Ultra Vortek
Encyclopedia
Ultra Vortek is the title of an ultra violent fighting game
developed by Beyond Games
and published by Atari
for its Atari Jaguar
home console system in 1995. The game's design followed the 90's fighting game trend and attempted to capitalize on the popularity of such games. Like many ultra violent titles, the game received a "Mature" (17+) rating from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. There is also an unreleased version for the Atari Lynx which is being finished and published by Songbird Productions
.
where civilization has been reduced to a Mad Max
inspired world of warlords. After the discovery of a mystical artifact, humanity declined and nations across the world fell apart.
During the world's decline, science and technology has advanced far enough for humans to develop creations of their own. The first was the robot, designed to replace human manual labor for cost effectiveness, and with their own ability to reason. However, after being enslaved for more than 50 years, the robots became self-aware and formed the Society of Machines, Androids, and Cyborgs, or the SMAC, which petitioned for equal rights in human society. As a result, conflict between humans and robots developed.
The second creation humans developed was a group of human clones known as Specially Qualified Unique Engineered Eugenic Biounits, or SQUEEBs. Designed by the Military Industrial Complex, ltd. with survival capabilities that surpassed humans, SQUEEBs would eventually replace soldiers, and were used heavily during war. Eventually, during a great conflict in the year 2112, some SQUEEBs escaped and formed a collective underground gang called the Powershifters. Unlike the other gangs, the Powershifters have no true leader. As a result, very few gangs offer any allegiance to them, as their opinions and views change.
As society crumbled, many humans joined gangs to rebel against the corrupt government and the rival gangs. The largest known gang in the underground is the MeatHackers. Unlike the other gangs, the MeatHackers have developed into two different factions. One using their Vortek derived powers and tools of combat, and the other using hand-held weapons. This has created friction between them, with the older members that favor their Vortek derived powers often regarding hand-held weapons as poor substitutes.
After a certain point, a mysterious creature, satanic
in appearance called the "Guardian," appears before humanity and announces that he will destroy the world, unless a warrior can defeat him in violent combat. The Guardian has allotted a specific amount of time for humanity to select seven of their best fighters and have them compete with one another. Once the fighter defeats the other warriors, he will open the "Ultra Vortek", combat the Guardian, and if victorious, may then use his newly acquired power to determine the fate of the Earth.
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...
developed by Beyond Games
Beyond Games
Beyond Games is an American video game developer. It was founded in 1992 by Kris Johnson. The first release from the company was BattleWheels for the Atari Lynx, winner of the 1993 Consumer Electronics Show Innovations Award. They follow-up, CyberVirus was planned for release the following year,...
and published by Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
for its Atari Jaguar
Atari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
home console system in 1995. The game's design followed the 90's fighting game trend and attempted to capitalize on the popularity of such games. Like many ultra violent titles, the game received a "Mature" (17+) rating from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. There is also an unreleased version for the Atari Lynx which is being finished and published by Songbird Productions
Songbird Productions
Songbird Productions is a game development studio that develops games for the Atari Jaguar and Atari Lynx. It was founded by Carl Forhan in 1999, and is located in Rochester, Minnesota.- Games published :* Ponx * Lexis * Protector...
.
Storyline
The game is set in a dystopiaDystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
where civilization has been reduced to a Mad Max
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
inspired world of warlords. After the discovery of a mystical artifact, humanity declined and nations across the world fell apart.
During the world's decline, science and technology has advanced far enough for humans to develop creations of their own. The first was the robot, designed to replace human manual labor for cost effectiveness, and with their own ability to reason. However, after being enslaved for more than 50 years, the robots became self-aware and formed the Society of Machines, Androids, and Cyborgs, or the SMAC, which petitioned for equal rights in human society. As a result, conflict between humans and robots developed.
The second creation humans developed was a group of human clones known as Specially Qualified Unique Engineered Eugenic Biounits, or SQUEEBs. Designed by the Military Industrial Complex, ltd. with survival capabilities that surpassed humans, SQUEEBs would eventually replace soldiers, and were used heavily during war. Eventually, during a great conflict in the year 2112, some SQUEEBs escaped and formed a collective underground gang called the Powershifters. Unlike the other gangs, the Powershifters have no true leader. As a result, very few gangs offer any allegiance to them, as their opinions and views change.
As society crumbled, many humans joined gangs to rebel against the corrupt government and the rival gangs. The largest known gang in the underground is the MeatHackers. Unlike the other gangs, the MeatHackers have developed into two different factions. One using their Vortek derived powers and tools of combat, and the other using hand-held weapons. This has created friction between them, with the older members that favor their Vortek derived powers often regarding hand-held weapons as poor substitutes.
After a certain point, a mysterious creature, satanic
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
in appearance called the "Guardian," appears before humanity and announces that he will destroy the world, unless a warrior can defeat him in violent combat. The Guardian has allotted a specific amount of time for humanity to select seven of their best fighters and have them compete with one another. Once the fighter defeats the other warriors, he will open the "Ultra Vortek", combat the Guardian, and if victorious, may then use his newly acquired power to determine the fate of the Earth.
The MeatHackers
- Lucius (current leader of the MeatHackers, and grandmaster of the Vortek power division)
- Dreadloc (second in command. Leader of the weapons division)
The Society of Machines, Androids, and Cyborgs
- Skullcrusher (known as the "Minister of Discipline")
- Buzzsaw
Hidden characters
- Carbon (a possible PowerShifter; essentially a black palette swap of Grok, with one additional move)
- The Guardian (boss)
- Shadows (shadow-colored palette swaps of any of the seven fighters. They are fought before facing The Guardian, thus being considered sub-bosses)