Super Nintendo Look - Arcana

Arcana takes place on Elemen island. A land so sacred and beautiful that no less than six nations are vying for control over it. Their endless warring has claimed many lives, including Rooks' parents. Also, monsters have reappeared, somehow. Maybe they're just attracted to the bloodshed. In an effort to protect his homeland from further destruction, Rooks throws his lot in with the adventurers Alan and Teefa. They're heading to the nearby Balnea Temple, a source of evil in need of cleansing. This game is what I would consider to be an atypical dungeon crawler. Though its first-person perspective should associate it with the likes of Wizardry, The Bard's Tale, and Shining in the Darkness; there is a distinct absence of obstacles to navigate or puzzles to solve. Instead, it's a uniquely straightforward DRPG that's designed for instant-action. Players don't have to draw maps, but they will be seeing a lot of combat. 

Before continuing, I should point out that my playthrough was done using the Seal of Rimsala romhack. As noted by the description, this hack provides a better-translated story that's easier to follow, along with a handful of QOL features, bugfixes, FASTrom implementation, and more. The reviews overwhelmingly consider this the definitive way to play, and I'm in no position to argue otherwise. Perhaps I could've played the unaltered original, but what good would it have done if all my (hypothetical) complaints were addressed by the hack? No. It's best to go with the definitive version and find new things to complain about. 

In any case, Arcana is divided into five chapters, each containing one dungeon that must be explored and conquered. Note that while some dungeons contain multiple biomes, there aren't any shortcuts or key-items that provide access to later areas. This is, ignoring the treasure-laden detours, a strictly point A to point B excursion. Even though dungeons must be cleared without the conveniences of warp spells or interim saves, they're usually small enough so that rushing straight to the end takes very little time. Of course, players who choose to rush will be roadblocked by the next boss. There's no avoiding the customary random encounters that must be grinded for experience and cash. Driving this point home is the fact that every hero who allies with Rooks isn't carrying any equipment. Darwin, whose defining characteristic is having a large sword, isn't actually equipped with one when you recruit him. At least the romhack tends to place useful equipment in the dungeon, so you don't always have to return to town just to outfit some idiot recruit.

I'll go ahead and share a bit of advice that someone related to me when I started the game for the first time: Don't get too attached to your allies. Most will quit after a chapter's completion, leaving behind whatever you obtained for them to be handed off to the next hero. Rooks also has a habit of striking out on his own, fighting battles that probably would've been easier with an extra pair of hands. In short, every stat-up item you obtain should go directly to Rooks. 

Accompanying the last Card Master on every leg of his journey is an Elemental Spirit. At first, Sylph is the only one that can be called upon, but eventually Ifrit, Marid, and Dao will join. All four Spirits have a set of spells that's attuned to their element and replenish HP/MP with every step. For the most part though, all this means for players is having a steady supply of AOE spells. Magic is weirdly expensive in Arcana, so even dedicated casters like Teefa and Sarah don't do much spell-flinging outside of boss battles. Spirits aren't quite as limited, making them invaluable while exploring or grinding. Another talent they have is shifting the party's elemental affinity. Don't mess with this unless you know what you're doing. I shifted my party's affinity to wind during a tough fight only to realize that the boss is strong against it, doubling his damage output while halving mine. Real smooth.

Besides AOEs or heals, the purpose of magic is to coat the allies in buffs and slam the enemies with debuffs. It's a nice aspect of the game that sadly falls out of favor towards the end. The toughest monsters cast non-elemental magic, and there's no debuffing that. Still, it might be worth trying the spells that boost evasion / decrease accuracy. Yes, one might get lucky and avoid a barrage of lightning, rocks falling like raindrops, or even Armageddon. It even saved my life a couple times during the final battle.

