Guilty Gear Judgment (PSP)
- Publisher:
- Majesco
- Developer:
- Arc System Works
- Release Date:
- 05.09.2006
- Number of players:
- n/a
- Type:
- Arcade
- Extra:
- Horror
- Age:
- Futuristic
We play Guilty Gear Judgment...
The Guilty Gear series has long gone unnoticed by all but the most hardcore of fighting game fanatics; a particularly sad state of affairs considering the lineage of spectacular artwork and roster of well-balanced and bizarrely-designed characters that serve as the titles’ hallmark. Unfortunately, development on Guilty Gear has also taken the same track as the perennial genre-favourite Street Fighter II, with multiple iterations and repackaged variations on essentially the same product managing to hamper any concentration on true progression. Guilty Gear Judgment on the PSP serves to buck that trend however, containing two completely separate games, only one of which will be familiar to long-term players.
The two selectable titles comprise a re-working of ‘Guilty Gear X2 Reload’, and a completely new side-scrolling beat-em-up which bears the name of the package itself, Guilty Gear Judgment.
Essentially a love-letter to some of the classic side-scrollers of years gone by, ‘Judgment’ takes the core gameplay mechanics of titles such as Final Fight or Streets of Rage, and brings them up to date with crisp visuals, lengthened playtime and a story-driven narrative. Five characters are initially selectable, with a whole roster of unlockable protagonists available once the campaign has been completed (or right off the bat in co-op mode). Each fighter contains a similar move set to the main series, and the button layout takes on a streamlined approach to suit the game mechanics.
As far as play is concerned; this is as traditional an approach as any to come before it. Enemies enter from the right of the screen to be dispatched singularly or in a group, using your favourite combinations of light or heavy attacks, along with the occasional throw if any manage to get up close and personal. After running out of lives, the game dumps you back to the start of the latest stage to begin again, ensuring that even the poorest players will be able to get through the challenge with enough persistence. Boss battles can be exasperating at times, but each has a particular pattern of attack that can be mastered fairly swiftly.
Given the obvious crossover of art and mechanical assets, it’s no surprise that Judgment manages to become a compelling experience in its own right. As a side-scrolling fighter it’s nothing short of a success, with a depth of re-playability rarely seen in this type of genre. The old-school roots won’t suit everybody however, and if you don’t enjoy mashing buttons and fighting the same groups of easily-dispatched enemies for a couple of hours at a time, this is definitely not for you. For everybody else, and particularly those of us brought up playing the arcade titles that directly descend it, this is a retro throwback guaranteed to entertain.
As compelling as it is at only a few hours in length, and even with the additional bonus of co-operative wireless play, Judgment wouldn’t make up enough of a game to sell as a full-price UMD offering on its own. With that in mind, the full version of ‘X2 Reload’ also included on the UMD serves to balance out the package to a more palatable level.
‘Reload’ is essentially the same title seen on home consoles, but ported down nicely to suit the PSP. In essence, this is a highly technical and fast-paced fighter, with oodles of characters and an overwhelming emphasis on crazy design and cheesy metal music. Each character is brimming with special moves and combos to learn, and mastering even a single protagonist will take a considerable amount of effort. Whilst some of the single-player game modes didn’t make the cut, the standard arcade and survival modes are included, along with a few other multiplayer variants.
The widescreen visuals in Reload particularly stand out to scrutiny, with the downscaled high-res character sprites moving with a fluidity and grace comparable to any decently animated film. On the PSP hardware this is a title that can look hectic and breathtaking in the same moment, and certainly pushes the boundary of the two-dimensional graphical capabilities with technical aplomb. Unfortunately it pushes the boundaries of the physical hardware also, with the directional pad failing to provide anywhere near enough precision and flexibility to cope with the fast-paced input demands. The analogue nub can be used as a replacement, but simply doesn’t cope well with the majority of quick-fire directional changes that are necessary in a game of this pace. Yet again, the Sony hardware is itself at fault, rather than the software.
Overall, Judgment is a package suitable to both fighter and retro fans alike, and serves as a good introduction to the series. Whilst the full range of moves is almost impossible to access with the PSP directional pad, Guilty Gear Reload still offers up enough entertainment to make it one of the PSP’s best 2D fighters, and the side-scrolling action of Judgment serves as a timely reminder that not all great game design stems from complexity. Another solid title to add to the PSP library then.
