Slap Happy Rhythm Busters [スラップハッピーリズムバスターズ] Game Sample - Playstation
While this semi-rare game has gotten popular in recent years and is even featured in unofficial tournaments, no one could blame you if you've never heard of ASK (Kodansha, the publisher) and Polygon Magic's "Slap Happy Rhythm Busters". Released fairly late in 2000, Polygon Magic has tried their hands at several fighting / brawling endeavors before such as "Fighter's Impact" (which was known outside Japan as the more notorious, modified "Vs.") and "Lord of Fist" (known outside Japan as "ShaoLin") which were interesting to say the least, but their final foray into Playstation fighters is also, arguably, their best. This developer has always aimed to offer their customers something a little unique and while this game has a few flaws, they are overshadowed by the game's many pros and ridiculous style!
At its core, SHRB is a traditional fighter in the vein of Street Fighter or KoF, but with a few standout features. For one, it is 2.5D with 2D backgrounds and effects with 3D models which was uncommon for its time, much less Playstation. Two, the game has a funky Japanese Urban youth aesthetic with cel-shaded characters that is often compared to Sega's "Jet Grind Radio" and an equally funky soundtrack. Last (but certainly not least), the game has a "Bemani" mechanic in the form of a LV3 "Beat Combo" super attack that, if it connects, prompts the player to perform a dancing mini-game where your opponent can also throw in beats to throw off your rhythm; damage is based on how many consecutive hits you land before the music ends and if you finish the opponent with this attack on your final round, you will go into "Fever" mode and get an extended animation before you defeat your opponent. It's all as bizarre and fantastic as it sounds, but the game isn't just about style -- there's some substance to it as well.
The game is certainly a tailored console experience as there are quite a few unlockable characters (several being slightly different versions of existing characters), several modes including a practice mode for fighting and for the Bemani portion (and clearing all the DJ Practice sessions will help you unlock a hidden character), and a slightly robust 4-button fighting system. Most characters can chain light and heavy attacks in succession while others have unique combo extensions and most characters have at least two super attacks outside of their Beat special (these "Rave Attacks" cost 1 gauge and are done with simple inputs involving both punch or kick buttons). There is also a small gauge underneath the player's health bar that prevents them from being juggled indefinitely and also causes them to flash yellow when full (in this state, they temporarily can't block). Air guards, throws, taunting to quickly fill your super gauge and the ability to choose your opponents as you progress through the main mode round out most of the features worth mentioning.
While the game was only released in Japan, you'd think that there was some kind of International version as virtually everything in-game is displayed in English, including the game's many manga-style loading screens for the characters. In spite of this, there is almost no in-game plot, but the general story is that there is a tournament that has been put on by Rude Boy, the ruler of an area only known as "Down Town", to determine who is the strongest DJ. To make these events more bizarre, a UFO has, coincidentally, also landed near Down Town and it draws the attention to others who weren't initially interested in Rude Boy's promotion. An extraterrestrial being is rumored to also be in the area and it's causing lots of problems for the locals!
The game was released on a slight budget of 4800 yen, later saw distribution through the "PSOne Books" brand, and ultimately saw release on the Japanese PSN, but that hasn't stopped the game from becoming a hot collector's item. There's a few things visually that might come off as a little rushed or unfinished and the gameplay is geared more towards beginner-to-intermediate fighting enthusiasts, so there isn't much tech here to impress expert fighting game fans. Regardless, this is a worthy addition to the Playstation library and one I highly suggest tracking down if you're looking for an off-beat fighting game with some fun moments. Other bizarre brawlers worth mentioning include "Rakugaki Showtime" and "Rakuga Kids".
This is a video of the game in action. Enjoy.
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