Rise of the Robots
DOS version
Superb industry demo, not much of a game
The Good
In retrospect, at least the PC version looked like a demo vehicle for the industry and technologies like CD-ROM or Philips' CDi system. Excellent graphics, stunning cut scenes and backgrounds. Welcome to the world of SuperVGA!
The Bad
For a fighting game, it was nothing but lackluster and no match for console giants like Street Fighter. The fighting system feels poor, incomplete, and moreover it is too easy to win the fights by spamming your opponents with the same move.
As for the graphics, they had no counterpart in sound design or music. The PC version is reaaaaally quiet on that behalf. Brian May's intro riff from the Queen-dustbin, a couple metal smashing sfx, that's it. At least other platforms got cool scores by Richard Joseph et al.
The Bottom Line
RotR was all the hype back then because of it's graphics, but it's all just looks. The PC-DOS version demonstrated, what SVGA and CD-ROM were capable of, but as a fighting game it underperformed and could be beat too easily and quickly. Great for nostalgia, but not really for replaying it.
by Hollehammer on February 17, 2025