Top Game Moment: Managing to pull off any of the ridiculously difficult special moves, which are nightmarishly difficult on the poorly implemented PSP d-pad.
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| GGJ’s graphical prowess keeps pace with the console series | Which is to say, absolutely stunning at times |
The two selectable titles comprise a re-working of ‘Guilty Gear X2 Reload’, and a completely new side-scrolling beat-em-up which bears the name of the package itself, Guilty Gear Judgment.
Essentially a love-letter to some of the classic side-scrollers of years gone by, ‘Judgment’ takes the core gameplay mechanics of titles such as Final Fight or Streets of Rage, and brings them up to date with crisp visuals, lengthened playtime and a story-driven narrative. Five characters are initially selectable, with a whole roster of unlockable protagonists available once the campaign has been completed (or right off the bat in co-op mode). Each fighter contains a similar move set to the main series, and the button layout takes on a streamlined approach to suit the game mechanics.
As far as play is concerned; this is as traditional an approach as any to come before it. Enemies enter from the right of the screen to be dispatched singularly or in a group, using your favourite combinations of light or heavy attacks, along with the occasional throw if any manage to get up close and personal. After running out of lives, the game dumps you back to the start of the latest stage to begin again, ensuring that even the poorest players will be able to get through the challenge with enough persistence. Boss battles can be exasperating at times, but each has a particular pattern of attack that can be mastered fairly swiftly.
 |
 |
|
| As a side-scroller, Judgement is a solid effort | Special attacks in Judgement are as colourful as the main game |
Given the obvious crossover of art and mechanical assets, it’s no surprise that Judgment manages to become a compelling experience in its own right. As a side-scrolling fighter it’s nothing short of a success, with a depth of re-playability rarely seen in this type of genre. The old-school roots won’t suit everybody however, and if you don’t enjoy mashing buttons and fighting the same groups of easily-dispatched enemies for a couple of hours at a time, this is definitely not for you. For everybody else, and particularly those of us brought up playing the arcade titles that directly descend it, this is a retro throwback guaranteed to entertain.
As compelling as it is at only a few hours in length, and even with the additional bonus of co-operative wireless play, Judgment wouldn’t make up enough of a game to sell as a full-price UMD offering on its own. With that in mind, the full version of ‘X2 Reload’ also included on the UMD serves to balance out the package to a more palatable level.
‘Reload’ is essentially the same title seen on home consoles, but ported down nicely to suit the PSP. In essence, this is a highly technical and fast-paced fighter, with oodles of characters and an overwhelming emphasis on crazy design and cheesy metal music. Each character is brimming with special moves and combos to learn, and mastering even a single protagonist will take a considerable amount of effort. Whilst some of the single-player game modes didn’t make the cut, the standard arcade and survival modes are included, along with a few other multiplayer variants.
The widescreen visuals in Reload particularly stand out to scrutiny, with the downscaled high-res character sprites moving with a fluidity and grace comparable to any decently animated film. On the PSP hardware this is a title that can look hectic and breathtaking in the same moment, and certainly pushes the boundary of the two-dimensional graphical capabilities with technical aplomb. Unfortunately it pushes the boundaries of the physical hardware also, with the directional pad failing to provide anywhere near enough precision and flexibility to cope with the fast-paced input demands. The analogue nub can be used as a replacement, but simply doesn’t cope well with the majority of quick-fire directional changes that are necessary in a game of this pace. Yet again, the Sony hardware is itself at fault, rather than the software.
 |
 |
|
| The crisp visual style suits the PSP display perfectly | It’s just a shame the precise gameplay doesn’t |
Overall, Judgment is a package suitable to both fighter and retro fans alike, and serves as a good introduction to the series. Whilst the full range of moves is almost impossible to access with the PSP directional pad, Guilty Gear Reload still offers up enough entertainment to make it one of the PSP’s best 2D fighters, and the side-scrolling action of Judgment serves as a timely reminder that not all great game design stems from complexity. Another solid title to add to the PSP library then.
Top Game Moment: Managing to pull off any of the ridiculously difficult special moves, which are nightmarishly difficult on the poorly implemented PSP d-pad.