On the whole, I'd say the battle system is an interesting collection of quirks. It seems to use a variation on the Active Time Battle system. Turns are supposed to be determined by each enemy and ally's initiative stat. Heroes as well as boss-class monsters also have a latent chance of receiving two turns in a row. In practice though, it just leads to a lot of fights that are oddly difficult to employ any real strategies. For example, during Rooks' turn, he can swap the current Spirit out. It's a neat feature, especially since it doesn't cost him a turn. However, he's unlikely to get the first turn in a battle, which hampers one's ability to exploit elemental weaknesses. This is something that hardly matters anyway, as most fights end with a couple AOEs and/or Rooks hitting like a truck. I just brought it up because Arcana struggles with providing long-term depth. Granted, I say this while ignoring the entire card-usage mechanic. In each town, there's a mystic lady who sells cards that provide various effects. They're probably awesome, but I never used them. Oops.

Despite my issues, I had a good time with Arcana. There was a rare pleasantness in exploring a DRPG-like world without any of the friction. Yeah, monsters with OHKO attacks or spells could've been interesting to deal with, but I know I'd be calling bullshit after one of them showed up on the 10th floor of a tower I'm trying to get through. However, there's no reason for me to defend the lackadaisical dungeon-design. Contemporaries like Shining in the Darkness were far more creative, with some floors being so diabolical that they continue to haunt my dreams. Here it's just hallways, forks, doors, stairs, and sometimes rooms. The pacing is quite good though, so empty unfulfilling corridors aren't that much of a bother.

But yeah, the most I can say is good.

Manhattan vacation photos

Over this past weekend, I visited Manhattan for the first time. Most of the photos I've taken will be published on my other blog.

You can check them out if you like.

The game reviews will resume whenever I feel like it.

2026 Special - Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts - Artoria Edition

Sometime in the past week - or perhaps even a few hours ago - I was visited by a disturbing presence. Without uttering a word, it implanted a thought that I can't rid myself of: Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts is a work of genius. Unless you've dug through the more obscure sections of this blog, you'd never know that I am a GnG hater. Holding a phial of venom for Capcom's hop & toss series just happens to be one of my hobbies. I haven't revisited them in many years, preventing any opportunity for my opinion to soften, let alone change. Such stubbornness is antithetical to whatever values I imagined a games-writer should aspire to, but nobody cares about all that. I'm an unknown who can hold any wackadoo opinion imaginable and never worry about getting called out. 

Seriously, the only reason I've even thought about SGnG lately is because of Artoria Edition. This hack envisions a world where Arthur and Prin Prin never met; or maybe they have, and the princess simply isn't interested in men. Instead, her lover is a lady knight named Artoria. She is, as you would expect, just as determined and talented as Arthur, while suffering the same curse of never being more than two hits away from death. Since the hack fits my 2026 "female protagonist with weapon" criteria, I figured it'd be worth a shot. Early on, this was just a sprite-swap, but features were added with every major update. If my recollection stands, version 3.0 added the Secret Menu, which might have been the nudge that shoved me out of the GnG Hater's Club. 

Normally, Artoria's quest to rescue Prin Prin from the Demon Realm is defined by its restrictions and curious ideas. There are seven stages, and each contain all the expected hallmarks of an action-platformer. Pits of both the spikes and bottomless variety dot the landscape. Whether they spawn infinitely or at predetermined points, monsters must be evaded or destroyed. If the heroine walks or jumps into specific locations, a treasure chest will appear, though its contents vary in usefulness. Armor is of course essential, but the weapons range from amazing to awful. Basket-carrying foes might also drop a weapon. If this causes something useless to block the path forward, then tough luck. As if the pressures of meager armor and bad luck weren't enough, the timer demands constant movement. Boss battles late in the game require a level of patience that the ticking clock won't allow. 

Then there's the whole matter of jumping. One of the more interesting yet understandably divisive mechanics that Capcom came up with is the fixed-arc double-jump. As you've no doubt experienced in other games, fixed jumps require that a chasm can't be too wide to cross, or a ledge can't be too high to leap onto. The limitations are immediately noticeable, and it falls upon the level-design to craft a scenario that isn't just making identical jumps several times in a row. At the same time though, there is comfort in consistency. With a single glance, we can tell if our player-character can make the next jump. What Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts does is introduce a significant number of variables. Arthur (or Artoria) can jump twice, but both jumps are fixed. This creates numerous possibilities, most of which lead to danger or death. If the knight wants to change direction in mid-air, then they'll have to use the second jump. Also, platforms aren't guaranteed to be placed within one or two jump of each other. Stage 3 features a lava crossing that demands accuracy in a way only two expertly timed button-presses can achieve. It's a gutsy decision that gives this game its wonderful identity but can also be a real pain in the ass.

