is a weapons-based
versus fighting game
The fighting game video game genre, genre involves combat between multiple characters, often (but not limited to) one-on-one battles. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappling, counter- ...
developed and released into
video arcades by
Allumer
, was a video game production company, established in February 1978 and headquartered in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. The company suspended business in October 5, 1999. In February 2023, Japanese video game publisher Hamster Corporation acquired the rig ...
in 1992. It is the sequel to Allumer's ''
Gladiator
A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their ...
''. Along with Strata's ''
Time Killers'', ''Blandia'' is one of the earliest weapon-based fighting games modeled on the success of
Capcom
is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
's ''
Street Fighter II
is a 1991 fighting game developed and published by Capcom for arcade game, arcades. It is the second installment in the ''Street Fighter'' series and the sequel to 1987's ''Street Fighter (video game), Street Fighter''. Designed by Yoshiki O ...
'', a subgenre later typified by
SNK
is a Japanese video gaming and interactive entertainment company. It was founded in 1978 as
by Eikichi Kawasaki and began by developing arcade games. SNK is known for its Neo Geo arcade system on which the company established many franchises ...
's ''
Samurai Shodown
''Samurai Shodown'', known in Japan as is a fighting game series by SNK. The series began in 1993 and is known for being one of the earliest in the genre with a primary focus on weapon-based combat.
Plot
The stories in the series take place i ...
'' and ''
The Last Blade
''The Last Blade'' is a fighting game developed and released by SNK for the Neo Geo system in 1997. It was also ported to several home systems. A sequel, '' The Last Blade 2'', was released in 1998. A second sequel, '' The Last Blade: Beyond the ...
''.
Plot
The plot of ''Blandia'' takes place five years after ''Gladiator'', set in the "Great Continent of
Eurasia
Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...
". After the swordsman Gurianos defeated the evil warrior Gildus, peace returned to Eurasia and the people forgot about the darkness sealed by the evil spirit. Five years later, living in the interior of Eurasia, Guarianos learns that Gildus has been resurrected, and returns to the to investigate.
[Back side of European arcade flyer of ''Blandia''.]
Gameplay
''Blandia'' drops the side-scrolling feature of its predecessor, but retains its versus segments with the addition of elements of other 2D versus fighting games released at the time. The player's chosen character fights against his or her opponent in two-out-of-three matches in a single player tournament mode with the computer or against another human player. Unlike most other similar fighting games at the time, ''Blandia'' combines the style of Capcom's ''Street Fighter II'' with the use of weapons in every character. Another feature is the possibility to cause visible damage to the armor of the characters, originally used in ''Gladiator''. However, unlike ''Gladiator'', ''Blandia'' requires players to attack the uncovered parts of the opponent's body multiple times to defeat them, instead of one hit like in ''Gladiator''.
In one-player mode, the player must choose one of the "Original Six Warriors" to control. Instead of fighting other characters in a random order like in many contemporary fighting games, the player moves the sword-shaped cursor on a map to choose a region where one of the other characters is located, fight against them in each battle and then advance to the Golden Castle. In both one-player and two-player modes, each round lasts for five minutes, and if neither of the characters are knocked out before then, the one with the most health wins the round; however, if both lifebars are even, the players must fight in a rematch. If both lifebars are even in the rematch, the fight ends with a game over.
Characters
* - the protagonist of the game. Designed for beginners, he is an average, well-balanced fighter with no weak points nor particular strengths. He is armed with a
double-edged sword and a shield. His
sorcery
Sorcery commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces
** Goetia, ''Goetia'', magic involving the evocation of spirits
** Witchcraft, the ...
is light-based.
He was originally the player's character in ''Gladiator'', when his name was Guaranos.
* Diokles - a nihilistic fighter who is the rival of the main character Gurianos, and shares similar move sets (albeit with different names). Diokles has better agility and hitting power than Guarianos. His sorcery is fire-based.
* Irriana - a temperamental female warrior who eats when she wishes, and fights only when she wants. She is armed with a short sword and a round shield. While her sorcery is explosive-based, she mainly uses its related tricks. She is also relatively agile and has an intense
jumping
Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jumping can be distinguished from running, galloping and ...
ability.
Like Gurianos, Irriana is a returning character from ''Gladiator'', previously spelled Irene.
* McGill - a male warrior full of confidence. He cuts by power with a
longsword
A longsword (also spelled as long sword or long-sword) is a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for primarily two-handed use (around ), a straight double-edged blade of around , and weighing approximatel ...
. His body stamina and power, compared to his longsword, are far superior. He has no sorcery.
* Jurane - a female fighter, with the longest reach but the least power, due to her weapon of choice being a short lance. Her sorcery utilizes various powerful magic tricks.
* Retsu.Zen - a man who takes a defiant attitude toward his enemies and critical situations. He is the quickest fencer, has repetitively strong offense and is armed with two-swords. His sorcery is referred to as "Zen Oriental Magic".
* Launa - a dark elf with satyr like features. He is the first boss the player faces in the Gold Castle. Fights using a dagger. He is fast but cannot block.
* Xeldus - a knight who serves as the second boss in the Gold Castle. He was apparently brainwashed by Gildus to fight for him using a sword and shield.
* Imageo - a mage who serves as the third boss in the Gold Castle. She fights the player using magic in her chambers.
* Gildus - the main antagonist of the game. He is faster and stronger than Xeldus.
Ports
''Blandia'' was later ported by Ving to two home computers exclusively in Japan: the
FM Towns
The is a Japanese personal computer built by Fujitsu from 1989 to 1997. It started as a proprietary PC variant intended for multimedia applications and PC games, but later became more compatible with IBM PC compatibles. In 1993, the FM Towns ...
on September 30, 1994, and the
NEC
is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered at the NEC Supertower in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It provides IT and network solutions, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), Inte ...
PC-9821 on June 22, 1995. Compared to the original arcade version, the FM Towns version (titled ''Blandia Plus'') features an extended, less repetitive soundtrack, plus some exclusive tracks that include a vocal one, but it also has a smaller screen. The PC-9821 version was titled ''Blandia 98'' and has a wider screen than the FM Towns version.
References
External links
*
Blandia' a
*
Blandia' a
Hardcore Gaming 101* {{KLOV game, id=7142
*
Blandia' at arcade-history
1992 video games
Allumer games
Arcade video games
Arcade Archives games
Fighting games
FM Towns games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
NEC PC-9801 games
Video games developed in Japan
Video games scored by Manabu Namiki