- Over 20 characters from 5 schools.
From the Manufacturer
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A completely new and original Capcom 3D fighter.
Lightning-fast combos (even in mid-air) and an intense fighting
engine make this arcade hit a must have.
Review
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Capcom's latest entry into the supercrowded fighting-game
market has extremely little to do with Street Fighter. Sure,
Sakura appears in the game, and a good portion of the characters
have a dragon punch equivalent, but this game really comes across
as a very different game. Think Street Fighter meets Asuka 120%
Burning Fest Excellent in 3D.
This two-disc game contains a lot of different options. Aside
from a very good translation of the arcade game (which takes up
most of the first disc), there is also an in-depth training mode
that teaches you every single facet of the game, from counters to
team attacks. There are also a few different tournament modes, as
well as a strange four-player mode that allows the non-fighting
member of your team to control when the team-up attacks take
place. There are also hidden subgames, such as a home run derby,
a penalty kicking contest, volleyball target practice, and soccer
target practice.
The character design is one of the game's high points. The
storyline centers around a collection of high school kids and
teachers, so you find fighters that represent different parts of
high school life. You've got your generic Japanese schoolgirls,
soccer players, baseball players, volleyball players, teachers,
the school nurse, and even the principal. The game allows you to
pick two characters. Your back-up character (you can switch 'em
around between rounds if necessary) will come out for team-up
attacks, which take two levels off of your super meter. Most of
the team-up attacks are dual dragon punches, super fireballs, or
other offensive weaponry, but a few characters will actually heal
your character. The nurse will come out and give your character a
back rub, restoring some life in the process. It's pretty crazy.
The graphics are pretty faithful to the arcade version, although
the characters are a bit more blocky than their arcade
counterparts. Also, some of the sprite effects, such as
explosions and fire, look a little bad. The soundtrack is just
about what you'd expect from a fighting game and sounds very
Japanese. There is a lot of speech in the game, for special
moves, victory poses, and things of that nature.
I wouldn't call Rival Schools a serious fighting game, but it's
different enough to reel in those of us tired of Capcom's endless
string of Street Fighter clones. All the additional modes help a
lot on the multiplayer side of things, keeping the game fresh for
a few extra months. If you're looking for an easy-to-pick-up
fighting game that puts a slightly new spin on the old fighting
genre, Rival Schools fits the bill pretty well. --Jeff Gerstmann
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