Artoria Edition's Secret Menu works in two ways. One, it's a series of features that allow players to customize their ideal SGnG experience. Two, they're toggleable assists to ease newcomers into a tough game. I won't lie. The instant I started this up; I flew straight to the menu and set everything to ON. Treasure chest locations being marked by a sparkle is a huge boon. Damage that depletes armor level instead of reducing its wearer to skivvies? That gets a hell yeah from me. Artoria can also switch between collected weapons with L & R, which comes with all sorts of advantages. Perhaps the most dramatic feature is midair control. Both the first and second jumps, as well as those rare ledge falls, are left entirely in my hands. I don't have to tell you how freeing it is to cruise over stage 3's lava. If something unexpected happens, I can perform some ridiculous jump to get away. It's a fun way to play, but also one of the first assists I disabled after a couple of playthroughs.

What makes this game so brilliant is its limited jumping controls. I have to consider every possibility before pressing the jump button. If an enemy is capable of firing a projectile, then I must memorize the timing, figure out the best place to stand, and only leap when it's necessary. Every move is calculated, thought-out, and leaves nothing to chance. This is, pardon the lame description, a thinking-person's game. I plan my moves because the jump-button is no longer an escape-button. Only by doing so did I realize that every stage is thoughtfully constructed. They're not so rigid that any dalliance is doomed, but only flexible enough to honor smart decision-making. 

However, it would've been nice if there were less slow-moving platforms that the knight had to ride upon. A not-insignificant portion of the adventure is spent waiting for something to happen. It's a perfect-length game otherwise, and that's accounting for the 2-loop requirement. There are some other nitpicks, though it's the same stuff everyone else complains about; like that one homing shot from the bow that always goes wild and flies in circles. No wonder nobody ever puts down the dagger. Also, occasionally the latter half of stage 4 gets a little weird with the poison gas timing. If I move a little too quickly, I end up in trapped between some gas and those blue spore-thingies. 

Whether it's vanilla or with every one of Artoria Edition's features enabled, I don't believe there's a wrong way to play Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts. Sure, there's a taste to it I spent many years avoiding, but that's entirely on me. There are limitations, and they're handled with purpose, not a mere excuse to bully players into submission. That said, a customized playthrough can be just as enjoyable. Having more allowance to make rash decisions or even mistakes will draw players in. 

Good stuff.

You can shoot Samael with arrows. It works.

Super Nintendo Look - Parodius Da!

It's another one of those days. I'm supposed to be leaving on a vacation to New York City, but right now I can't get my goddamn bed to work. Forces outside of my control have denied me another decent night's sleep. Frustrated and beleaguered, I sit at the desk and wait for words to appear on this screen. Maybe the bed's functionality will be restored if a few of them have anything to do with Parodius. Back in 1988, Konami released a shmup for the- blah. Actually, screw all that. Let's skip ahead a few years to when Parodius Da! was ported to the Super Famicom. 

Fair warning: This write-up was done with the assumption that readers are either well-acquainted with Konami's flagship shmup series or have glanced at one of the seven other times I've covered a Gradius game. 

Everything that needs to be said about this game was spelled out in the full title. Shinwa kara Owarai (From Myth to Laughter) is a clear reference to Gradius III's Densetsu kara Shinwa (From Legend to Myth). This is a shmup designed for Gradius lovers, with all the perks and baggage included. Even if it isn't as committed as its predecessor to breaking gamers into tiny pieces, Parodius Da! often chooses to be delightfully sadistic. All the duckers and dee-01s were replaced with goofy penguins, but their ability to ruin lives was left untouched. One would think that the Super Famicom port would provide respite from its comically difficult arcade counterpart, and they'd be half-right. It's true that Konami packed this with plenty of beginner-friendly features. Players are given seven difficulty levels to choose from as well as the option to start with up to nine lives. They can even turn off the roulette, so the next power-up doesn't throw them headfirst into total anarchy. 

