The Bottom Line
Yu Yu Hakusho: Dark Tournament is very similar to the Dragon Ball Z Budokai series of games. They are cell shaded, follow some storyline from the anime, and are not the 'deepest' fighting games around. However, while it may not be Tekken, Yu Yu Hakusho is not without its charms. The voice acting, visual style and storyline are right out of the show. You seem to watch the anime as much as play it. I think we are looking at a different genre of fighter, and I for one, am starting to like it.
Pros
- The attention to detail is amazing, Yu Yu Hakusho fans will be pleased
- Long cut scenes from the anime move the plot along
- Lots of game modes and an original mini-game
Cons
- Battle animations are slow and difficult to time
- Controls can feel clunky and unresponsive
Description
- Graphics: 4.5 From destructible terrain, to the cel shading, this game looks quite nice
- Sound: 4 The music is from the show, and all the voice actors are present
- Concept: 5 I love this idea, the execution could be better, but it's headed the right way
- Control: 2 Timing complicated attacks and combos is rough, and button mashing doesn't cut it
- Difficulty: 4 I think the difficulty has a lot to do with the mushy controls
- Replay: 5 There are a lot of game modes, and the collectible mini-game is worth the time
- Rated: Teen - If you're not offended by the Yu Yu Hakusho anime, you won't be by the game
Guide Review - Yu Yu Hakusho: Dark Tournament
Let's be frank. Yu Yu Hakusho is not the most developed fighter on the market. You want deep, go pick up a copy of Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution for twenty bucks. What Yu Yu Hakusho and games like it, namely Dragon Ball Z Budokai, allow gamers to do is to participate in the anime the know and love. There are some flaws, Yu Yu Hakusho not the most responsive fighter around. However, the attention to detail, and the way gamers are drawn into the story is nothing to sneeze at. This isn't another crappy licensed game, but rather an attempt to make something of the source material. Instead of giving you either a great or crappy game with Yu Yu Hakusho skins on it, this title attempts to capture the spirit of the anime. It's something I was surprised to enjoy as much as I did.
The heart and soul of Yu Yu Hakusho Dark Tournament is its story mode. You progress with Yuske and the entire cast of characters through the Dark Tournament story line. You are treated to the anime, and when a task appears, you take over. Not all of the tasks are straight combat, usually there is some sort of twist to move the story along. Additionally, you collect tokens along the way for a customizable token game. Yu Yu Hakusho does suffer from poor controls, but combos are important and it is more than a button masher. It's a game that should be experienced, as I think we are on the road to something new. I don't think this is it, but story centered fighters may be the future of the genre.
