Guilty Gear
Encyclopedia
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
-based competitive fighting games
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
by Arc System Works
Arc System Works
is a video game developer and publisher based in Yokohama, Japan. It was founded by Minoru Kidooka in 1988. Arc System Works is best known for its arcade 2D fighting game, Guilty Gear and its sequels.-BlazBlue series:...
and designed by artist Daisuke Ishiwatari
Daisuke Ishiwatari
is a Japanese video game developer, illustrator, musician, composer and voice actor. He is best known for creating the 2D fighting game series, Guilty Gear. He designed the characters and storyline, and wrote the music...
. It is popular with fans for its detailed anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
-style graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
, original characters, hard rock/heavy metal soundtrack, unique gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
, and its numerous references to rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and heavy metal music
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
.
Overview
The first game in the series, Guilty GearGuilty Gear
is a series of sprite-based competitive fighting games by Arc System Works and designed by artist Daisuke Ishiwatari. It is popular with fans for its detailed anime-style graphics, original characters, hard rock/heavy metal soundtrack, unique gameplay, and its numerous references to rock and heavy...
was released on the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
in 1998
1998 in video gaming
-Events:*Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 1st Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo to the AIAS Hall of Fame*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 1st annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards...
. The original Guilty Gear was difficult and its heavy metal aesthetics were unique to the 2D fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
genre, providing a stark contrast to predecessors such as Darkstalkers and Groove on Fight. In keeping with the looks, the music in this game featured mostly hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
tracks (generally uncommon for background music in fighting games). Guilty Gear gained some praise from the mainstream video game press such as GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, although it didn't make much of an impact on the video game market, instead becoming something of a cult hit. There is a mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
port of this game called Guilty Gear Club.
The release of its sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
Guilty Gear X
Guilty Gear X
, subtitled By Your Side, is the second full game in the Guilty Gear series. It was released in multiple versions:*Guilty Gear X ver 1.5...
on the Dreamcast console in 2000
2000 in video gaming
-Events:* May 11–13 — 6th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo ; the 3rd annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of E³* June 26 — International Game Developers Association renamed from Computer Game Developers Association...
gained much more attention with its gameplay and more detailed graphics. Guilty Gear X was a big development jump as it featured many new characters not seen in the first game of the series. It also had an in-depth and detailed story mode which followed on from the actions of the first Guilty Gear game. Some hailed Guilty Gear X
Guilty Gear X
, subtitled By Your Side, is the second full game in the Guilty Gear series. It was released in multiple versions:*Guilty Gear X ver 1.5...
as good competition for the ubiquitous Street Fighter
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
series. Guilty Gear X was the first of the series to spawn many revisions under the Guilty Gear X name. For example, a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
-only release, Guilty Gear X Plus, was also released in 2001
2001 in video gaming
-Events:* Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts John Carmack of id Software to the AIAS Hall of Fame...
, which fixed various gameplay inconsistencies.
Guilty Gears popularity in Japan has brought forth considerable amounts of merchandise. In 2001, Arc System Works
Arc System Works
is a video game developer and publisher based in Yokohama, Japan. It was founded by Minoru Kidooka in 1988. Arc System Works is best known for its arcade 2D fighting game, Guilty Gear and its sequels.-BlazBlue series:...
and Sony Music released drama CD's that fleshed out the game's story in more detail. These drama CDs included narration and voice acting
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
done by the same voice actors from the game. Artwork books were also released, containing production artwork and unseen art drawn by Daisuke Ishiwatari
Daisuke Ishiwatari
is a Japanese video game developer, illustrator, musician, composer and voice actor. He is best known for creating the 2D fighting game series, Guilty Gear. He designed the characters and storyline, and wrote the music...
.
In 2001
2001 in video gaming
-Events:* Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts John Carmack of id Software to the AIAS Hall of Fame...
, Sammy
Sega Sammy Holdings
is a Japanese holding company formed from a merger of Sega and Sammy. They were both very involved in the arcade business , and Sega's main fame comes from their console systems.-Background:...
released mobile portable versions of the Guilty Gear series for the WonderSwan
WonderSwan
was a line of handheld game consoles produced in Japan by Bandai between 1999 and 2003. It was developed by the late Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto and Bandai...
: Guilty Gear Petit
Guilty Gear Petit
is the first handheld version of the Guilty Gear series released. It is followed by the sequel Guilty Gear Petit 2. Much like Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix, it depicts the Guilty Gear characters in a super deformed style. It is also notable for the inclusion of the character Fanny, who appears only in...
