The story behind the development of Asura Cross is almost as interesting as the game itself. Originally conceived for the GamePark GP2X open-source handheld, this curious fighting game/RPG hybrid was largely forgotten until Gamevil picked it up for publication on smartphones.
According to its developer, it took an entire decade to create - significantly longer than most mobile games. It's hard to see exactly where all those years have gone when you start to play Asura Cross, however. While it's not a bad-looking game by any means, it's far from stunning.
The 2D sprites move smoothly, and look nice enough, but Capcom and SNK fans will notice that they are based on characters from past classics - for example, protagonist Jin has the same animation and poses as Kim Kap-hwan from SNK's Fatal Fury
Crossover chaosHowever, Asura Cross's core appeal isn't really about how it looks - it's about how it plays. This is a 2D fighter in its most basic form. Instead of having to input complex button combinations and pad movements, you simply have to mash on-screen keys or hold your finger down to create combo attacks).
It's possible to become quite a killing machine with very little effort or skill - something which makes the game accessible, and enjoyable, but also limits its long-term appeal. It will also be something of a turnoff for truly dedicated fans of the genre.
The two main components of Asura Cross are Story mode and Arcade mode. The former follows the exploits of ex-soldier Jin, who returns home from active duty to find that strange events are intruding on his life.
Interestingly, this mode features dialogue screens where you can make choices which mildly impact the outcome of the tale. It's an interesting concept, undone slightly by the poor quality of the script.
Cross your heartArcade mode is your straightforward fighting game arrangement, and is only worth playing to earn Asura Points which are used to unlock other aspects of the game. Earning Asura Points takes a long time, but - inevitably - you can use in-app purchases to make unlocking things easier and faster.
Asura Cross is an interesting concept without a doubt, but the execution feels a little off. Visually, it's incredibly derivative of other 2D fighters, even going as far as to steal character animation.
The simplistic action becomes boring very quickly, and the Asura Point system is blatantly fixed to encourage you to spend real cash instead of putting in the required effort.
While it's encouraging to see a game with such a long history get a second lease of life on smartphones, Asura Cross just isn't successful enough to be considered a forgotten classic. It's a mildly diverting escapade, but little more.