Rise of the Robots is a fighting game developed by Mirage and published by Time Warner Interactive in 1994. First launched on Amiga and PC DOS, it was later ported to SNES, Mega Drive, 3DO and other platforms.
Set in 2043, the game follows Electrocorp, the world’s largest robot maker, which builds the Supervisor, a super AI to run its Metropolis 4 factory. Infected by the EGO virus, the Supervisor seizes control of all factory robots and threatens humanity. Players take on the role of ECO35-2, a cyborg who infiltrates the factory to battle infected robots, confront the Supervisor, and foil its plot.
The game features single-player and two-player versus modes. In single-player, players fight five factory robots in a fixed order before facing the Supervisor, each with unique designs, moves, and rising difficulty. In two-player mode, one player defaults to ECO35-2 while the other picks one of the five enemies.
Marketed for its stunning pre-rendered 3D graphics and advanced AI, Rise of the Robots also features a soundtrack by Queen guitarist Brian May, boosting its appeal.
Despite high pre-release hype, it fell short of expectations due to weak gameplay and clunky controls. Still, its innovative efforts and unique premise have earned it a distinct place in gaming history.