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Fun, not for everyone

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This is a great game, for a niche audience. It's very fast paced as well as exciting. Very challenging at times too. The great thing about this game is it's great fro just pick up and play, or to pass the time, seeing which scores you can beat and unlocking all the art. The fighters are very diverse and when played right are very well balanced.

The girls themselves are very interesting and, while not quite a story game, they have some unique personalities to be sure. The music isn't great for listening alone but with the fighting it just feels right, no complaints here anyway. The controls are smooth which allows for some very intense matches that you'd never see in Soul Calibur.

Overall a fun game with a great cast and playability. If you like anime/2d fighters you owe it to yourself to pick this game up.

Game for only the anime fans

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 3
Date: June 01, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game doesn't really stand out in the sea of fighting games as far as game play. What make this stand out is that, and I hate to say it, its a novelty game for anime fans to have to play for a good 15 - 30 mins. I am not a hardcore gamer, and if I were, I would give this game a lower rating. Being the anime fan that I am, I love the all female cast in this game. Only pick up this game if you are just want to play this game, beat it and then trade it in, or buying it to be part of your anime collection of video games.

Surprisingly good 2-D fighter

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: May 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Atlus' Arcana Heart is for truly devoted fans of the 2-D fighter and it shows. Featuring an all female fighting roster, Arcana Heart features a surprisingly deep fighting system and an interesting, obviosuly anime-inspired art design to boot. The animation is fluid and looks very good, the storyline and characters are quirky, and the Japanese flair overall is ever-present as well, although there are some issues to be found the deeper you get in the game. For starters, some may find the loading time to be a little on the long side, while others may have a hard time getting into Arcana Heart's play style and unique fighting mechanics. Make no mistake that Arcana Heart is not meant for the mainstream fighting gamer, but for hardcore fans of the 2-D fighting genre that don't mind an anime flavor. If that sounds like your thing, you'll have a blast with Arcana Heart, and the budget price tag certainly doesn't hurt things either.

the fighter for non figher fans

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

people not into fighting games looking for something laid back and just fun to play should give this one a shot. not hard to get into just pick up and play. Good graphics and sound effects make arcana heart that much better. Cute characters and great voice acting are some of the highlights.

good game, not for everyone

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 19, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Arcana Hearts is a good fighting game. Superficially, it may seem weird with the all girl cast but do not let that fool you into thinking it has little value.
Graphics - 8/10 A bright and colorful game, solid framerate and smooth character motions. Character design is not the best I have seen in a fighting game, but graphically, its as good looking as a guilty gear game, which means it looks way better than any streetfighter game.

Audio - 6.5/10 Don't know what you were expecting in this category, music is forgettable, sound effects are well done, I think very few fighting games have good music.

Gameplay - 7/10 The speed of the game is a little slower than I expected it to be, I suppose much like Guilty Gear, but the battles themselves are a lot of fun. The character moves vary from limited to expansive for various characters and depending on who you choose to play with the gameplay can get repetitive or remain dynamic. Definitely a lot of innovative features that set it apart from other games, or at least copied from really good ones.

Overall - 7/10 Not for everyone, but if you like fighting games with features not found in other games, give this a try.

Fun Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 16, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Arcana Hearts is a little more than another old-school 2d fighter. Button mashing will get you killed (quickly), and the learning curve can be a little sharp. Overall, this is a fun game, and recommended for any one familiar with the Guilty Gear series, though it's not quite as frantic or fast paced. Good starter/warmup, though.

Very Suprising! 2-D PS2 Fighters Still Have Life!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 11, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I'm glad I bought Arcana Heart for PS2. Cute anime intro, all-girl cast of fighters (11 in all), an interesting combo system (a little of Marvel vs Capcom and King of Fighters.) Atlus brought this to the US thankfully. Original game by EXAMU Inc./AQI.

Highly recommended if you love 2-D fighting games with fluid "hand-drawn" animation.

Pretty darn entertaining

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

In an era where you really don't -see- many 2D fighting games, it's great to see a well put together package like this getting localized.

While it's not a member of a well known franchise, Arcana Heart is a well balanced, well put together game with a wide variety of characters - even if they -are- all funny looking teenage moe-stereotype girls. The gameplay is fast paced and agressive without being spazzy, and the depth of options is significant without being overwhelming.

The single player mode is good for some fun (Though the final boss is SNK-style cheap) but like all fighting games, it really shines in two player play.

Still, if you're a fan of 2D fighters, this one competes favorably even against the more famous entries in the genre.

A nice fighting game with an all-female cast for those who like catfights

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 04, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I would've scored this higher if I were more than a casual fan of fighting games. As such, I don't know much about the complexities of canceling one move into another to extend a chain of hits or chasing an opponent into the air for an air combo or what moves work best in building an infinite combo. I just like to have fun. Fair warning, this game WILL give your thumbs a workout (I got blisters and my thumb was sore for a few days) and the last boss is the definition of cheap, so be ready for a lot of do-overs, cursing and urges to throw your controller at the TV.

The cast of characters is fairly standard with a starting lineup of 11 playable characters, plus the choice of Arcanas, or guardian spirits, before the match can allow for different play styles and new moves. I've only played with 2 characters so far, and only managed to beat it with one after a lot of frustration, so if you really like fighting games or are a fan of the Guilty Gear series and want something else to play in the meanwhile you'll probably get a kick out of this game. Anyone else, I'd advise a rental first to see if this is your speed.

You'll love this Heart

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 01, 2008
Author: Amazon User

To keep things from spiraling out of control word count wise, I'll just say that this is a great fighter with a very mature combat engine and wonderful art. The control scheme is not simple, but it is tweaked to make most of the fireball and uppercut type moves easier on the thumbs. You are entering the same kind of movements ie: | \ - + A , but they come off easier and with little frustration. This said any fighter fan worth his salt will be throwing out combos from the impressive move list in no time at all. Also, the stiff AI will draw you into epic back and forth fights that will really grab you. Top this off with a boss that hearkens back to the days of KOF94' and Art of Fighting... tough as nails. Real fighter fans will appreciate that.

The other part of the game naturally is the art. The ladies are essentially a review of every anime/moe female stereotype possible. There are maids, animal-girls, serious girls, free-sprited girls, younger girls, gothic girls, demon girls and robot girls. I for one love it. Sure it's exploitative of the male psyche, but I happen to have a male psyche so I don't mind. (mind... get it? HAR!)

Put these two together and you have a great package for good money. It's not a Soul Calibur with tons of unlockables, it's for people who like to brawl basically. Also it should be said the story is fun if not terribly good, so if you want great fiction try the library. Even with these small flaws, it's an easy five star production. Why don't you thank Atlus for having the good sense to bring the game to the States and BUY it!

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