, and its sequel Guilty Gear Petit 2 (later in the same year). They followed the same story line of the previous Guilty Gear X title. These games were only available in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
In 2002
2002 in video gaming
The year 2002 in video gaming saw the release of many games to sixth-generation video game consoles, predominately, the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.-Events:...
, Guilty Gear XX (also known as Guilty Gear X2 in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
) was released. This title furthered the individual stories of each character and improved the combo system. This was soon followed by Guilty Gear XX #Reload , which addressed a number of gameplay imbalances in XX and changed both the tiers and the distance between the characters, added a new character legal for use in tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
s, and brought the series online for the first time with Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
. The Guilty Gear XX title has had the most revisions with 4 other titles, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus (2008
2008 in video gaming
Notable events of 2008 in video gaming. See also history of video games. The release dates listed in this article are the games' original release dates.-Events:...
) being the most recent.
In 2004
2004 in video gaming
-Events:*January 20 — Wireds Vaporware Awards gives its first "Lifetime Achievement Award" to recurring winner Duke Nukem Forever.*March 4 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Peter Molyneux into the AIAS Hall of Fame*March 22-26 — Game...
, Guilty Gear Isuka
Guilty Gear Isuka
is a game in the Guilty Gear series. Unlike previous games of the series, Isuka allows for fights with up to four players, and is exclusively programmed for use in tournament play. It is the first Guilty Gear game to include the character A.B.A...
("Isuka" meaning crossbill
Crossbill
The crossbill is a bird in the finch family . The three to five species are all classified in the genus Loxia. These birds are characterised by the mandibles crossing at their tips, which gives the group its English name...
in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, and representing the way two swords clash) was released, featuring up to four-player simultaneous gameplay, a side-scrolling mode called "Boost Mode", a customizable version of one of the characters, a new playable character, and various other additions. This title did not bear an XX in its name, making this an original Guilty Gear game, not a revision.
In 2009
2009 in video gaming
The year 2009 saw the release of many video games, including several sequels.-Events:-Scheduled releases:List of games scheduled for release in 2009 in North America....
, Arc System Works released Guilty Gear 2: Overture
Guilty Gear 2: Overture
is a game in the Guilty Gear series made by Arc System Works for the Xbox 360. Unlike previous Guilty Gear titles, this installment makes use of 3D graphics. The Xbox Live demo of Guilty Gear 2 describes the game as, "a mix between the action and real time strategy genre."A playable demo featuring...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, which breaks away from the fighting game genre as it plays like a hybrid between a real time strategy game and an action game.
As a result of losing the rights of the series to Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, Arc System Works developed BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works. The game's name is a portmanteau of "blaze" and "blue," with the "z" sound omitted in the Japanese pronunciation, rendering it similar to the word "brave" in pronunciation....
, the first game of the BlazBlue series as a spiritual successor and a "reboot" of the series. Many of the characters, themes and the gameplay elements of the game parallel those found in Guilty Gear series. In May 2011, Arc System Works regained the rights to Guilty Gear. and released Pro Jumper! Guilty Gear Tangent!? in June of that same year.
Plot
The Guilty Gear series takes place around the year 2180, in a chaotic, mystical future world. In 2010, mankind discovered an unlimited energy source of incredible power, which was labeled Magic. Despite providing a solution for world energy crisis, wars continued. The power of Magic was combined with humans and other creatures creating living weapons known as Gears. Eventually the Gears turned on the human race, beginning a century-long global war known as the Crusades where the Sacred Order of Holy Knights (Seikishidan being the Japanese name), defeated Justice, leader of the Gears. Justice having been locked away in a dimensional prison, all other Gears seemingly ceased to function, bringing end to an age of conflict.Guilty Gear
Five years after the war's end a Gear called Testament planned to free the leader Justice. In response the United Nations heralded a tournament of fighters capable of defeating the resurgent enemies Testament and Justice. Ultimately, a bounty hunter named Sol Badguy defeated Justice, giving way to another uneasy peace.Guilty Gear X
Less than a year later reports of a newly discovered commander Gear surfaced. Fearing the dawn of another war, the United Nations held a tournament, offering 500,000 World Dollars for the destruction of the Gear.The Gear was a girl named Dizzy, who, while very powerful, lacked a desire for war and unnecessary destruction. She was defeated, but her life was spared by Sol Badguy. Soon, though, she was found by Ky Kiske, the charismatic police chief of the United Nations and ex-chief of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights. He entrusted her care to Johnny and May, the leader of the Jellyfish air pirates, who welcomed her as one of their own. Jam Kuradoberi, a bounty hunter and struggling chef, claimed credit for Dizzy's disappearance so she could collect the reward and finance her restaurant.
