Old-School Fighting Games: Fighting Layer

Fighting Layer, from the same company that developed Street Fighter EX, launched in 1998 at arcades. It is the predecessor to the 2018 title Fighting EX Layer.

With the existence of Tekken and Virtua Fighter, 3D fighting became the new trend. Capcom decided to do a spinoff series, in which the graphics would be in 3D with the use of polygons and worked with Arika to develop Street Fighter EX. The game, despite using 3D graphics, would still play like a typical Street Fighter game (making Street Fighter EX the predecessor to Street Fighter IV).

Street Fighter EX hit arcades in 1996 and the PlayStation console in 1997.

The game’s roster was composed of familiar characters (Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and more) and original characters (Blair Dame, Allen Snider, Cracker Jack, and more). Street Fighter EX was well-received and a sequel, Street Fighter EX 2, was launched a few years later. I purchased a copy of Street Fighter EX 2 with some of the gift money I received…