Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is a fighter that likely has caused more controversy than God Of War and San Andreas. You'd think an all girl 2D fighter with very few vulgarities would not be a big deal to our sensibilities. After all we watched boobies bounce in rumble roses and noone raised a stink. We watched panty shots and string thongs in DOA beach volley ball and like-wise everyone gave "yays!" across the board. Arcana Heart doesn't exploit its' characters as sex objects though admittedly Mildred and the android china doll Mei Fang have the usual voluptuous assets.
To be honest Arcana Heart is no more controversial than what you'll see in a campy Saturday morning cartoon or on an episode of Sailor Moon/Inuyasha. You have 11 selectable cute girls who have all befriended elemental spirits called Arcana. When I say cute here I commonly mean "adorable" instead of sexy hawt. There is a difference between those distinctions. The goals of each heroine are somewhat unique but they all must face Mildred Avalon, a callous angel ice queen that is willing to bring about Armageddon just so she can become an Arch angel. As expected her goal to merge our world with the elemental world would result in billions of lost lives. Only you (Heart) and your entourage of friends can stop her. Sound like cutesy general audience anime fan fare? Well that's just it. For the most part it is. Yes there are suggestive themes but even Naruto and Pokemon have suggestive themes. Come to think of it He Man and Thunder Cats had suggestive themes too.
Anyway back to that later. Though by story line each girl has an Arcana they specifically befriended you can equip each fighter with any of the 11 Arcana you want. This has limitless potential for a lot of possible power up combinations as each Arcana interacts with every girl a bit differently. Arcana do various things. Some can for example speed you up , slow time, entangle enemies in vines, drop boulders on the heads of your foes, rush at enemies for a brief cameo summon attack, or give you bonuses that will effect your jumping, falling, defense, and recovery time. These are very basic examples mind you. There's a lot more to it.
The only critique I have is things feel slow and floaty. Yes you can dash forward in the air and double jump or even run across the ground, however when not doing these actions you are not fluid in the least bit. Also do not expect matches to end as quick as they do in King of fighters or Street fighter alpha 3 max. Arcana Heart heavily emphasizes patient games of cat and mouse. Button mashing will not get you that far even on the easiest possible difficulty. Picture Guilty Gear XX if it was not as cheap and running at half its' normal speed and you end up with this game.
However before you lament remember some of these faults are a blessing in disguise. This is a fighter that encourages you to use your noggin. It is a fair fighter in which everyone stands on an equal playing field. In most brawlers corner trapping and knowing each fighter's special moves will get gamers by on cheapness alone. Not so with Arcana Heart.
So what of the characters? Yes there are not many here. Only 12, and that is including Mildred who is the boss. However though these characters proudly wear cutesy anime cliches on their sleeves they all have more personality, more soul, and more originality than most of the fem fatale fighter girls already out there. Heart is the sweet innocent cheer leader girl that cares for both friends and enemies alike. Saki is a wealthy daughter to a businessman who regrets not saving her best friend Fiona. Kamui is the typical quick blade drawing samurai girl in a black uniform cliché yet there is much more to her than that. Konaha is a cute part dog ninja girl. Lilica is a kind hearted yet trouble making part demon girl prankster on roller blades. There is also Yoriko a meek and shy witch whose polymorphed staff is actually a demon lord, and Lieselotte, a gothic lolita from Germany that carries the soul of her sister in a possessed doll. I'd go on but you get the point. These girls radiate with personality and on top of that their sprites are so life-like they out-shine Guilty Gear XX and even Street Fighter III third strike. Perhaps seeing the moving mouths and blinking expressive eyes of pixilated cuties will go unnoticed to some but if you ever loved and admired 2D sprite work you'll realize the artists and programmers working on Arcana Heart pulled off something incredible.
As far as the sound goes this is a sore spot with many people that own the game. However I found the music for each stage matched up pretty well to create the intended mood. There are not many tracks but the ones that are here shine.
With so much going for it you may still ask why many will log onto topic threads just to heckle it. The equation is simple.
First you create a fighting game about young girls and elemental spirits . You add good characters, a decent plot, and great fighting physics.
Secondly you release it to the masses. As you know individuals are smart but masses never are. Two camps of ignorant slack jawed yokols arise. The first camp chortles that this game is for pedophiles and the second camp of inbred idiots draws the conclusion if you like a fighter with only girls in it you must be gay. (Not that homosexuality IS necessarily a bad thing. But homophobic beer swilling frat boys feel threatened by anything that is different.) Though the game is a "fighter" and not a hentai sex game the yokols are convinced it must be the fusion of satanic energies with underage horny school girls. Yes, seems like they protest too much. After all they were the first people to throw accusations and see Arcana Heart from that twisted perspective. Another words these yokols were the first people to perceive the cute girls in Arcana heart in a sexual manner. The rest of us on the other hand were just excited we were getting another great 2D brawler from Atlus that had a deeper element to it through the Arcana system.
Case and point. There have been cartoons and games using young girls as characters since the early 80's. Before that we had Alice in wonder land and Nancy drew. Just because said properties focus around young girl heroes and villains does that mean if you are a guy that enjoys them you're out surfing for underage jail bait? No. It doesn't.
As with the above mentioned intellectual properties Arcana Heart is fun with a good story line and a likable cast. In any cohesive series THAT is what keeps people of any age hooked. I know a lot of adults for example that read Harry Potter and they're on average normal people that simply have their inner children still alive . Many adults like putting themselves in the roles of younger characters just because it makes them feel young again themselves.
In closing my point is if you are a 2D fighter fan you should at least try Arcana Heart. Have a back-bone. Don't join the ignorant torch bearers on the fence just because you are afraid your masculinity or maturity will be questioned. If people are going to judge you over the fact you play this game they are in need of professional psychological help. You have to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.
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Beyond our world lies that of the Elemental beings the Arcana. These mighty spirits offer their abilities to the Maidens those rare humans who are able to communicate with them. Long ago our worlds were connected. However the two worlds unexpectedly split apart and a dimensional boundary was formed between them separating our world from the Arcana. Seeking to harness their energy the mysterious Mildred Avalon is trying to form a rift in the boundary and merge the worlds once more. Should her plan succeed life on our world will never be the same again. Only the Maidens with the help of their Arcana can prevent her from bringing an end to all humanity.Features:An all‐girl fighting spectacular Battles heat up with 11 beautiful female fighters to choose from.Customize your fighter s skills Arcana add new attack and defense skills. Build your combat strategy by selecting from 11 different Arcana to pair with your fighter.Supreme vertical action Take your fighting skyward! Huge battle maps let you rain down punishment on your opponent with air dashes and homing techniques to create devastating aerial combos.Exceptional replay value Includes the original Arcana Heart and the remixed Arcana Heart FULL and offers four different modes: arcade story versus and training as well as a gallery mode filled with unlockable extras.Format: PS2 Genre:FIGHTING (VG) Rating:RP UPC:730865530274 Manufacturer No:53027
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