A very good game, with a surprise - Super Smash Bros-like fighting before Super Smash Bros existed
Getting right into it, this game's combat may seem strange. You have two lanes, like Fatal Fury, where you can jump back and forth to fight. When you move away from your opponent, you actually turn around, leaving you open for an attack. However, there's a quick back dash, you can also run towards your opponents, and once you get the hang of the controls (A for a strong attack, B for a weak one, and C to block, by default), there's a lot of fun to be had.
The game could have actually been an all time great if it had simplified the button commands for special moves. It would have literally been Super Smash Bros before SSB existed, at that point. Now, the reason I say that is because of the game's "Battle Royale" mode. It's located under the Practice Match mode, the first option there. You can pick up to 4 players, but if you're by yourself, that's fine, the rest of the players will be controlled by the AI.
Let's put emphasis on that. Four characters can fight at the same time in this game. Four human players can play at the same time, if you have the adapter for that.
It's in this mode where the combat's controls make perfect sense. The game was designed so you could turn around easily if you're in the middle of a crowded match. You'll have to learn each character's commands for special moves, but once you do, the game will feel like a slower prototype of SSB (in a good way). The devs should have probably gotten rid of the slow-down when characters get KO'd in this mode, but hey, that's a small complaint. Another small complaint would be that the color palette gets stretched to its limit in this mode. Two characters will have to share colors, as a result of this.
The soundtrack is mostly just there, not great, but not bad either.
Graphically, this game mostly looks good, and brings in some memorable stages from the anime. I could have done without the second "outer space" stage with the waving distorted debris, but that's just me. The sprites for the characters are all well done, but don't look great when characters switch to the lane in background. It can't be helped when the AI jumps to the back, so that's why I try to stay in the foreground whenever I play this.
There are lots of game modes here. You got a "competition" mode, which is really just your usual arcade mode. A Practice Match mode where you can play Battle Royales, Team Battles or just train. There's also a Tournament mode, both for singles and teams. On top of that, a handicap mode if you want to suffer the AI's wrath. Generally, I'd recommend turning up the difficulty past the default "normal" setting. The normal AI is really easy to beat.
As for the roster, there are 11 characters: Sensui, Jin, Itsuki, Genkai, Kuwabara, Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, Chu and the famous Toguro brothers. They got up to Season 3 of the anime, for those who watched Yu Yu Hakusho in the US, so they covered a lot of ground with this roster.
Overall, this game is impressive due to all the content in it, and the fighting, man, I really appreciate the effort that went into it.
Sadly, the game is rare. You will probably have to sail the seas to play it, or drop some cash to actually own a physical copy of it.
