Rave Master

"It's Time To Dance!!!!"

Back in the days of the Dreamcast, one of my favorite games at the time was the 3D fighter known as Power Stone. While not a traditional fighting game, the 3D beat em up madness that Power Stone brought to the table was fun and addictive. I spent countless hours playing through it to unlock the bosses and finish the game with all of the characters. I also spent quite some time spanking my friends in vs. mode. Power Stone was fairly popular and eventually spawned a sequel Power Stone 2.

I'm not sure why but I was unable to get into Power Stone 2 for some reason. Maybe because it differed from Power Stone so much and I had played so much of the original that the vision of Power Stone was permanently etched into my mind. Since the release of Power Stone and Power Stone 2, I have not played any arena 3D fighters, until now.

Enter “Rave Master”, a Gamecube game which mostly slipped under the radar and went un-noticed. It's based off of the anime series of the same name, and is a 3D arena fighter in the vein of Power Stone.

Rave Master differs in a few areas. In some ways it's better than Power Stone and some ways it is not. In Rave Master, you will be running around a 3D area, much like Power Stone. While Power Stone allows players to use many objects in the environments as vantage points, Rave Master sticks to the one on one combat formula. So there will be no poles for you to climb up and attack from, there will be no picking up random objects and throwing them at your opponent, and there will be only a few minor environmental hazards to watch out for.

Much like Power Stone, you will be picking up weapons and stones that will increase your attacking abilities and allow you to lay the smack down on your un-suspecting opponents.

As opposed to Power Stone, the stones in Rave Master feature a more in-depth gameplay aspect and require much more thought when picking them up. The stones are broken down into three colors: Red: Offensive type, Blue: Defensive type, and Yellow: Special attack type. Red stones allow you to gain powers such as setting enemies on fire, increasing your attack power, and increasing the range of your weapon strikes. Blue stones give powers such as super armor, gradual health increases, and Groove gauge increases. (More on the groove Gauge later) Finally, the yellow stones allow you to have special attacks at you disposal such as setting bombs, having needles impale your enemies, and having your character emit black, heat seeking orbs.

The stones can be used in any combination, but you can only hold one of each stone at any given time. It's quite a lot to take in at first, and success often hinges on your acuity with the functions of each stone.

The power-ups, stones, and weapons will appear on the battlefield as the fight progresses. Initially they will show up as crates which need to be smashed before you can use them. The appearance of items is random and you are never sure what you are going to get.

Aside from this, each character has their own weapon of choice which they prefer, and each character has a combination of weapon and stones which will allow them to launch their UGA (Ultimate Groove Attack).

You will be able to play as several characters from the show from the on-set and you will be able to unlock characters by beating story mode with different characters and by using a few other methods.

There are a few modes which you can partake in. There is the story mode which follows a quick story about the character you choose, the free mode, which plays like an arcade mode, a vs. mode which lets you fight in any combination of 4 player combat, and a few others which can be unlocked. There are also bonus galleries, voices, and a story edit mode which can be unlocked.

There is a lot to do in Rave Master, but the depth of the content is really dependant on how long you want to play the game. I found it very entertaining, but found it to be a short experience overall.

Graphics 8/10

The graphics come together in a nice anime style fashion. While nothing special, everything looks good and there is no slow down the entire game even when four players are going at it. Most of the UGA attacks are aesthetically pleasing and will put a serious hurting on your opponent.

The backgrounds and environments may not be as contextual as those found in Power Stone, but they are detailed enough so that you can appreciate them each individually.

Graphically, the game just doesn't look as sharp as Power Stone, but it's forgivable.

Sounds and Music 8/10

Rave Master is very pleasing to the ears. Everything from the background music to the explosion of UGA attacks sounds good and fits the game well.

There is a little bit of voice acting in the game and as far as I know the original voice actors from the show did the character voices. Most of the story is text, but the pre-fight taunts and in-game voices sound good.

I also feel compelled to mention one of my favorite parts of the game, which is the incredibly catchy end theme that plays during the ending credits. I still have the song in my head and I don't think I skipped the ending credits once due to it. It's probably the second greatest ending theme I've ever heard (the best is no doubt from God Hand).

Story 7/10

Each main character has their own individual story in story mode, but Haru's is the main story. Basically the Rave Stones have been scattered all over humanity and it's Haru's job to find them and become the Rave Master (the bearer of the stones)

The other stories are mostly stupid and fairly slapstick in presentation. For example, in Elie's story, she is looking for the person who took a picture of her while she was in the bathtub. So she goes around beating people up over it. Funny yes, but not too serious.

The dialogue between most characters is sometimes funny and offers silly phrases with caustic retorts.

The characters range from your standard spikey haired anime guy (Haru), all the way to the boisterous Go, who is a big, tough actor, looking for people to cast in his next film, but they have to be as strong as him to be in the movie.

The story mode suffers since you can only play as the five main characters and you must play as any unlocked characters in Free Mode.

So the story is short, but often entertaining. Don't look for anything moving and you will be fine with it.

Gameplay 8/10

Rave Master really comes together in the gameplay aspect. The quick, 3D fighting action is simple to get into and will take a bit of practice to master and learn the functions of the Rave Stones. While the Rave Stones are not crucial to victory (unlike Power Stone), they offer an added boost which will swing things in your favor and give you the upper hand.

Underneath your health bar is another bar called the Groove Gauge. The Groove Gauge is basically a super meter which charges when you attack your opponent, get a Groove Gauge power up, or get a stone which will charge it. Once it is charged up, you will be able to launch your UGA if you have the proper weapon and Rave Stones equipped. This is where a bit of strategy comes into play. If you know your opponent's UGA, you can play keep away games with the stones he needs and put him at a disadvantage without them.

There is also a block button which lets you block normal attacks. If you press block at the right time you can repel your enemy's attack and get a free hit, but it takes a bit of your Groove gauge. There is also guard breaking, aerial combat, and a small combo system which adds to the flavor of the game.

Players will quickly find a character they like and learn their strengths and weaknesses. My personal favorite was Rosa. I became completely enamored with her due to her UGA attack called “It's Time To Dance!.” In her UGA attack she screams “It's time to dance!” and disco lights starts flashing and any male enemy (females are immune to it) breaks down into a dance, giving you free hits. It's the combination of the music and the free attacks which just put a smile on my face every time.

Rave Master is a solid playing game and anyone who has played Power Stone will feel right at home. It does vary from the Power Stone formula, but it still seems familiar none the less.

Longevity and Re-Playability 8/10

As I said before, this game can last as long as you want it to. There are so many modes and options to pick from that there is always something to do. There are hidden characters to unlock and even a hidden end boss for those who are hardcore enough to make it to him. The story edit mode is also a great bonus, but it's a large time investment to make a story and see it implemented.

After I finish most of my games, I put them into storage for safe keeping. However, Rave Master is staying right here with me so I can have some quick gaming sessions with it in the future. If nothing else, just to make people dance with Rosa.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/26/08

Game Release: Rave Master (US, 03/08/05)