Guilty Gear XX
In the time following Dizzy's disappearance, the mysterious Post War Administration Bureau began secretly investigating the Gears and fighters from previous tournaments for their own needs and ambitions. Various powers were working in the shadows to gain control of the world, one being the very creator of the Gears, a mysterious figure known only as "That Man". Fighters find themselves in a reality beyond their control, most notably in the manipulative hands of the villainess I-No, who is revealed to be a servant of That Man for reasons yet unknown.Guilty Gear: Judgment
A week has passed without any word from the small Eastern European kingdom of Villtania. However, as refugees are found, the United Nations becomes aware of devastation and ungodly experiments conducted by Villtania's leading sorcerer and scientist, Raymond. As a result, the United Nations declares an international emergency and promptly offers a reward to anyone who can stop Raymond and bring order back to Villtania. A large gathering of warriors attracted to earning the bounty soon fight to decide who will challenge Raymond.Guilty Gear 2 : Overture
Set 5 years after Guilty Gear, Humanity created the Gears, biological weapons based on an endless energy called divine power. But one of the Gears went berserk, declared war on humanity, and started a terrible war. In response, mankind formed an order of elite knights, ending the Gears' reign of terror. It seemed that peace had been restored. But true history has yet to reveal itself, until now, in Guilty Gear 2 Overture!Games
- Guilty GearGuilty Gearis a series of sprite-based competitive fighting games by Arc System Works and designed by artist Daisuke Ishiwatari. It is popular with fans for its detailed anime-style graphics, original characters, hard rock/heavy metal soundtrack, unique gameplay, and its numerous references to rock and heavy...
(1998) PlayStation- Guilty Gear Club (2005) Mobile
- Guilty Gear RoA (2006) Mobile
- Guilty Gear XGuilty Gear X, subtitled By Your Side, is the second full game in the Guilty Gear series. It was released in multiple versions:*Guilty Gear X ver 1.5...
(2000) ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
- Guilty Gear X Plus (2001) PlayStation 2
- Guilty Gear X: Advance Edition (2002) Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy AdvanceThe is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
- Guilty Gear X ver 1.5 (2003) Arcade
- Guilty Gear XX (2002) ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
, PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
- Guilty Gear XX #Reload (2003) Arcade, PlayStation 2, XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, Microsoft Windows (2005) PlayStation PortablePlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004... - Guilty Gear XX Slash (2005) Arcade (2006) PlayStation 2
- Guilty Gear XX Λ Core (2006) Arcade (2007) PlayStation 2, WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
- Guilty Gear XX Λ Core Plus (2009) PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii
- Guilty Gear XX #Reload (2003) Arcade, PlayStation 2, Xbox
- Guilty Gear PetitGuilty Gear Petitis the first handheld version of the Guilty Gear series released. It is followed by the sequel Guilty Gear Petit 2. Much like Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix, it depicts the Guilty Gear characters in a super deformed style. It is also notable for the inclusion of the character Fanny, who appears only in...
(2001) WonderswanWonderSwanwas a line of handheld game consoles produced in Japan by Bandai between 1999 and 2003. It was developed by the late Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto and Bandai... - Guilty Gear Petit 2 (2001) Wonderswan
- Guilty Gear IsukaGuilty Gear Isukais a game in the Guilty Gear series. Unlike previous games of the series, Isuka allows for fights with up to four players, and is exclusively programmed for use in tournament play. It is the first Guilty Gear game to include the character A.B.A...
(2004) Arcade, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows - Guilty Gear Dust StrikersGuilty Gear Dust Strikers, or Guilty Gear DS, is a fighting game of the Guilty Gear series for the Nintendo DS. It is modeled after Guilty Gear Isuka, and also allows for four player fights...
(2006) Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP... - Guilty Gear: Judgment (2006) PlayStation Portable
- Guilty Gear 2: OvertureGuilty Gear 2: Overtureis a game in the Guilty Gear series made by Arc System Works for the Xbox 360. Unlike previous Guilty Gear titles, this installment makes use of 3D graphics. The Xbox Live demo of Guilty Gear 2 describes the game as, "a mix between the action and real time strategy genre."A playable demo featuring...
(2009) Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... - Pro Jumper! Guilty Gear Tangent!? (2011) DSiWare
Characters
Guilty Gear is known for its varied and bizarre cast of characters. For more information, see List of characters in the Guilty Gear series.Music references
The Guilty Gear series is known for containing numerous rock and metal music references, both in the game's music and in the names of characters, special attacks, and so forth. For example, the character Axl Low is likely named after Axl RoseAxl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
(bearing a striking resemblance to the Guns n' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
frontman). Millia Rage was named after speed metal band Meliah Rage
Meliah Rage
Meliah Rage is an American power/thrash metal band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1987 by guitarist/songwriter Anthony Nichols. Meliah Rage , was signed to Epic records in 1988...
and her instant kill attack Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
is named for the band of the same name. Furthermore, one of her specials is called "Winger" a glam metal band in 1988. In particular, the game includes numerous references to Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, Guilty Gear creator Daisuke Ishiwatari
Daisuke Ishiwatari
is a Japanese video game developer, illustrator, musician, composer and voice actor. He is best known for creating the 2D fighting game series, Guilty Gear. He designed the characters and storyline, and wrote the music...
