Title - "Eternal Fighter Zero"
Alternative title(s) - N/A
Genre(s) - Fighting - 2D
Platform(s) - PC
"Eternal Fighter Zero", a game that obviously got part of its name from "Street Fighter Zero" is a djin fighting game Tasogare Frontier that came out around a couple of years back. There are various versions of this game. This game features various characters from "Kanon" and "Air". They are two visual novel series created NEC Interchannel, published by Key, started out on the PC, transferred to the Dreamcast and the Play Station 2, and started out as naughty series, if you catch my drift. (I have not played either game yet by the way.) It also has some other characters from NEC Interchannel, but I don't know them right now. If you need a quick explanation on the series again, "Kanon" started in 1999 and would later become a 13-episode anime series done by Toei Animation. "Air" started in 2000 and there were rumors of an "Air" OVA or television series, but that's still on the bubble. (I actually thought Japan would show it last year, but I was wrong and if I have to give a new prediction, I would expect an "Air" anime in a couple of years.)
This review covers what I assume to be the first version of the game. There are many updates that have been up since then. More moves have been added and such.
What does this game remind us? "EFZ" and games like the "Queen of Hearts" games (the games that obviously pokes fun at "The King of Fighters" and the games that star Leaf/Aqua Plus characters) remind people that two dimensional fighting games or two dimensional games for that matter still have some life left. Sure, you won't experience a game that looks like "Final Fantasy X", but you will experience fun.
Since I only played a sample version of the game, I won't be able to explain the full potential of the game as a whole. I'm sure what I say here will apply to the full version for the most part. If not, it will apply to the game as a whole. The roster has characters like Nanase Rumi, Kawana Misaki, Tsukimiya Ayu, Minase Nayuki, and Misaka Shiori and of the characters I mentioned here, Nayuki is the only one that I am not able to pick in the sample. So, that means you can pick Rumi, Misaki, Ayu and Shiori, but you can not pick Nayuki and the other characters.
"EFZ" has so many elements from various fighting games. It has a roster full of girls like "SNK Gals' Fighters" and like the Capcom title it got part of its name from, you work with a three-level power bar system. That's part of the fun. There's more.
Fun - 10
Playing this game is like playing all of your memorable fighting game series in one game. It really is a dream come true! Well, that's how it is in my case.
You can fight against the computer. You can fight against a partner. You even have a practice session.
Although it is not a prerequisite in my opinion, I’d recommend that you play enough fighting games. Why? A lot of the moves and elements for that matter are parodies of moves from other fighting games and you will get more enjoyment from the game that way. That’s what some of these games are for.
Don’t know what I mean? Rumi has a move that is similar to Shizumaru’s thrusting move. (I forgot both of their names right now.) Misaki has moves like the Repuken and Rose’s Soul Throw. These are only just a couple of examples.
You don’t really need the ability to read Japanese to play this game. For the most part, the only Japanese text I see in the game is found in the set of win quotes. That’s it.
Fans of "Kanon" and "Air" will definitely love this game and I love it myself. True, it may not have everyone’s lovable character or set of characters, but that’s what the upgrades are for. Each news upgrade does make the game better and better.
Life - 10
The game is so fun and I definitely play it over and over again. Now that I think about it, this is one of the few fighting games that gets a perfect score in this category now these days. Even if the roster is small, I still love this game.
Control - 10
There are four buttons: light attack, medium attack, hard attack and special. Special is a button that won't be used a lot for some of the characters. I don't know why, but that's how it goes.
You work with a three-level power bar system like the Capcom title it got part of its name from. So, if you do an ES attack or Eternity Special attack with light attack, you use up one level on your power bar. Medium uses two and hard uses all three.
Near the power bar is what I like to call the "ki" bar. The higher the bar goes, the more powerful the special attack becomes as it is executed. This is an element used in some of the "Dragonball Z" fighting games, if I recall.
There's no time like "Moero! Justice Gakuen". Also, like the "Justice Gakuen games", no one has moves that will let you charge your motion (as far as I know). That means a faster paced game.
What other elements should I say? The fall cancel element seen in the "Guilty Gear" games is here. The Just Defended element from "Garou: Mark of the Wolves" is here as well.
Since the game features so many elements from many different fighting game series, it will take a while to figure out what elements from other fighting games are in this particular game. Personally, I got used to the system pretty quickly. Controlling a fighter is simple and responses will come in time. If I pressed up, I would jump right away. The problem I had was not being able to change the controls, but a sample has its limits. I’m sure that the full version of the game will let you change the layout of your controls.
Audio - 10
I do not hear much audio. I'm still giving the audio a 10 based on what I have heard so far. I won't change the score yet. I will list traits I do know about the sample though.
I do not hear any music. The only voice I hear is the announcer's who did a good job. The sound effects are fine.
Come to think of it, I would not mind if the full version has no music or voice acting. "The King of Fighters 1997" does not have much music and I am fine with it. "Kanon" and "Air" have little to no voice acting and this is true when they first started out.
Actually, if I recall, there are patches that will give you voice acting and I think there is music in the full version. So, enjoy yourselves. Hee hee.
Art - 10
The art has a theme that relates to the games, a part that really attracts me. Come to think of it, I think that this game looks better than any serious fighter out there. Why? Unlike most, if not, all serious fighters out there, the game tries to make even the little parts stand out. Don't know what I mean? I'll give an example.
Play a game like "Street Fighter Zero III". The life bar looks pretty standard. Now look at "EFZ's" life bar. The life bars here give an angel's touch. That shows not only a nice decoration, but effort to stand out as well.
The only background I saw was a plain forest. There are other stages and even though the stages don't show crowds like say, "The King of Fighters 1996", the stages do work as they match the surroundings seen in "Air" and "Kanon". That's what matters.
The characters look great. The roster portraits, standing poses, the characters look great. Wai!
Story - N/A
Well, there is no story. This is a dream match pretty much like "The King of Fighters 1998" and "2002". That's it.
Overall - 10
"EFZ" is definitely a game that fighting game fans should play. Even if you are not a fighting game fan, the humor in the game makes it worth your while, though I am not sure if you will understand the humor itself. Just as it says in the title, the time period of me having fun with this game will be eternal. That’s for sure.
+
Beautiful art, the amount of fun, EFZ is a silly and kawaii, but terrific game to play.
-
It's too soon to tell, but I don’t think flaws will be listed here and even if a flaw is seen, it is not that bad anyway.
jin fighting game Tasogare Frontier that came out around a couple of years back. There are various versions of this game. This game features various characters from "Kanon" and "Air". They are two visual novel series created NEC Interchannel, published by Key, started out on the PC, transferred to the Dreamcast and the Play Station 2, and started out as naughty series, if you catch my drift. (I have not played either game yet by the way.) It also has some other characters from NEC Interchannel, but I don't know them right now. If you need a quick explanation on the series again, "Kanon" started in 1999 and would later become a 13-episode anime series done by Toei Animation. "Air" started in 2000 and there were rumors of an "Air" OVA or television series, but that's still on the bubble. (I actually thought Japan would show it last year, but I was wrong and if I have to give a new prediction, I would expect an "Air" anime in a couple of years.)