Fun fact: The team had to squeeze a four-player, anime-licensed fighter onto a 16-bit cartridge at Yū Yū Hakusho’s peak. The publisher pushed for arcade-style multiplayer at home. Programmers found ways to keep four distinct fighters and their special moves on-screen without major slowdown — a clever bit of console-era engineering.
I’m starting with Yusuke. The sprite work still pops on this TV. Colors are bold and the Spirit Gun animation has a satisfying snap. Controls feel immediate: one punch, one kick, run, and ring-plane movement. That extra space gives fights more breathing room than a one-plane brawler.
I switched to Kurama. Each character feels distinct despite the compact control scheme. Hiei’s speed and diagonal movement make him hard to catch. Kuwabara’s sword-pull attack gives surprising reach. The game adds variety without confusing inputs.
Gameplay Highlights
The roster is an anime fan’s treat — Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, Genkai, Jin, Itsuki, Chu, Sensui, and the Toguro Brothers show up with distinct special maneuvers. Up to four players can duke it out in Royal Battle, which is where the cartridge shows ambition. The tag matches and the option to watch CPU tournaments are small touches that add replay value.
The system itself borrows that ring-plane idea from other fighters — you can move into foreground and background lanes to evade or set up hits. Specials are clean: you can do a Spirit Gun or a rose whip without fumbling through button gymnastics. The training mode is actually useful: there’s a scenario selector and a free training area so you can practice setups and timing.
Music and sound effects are competent — memorable for the era — though the soundtrack loops quickly. When the action heats up with four fighters, there is a bit of sprite flicker, but rarely any catastrophic slowdown. For a 16-bit effort, it feels energetic and faithful to the show.
Hot Tips
- Use the ring-plane to bait specials: step into the background to avoid close-range attacks, then cut forward and punish when they commit.
- Yusuke’s Spirit Gun is best used as a finishing move rather than a spam — you will be vulnerable while charging it in melee range.
- In Royal Battle, controlling space is more important than chasing a single foe. Let fast characters tire out and strike as they misstep.
- Tag matches reward coordination — switch in a heavy hitter to soak hits while a nimble partner scores counters.
- Practice one special until it is muscle memory. With only one punch and one kick, timing and spacing carry the game.
Also, pick characters that complement each other for doubles. Kurama’s ranged options set up Hiei’s close-in burst, for example. And if you can, use the free Training mode to get comfortable with the movement between planes — it changes how you frame approaches.
Memorable Moments & Anecdotes
We are in the final stretch now. The elimination ladder has thrown Toguro at me as the last CPU opponent. He’s enormous on-screen and his heavy strikes punish anyone who gets greedy. I used a late, well-timed run-cancel to land a Spirit Shot and narrowly chipped him down. There is a pulse of relief that comes with downing a hulking CPU opponent like that on a one-round match — very arcade.
In one Royal Battle earlier, all four of us ended up trading specials inside a cramped arena and the screen felt like chaos in the best way — a kind of organized mayhem that evokes crowded arcade cabinets back in the day. The Toguro Brothers’ tag of big hits and recovery windows make them feel like a true end-game gauntlet. They are telegraphed, but hitting those counter windows is deeply satisfying.
Not every memorable moment is perfect. The AI can be inconsistent: sometimes it reads your feints and punishes perfectly; other times it wanders into punishment and takes no advantage. Balance tilts toward a few characters who can convert simple hits into big damage. That said, when a comeback lands, the audience in the room (our couch) applauds like we were at the arcade.
Final Thoughts
The presentation of the final rounds — the tension in music and the expanded sprites of the major opponents — does a good job of selling the anime stakes. I appreciate how the developers used limited resources to make key moments feel large.
So where does this cartridge land? It is ambitious and often succeeds: tight controls, a strong cast, fun multiplayer, and modes that encourage practice and experimentation. However, the limited buttons restrict combo depth, a few balance issues are evident, and the soundtrack, while catchy, loops quickly. For a home fighter tied to a beloved anime, it delivers solid entertainment — exactly what you want for a living-room tournament evening.
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