New Fighting Game "The Rumble Fish 2" Review! The weight and pain of punching. The classic fighting game is back after 17 years!

The fighting game "The Rumble Fish 2" was released by 3goo on December 8, 2022 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC (Steam).

This title is a unique game with a unique tactical game in which hitting and preventing attacks is of great significance. Let us report on this title, which is the first port of this game for home video game consoles.

The Rumble Fish" was released in 2004, just as the fighting boom that began in 1991 was winding down and the period of turmoil that saw various companies competing against each other for players had come to an end. Against this backdrop, this title attracted the attention of fighting game enthusiasts because it was developed by Dimps, led by Takashi Nishiyama, who was active in early fighting games such as "Street Fighter" and "Fatal Wolf Legend. The game's unique characteristics, such as "the visual expression that conveys pain as clothes are torn to shreds in battle" and "the tactics that make full use of the two gauges of attack and defense," were highly acclaimed, and the fighting scene quietly gained momentum. For more details on this situation, please refer to the interview with the development staff.

The following year, in 2005, "The Rumble Fish 2" was released. Although it was an ambitious work that brushed up on the previous game's system and added new characters, it had never been ported to home video game consoles. However, in 2012, "The Rumble Fish 2 for NESiCAxLive," a modified version of this title, was distributed for arcades, and the fact that this port was made possible by a love call from Di Costanzo Nicola, president of 3goo, the publisher of the game, shows how highly the game was received. The fact that this port was made possible by a request from Di Costanzo Nicola, president of 3goo, the publisher of the game, also shows how highly the game was received.
The Rumble Fish 2 for NESiCAxLive" is the first port of "The Rumble Fish 2" to a home video game console. The features of this title, as mentioned above, include "visual expressions that convey pain as clothes are torn to shreds in battle" and "tactics that make full use of two gauges, attack and defense.

This title has a "parts crash" system. As the character continues to take blows, clothing, hair bands, etc. are destroyed and the face becomes swollen. As the battle progresses, the character's appearance as he or she falls to pieces conveys the pain associated with fighting and the courage to fight through it.

If you continue to hit your opponent, a "parts crash" will occur. Clothes are torn, and accessories are broken.

With the exception of a few characters, parts crash does not change the performance of the character, but when it does occur, there is a flashy performance that is very satisfying. Since it occurs when the durability set for each part of the body is reduced, it is possible to aim for it once you get used to it.

In other words, in addition to winning and clearing the game, there is an optional goal of "causing a parts crash," which is reset each time the opponent changes, which increases motivation when playing alone. I used the "broken" characters of Typhon in the first game and Mito in "2" at the time, and this was also to fully enjoy playing with the parts crash.

There are various similar systems, such as the "Golden Castle" armor removal, "Dragon and Tiger Fist" face swelling from blows, "Fighting History" weaknesses, and "Fighting Vipers" armor, but the interesting thing is that in this title there are many parts that can be broken, and they are also used to carve out the character. The character of Boyd, for example, appears harmless at first glance, but when his clothes are torn, his scorpion tattoo is revealed, and when a head part crash occurs, he transforms into a ferocious looking man. Boyd's true nature is that of an underworld assassin, and his usual good-natured appearance is merely a mimicry. When he is using Boyd himself, the tension rises.

Boyd" on the left of the screen looks like a good-looking old man with a flashy shirt and glasses.

Note the boyd on the right of the screen. His head and upper body are continuously attacked, causing parts to crash. His face has changed and the tattoos under his clothes have been revealed.

Typhon" on the right is a boy wearing a hat.

Typhon, on the left side of the screen, suffered a parts crash. His hat was blown off.

Cheryl's clothes on screen left and Mito's eye patch on screen right have been destroyed.

And what makes the game so profound is the existence of two special gauges: the "Offense Gauge," which increases when you attack, and the "Defense Gauge," which increases when you prevent an opponent's attack or over time. The offensive gauge allows the player to perform offensive "offensive arts" and the defensive gauge allows the player to perform defensive "defensive arts. Offensive Arts are the kind of moves that most people think of when they hear the words "super special move," such as rushing and random dancing. Zen's "Roaring Shock" sends a shockwave around the body to regroup, while Orville's "Hammer Fang" can only be used when the opponent is guarding himself. Also, "Impact Break," a special guard that stiffens the opponent, consumes the same defense gauge.

