Project Justice

"Ever been beaten up by a camera?"

A long time ago, a game was released on the PlayStation. It was quite a momentus thing, as Capcom had started to go into what they could do with the forbidden world of 3D. The end reult was a beat-em-up, that had one of the strangest idea's seen in a video game. Anybody who was between the ages of 5-17 had had their prayers answered, they could beat up a teacher. It was even more fun than it sounded, and rightly became a cult classic within the Street Fighter hardcore. The game was Rival Schools, and after a long time a sequel has come...

Story 8/10

Gotta give those Capcom guys some credit, they actually gave a beat-em-up a story! And it works! They haven't fell into the mundane rubbish usually served up, and have built a solid story that overlaps depending on which school you choose. Before every fight there is a discussion between your main characters about where they should go next, and who to beat up. These interludes also serve as a path for new characters to join your team, and for some to leave. This keeps the game fresh, and sometimes, team choices make the story split off in new directions.

Graphics 9/10

When I first turned on my Dreamcast, I was really impressed with what Capcom had to show. They have created a world that is flashy and vibrant, and gives a distinct Anime/comic book feel to it. Pulling of a team super is rewarded with a brilliant array of colour, as your team come up with some of the wierdest, but best super moves ever seen! Something that may distract you from the fight are the lovely and varied backgrounds to fight in. They are in full 3D this time and the attention to detail is great. There is alot going on in the background that will make you shed a tear through the lovelyness of everything. The power that the Dreamcast has, has been put to good use here, and although there is a slight amount of clipping (mostly to do with hair) its very impressive.

Sound 8/10

The tunes coming out of Project Justice are distinctly Capcom. This is by no means a bad thing as you may find yourself humming along if not careful. They have gone back to classic tunes and not that jazzy stuff found in Marvel vs Capcom 2 that seemed a bit out of place. I praise Capcom for retaining all of the original Japanese voice overs for the Western release for the game, as they add further to the feel of the game. Although hardly anybody this side of the world will be able to understand them, they come out with depth and coolness found only in the Japanese language.

Gameplay 10/10

With every game, gameplay is the most important factor to consider. I'm happy to say that this game has some of the best gameplay i've seen for ages. When you first start up, its incredibly easy to get into the style, as it has retained the trademark Street Fighter fireball motions we are all used to. Although saying that, Project Justice has served up its own feel and ethics, that in no way makes it Street Fighter with different people. The best part of a match comes when your super meter reaches level 5. Its then time to perform a three way combo with your partner characters. If the team ups in Marvel made your eyes hurt, you haven't seen anything yet! With all fighters though, the game really comes alive in 2 player mode. As well as the usual versus options, the game has also included tournament and league modes to participate in. Both offer you and up to 3 friends to find out who really is the man at the game!

Replayability 9/10

If you have the money, it is well worth actually buying a copy of Project Justice to add to the collection. It is the sort of game you will never get bored of, as there are enough different stories in Arcade, different characters to choose and combos to master to keep you going forever and a day.

Overall 10/10

Believe me, Project Justice is well worth the purchase, as it has so many different things to see, that it may just hook you forever!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/10/01, Updated 05/10/01