Toshinden 4 (Game)

Toshinden 4

GAME » on August 12, 1999

The fourth and final mainline installment of the Battle Arena Toshinden series of 3D weapon-based fighting games, featuring a reworked roster of new fighters and a three-on-three team elimination system.

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Overview

Toshinden 4, known in-game as Battle Arena Toshinden 4 and in Japan as Tōshinden Subaru, is a 3D fighting game developed by Tamsoft and published by Takara for the PlayStation in Japan on August 12, 1999, with a European release by Studio 3 Interactive Entertainment on June 30, 2000. It did not receive a release in North America.

The fourth and final mainline installment of the Battle Arena Toshinden (Franchise) series, Toshinden 4 features a new cast of fighters, a revamped gameplay system (with an updated three-tier Overdrive gauge, free-run movement, multiple stage types, and new techniques), and a three-fighter "team elimination" system similar to The King of Fighters (Franchise).

The game's story is set ten years after the events of Battle Arena Toshinden 3 (Game), with the destruction of the Organization. A new tournament from the mysterious "Gerard Foundation" is organized for a mysterious purpose, although it is rumored to involve four sacred weapons (each based on the four celestial guardians of Chinese mythology). Among those invited is Subaru Shinjo (Character), son of the legendary swordsman Sho Shinjo (Character), who wields the Sword of the White Tiger originally wielded by his uncle and teacher Eiji Shinjo (Character) (the main protagonist of the series' past).

Characters

Most of the game's roster is new to the series, with only Naru, Eiji, and Vermilion (Character) returning from the previous installment. There are 9 playable characters from the start, split into three teams of three, with a boss team and hidden final boss that are all unlockable (for a total of 13).

Similar to The King of Fighters '94, the game's team-based modes are locked by default so that players cannot make a custom team. It can be unlocked in modes other than the Team Story Mode by clearing the game with Vermilion.

Subaru Team

Subaru Shinjo (Character) - The game's main protagonist and the Japanese disciple of his uncle, the legendary swordsman Eiji. Wielding his uncle's sacred Sword of the White Tiger, he sets out to become the greatest martial artist. He plays similarly to Eiji, as well as his father Sho, from previous games in the series.
Naru Amoh (Character) - A British girl and the teenage foster daughter of Eiji's friendly rival Kayin. Wielding Kayin's sword "Caliburn", she joins Subaru with hopes of finding her foster father. She was originally playable in Battle Arena Toshinden 3 (Game), although here it is in a less comical fashion.
Rook Castle (Character) - An American martial artist who, after a defeat from a mysterious ninja girl, befriends Subaru and joins him in his quest. Along with a combination of different forms of kung fu (namely Jeet Kune Do (Concept)), he fights with nunchacku.

Puella Team

Puella Marionette (Character) - A Swiss orphan who one day received a mysterious sacred weapon, known as the Bow of the Vermilion Sparrow, from an angel. She uses the bow in combat, playing similar to Uranus from the series' second installment.
Lancelot Lakeknight (Character) - A British aristocrat who, despite his young age, is a skilled fencer. He forms a team to enter the tournament to challenge Naru, as she has previously defeated him in a fencing match. He wields a rapier in battle, and some of his moves are similar to Duke from earlier installments.
Fen Barefoot (Character) - A young Brazilian fisherman who seeks revenge against the man who killed his grandfather. He wields a harpoon like a spear, as he learned techniques while tending to an injured Japanese warrior. He is also accompanied by hit pet pig Wolfy, who he can sometimes command to attack.

Genma Team

Genma (Character) - A shrouded, mysterious, and coldblooded Chinese sorcerer who wields the sacred Shield of the Black Tortoise. Along with the shield's powers, he fights with his own dark magic.
Miyabi - A Japanese kunoichi who was abducted and brainwashed by Genma to be his faithful underling. Occasionally using the giant shuriken on her back, she mainly fights with ninjutsu techniques and weaponry, such as a sheathed tanto and shurikens.
Bang-Boo - A hulking cyborg with the brain of a Cuban pilot and no will of his own, dispatched by the Gerard Foundation to keep an eye on Genma. Developed as a weapon of war, he wields twin arm cannons in battle.

Boss Team

The game's final boss team, with each of the teammates unlockable for play by clearing Team Story Mode with each team (Eiji for the Subaru Team, Eos for the Puella Team, and Zero for the Genma Team). Once all three are unlocked, the full team can be played in Team Story Mode.

Eiji Shinjo (Character) - A Japanese master swordsman and survivor of the previous Toshinden tournaments, who became the leader of the Gerard Foundation and organized this tournament to gather the four sacred weapons. One of the few fighters to return from previous games, he sports a new armored appearance and a iaido-based fighting style with a katana.
Eos - An angelic artificial being from the Gerard Foundation's Italian branch, who wields the sacred Spear of the Azure Dragon in battle (although as an ornate rod).
Zero - A demonic artificial being from the Gerard Foundation's Greek branch, who wields a large broadsword in battle.

Other

Vermilion (Character) - A mysterious gunslinger from the past, who infiltrates the tournament to take the four sacred weapons for himself. Returning from the previous installment, he now dual-wields revolvers (with a backup submachine gun). He is the game's secret final boss, who is fought in a 3v1 when clearing Team Story Mode with no continues, and is unlockable for play by clearing Team Story Mode with the Boss Team. In Team Story Mode, he plays as a one-man team.

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