Arcade Hits: Outlaws of the Lost Dynasty

MonkeyPaw has been steadily bringing classic Japanese games to the West, and its latest import is Arcade Hits: Outlaws of the Lost Dynasty.

This one-on-one fighter from Data East is showing its age, but it's still a great purchase for any serious fan of the genre.

In the arena of the fighting game genre it fits in somewhere between the weighty technical focus of Art of Fighting and the quarter turn-based positional play of Street Fighter II. If you know how to throw a Hadouken then you'll be right at home.

Don't get so defensive!

In the single-player mode, characters square off over three rounds, knocking out players on the road to the final boss.

Three levels of attack strength for both hand strikes and kicks are available, harder hits taking longer to execute but packing significantly more wallop than quick jabs. You can dash forward and back rapidly, as well as jump and block.

Outlaws of the Lost Dynasty does a great job of punishing overly defensive players with the inclusion of a Break Bar that gradually wears away each time you defend. When it's gone you won't have access to the weapon you start the round with, which opens you up to more frequent dizzying.

These gameplay innovations really put the game on a different level from your average brawler. At the sides of the arena are walls that you can knock players up against; you can fake dizziness to lure opponents into a false sense of security; and there are ample opportunities to juggle enemies after launching them off the ground.

A number of the characters present novel challenges: with Tai Sou able to teleport freely and Kousonshou having a gigantic protector doing his fighting. Though the roster isn't massive, each character is distinctive, keeping the proceedings engaging.

Lost in non-translation

Connecting hits sound bone-smashingly good, and it's always satisfying to kick an opponent so hard that he lifts into the air and spins like a ballerina. So it's a disappointment that the visuals accompanying these actions are a little weak.

It's your typical 32-bit era 2D graphical problem: a paucity of animation frames due to the memory constraints of the time. The art direction is chunky and vivid, but movement is staccato, and backgrounds barely animate at all.

Long load times also break up the flow, and - as with many of MonkeyPaw's releases - the translation effort has been minimal. Getting into the small set of modes is fine, but the story will be completely lost on you. I also couldn't find a move list, though you can work out special moves with a little practice.

If you've exhausted the more recent fighting releases then Arcade Hits: Outlaws of the Lost Dynasty is for you. You'll need a working knowledge and appreciation of 2D fighters to get the most from its limited offerings, but the combat is strong, facilitated by a refreshing line-up of opponents.

Arcade Hits: Outlaws of the Lost Dynasty

A basic release, but a fun one: this 2D fighter is for fans of the genre only, though they'll absolutely dig its unique characters and hard-hitting play
Score
Peter Willington
Peter Willington
Die hard Suda 51 fan and professed Cherry Coke addict, freelancer Peter Willington was initially set for a career in showbiz, training for half a decade to walk the boards. Realising that there's no money in acting, he decided instead to make his fortune in writing about video games. Peter never learns from his mistakes.