The respite ends on the battlefield, because Konami took the SNES hardware to task in a big way. This game is, outside of specific circumstances, light on the slowdown. There's going to be some grinding when a fully powered Vic Viper is firing away at a Moai battleship, and maybe a bit of stutter when trying to evade walls of bullets. For the most part though, the dreams of being saved by slowdown have disappeared. When the walls close in, there's only one recourse, and it involves learning a stage meter-by-meter until a consistent solution is discovered. Gradius syndrome isn't quite the issue that it once was, but don't be surprised by the surplus of checkpoints that can chew through nine lives in less than a minute. 

There's undoubtedly someone reading this who has far more experience with Parodius Da! than I, and hopefully they're nodding in approval when I say that I'm not overselling this game's difficulty. Now, it might not seem like it at first, especially for those who stick exclusively to settings 1-3 and avoid the second loop, but... okay this is where complications start making their way in. This game is uneven. Oftentimes, the unevenness is deliberate, a method of subverting expectations. Chi Chibinta Rika, the Vegas showgirl, acts much like the giant crabs seen at the end of Gradius... except she appears in stage 2. Also, despite an early encounter, the game still treats players as if they're professionals by having several penguins run in and lob bullets. As with most other bad situations in this series, there's a small window to escape. Either you find it, or you repeat the checkpoint. The dance with Rika is a guarantee that everything afterwards is going to push your reactions and initiative to limits unknown. However, there's only so much an uneven game can teach its players.

Let me jump straight to the point: Stage 6. Despite taking place in a pinball machine, there's only one gimmick worth noting and it's that roulette power-ups are very common. There's something almost mean-spirited about giving one of the game's hardest stages an infusion of chaos, but whatever. Stage 6 is essentially a tribute to Nemesis. By Nemesis, I'm referring to the North American version of Gradius, with the rank that spirals into absurdity in less than 10 minutes, turning the earliest stages into improbable bullet-hells. There is nothing here except rows upon rows of the fowlest creatures, and they're covering the screen in a web of projectiles. Technically, this is a speed stage, so everything whizzes past in a little over a minute. A dozen things can go wrong in that amount of time, causing lives to disappear in seconds. I mean, this is a checkpoint shmup! One would think that a life could last a little bit longer than- nope. Several of my deaths can be described as: "unceremonious bullet to the back". Again, there aren't any real gimmicks, which means no setups, no payoffs; just enemies fucking my shit up. It's out-of-pocket, even for a game dedicated to Gradius lovers. 

While I'd argue its absurdity peaks with stage 6, Parodius Da! manages a pretty nasty followup in the form of Stage 8. This ice cavern opens with a chokepoint, then proceeds to line its walls with an unending series of penguins. Somehow, that wasn't enough, because most of the action occurs underwater. The dramatic decrease to speed makes recovering from death a special sort of horrific. Also, due to the rank system, whatever modest success I had earlier is thrown back in my face a dozen-fold. If stages 7, 9, and 10 feel reasonable, then it's probably because 6 & 8's pounding caused the rank to decrease a bit.

I think this a really good game, but it's also not as *fun* as I remember. The weird stage progression and shifty difficulty makes it hard for me to connect with. Granted, the sequels also might've spoiled me with their instant respawn options and large roster of playable characters. Ah well. The bed started working again, so I'm going back to sleep.

My stage 6 "strategy" is hoping for a green bell.

