Style versus substance, red versus blue...

Loved

• Characters - There may be only 11 playable characters, but each one has a distinctive fighting style and design that sets her apart from the rest. Making the tiny girl in the water globule the wrestler character tickled me to know end.
• Graphics - As far as 2D graphics go, these are definitely on the upper end of the scale. While not as fluid as Guilty Gear at its best, Arcana Heart's sprites come pretty close.
• Combat - A relatively simple four-button system hides an extremely deep combat system full of counters, reverses, cancels - all the buzzwords you'd expect in a 2D fighter; a system where skill will win over random flailing 90% of the time.
• The Arcana System - This is where Arcana Heart really makes its mark. First you select a character, then you choose one of 11 Arcana to aid you in your fight. Depending on which you choose, you're able to not only access powerful special attacks, but also inflict status ailments on your enemies, or buff yourself. Which Arcana you pick can completely change your fighting strategy.

Hated

• Difficulty - I know I praised the complex combat system under the "Loved" section, but I'd still like to be able to sit down next to a friend who wasn't familiar with the game and give them the slightest chance of beating me. Hell, I'd like to have a chance at higher difficulty levels.
• Music - Aside from the opening song, the music in Arcana Heart could have been ripped from just about any generic 2D fighter in the history of the genre. Pleasant at first, I soon found myself setting the volume down lower and lower.

Plenty to love and not too much to hate in Arcana Heart, which deftly rises above the girl gimmick. If it weren't for the fact that they're all so damn adorable, it would be easy to forget that Arcana Heart's characters are all female, and that's no mean feat considering the core gamer demographic. When questions of which girl is the cutest (Puppy Girl!) give way to which character / Arcana combination fits your play style the best is when you know the game has you. The high cuteness factor may not be for everyone, but don't let it fool you - this is not a game for reflex-challenged button mashers. This is a game for fighters.

Arcana Heart is an extremely solid 2D fighting game, packed with intriguing gameplay variety and dipped in sexy anime sweetness, making it well worth its $30 price tag.

Arcana Heart was developed by Examu, published by Atlus and was released on April 8. Retails for $29.99. Available on PlayStation 2. Completed story mode for each character on medium difficulty.

The release of Examu's arcade fighter Arcana Heart on North American shores may not get you hot and bothered, but this is pure girl on girl 2D fighting action we're talking about, kids. Every anime girl archetype you can muster up is covered, from pink-haired teens in school girl outfits to green-haired teens in school girl outfits. Cute ninja girl, cat-eared lass, the odd maiden and vampire girl—they're all in here. And for a budget price of $30? You really can't go wrong.

Atlus is bringing it out of Japan on April 8, so dust off your PlayStation 2s and Hori arcade sticks.

Arcana Heart Official Site [Atlus]