Holosseum Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]

Channel:

AL82 Retrogaming Longplays

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Published on September 8, 2021 12:50:56 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAbiDId96gY

Game:

Holosseum (1992)

Duration: 11:35

11,523 views

216

Developed and published by Sega in 1992

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My forays into the vast depths of coin-op gaming turned up yet another anomaly, namely Holosseum, a fighting game based on Sega's holographic arcade cab from the early 1990s.

My understanding is the actual cabinet projected the monitor's image onto a curved mirror, which created a holographic effect where the characters appeared to be suspended in thin air, which would have been quite the novelty back then.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to recreate that effect in a simple YouTube video, but the actual gameplay is quite interesting, thanks to a more grounded approach to versus fighting genre. Fighters use styles based on real-world fighting styles, complete with realistic moves and surprisingly life-like animations; no hadokens or flashkicks to be seen here!

Unfortunately, the cabinet design and coliseum-themed fighting arena make for a limited playing area no more than a couple of steps across. This gives rise to a gameplay experience not unlike those toy boxing games where two pugilists wave their arms at each other, but are unable to move from the spot (go look up Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots...).

Despite these shortcomings, there's something oddly compelling about Holosseum. The sense of satisfaction - not to mention smugness - as you catch an opponent off-guard with a swift elbow, is palpable, and the difficulty means that any victory over an opponent is one to be savoured.

Ultimately, Holosseum is a bit of a gimmick that lacks longevity, but it's still a pretty cool relic from retrogaming's arcade past.

#holosseum
#sega
#retrogaming