Power Stone 2Review: Let us turn back time, to the good ole days- The Dreamcast had just come out and for all intents and purposes, it was the little console that almost could. Despite its short shelf-life, the console was pretty innovative for its time. This was the first console to support online multiplayer. It had a pretty solid catalog: Sonic Adventure 1 and 2, Skies of Arcadia, Resident Evil:Code Veronica, Jet Set Radio, Fantasy Star Online and more. This brings us to what is my favorite Dreamcast game of all, Power Stone 2.
Power Stone 2 is a direct follow-up to Power Stone( mind blown). While the original is just fine, I played it only a handful of times. Power Stone 2 however, I played EXTENSIVELY. I didn’t own a Dreamcast growing up( seeing as it was discontinued less than 4 years after release). But I would ALWAYS look forward to going to my cousin’s house to play it. I was pretty familiar with fighting games at this age, but this was one that stuck out to me. This was the first fighting game where I fell in love with its world and its characters.
Power Stone 2 is a fighting game that could best be described as 3D smash brothers. The action in this game is fast paced and exciting.this is a game where you will emphatically not stay still. Not only are the characters constantly on the move, so are the stages. A floating fortress level will fall out of the sky along with you. An anceint tomb will have a collapsing floor and have you and the other players on the run from a giant boulder Indiana Jones style. The fighting itself is also fluid and well balanced.
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Don’t want to do things the old fashioned fist-a-cups way? No prob! This game has an ARSENAL of weapons at your disposal. Pistols, machine guns, giant swords, a freaking bubble gun or even a skateboard to do some gnarly hits to your opponents shins. The Power Stones return and when you collect all 3 to gain your ultimate attack you will deal some serious damage.
Power Stone 2 has a variety of game modes. With any fighting game you have your standard arcade mode, basic single player experience. One on one, free for all, team battle, training mode, and survival, none of these need explaining. But the icing on the top of this delicious Capcom sundae is adventure mode. Adventure mode is when the name of the game is collecting, earning money and points. With the items and money you’ve earned you can purchase or combine items at the store to get some devastating power ups. This gives the game much replayability.
For a game that is 25 years old, it’s beautiful, bright and vibrant. This game has a stylized 90s anime look to it and it’s absolutely gorgeous. The characters are unique and wonderfully designed. They have a quirky, diverse cast with global backgrounds, such as a WW1 era designed British pilot, a living doll man or my favorite, a spider mummy. The levels are some of the best designs I’ve ever seen in a fighting game.
They take you ALL over, such as a haunted asian temple, a glacier in the antarctic, or an evil demon’s castle. The music, I can’t commend enough. It feels on par with a Studio Ghibli film, an epic orchestra with dynamic and stage specific soundtracks. High energy compositions and a beautiful blend of genres is Capcom at their best.
Power Stone 2 is a must play for any late 90s/early 2000s fighting game enthusiast. This game is a lovable gem from a bygone era. While Power Stone 2 was more or less locked away on the Dreamcast, it was eventually released on the PSP on a compilation in 2006. Since then it has remained dormant. While a 3rd game is unlikely, there is something almost as good. Capcom has announced Power Stone 1 and 2 will be included in their Capcom Fighting Collection.
A much needed modern re-release, instead of having to boot up your Dreamcast or dust off your old PSP. Hopefully a whole new generation of fans will be introduced to it, and hopefully Power Stone 3 might finally happen(pretty please Capcom). Jump on in, fight your way to victory and welcome to the Power Stone world.
Verdict: 9/10