Super Nintendo Look - Sonic Blast Man

After choking down far too many minutes of Sonic Blast Man, I'm starting to wonder if I spent my entire life taking advantage of beatemups. Here is a genre that only works because of those willing to walk right up to some hot-blooded warrior and get punched in the face. Imagine if they were all blessed with a second brain cell, and decided "You know what? I'm tired of getting my face rearranged.". From then on, bad guys would only get close enough for their attacks to land. Either the good guys adapt to this stunning change in tactics or spend their remaining lives suffering endless humiliations. Sonic Blast Man must've chosen the latter. His very existence, which is punching things, collapses to dust the instant he walks towards something that doesn't want to be punched. I'm curious as to what Taito expected players to get out of this game. Was this supposed to be a deconstruction of the beatemup? Maybe I'm just mistaking genius for malice. 

In this brawler, players must overcome five episodes of belt-scrolling action. Let's get some of the positives out of the way early. Each episode is a self-contained stage that features a unique set of enemies. Early on, our hero cleans up the streets by pummeling every ne'er do well in sight. Next, he infiltrates a military base and crushes both a PMC as well as a kung fu brigade. The sewers are full of slimy mutants, so stage three is dedicated to clearing that mess up. Robots receive a generous helping of justice (via fists) in the following stage. Finally, there are some space aliens or something. The episodic progression is still distinct and interesting. It's hampered slightly by some enemies sharing uncommon attacks - like leaping offscreen just to land on top of the hero - but is otherwise not a huge deal.

In order to combat this menacing menagerie, Sonic Blast Man has to get close enough to punch them or even closer to initiate a grapple. A successful hit can be followed up with a series of identical punches, which is then followed by a grab. Hold up and press the attack button to launch the enemy. This also creates a wave that knocks down anyone in front of SBM. Holding forward + attack does a wind-up super punch. It's sort of the same thing. If another enemy is sneaking up from behind, then press down + attack for an overhead throw that'll kill two birds with one bird. Grappling sets the adversary up to be thrown aside (or punched) for a quick knockdown, or the player can opt for the punch combo & grab attack. Anyone at critical health is likely to be dizzy the next time they get up. This is the cue to go for a giant wheel that finishes them off. 

Essentially, success or failure hinges on whether our hero is able to reach someone. Most enemies are equipped to attack SBM from outside his reach. He'll eat a counterattack every time he misses a jab. Sounds fair, doesn't it? A beatemup's depth often comes from everything that leads to the punch. Here's where I question Sonic Blast Man's intentions. I'm willing to work within the limits placed on my avatar, but goddamn! He needed something besides miserable ineptitude. This superhero walks and I mean walks like he wants the shit kicked out of him. How a man with Sonic in his name manages to be so slow is bewildering. His jump provides a decent burst of speed, but then he's susceptible to a world of anti-airs. 

Another problem with this supposed superhero is that anyone halfway competent can manhandle him. It seriously doesn't take much. As early as stage 1, there are large dudes who do a solid job of staying just out of reach, only to throw out an instant belly flop with a mile-wide hitbox. Some of stage 4's robots have a charging attack that can't be interrupted, forcing players to approach in a very specific manner. I sort-of see the appeal, but combat gets tiring when every enemy displays this level of capability. The lack of healing items and extra lives is also very odd to see in a console brawler. It sets this expectation that players have to analyze and adapt to so many scenarios, yet the offensive options consist of meager punch, painful walk speed, and mediocre grab. Yes, different people worked on each game, but I can't understand how Taito goes from badass barbarian who slays hundreds of monsters, to badass robot ninjas that singlehandedly kill an entire army, to asshat superhero who dies in back alley fistfights. 

Honestly, I hate everything about Sonic Blast Man. I hate that he wears boxing gloves yet doesn't have a boxer's reach. I hate his bonus rounds that beat the crap out of my arcade stick. 30 revolutions a second to punch a giant crab and receive 5,000 points? Get the fuck out of here! His jump-kick is just the worst. Why is there a clock on his chest? He probably has some asshole catchphrase like "As you can see, villain. Your time is up!" Again, his whole schtick is punches, but he sucks at it. On purpose I bet! He's aware that his every move is being controlled by an otherworldly force, so he acts lethargic until they get discouraged and give up. That... that's fair. If I was in a game and somebody wanted to play me, I'd make their lives hell too. 

