"A cut under the PlayStation version, but great nonetheless"

Nekketsu Oyako - roughly translated from Japanese as "Hot-Blooded Parent and Child", was a launch title for the PlayStation in December '94. Roughly 7 months afterwards, the game was ported to the Sega Saturn with a few slight changes.

The game is a 2D side scrolling fighter game in the style of Final Fight. While it's mostly a tech demo game, it's still a blast to play.

Story - 6/10
While my skill in Japanese is very basic at the moment, the game is just your typical fighter with a story slapped on for completeness. The game takes place in a Neo-Japan of the not-too-distant future, where The Big Black Corporation are up to no good, and it's up to the Hibino family to put a stop to their plans.

Graphics/Presentation - 6/10
After playing the PSX version for a while I decided to get the Saturn port to see how Sega's hardware would handle it. The game's intro doesn't mention the story, you are just treated to the character data of the heroes, then a burning montage of the angry, sweaty Rando!

The games graphics are strictly a 2D affair with random special effects to keep you entertained. Since the game was originally written for the Playstation, I had a feeling that the game would have a few compromises to work properly on the Saturn.

Most noticeable is that the game's many transparent effects have been replaced with the cross-dot hatch pattern, as the Saturn does not have support for transparent textures. A few slight graphical changes have also been edited in - the bonus item Playstation console has been replaced with a Saturn, and Stage 2 has an extra graphical overlay which sometimes blocks the field of play. Mostly everything else is in tact from the original.

Overall, it's a top-notch visual feast. The graphics are a treat for those of us who can appreciate 2D games.

Gameplay - 8/10
If you've played other side scrolling fighters, you'll feel at home here. Pick one of 3 selectable characters.

Rondo the Dad, is your typical Haggar clone - big and muscle-bound, he packs a punch but is a bit slow. Rio his daughter, is quick and nimble, but has the lowest attack power, her hammer gives a good attack range. Her brother Tora is the most average of the bunch. He has decent fighting ability with good combos, and a killer muramasa attack for decimating the tough dudes.

The fight takes place over 5 stages of varying location - from city streets, to the belly of a whale and a garden in the cloud - it's a quirky and entertaining mix. Enemies are mostly human characters including boxers, military generals, skate punks, and muscle-men (Including a guy named Van Damme). The boss characters are a mixed bunch too, but I'll let you find them out for yourself.

As with all side-scrollers, there are plenty of items to collect. You can get bonus points for picking up PlayStation consoles, model planes, bags of Yen, toy dolls, and small coins. You can also gain weapons including grenades, shotguns, rifles, bazookas, and knives. You can regain your health with vitality drinks, sushi, and beer (Rando only - not for the kids!).

The game has adjustable difficulty and lives. You should have no trouble beating it on easy, but veterans would be content with normal. The games load times are Slightly longer than the Playstation version - it features a 'Now Loading screen' which the PSX version didn't need as it loads about 5-6 seconds faster.

Multiplayer - 8/10
The game can be played alone or with a friend in co-operative mode. The game can be easier if you have a skilled partner, but it can also be frustrating when there is a huge melee with 8+ characters on screen.

Control - 9/10
The game is responsive enough with the standard Saturn pad. A, B and C action buttons are used for attack, jump and special attack. Double clicking the control pad in the direction you're facing makes you run. My only complaint is that enemies will pound into you if you are bending over to pick up an item and it can also happen when you want to use a weapon when you are standing next to one (Ie - scatter of coins, or several grenades sitting close together).

Soundtrack/Audio - 8/10
The games soundtrack features an interesting mix that melts in nicely with the action. Mostly a pick of upbeat soft rock tunes, but the mood changes well for boss fights, and the 'creepy' parts of the game such as the Japanese theme of the Big Black Corp Headquarters.

The soundtrack has a slightly different beat when compared to the PlayStation version. The music has been remixed and is now spooled in redbook audio (The PSX version used the synthesizer to play music). Some of the tunes have a slight midi feel to them, and the tracks are reset during load breaks (Did not happen on PSX).

The sound effects are downsampled in a lower quality to fit into the Saturn's sound ram.. It's passable, but has a slight amount of scratchiness.

Replayability - 6/10
While it's an entertaining game, it is unfortunately a bit short compared to Final Fight. It spans 5 stages and should take you roughly an hour to complete the game. There's nothing really to keep you coming back after finishing it, but you will occasionally return to it for a good fight, and to improve your skills memorising the strategies to beat various foes.

Final Score - 8/10
It's very good compared to alot of 16-bit side-scrollers. However in the end this is a case where the PlayStation version is the winner. The graphical elements are slightly toned down in the Saturn port, and the sound isn't up to par with the original.

Buy the PlayStation version if you can find it, but the Saturn version is equally playable if you don't mind the lack of transparent effects.

-Steven

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/15/05