SNES Action Beat 'em Up 1993

Warriors of Fate

Reviewed by Marcus Webb & Elena Castillo · Updated June 2025

Capcom's 1993 SNES beat-em-up set in Three Kingdoms China — Warriors of Fate follows five warriors through ancient Chinese battles, featuring Capcom's largest beat-em-up roster to that point and the company's most historically grounded setting. The final entry in Capcom's Tenchi wo Kurau series adapted for Western audiences.

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💡 Warriors of Fate — Key Facts

→ Warriors of Fate was developed by Capcom and published by Capcom
→ Released in 1993 on SNES
→ Genre: Action, Beat 'em Up
→ We rate it 8.6/10 — highly recommended
→ Capcom's 1993 SNES beat-em-up set in Three Kingdoms China — Warriors of Fate follows five warriors through ancient Chinese battles, featuring Capcom's largest beat-em-up roster to that point and the company's most historically grounded setting. The final entry in Capcom's Tenchi wo Kurau series adapted for Western audiences.

Overview

Five warriors. Ten stages. Three Kingdoms China as a beat-em-up setting rather than the European medieval or fantasy settings that dominated Capcom’s other arcade-to-SNES titles.

Warriors of Fate brought the largest playable roster to any Capcom SNES beat-em-up.

The Five Warriors

Most Capcom beat-em-ups offered two or three characters. Warriors of Fate gave five, each drawn from Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ historical cast.

Guan Yu hits hardest. Zhang Fei’s spear reaches farthest. Zhao Yun balances both. Huang Zhong shoots arrows — ranged attacks in a genre where closing distance is assumed. Wei Yan attacks fastest with twin blades.

The diversity matters. The same stage plays differently depending on which warrior occupies it. Huang Zhong’s arrow range changes enemy approach patterns; Wei Yan’s speed changes which enemies become threats.

The Historical Setting

Three Kingdoms China is specific in ways that generic fantasy isn’t. The armor designs reference actual period aesthetics. The enemies and generals are drawn from historical figures rather than invented antagonists. The architecture reflects what Capcom’s artists could research rather than what they could imagine.

The specificity creates coherence. The stages feel like one consistent world rather than arbitrary stage changes.

Cavalry

Generals ride horses. The beat-em-up combat shifts when the enemy is mounted — their reach changes, their charge patterns change, the damage of contact with the horse differs from the damage of the rider’s weapon.

Warriors of Fate solved a problem most beat-em-ups didn’t attempt: how to make boss encounters feel different from regular enemy encounters without removing the core brawling. The horse changes the encounter without leaving the genre.

Our Review

8.6

Excellent / 10

🎮

Gameplay

★★★★★

🎨

Graphics

★★★★★

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Audio

★★★★★

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Replay

★★★★★

Gameplay

Warriors of Fate is a side-scrolling beat-em-up set in Three Kingdoms-era China where players choose from five warriors — Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, and Wei Yan — each with distinct combat styles, across ten stages. The five-character roster gives Warriors of Fate the largest playable cast in any Capcom SNES beat-em-up. Characters vary from heavy axe users to fast dual-weapon fighters to balanced swordsmen. Standard Capcom beat-em-up controls: attack, jump, special move consuming health. Two-player simultaneous co-op available. Defeated generals occasionally mount horses, changing combat to cavalry encounters.

Graphics

Warriors of Fate's SNES visuals present ancient Chinese aesthetics — armor designs, architecture, and enemy designs consistent with Three Kingdoms period. The five distinct character designs and varied enemy types across ten stages create visual variety within the historical setting.

Audio

The Warriors of Fate soundtrack provides period-appropriate Chinese adventure music. Battle themes maintain the pace required for beat-em-up action without the Western orchestral flavor of Capcom's Medieval titles.

Replayability

Five playable warriors with different combat styles and two-player co-op provide the core replay. Ten stages and the variety of cavalry encounters add variation.

Historical Significance

Warriors of Fate (1992 arcade as Tenchi wo Kurau II; 1993 SNES) is the sequel to Dynasty Wars (1989 arcade, also Tenchi wo Kurau). The game is based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms, using historical Chinese figures as playable characters — Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun — who would later become famous in the Dynasty Warriors franchise. Capcom's beat-em-up catalog (Final Fight, Captain Commando, King of Dragons, Knights of the Round, Warriors of Fate) represents the studio's sustained dominance of the genre. The five-character roster exceeded most contemporary Capcom beat-em-ups.

✅ Pros

+ Five playable warriors — largest Capcom SNES beat-em-up roster
+ Three Kingdoms China historical setting distinct from fantasy peers
+ Cavalry combat sequences add genre variety
+ Two-player co-op throughout
+ Varied warrior combat styles from heavy to fast

❌ Cons

- Ten stages can feel repetitive in later sections
- Historical setting less recognizable to Western audiences than Arthurian or fantasy
- Some warriors feel underpowered vs Guan Yu balance
- SNES port loses some arcade visual fidelity

Also Known As

Warriors of Fate SNESTenchi wo Kurau II天地を喰らうII

Warriors of Fate FAQ

Who are the five playable warriors in Warriors of Fate?

Warriors of Fate's five playable characters are drawn from Romance of the Three Kingdoms historical figures. Guan Yu is the heavy warrior — large frame, powerful axe strikes, slower movement but highest individual hit damage. Zhang Fei uses a spear with strong reach attacks that can hit multiple enemies in a horizontal sweep. Zhao Yun is the balanced warrior — medium speed, medium power, sword attacks suitable for varied enemy types. Huang Zhong is the oldest warrior and uses a bow, providing ranged attack capability unusual in the beat-em-up genre — his arrows can hit enemies before they close to melee range. Wei Yan is the fastest warrior with dual short swords, quick combo attacks trading raw power for speed and multi-hit capability. The five characters provide meaningful diversity in combat approach.

What are the cavalry encounters in Warriors of Fate?

Warriors of Fate includes cavalry combat sequences not found in most Capcom beat-em-ups — certain boss encounters involve enemy generals riding horses, changing the standard brawling dynamic. When a general is mounted, their attack patterns change: cavalry charges cover more horizontal distance than standard enemy movement, and the height of the mounted figure changes hit detection. Players can attack the rider directly or target the horse. Some stage segments involve the player warriors riding horses — changing their movement speed and the height of their attacks. The cavalry mechanic distinguishes Warriors of Fate from contemporaries like King of Dragons or Knights of the Round where all combat is foot-based.

How does Warriors of Fate relate to Dynasty Warriors?

Warriors of Fate uses the same historical source material as Dynasty Warriors (1997 PS1 onward): Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the 14th-century Chinese historical novel covering the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD). The playable characters in Warriors of Fate — Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun — are the same historical figures who became franchise staples in Dynasty Warriors. Both games use the Three Kingdoms setting as their fiction source; Warriors of Fate applies it to a 2D beat-em-up structure while Dynasty Warriors became a 3D musou (one-versus-many combat) game. Capcom's Warriors of Fate predates Koei's Dynasty Warriors franchise by several years.

Is Warriors of Fate available on modern platforms?

Warriors of Fate is included in the Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle (PS4/Xbox One/Switch/PC, 2018) alongside Final Fight, Captain Commando, King of Dragons, Knights of the Round, Armored Warriors, and Battle Circuit. The compilation is the recommended modern way to play Warriors of Fate with online co-op where available. The Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle uses the arcade version, which differs from the SNES port. Original SNES cartridges are available through retro game stores.