Rival Schools

"The epitome of Capcom fighting games released on the PlayStation, a solid buy for any fighting fan"

Capcom fighters on the PlayStation haven't been too decent, as of late. With X-Men vs. Street Fighter being a true disappointment, the best 2D fighter that came out for the console was Street Fighter Zero 2. And that came out like 2 years ago. What's up with Capcom? Can this game be their savior in the U.S.? Well, it is.

In case you don't remember (or haven't been alive since 1984), Capcom made fantastic fighting games. They arguably made fighting games popular. They introduced the coolest 'projectiles' into fighting games. And ya know what? They still are the best, in my opinion. Shiritsu Justice Gakuen: Legion of Heroes, however, tops them ALL.

Gameplay is your typical Capcom style of play, with projectiles, air combos, and dragon punches being the meat-and-potatoes of the match. You get to pick 2 people from various high schools (gakuens, koukous, whatever they call them in that game), and they get to beat the seven shades crap out of one another. What's the difference between X-Men vs. Street Fighter, is the fact that you get to switch characters in between rounds instead of on-the-fly. Well, in reality, it's actual much more realistic, if not more fun, than the other Capcom fighting games. There's also another disc, which has mini-games, like a homerun derby, volleyball spike-out, and, exclusive to the import version, an RPG-style mode where you take control of a character and live out his/her high-school life. And, on top of those features, you have a create-a-player mode, again exclusive to the import version. Overall, this is probably where Legion of Heroes stands out the greatest in.

The Story of the game is quite cool, even though bizarre. You see, in Japan, there are a number of teens in various high schools that are missing. There seems to be no explanation for this, and well, depending on which school you're from, that's where the story starts from. There's in-between dialogue between matches and after, which makes for nice touches, 'cause it's just like saying "Smile, I've just beaten you to something laughable!"

The Visuals and Sounds are pretty good also. The Visuals, although somewhat blocky, are pretty cool actually, and show that the little grey box is still alive. It is pretty obvious, though, that a somewhat good amount of textures had to be removed in order for the PlayStation to handle it. But it's okay. After all, that's the case with Tekken 3. The Sounds, are, although kinda foreign sounding to U.S. gamers, are still cool to listen to. They're kinda like techno beats, but they fit perfect fit perfectly for the game, considering the fact that the game is very fast paced, and so is the music.

Shiritsu Justice Gakuen shines in replayability. You see, there are a number of time-released secrets that can be opened after beating the game. There's an ending collection, multiple endings for each school/character, a host of new options, manga FMVs, and more. Now, when you also have the Evolution Disc, you can play a ton of things, like mini-games, an "RPG" style mode, and more. There are even secrets on that disc!

The final question on my list comes: IS IT WORTH BUYING? Well, in fact, for most players, the Evolution Disc can even warrant a purchase (import). But, you'd also get the other disc, the Arcade Disc. This game is defintely worth spending $40-$50 on. And since many fighters aren't unique like this one, you should check this game out. The character designs are just plain crazy! If you are really doubtful, go to your nearest BlockBuster Video and rent it. You'll see why I keep saying these things.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99