Garnet's Offensive Art "Piercing Soul" unleashes a powerful kick.

Zen's defensive art "Roaring Shock Impulse" emits a shockwave around the opponent and cuts them back

Impact Break," a special guard that stiffens the opponent. It must be entered just before the attack.

The system of special gauges used to perform major moves has existed since the early days of fighting games, such as the energy gauge in "Dragon and Tiger Fist" and the Super Combo Gauge in "Super Street Fighter IIX". However, the separation of special gauges for attack and defense is, from today's perspective, a very rare example. To understand why such a system was necessary, it is necessary to understand the fighting game situation at that time.

At that time, fighting games offered a greater freedom of movement, allowing for powerful attacks in rapid succession and coordination. The attacker also had ways to counterattack and escape, such as the "Guard Cancel," a counterattack move exclusively used while in guard, but it required skill to use it and consumed a special gauge for the attack, which affected subsequent attacks. Depending on the game and how the match unfolded, there were situations in which the player was attacked and was unable to use the special gauge to counterattack the opponent's attack.

In this new work, however, the special gauges for attack and defense are clearly separated. Even if you use Defensive Arts or Impact Breaks to fend off an opponent's attack, the Offense Gauge does not decrease, so its effect on the attack is small. It is also interesting to note that defensive arts have relatively complex commands and powerful effects, while impact breaks are easy to use, but also require a lot of reading. The defensive gauge accumulates through defense and the passage of time, so the more you need to defend, the more it increases.

Rudd" on the left of the screen has a swollen face due to a parts crash, but when he uses the defensive art "R.I.C.E." to take out an ice pack, ......

the face is cooled down and restored to its original state. This is a unique technique in this work, and it also recovers some of your strength.

In addition, there is a "Guard Gauge" in this work that decreases when an attack is prevented. When it reaches zero, the player is left defenseless by "Guard Crash," so it is necessary to use defensive arts and other techniques to go on the offensive at some point. And if the offensive player also attacks at once, he will accumulate his opponent's defensive gauge, but his own offensive gauge will also accumulate. In other words, the time to attack is when the opponent uses defensive arts or when the guard gauge decreases. By dividing the gauge into two gauges, there are clear risks and rewards for the offensive and defensive players, and the opportunities to attack and the dangers of being attacked are clearly visualized in this title. The weight of attacking and preventing an opponent is expressed in the various gauges and part crashes.

The "guard gauge" decreases as the player continues to prevent attacks, and when it runs out, the "guard crash" leaves the player defenseless.

The game gets even deeper with the addition of "Dodge," which reads the opponent's attacks and avoids upper and lower level attacks, "Quick Recovery," an aerial parry, "Boost Dive," which uses the Offense and Defense gauges to strengthen the character, and "Critical Arts," a major move that can be unleashed with all gauges. It is no wonder that the game has been loved for 17 years.

Alan's boost dive "Phantom Shift" generates an alter ego to increase the number of hits.

It is recommended that you first aim for the parts crash, and then play ...... to understand what the various gauges mean. There is also a training mode, with a "opponent attacks after a countdown" feature that seems to be for practicing Dodge, so it is a good way to practice.

However, the game lacks explanations and guidance throughout, and we would have liked to see tutorials for each task, or a function that allows the player to view text explaining various systems at any time. We hope to follow up with official videos after the game's release.

With e-sports attracting more and more attention to fighting games, and the game systems becoming more and more complex, this is a game that deserves to be reevaluated.

After clearing the final stage, players will be able to view a treasure trove of setting materials.

The training mode includes a "Dodge" practice feature in which the opponent attacks after a countdown.

• Product Information
• The Rumble Fish 2 (packaged version)
• Compatibility: PlayStation 4 (with free upgrade), Nintendo Switch
• Price: 3,480 yen (excluding tax)
• 
  The Rumble Fish 2 Collector's Edition (packaged version)
• Compatibility: PlayStation 4 (with free upgrade), Nintendo Switch
• Price: 6,980 yen (excluding tax)
• 
  The Rumble Fish 2 (downloadable version)
• Compatibility: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC (Steam)
• Price: 3,200 yen (excluding tax)
• 
  Now on sale
• Genre: Fighting game
• Languages: Japanese, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, French, Chinese (simplified/traditional), Korean
• Developer: 3goo Inc.
• Publisher: 3goo Inc.
• Official Web site: #

©Dimps 2004-2005 / ©3goo K.K.