Battle Arena Toshinden Remix

"Gee, Where Did The Pretty Graphics Go?"

The original Battle Arena Toshinden was one of the first, and most popular fighting games out there early in the life of the PS1, so it was only natural that Takara ported it over to the Sega Saturn. After all, it was a success on the PS1, so why wouldn't it be on the Saturn? Especially if they added all-new features to it, it'd have to be a hit. How did it turn out? Well, some things got better, while other elements got worse.

The storyline in Toshinden Remix is really no different then it was before. Warriors from all around the world have gathered to take part in a fighting tournament. Each has his or her own reasons for being there. For example, one fighter called Fo is simply there to kill, while the strongman Rungo is trying to locate his kidnapped wife and daughter.

Toshinden Remix features the same ten characters as the original version on the PS1, but adds a new one. This new character is a staff-wielding female warrior known as Cupido. Thankfully, she plays very well, and is a welcome addition to the lineup. Each character is also equipped with his or her own weapon, a set of special moves, and a single Super move.

The overall gamplay has also remained untouched from the original version. Its sort of a blend of both Street Fighter 2 and Virtua Fighter. All the moves (fireballs, dragon punches, etc.) make things feel a bit on the Street Fighter side of things, while the 3D action and ''Ring Out'' victories give it a slight Virtua Fighter flavor. Also, you won't be finding any sort of high hitting super combos or anything like that here. Combos are kept simple and restricted to just a few hits here and there. Its very simplistic when compared to most fighters out there today.

Although Takara saw fit to make some additions to the game, the AI in Toshinden Remix still sucks every bit as much as it did on the PS1. Watch in marvel as the CPU lets you beat it up and walk all over it. Heck, at times it will even kill itself by walking off the edge of the ring!

For playmodes, you get a single player Arcade mode, a single player Vs and a 2 player Vs. Newly added from the original is a story mode, during which you will talk to your opponent before each fight and hear a little piece of his or her life story. This mode, however, feels tacked on and isn't quite as interesting as it should be.

Graphics Battle Arena Toshinden Remix6
Since the PS1 is a more powerful machine when it comes to 3D, I wasn't expecting the Saturn port to look as pretty...but I was expecting it to look halfway decent. I knew the transparency effects would be inferior, but what's up with these textures? They're a pixelated and chunky mess! The Saturn is fully capable of much better-looking 3D than this. Just take a look at games like Virtua Fighter 2 or Last Bronx; both run at twice the frame rate, feature cleaner textures, and boast better backgrounds. Also, whats wrong with Sophia? She looks like a drag queen—Just look at those massive shoulders on her.

On a plus note, Takara added a new rendered intro. It's really cool to watch, but it's a little on the grainy side.

Sound 6
Like the graphics, the sound has gone straight downhill in the Saturn port. While the amazing music is still here, you can barely hear it. The reason? The programmers made the voices too damned LOUD! Sophia, in particular, sounds really annoying.

Finally, there's the voice acting in the Story mode. It may not be as bad as the acting in House of the Dead 2, but it's pretty close. Why the hell can't companies get halfway decent voice actors? It can't be that tough.

Control 7
While I would have expected the controls to be somewhat more responsive on the Saturn pad (as opposed to the PS2), they weren't. ''Pretty good'' still describes it. It's fairly simple to learn; you simply get four attack buttons and two roll buttons. Beyond that, about all you need to learn is the various (and simple) rolling motions for the special moves.

Overall, I only recommend Toshinden Remix to those of you who enjoyed the series on the PS1, or are looking for a simplistic fighter on your Saturn. Just don't expect to be blown away graphically, and you should be fine. This is a slightly improved version of the PS1 game, with worse graphics and sound. Nothing more, nothing less.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 06/11/03, Updated 06/11/03