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SpikeOut Digital Battle Online is a 3D beat'em all released in 1998 and playable up to 4 players. The game was developed by the Amusement Vision team led by the famous Toshihiro Nagoshi, Producer and Designer in the SEGA AM2 branch. SpikeOut Digital Battle Online is the first episode of an arcade-only release on SEGA's Model 3 PCB.

Toshihiro Nagoshi, still at SEGA AM2, is behind this title and signs the revival of the Beat'm all thanks to a different and terribly effective gameplay. SpikeOut is the first 3D Beat'm all with a 3D gameplay, that is to say movements in the eight directions and a camera placed in the back of the character. It's a mix between Street of Rage for the atmosphere and Virtua Fighter for the realistic movements and the combos made of sequences of punches and kicks. As usual on Model 3, the game is very impressive with its fine textures, its good modeling, its perfect fluidity even with a dozen of attackers on the screen, and its catchy design.

The story goes like this:
Spike's clan is intent on taking back the city from the ugly villains, and his three companions Linda, Tenshin and White will be no match for him in this difficult mission over the course of 3 Stages divided into 30 zones. That's why I divide the game with its 3 main stages, otherwise the video would last more than 1h30. In this game the Game Over happens when the life bar is empty of course, but also when the countdown is at zero. And like a racing game, to gain extra time, you have to reach "check points".

Each stage is divided into zones and to get from one zone to another you have to find and beat to death the "gatekeeper". Once you beat him, you have to break the door often a grid that flashes within the time limit. If the game remains quite linear, there are sometimes several doors to choose from, which allows you to vary the areas and find the shortcuts that lead to the boss of the stage.

As always with AM2 games, the game can be enjoyed for a short while to pass the time, but it will not disappoint AM2 fans thanks to a very rich gameplay giving the feeling of playing a fighting game. Instead of using stick manipulations for special moves, AM2 invented a new gameplay based on 4 button combinations.

SpikeOut Digital Battle Online on Model 3 was a revolution in Beat'em all. Used to 2D beat'em all, SEGA's title had the luxury of being entirely in 3D, a first in arcade! With its 4 button system, the gameplay is rich in animations and combos.