Kotaku

All-female 2D fighters are nothing new. Back in the days of the original PlayStation and the Sega Saturn, games like Asuka 120% and the Variable Geo series were a common sight in Japanese game stores, offering up hot girl-on-girl fighting action, but generally just that. The games lacked depth, relying on the gimmick of their fully female roster rather than crafting compelling gameplay. Now Atlus brings Examu's PlayStation 2 girl fighter Arcana Heart to North America, featuring 11 classic moe girl archetypes fighting to save the world from a power-hungry nun seeking to merge our realm with that of the elemental Arcana that fight by their side. The game is full of promising elements, but it all comes down to one thing—is Arcana Heart a mediocre game trying to get by on sex appeal alone, or a solid fighting game whose characters just happen to lack Y chromosomes?

Style versus substance, red versus blue...

Remember that super move I kept trying to pull off in the Arcana Heart video I posted the other day? Where I fail, the screenshot folks for Atlus succeed. Behold the glory of the puppy girl pile-on, as well as several other scenes from the upcoming PlayStation 2 fighter that I could never have dreamed to achieve with my mediocre skills. I've actually playing the game a little bit each day to improve my game, and I'd say that by the time it hits store shelves in April I will still have no chance at beating anyone, but I might be a bit more cocky about it nonetheless.

Arcana Heart is a new 2D fighting game coming April 8th for the PlayStation 2 courtesy of Atlus. Developed by Examu - formerly Yuki Enterprise of Samurai Showdown V fame - the game features a cast of adorable female anime archetypes beating each other senseless, with a twist. Players select a character and then select an Arcana, which is an elemental being that grants the character special abilities and super moves depending on which is chosen. Atlus sent me an early copy of the game, which as you can see I have hardly managed to master. In my defense, this video was plagued by interruptions, and I won in every take except this one. Rather that redo it to show myself in a more flattering light, I decided to let you witness just how badly I can fail. Look for a more complete look at the game as we get closer to the April release. For now, please be gentle.