Like I said way back, playing this game has made me question my relationship with beatemups. I'm reminded of the time spent with Iron Commando, and how it had to be played in a way that's very deliberate and boring. Now, there are two games that do this, which smells like a pattern. I might be in the wrong, and most other brawlers were setting me up for failure. Nothing is owed. Bad guys don't exist to walk into the path of an oncoming fist. Every victory has to be earned, no matter how insignificant it might be.

...I'm sorry but these elaborate pranks are getting out of hand. The only reason that every adversary feels like Sheng Long is because I'm playing as King Loser Dork. Limiting the player's options until all they can do is walk or grab doesn't result in compelling entertainment. It stifles expression, treating every attempt to draw outside the lines as a punishable offense. Hopefully Sonic Blast Man 2 is better. 

The food is randomized. You might get a turkey that restores all of your health, or an apple that restores one punch's worth.

Super Nintendo Look - Xardion

Since I'm unable to discuss the Super Nintendo's early days without mentioning Xardion, it was only a matter of time until it received a proper blog post. I want to clear the air. My previous posts about ancient rentals gave the impression that Xardion has an infamous reputation. Well, perhaps it does, but not to me. I view it as a functional product; a 4 out of 10 that'll kill a couple of hours.  Players who don't know what else to do with themselves may uncover a compulsion to see this inoffensive sci-fi adventure through. 

Wait. You're still here? Does this mean I actually say something about the game? Ah hell. It's inoffensive! That one word says every- oh right. The way I use it is rather uncommon. Basically, inoffensive games are mundane, mediocre, or just plain bad. What sets them apart from the filth is that they're easy. Failing to prevent a galaxy-ending war just means getting kicked back to the map screen. There are nine stages in total, but hardly any of them take more than a couple of minutes to complete. However, replaying them is required, because each playable character starts at level pathetic. Grinding that first stage for experience and ammo/health refills is how every playthrough goes.

Mankind's fate rests in the hands (and paws) of Triton, Alcedes, and Panthera. Besides the one instance that requires his narrow body, Panthera can be safely ignored until the story decides to kill him off. Actually, I take that back. He can destroy those enemies placed very low to the ground in stage 2. Just don't expect results from his meager special weapons. Alcedes has a time-stop ability that's good for a few occasions but expect Triton to carry the trio through 80% of the adventure. He's the only decent boss-killer and can fire upwards. It doesn't hurt to spend at least a little time leveling everyone for the extra health though. 

No Xardion write-up is complete without a mention of the annoying platformer stage. It's a series of small platforms that are accompanied by moths and boomerang-tossing gremlins. Naturally, missing a jump or getting knocked off a ledge means restarting the stage. It's not nearly as bad as I remember. My most recent visits - as of less than a few hours ago - went restart-free. Having to go through it a second time just to get one part of the ultimate weapon is something I'd still dock points for. Maybe it was done because somebody drew a cool rose and the dev-team thought it'd be a waste if it didn't have any significance.

Goodnight, sweet Panthera.

The last 20% of the adventure is spent with the titular mech. Sadly, it means there's really not much to do besides grinding levels and assembling the ultimate weapon. I kind-of wish that bosses would respawn, just to see Xardion annihilate them. One positive is that final stage's tunnel maze is extremely easy. When the choice comes up, pick the center tunnel to arrive at the last boss. Another game would've tried to create something a little more complex, but not this one. All that levelling took up enough time anyway.

I'll conclude this post by stating that Xardion isn't terrible. It's not good, but I've tolerated much worse. Asmik could've tried putting out a standard action game, limited continues and all, only for me to despise its entire existence. Making 2/3rds of it a repetitive grind was actually the better decision. Annoying platformer stage aside, nothing about it provides a memory that lasts more than a few hours. Oh well. Being forgotten isn't really such a bad thing, at least from my perspective. 

