Box Copy
The only thing short about
these fighters is their temper
Pocket Fighter...It's the
most outrageous fighting game ever! Innocent but deadly. these
pint-sized champions from Street Fighter and DarkStalkers pack one heck
of a punch. Battle to collect power-up gems and duke it out with the
most insane attacks and hilarious fighting combos of all time.
Discussion
A totally amusing game that makes fun of itself and its source material
while still bringing more cameos and in-jokes then most entire series
have. Pocket Fighter is based on the puzzle game Super Puzzle Fighter 2
Turbo, and takes several Street Fighter, DarkStalkers and Street Fighter
3 characters and pits them against each other in a gem-fueled pummel
fest.
The main game is relatively straightforward 3-Button Street Fighter
(Punch, Kick, Special) but with some Puzzle Fighter aspects. Essentially
as you beat the living tar out of each other, you release gems into the
play field. Collecting these will enhance your special moves. There are
also predetermined combos that will cause the fighters to appear as
different cameos and outfits with each hit. Felicia becomes a kitty-MegaWoman,
Ken dons a cowboy hat and rides a horse, Sakura runs you over with a
scooter, and tons more. My favorite is Chun-Li, whose last hit in her
combo has her handing a love note to her opponent, they swoon, and then
she knocks them out.
None of all that matters however, as there is an exclusive mode buried
on the disc (translation: it’s right there at the title screen) that if
you tackle without fair warning, you would never have your free time
back. The Mode is called ‘Edit Fighter’, and it’s more than just
changing a name. Essentially it’s a virtual pet program, where you first
choose a character (or allow the game to random select) and then take a
personality quiz. No, seriously, I’m not screwing with you. Based on
your answers the game will determine what items your pet fighter will
start with. Each of the items will do different things, from extra hits,
extra protection, or just the ability to wear a man’s pair of shorts.
The catch? There’s a set amount of items you can collect, including rare
cards acquired from doing the various modes repeatedly. Also, did I
mention the computer controls your player? Yep, the PlayStation’s in
charge of your little virtual buddy so make sure you choose your
abilities correctly. So you have a guy (me) who has to have every object
in the game, but my destiny is in the hands of a CPU program that I can
only remotely guide via 3 item card slots. You wound me Capcom…you have
me, you bastards, but you wound me.
Sad truth: I’ve been playing the Edit Mode for 2 hours now, while typing
this. Hooked? Nah. Just ignore my glee at acquiring Ibuki’s rare card…
So in the end is the game worth it? Depends on how easily you’re amused.
The fighting mode is the shallow end of the combo pool; you could
probably see everything there is to see cameo wise in a long night of
playing. The Edit Mode while deeper does have a limit to its unlockable
items, but both can be fun with another human and perhaps some well
supplied alcohol.
Whether you’re collecting for the Fighters Edge, All things Capcom, or
just looking for a great niche title, Pocket Fighter is a wonderful
investment. It was one of those (pun intentional) lost gems that fell
through the cracks of time.
Hell yeah I just got Chun-Li’s 2nd Medal!
…
Shush. : )
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Trivia
- Only released in
Fighters Edge variant packaging.
- The arcade version
was originally called Super Gem Fighter.
- Essentially a
fighting game based on a puzzle game that was based on a fighting
game.
- Also released on the
Japanese Sega Saturn.
- There's an
interesting typo in the manual. During the explanation for the Flash
Combo, the writer jumps between the Arcade Button designation and
the PlayStation Button designation.
- 20 Points in the
Fighters Edge program.
- The logo has 3 of
the fighter's trademark accessories for letters. Chun-Li's bracelet,
Hsien-Ko's Talisman, and Ryu / Ken's gauntlet.
- In the DarkStalker's
Castle stage, with the dancing women, the only thing NOT reflected
in the floor - are the fighters and their moves.
- The game goes in the
opposite direction of scoring. You start with your win icons and
they are removed as you win each round.
- In the Edit Mode,
the males and female names are color coded - Green for Men, Pink for
ladies. This is a small hint at some of the power-up cards, which
can affect either side when worn.
- Many of the cameos
in the game directly mock their source material. Birdie of Street
Fighter Alpha 2 is now IN a stall, rather than fighting in front of
it. Dee Jay now bartends, except his 'mixing drinks' animation is a
nod to his maraca playing win pose, and in one stage, damn near 7 or
more characters are eating bowls of noodles - just like Chun-Li did
in Final Fight 2's background.
- Since the game
originated in Japan, there are several references to Japan exclusive
games that you may not understand. One of them involves the Lion
cleaning a sword in front of a fireplace. This is the lead character
from WarZard, a fighting game with some rather interesting character
designs. The Lion himself actually makes a cameo along side another
WarZard character in Capcom Fighting Jam. Warzard was released in
the US arcades as Red Earth.
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