Breakers is a 1996 fighting game developed by Visco Corporation, which was released for the Neo Geo. It was followed up by Breakers Revenge in 1998 and Breakers Revenge Chicago, developed by exA-Arcadia and released in July 2024.

The Story Behind Breakers

Tenrin no Syo underwent location testing in June 1994 at the Famil game center near Shiinamachi Station and was later shown at the AM Show during the same year, before the game was revamped and retitled Breakers. Breakers Revenge was given a limited cartridge release for the Neo Geo home console by Columbus Circle in 2020. The collection was released for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows on January 12, 2023.

Home versions were released for the Neo Geo cartridge console on March 21, 1997, and for the Neo Geo CD on April 25, 1997. Breakers was one of many video games that tried to copy the formula of Street Fighter II and achieve similar success. An updated version of the game titled Breakers Revenge was released exclusively for the arcades on July 3, 1998.

How Breakers Plays

While Revenge is the same as the last installment, Extra! and Chicago are rebalanced. The matches follows the standard one-on-one best two-of-three format like most fighting games, but a match can last up to five rounds if there is no clear-cut winner in previous rounds (the game will end if both fighters lose the fifth round and no bonus points will be awarded if one wins the fifth round). The game system emphasizes balance between characters by featuring an elaborate damage adjustment feature.

The player also can perform super moves by accumulating enough energy in their power gauge and performing the command (the power gauge can be filled up to three levels). Both versions feature an option menu with a sound test allowing the player to play the game's music, sound effects and voices. Revenge makes adjustments to the existing cast of characters, rebalancing the game, the lifebars in this game were modified to look different compared to the first game's lifebars, and some stages' graphics were removed (e.g. flags in Sho Kamui's stage).

Why Players Still Load It Up

During the single-player mode, instead of fighting a clone of their character, the player will face a differently named, differently colored alter-ego. The following plot summary is translated from the home versions' manual: Somewhere in Hong Kong, two martial artists face each other in a vast courtyard. The FIST tournament has gathered numerous participants from around the globe and another sacrifice will be chosen this year.

The original Breakers features a roster of eight playable characters and a single boss character who is playable only in the home versions. Due to its status and notoriety as a cult classic, it can still be seen being played in some modern Japanese fighting game tournaments. However, none of the martial artists who were chosen to challenge the champion in a private final match have ever come back alive.

Breakers — Frequently Asked Questions