Got Arcana Heart for PS2. LOL OMG WOW.

THE GAME ITSELF: Awesome, you would think that 25 years later, the 2D fighter would be running on fumes. But AH manages to bring about a COMPLETELY new style of gameplay. Deceptively deep...like seriously. You look at this game and would think it's shit or porn, but you can't even dash without meter management and I love it. It rivals GG in the "wow It's like an anime fight on TV" department.

11 characters, 11 Arcana....that's 121 possible fighting styles.
Your moves + Arcana's moves + Arcana state + Arcana storm...
2 meters to manage.

awesome. I'd rather lose the 6,6 dash of fightings games to this system of metered dash....but you can dash STRAIGHT FUCKING UP in awesome combo heaven.


Theres something inherently charming about the games low-budget (but brilliantly designed) theme. It's like some long forgotten game for Saturn turned p on my doorstep, but far better than any Saturn game.


BUT. let's do a fighting game roll call:

Brainwashed lolita assassin with evil (like....weird scary) doll. CHECK
Uptight tall samurai chick with time bending. CHECK
Inline rollerblade succubus girl: CHECK
Cardcaptor Sakura Clone: CHECK
Ken to Sakura Clone's Ryu: CHECK
Mechanical/robot huge rack girl: CHECK
Miko priestess (awesome): CHECK
Cute lil' puppy girl ninja (with STRIDER'S SUPER): CHECK
GIANT SWORD GIRL (who can't lift sword): CHECK
Ditzy witch girl accompanied by satan: CHECK

Then I guess Atlus was like..."how can we get one in a school swimsuit in there? but with PURPOSE?"
So the MOST original character I've seen in a LONG time....
Loli bent on world domination swimming in giant blob of conscious shape shifting water: DOUBLE CHECK


With girl is my favorite though. Yuriko's animation is fantastically done. It's like Dizzy's Necro attacks....but constantly, and with much more humor. Mike may not LOOK as evil as Necro in the traditional sense...but a huge skull kitty as big as the screen with giant wings and eye lasers kind of beats out a skeleton archer. The fact that she's constantly trying to stop him during the fight is pretty genius too.

The designs are so genius. A cute little maid named "Fiona Mayfield", decked out in boots and gloves made of rock and metal, wielding an unfortunately cumbersome glaive. Even when she connects, you can't help but feel she did it by accident. She doesn't even lift the sword. She just drags it...


I'm going to go get my ass kicked by Loli Water Blob girl now. But only for a bit. While I'd love to get hooked on this game, there is a sequel due out soon (with MORE outrageous designs), and I need to focus on my craft. Sadly...this is even MORE niche than GG lol. sigh. which is bad for people.


GO play this game. NOW.



Also
vs

I like the first one more.