Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein
| Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein | |
|---|---|
North American arcade flyer | |
| Developer | Capcom |
| Publishers | Capcom Dreamcast
|
| Directors | Yoichiro Ikeda Takayoshi Terada |
| Producers | Noritaka Funamizu Koji Nakajima |
| Artist | Bengus |
| Composers | Tetsuya Shibata Takayuki Iwai |
| Series | Star Gladiator |
| Platforms | Arcade, Dreamcast |
| Release | Arcade
|
| Genre | Fighting |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Arcade system | Sony ZN-2 |
Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein is a 1998 arcade fighting game developed and published by Capcom, and the sequel to 1996's Star Gladiator. It uses Sony's ZN-2 arcade system board, an improved version of the PlayStation based ZN-1 hardware previously used for its predecessor. A port for Dreamcast was subsequently released in 2000.
The game reworks and improves elements from Star Gladiator, such as the control system and gameplay mechanics, while adding new concepts such as the Plasma Field; a type of special move that traps the opponent when hit and activates a different effect depending on the character selected.
Upon release, the Dreamcast version of Plasma Sword received mixed critical reception, with praise for the refined gameplay and visual style but was criticized for a lack of originality in terms of mechanics. The game has since been re-released as part of the 2025 game compilation Capcom Fighting Collection 2.