"An Average Fighter, not the best for 32x"

I picked up Cosmic Carnage because it was cheap ($2!) and the box art was pretty nice. It's an average fighter, not quite as good as Mortal Kombat 2 or Virtua Fighter for 32x, but it does have a few redeeming qualities.

Graphics: The graphics are great when you're far away, but when the computer Zooms in during throws or fatalities, the character graphics get pretty pixelated. The backgrounds are mostly just platforms with space behind them, not too impressive. There is one that kinda cool, compared to the others. You're standing on the platform, some kind of Nebula in the background, and if looks like the space ship you're on is flying towards it. The Character designs are actually kind of cool; there are eight to choose from, one resembles a space gorilla, theres one that looks like an insect. One is a sexy humanoid with flaming hair. Then theres one with a huge tail that you can grab your opponent with.

Control: The control seems stiff... There are two punch buttons and two kicks, regular and fierce, and then there are two buttons to press to provoke your opponent. I dont know if provoking them actually does anything,.. I think it's just a taunt. In this game, you cant vary the height of your jumps, you can only do huge jumps. So if you're too close to your opponent, you cant start combos with jump in attacks. The fatalities in Cosmic carnage are done when your enemy is low on health, all you do is a special attack and you lop off a limb or something.

Gameplay: The gameplay is pretty average. Its not great, but its not horrible. Its a basic fighter, so if you've played almost ANY fighter, you'll figure this out in no time. The innovative part that I mentioned earlier is the armor. About half of the characters can select from light or heavy armor before the fight starts, and depending on which type was selected, different attacks are available and the speed is changed. I just thought that was pretty cool. Also, if you hold down X+B+Z at the licensed by sega screen and then press start, you get a different version of the game called ''Cyber Brawl,'' where some of the characters look different and have different names. Maybe its the japanese version or something.

Sound: Ho-Hum sound. The effects are okay, I like the blood splashing sound. The music wasnt really noticeable.. it fits the stages perfectly, bland stages, bland music.

Overall: Get this if you just love fighters, or if you cant find any of the other fighters for 32x. Although you could easily find a better fighter on the genesis even.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 03/21/01, Updated 03/21/01