Tobal 2

"More of the same but with minor improvements."

Tobal 2 is one of the few Japan only games I've always wanted to play and despite all of the praise for it in magazines before it's release I can't imagine why Squaresoft never brought it over.

Well, I did get my hands on it by other means and for anyone who cares there is an English patch that was released so if you know how to rip your own game and reburn it you can finally enjoy the game in English which I imagine makes it all much easier. Personally I couldn't figure it out so I fumbled my way through the game in Japanese.

Much like the original game this is a fighting game set around a boxing theme. The characters move stiffly and have a limited amount of moves. it's obvious that it's a faster style of boxing but that's okay because it's pretty fun.

The problem is that it isn't as easy as one would think. It feels clunky at first but after a good half hour with your first character you'll get the hang of it all and everything flows much better.

Graphically the game doesn't hold up as well as I hoped it would, at least for the fighting portion of the game. Character models are much smoother this time around but the arena are a bit bland but they do keep with a fantasy world tone.

The quest mode this time around is more more fleshed out and feels more like a rpg than the original. It has a home town where you accept a quest from the king and then you venture forth into a dungeon. The battle system is a clone of the games own fighting game engine. You walk around, meet an enemy and beat it up. The enemies drop items and you can use them to heal you I believe but I couldn't get that to work.

I really wish I could figure out the Quest mode because it's vastly superior to that in the original (which I am about to play and review so look for that as well). The game isn't as deep as most fighters but it's fun and has some quirky characters. Plus you can play as a Chocobo and everyone loves a Chocobo.

If you can find a way to import this then I highly recommend it. I think this might also be available on the PSN network in Japan so look for a way to create a free account there as well. The game only has VS, Quest and story mode for the fighters and I really liked the fighting game endings. Quest mode should also take a while as well so it has enough to it to make it worth the price.

Story - 7/10
Graphics - 8/10
Sound - 8/10
Control - 8/10
Game Play - 8/10
Replay Value - 8/10

Final Score - 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/17/09

Game Release: Tobal 2 (JP, 04/25/97)