Super Nintendo Look - World Heroes 2

Covering the Super Nintendo port of a Neo Geo fighting game probably isn't the greatest use of my time, but whatever. World Heroes 2 is damn good fun, and Saurus deserves commendation for their impressive work. Every character, every stage, and almost every move was squeezed into a 24-megabit cart. The port's additional features make up for the missing bonus rounds and not-so-amazing music. I also appreciate just how much of the arcade version's shenanigans were carried over. Dragon is still a cross-up machine. Failing to block J. Max's crouching jab could result in a fatal combo. Then there's Rasputin, who continues to bully the opposition with a Cossack dance mix-up. These and many other instances of the cheap stuff are probably why World Heroes 2 is lucky to appear on Mikado Game Center's stream more than a year, and they still run Fatal Fury Special tournaments like it's Street Fighter VI. I argue that it's all part of the charm. 

If I have to describe World Heroes to you, then it's only because this write-up needed some filler. Doc Brown invents time travel, and the first thing he does with it is put a bunch of legendary figures in a fighting tournament. In other words, someone really wanted to see who would win in a fight between Ryoko Tani and Erik the Red. Names were changed to protect legacies and keep ADK from eating a dozen lawsuits. Exclusive to this entry is the deathmatch mode. Instead of a traditional best of three bout, fighters share a seesaw health meter. Each hit you land will increase your share of the meter, and the same goes for your opponent. Whomever loses the entirety of their health is knocked down. They have until the count of 10 to get up. The majority of arenas also feature traps such as landmines or spike-walls. Players looking for a gimmick-free fight can stick to the usual story and versus modes. 

While this fighter has aged quite a lot, I think it's still very playable today. The 14 playable characters suit an extensive array of playstyles. There are plenty of unique moves to learn. Executing them is no trouble at all. Within seconds of choosing Muscle Power, I was nailing every standing 360 attempt. Reflecting fireballs with a well-timed block is a brilliant addition. Rather than eliminate zoning outright, it allows for potential. Several heroes can throw a slow projectile, move in to apply pressure, or see how their opponent reacts. Other unique characteristics make investing in a chosen fighter pretty rewarding. Ryoko has a roll for quickly getting into her opponent's business. Shura can't dash forward, but his back-dash is extremely quick. Even those who can't dash at all (M. Power & J. Max) have tools for closing distance. Though the game is still unbalanced as heck, a lot of work went into making everyone stand out. 

Plus, learning and applying the bullshit is still a lot of fun, especially in deathmatch mode. One arena has bombs placed on both sides. They take a few seconds to respawn after exploding. Rather than wait for that to happen, I try to push my opponent to the other side, preferably using some block-string that they can't easily counter. Another cool trick is manipulating buzzsaws so that they hit the same person repeatedly. Not to mention, slamming a hapless warrior onto a landmine is too good. Again, nothing here can be considered tournament-friendly, and I don't mind one bit. This game works as pure dumb entertainment. 

Even if we're not hurting for ways to play the arcade original in 2026, the Super Nintendo version is still a worthwhile venture. Besides playing remarkably well, it has an extremely useful feature. As soon as you start the game, run straight to the option menu and set the buttons to "SNES". This changes the number of attack buttons from two to four. Normally, if you wanted a light attack, you'd have to tap the button. Heavy attacks were performed by pressing the button down. Trust me, it's easier to have all four attacks readily available. One other notable addition is the speed setting. Compared to contemporaries like Hyper Fighting, World Heroes 2 has always been a little slow. This gives it a nice turbo boost.

As far as the enemy AI goes, I'd say that it's normal for 1994. Keep the difficulty setting at or slightly above 5 for a reasonably tough time. Don't even bother with 8. Instead of making the CPU an input-reading demon, Saurus tweaked the handicap, giving them ridiculous offense and defense. If you're seriously craving an unserious challenge, then just play the arcade game. Better yet, play Samurai Shodown 1. I still have nightmares about fighting CPU Nakoruru. 

There's nothing else to throw in here, so yeah. More people should try World Heroes 2. It's not Perfect (ha ha ha...) but it does have plenty of fun stuff to check out.