's favourite band. Ishiwatari originally voiced Sol Badguy (whose real name is Fredderick, à la Queen's late lead singer Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
), a leading character in the game whom the manual describes as an avid fan of Queen. The opening guitar riff of I-no's theme is based on the X Japan
X Japan
is a Japanese heavy metal band founded in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi. Originally named X , the group achieved their breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood...
song "Kurenai
Kurenai (song)
is the major label debut single released by X Japan on September 1, 1989. Originally featured on the band's debut album Vanishing Vision, this version is more similar to the re-recording for the album Blue Blood, but is still slightly different...
". The name "Badguy" is in reference to Freddie Mercury's nickname of Mr. Bad Guy. His theme has the same name as a Queen song. One of Ky Kiske's special moves is called Ride The Lightning, which comes from Metallica's 1984 recording "Ride The Lightning
Ride the Lightning
Ride the Lightning is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on July 27, 1984 through the independent record label Megaforce Records. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on November 5, 1987 and was most recently certified 5x platinum on June 9, 2003...
." Ky's Instant kill move is called "Rising Force
Rising Force
Rising Force is the first studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released in 1984 through Polydor Records. An article in Guitar World magazine ranked the album as first in the all-time top ten list of shred albums.-Track listing:-Personnel:...
", which is Yngwie Malmsteen's first album released in 1984. Also, Ky Kiske is a reference to Kai Hansen
Kai Hansen
Kai Michael Hansen is a power metal guitarist and vocalist.Hansen is the founder, lead guitarist, and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray, and the co-founder and former member of German metal band Helloween. He is a prominent figure in power metal, and has sold millions of albums worldwide...
and Michael Kiske
Michael Kiske
Michael Kiske is a singer best known as the lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween, from 1986 to 1993. From 1996 up to 2009, Kiske recorded four solo albums, participated on various metal and rock related projects, while he also performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist...
, both ex-vocals from Helloween
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...
. Testament shares his name with a the popular thrash metal band Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
and one of Testament's tension attacks is Master of Puppets
Master of Puppets
-Personnel:Metallica* James Hetfield – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar on track 1, first solo on tracks 2 and 7* Cliff Burton – bass, backing vocals* Lars Ulrich – drums* Kirk Hammett – lead guitarProduction...
, named after Metallica's third album. He also has a move called Warrant
Warrant (American band)
Warrant is an American heavy metal band from Hollywood, California, that experienced success from 1989-1996 with five albums reaching international sales of over 10 million. The band first came into the national spotlight with their debut album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, and one of its...
, another glam metal band (it could also be named after a speed metal band with the same name). I-No plays part of the solo section from "One"
One (Metallica song)
"One" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the third and final single from their fourth album ...And Justice for All. "One" was also the band's first Top 40 hit single, reaching number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100...
as part of one of her victory animations.
The announcer says before each fight "Heaven or Hell", which could be a reference to the Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
album Heaven and Hell
Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath album)
Heaven and Hell is the ninth studio album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in April 1980. This is their first album featuring Ronnie James Dio, and first with producer Martin Birch.-Album information:...
, or to the song by Gamma Ray
Gamma Ray (band)
Gamma Ray is a power metal band from Hamburg, northern Germany, founded and fronted by Kai Hansen after his departure from the German power metal Helloween. Hansen is the current lead vocalist, guitarist as well as the chief songwriter of Gamma Ray. The band is known as one of the most prominent...
. Also the character select theme in the Guilty Gear XX series is based on the song Kiss of Judas by Stratovarius
Stratovarius
Stratovarius are a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1984. Since their formation they have released 13 studio albums and one live album. Along with Helloween, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire and Gamma Ray, Stratovarius are considered one of the leading groups of the power metal and symphonic...
.
- See the character articles for specific references.
See also
- List of Guilty Gear soundtracks
- List of fighting games
- BlazBlue: Calamity TriggerBlazBlue: Calamity Triggeris a fighting game developed by Arc System Works. The game's name is a portmanteau of "blaze" and "blue," with the "z" sound omitted in the Japanese pronunciation, rendering it similar to the word "brave" in pronunciation....