Fighter Maker is a series of games for PlayStation consoles and Microsoft Windows. It features a robust character creation system, letting players even create animations. There are two versions of the games, Fighter Maker and 2D Fighter Maker.
Part of Agetec Inc.'s Designer Series, Fighter Maker is 3D-based and allows users to create custom moves for their fighters. Despite the unique concept, the game received very bad reviews as there was little to do once a fighter had been created. The Official PlayStation Magazine gave the game 3/10, saying that the animation was rough, and that it was "not one eighth as interesting as it sounds". The Japanese edition of the first FM game is also known for having one licensed character, Street Fighter EXs Skullomania, complete with the original move list.
Reception
IGN commented that "When you actually put the character into the game, controls are pretty tight and solid", and concluded by saying that "Fighter Maker is one of the most unique software packages on the PlayStation. I'm guessing we're going to see a ton of websites dedicated to characters gamers have created, uploaded with the handy-dandy DexDrive. The competition between friends is going to be fierce. Who can create the coolest, most utilitarian character in the game?"
Fighter Maker 2
Fighter Maker 2 for the PS2 was another entry in the Designer Series from Agetec Inc. It was released in November 2002. It is similar to the original, but with more advancements in character design, movement, and attacks. As with the first, the game was met with lukewarm reviews, mainly due to its cumbersome interface and the lack of bells and whistles that were featured in most fighting games at the time. The Music was composed by the U.K. band INTELLIGENTSIA, who also created the in-game FX; MIRAI, one of the band's 2 members, is a playable character in the game.
Reception
GamePro said that "the freedom in creating move animations is immense." PSM said "For those who've thought they could build a game with the right tools, this is a fine toolbox. Aspiring fighter makers are warned, though - it's also an unforgiving school."
2D series
2D Fighter Maker 95
2D Fighter Maker 95 was released for Windows prior to ASCII's departure from gaming. Unlike its PlayStation counterparts, this version focused on 2D-style gameplay, allowing the user to create and import their own characters, sounds and graphics into the engine, allowing for far more flexibility and range than the PS versions. The program was pirated and fan translated to English and released on the Internet, where it found a large following amongst dojin game makers and the M.U.G.E.N. community.
2D Fighter Maker 2nd
2D Fighter Maker 2nd was released by ASCII's successor company, Enterbrain. An update to the original version, FM2K allowed for a greater amount of expansion and extension than FM95, revising much of the original engine to allow more options while adding a menu-based system for clarity. As with the previous version, it became wildly popular amongst the dojin communities in Japan. Again, piracy and a fan translation followed, though the second version has yet to meet with the success of the first, primarily due to the large amount of M.U.G.E.N. communities already in operation as well as the incomplete translation of the FM2K software and documentation. This also lead to the creation of 2D Fighter Maker 2015, re-created version of the translated 2D Fighter Maker 2nd by WindowsLogicProductions.
