Blaze takes place in the kingdom of Virg, ruled by a mighty king chosen through the Tournament of Champions. The tournament is hijacked when a demon from Hell sends five phantoms to possess every combatant, turning them against each other in a deadly one‑on‑one showdown. All fighters fall under the phantoms’ control except one: Durill, the strongest contender, who is struck by a mysterious disease after confronting a phantom. He manages to defeat the spirit but collapses from mind poisoning and dies. His son Kerrel swears vengeance, stepping into the arena to end the demon’s scheme and restore peace to Virg.