Red Earth (video game)

Red Earth
Official brochure for the game
Developer(s)	Capcom
Publisher(s)	Capcom
Composer(s)	Takayuki Iwai
Platform(s)	Arcade
Release	November 21, 1996
Genre(s)	Fighting
Mode(s)	Up to 2 players simultaneously
Cabinet	Upright
Arcade system	CP System III
Display	Raster (Horizontal)

Red Earth, released in Japan as War-Zard (ウォーザード, Wōzādo^?), is a fantasy-themed 2D competitive fighting game released by Capcom as a coin-operated video game in 1996. It was the first game for Capcom's CP System III hardware, the same hardware which Street Fighter III and its derivatives ran on. Red Earth is the only CPS III video game which has never been officially ported to home platforms, although its characters have appeared in later Capcom games.

Red Earth features two different game modes: a single-player Quest Mode and a two-player Versus Mode. In Quest Mode, the player chooses from one of the four main characters, and progresses through their character's storyline while fighting against a series of eight computer-controlled adversaries in one-on-one battles (like in the first Street Fighter), gaining experience points during each battle. In Versus Mode, two players fight against each other, each using any of the four main characters (including the same character as the other player). Red Earth uses a password feature that allows the player to play the game later on the same skill level their character reached when it ended the last time. The character is able to acquire new abilities depending on the skill level that has been reached.

The fighting system itself is similar to previous Capcom fighting games such as the Street Fighter series with a few key differences. First of all, the vitality gauge of each computer-controlled opponent fought by the player during Quest mode is displayed across the bottom of the screen, and is much larger than the player's own vitality gauge. Also, as the player lands hits on their opponents, various coins and treasure chests come out. Collecting coins provides experience points, while various items can be found in treasure chests such as orbs (used to perform super moves) and food (which replenishes the player's vitality). These elements make the game very similar to a side-scrolling action game rather than a traditional competitive fighting game.