Power Stone 2
Encyclopedia
Power Stone 2 is a multiplayer fighting game
that built on the innovative gameplay introduced by its predecessor, Power Stone
. Power Stone 2 allows up to four players to choose from multiple characters and utilize items such as tables, chairs, and rocks in battle.
Power Stone 2 originated as an arcade game
, like many others on the Dreamcast. The Dreamcast served as a testing ground for successful arcade game
s. Power Stone 2 included some differences from the original, including new character voices, the removal of the existing combo system and a new, horizontal status bar.
Power Stone 2 offers five interactive 3-D stages to begin with, plus the two boss stages which players can also access in Original mode. All but the Original mode is played out like a storyline, where two battles are fought on the regular stages, followed by the Pharaoh Walker boss, then another battle, and ending with the Dr. Erode boss stage. Three extra stages may be unlocked for Original mode by meeting certain requirements in Arcade mode, as well as a desert
area stage, which is essentially the Pharaoh
Walker boss stage, but without the boss. Though each player has their own set of default ground and air attacks, the character can execute more powerful fusion attacks after collecting three Power Stones and transforming. Power Stone 2 does not offer an opportunity to block, although tapping on the control pad just before an enemy attacks will cause you to dodge.
Most of the stages are dynamic and will change as the battle progresses. For example, the airplane stage starts out on a warplane. After a set amount of time, the plane will fall apart, forcing all the players to battle while skydiving toward the ground. Shortly after, the players will fall onto a floating platform, where the remainder of the battle will be held. This, in essence, creates three sub-stages within a single one.
Each stage is also littered with item boxes, which hold a random item that a player has acquired and unlocked in Adventure mode or created in the Item Shop. They may also contain Power Stones. Items are extremely diverse. Damaging items range from gun
s, flamethrowers, gigantic hammers, a wide assortment of swords
, to bear traps, roller blades, and even a magazine
that can be thrown. Non-damaging items include food
that will replenish health, shields
for defense, elixirs for invisibility
, adhesive sprays to slow your opponents, and wing
s for extra jumps. Cards that can be used to mix items can also be found in Adventure mode. Furthermore, most stages also have their own collection of unique items and fixtures that the player can use. For example, the submarine
level comes with turrets
, small planes
to drop bombs, and icebergs to throw at opponents. Each level is also highly interactive, as players can use many of the stage elements themselves. All players can also gain extra height by jumping off a wall.
These may then be taken to the game's "Item Shop", run by secret character Mel. The overall goal of the Item Shop is to allow players to gain access to new items; either by purchasing them, or by combining existing items in a 'mixing' process. This gives the game considerable additional longevity, as many of the best or most entertaining items are available only from the Item Shop.
application called the Mini-Book. This can be used to inspect the player's item inventory, or trade items with another player. Additionally, a player may register up to five items in their inventory as "Handy Items". These may then appear to the player in Original mode, offering a tactical advantage.
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
that built on the innovative gameplay introduced by its predecessor, Power Stone
Power Stone
Power Stone is a fully 3D arena fighting game series made by Capcom. Power Stone was initially released on the Sega NAOMI hardware and later ported to the Dreamcast...
. Power Stone 2 allows up to four players to choose from multiple characters and utilize items such as tables, chairs, and rocks in battle.
Power Stone 2 originated as an arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
, like many others on the Dreamcast. The Dreamcast served as a testing ground for successful arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
s. Power Stone 2 included some differences from the original, including new character voices, the removal of the existing combo system and a new, horizontal status bar.
Playable Characters
- Fokker (Edward Falcon)
- Wang-Tang
- Ryoma
- Ayame
- Rouge
- Jack
- Gunrock
- Galuda
- Pete
- Julia Whitepearl
- Gourmand
- Accel
- Pride Falcon (secret character)
- Mel (secret character)
- Kraken - Boss character: Only available on psp version of game.
- Valgas - Boss character - Only available on psp version of game.
Gameplay
- 1-on-1 - Much like the original Power Stone, a two-character storyline game.
- Arcade - A four-character storyline game, with two characters advancing each round.
- Original - Multiplayer mode, with free choice of characters and stages.
- Adventure - An unpredictable storyline game, where players can collect items, cards and money.
Power Stone 2 offers five interactive 3-D stages to begin with, plus the two boss stages which players can also access in Original mode. All but the Original mode is played out like a storyline, where two battles are fought on the regular stages, followed by the Pharaoh Walker boss, then another battle, and ending with the Dr. Erode boss stage. Three extra stages may be unlocked for Original mode by meeting certain requirements in Arcade mode, as well as a desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
area stage, which is essentially the Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
Walker boss stage, but without the boss. Though each player has their own set of default ground and air attacks, the character can execute more powerful fusion attacks after collecting three Power Stones and transforming. Power Stone 2 does not offer an opportunity to block, although tapping on the control pad just before an enemy attacks will cause you to dodge.
Most of the stages are dynamic and will change as the battle progresses. For example, the airplane stage starts out on a warplane. After a set amount of time, the plane will fall apart, forcing all the players to battle while skydiving toward the ground. Shortly after, the players will fall onto a floating platform, where the remainder of the battle will be held. This, in essence, creates three sub-stages within a single one.
Each stage is also littered with item boxes, which hold a random item that a player has acquired and unlocked in Adventure mode or created in the Item Shop. They may also contain Power Stones. Items are extremely diverse. Damaging items range from gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
s, flamethrowers, gigantic hammers, a wide assortment of swords
Swords
A sword is a cutting/thrusting weapon made of metal. Sword or swords may also refer to:* Swords, County Dublin, Ireland* Suit of swords, a suit in Latin-suited playing cards and Tarot decks* SWORDS, a ground-based military robot...
, to bear traps, roller blades, and even a magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
that can be thrown. Non-damaging items include food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
that will replenish health, shields
Shields
-United Kingdom:* North Shields, Tyneside, England* South Shields, Tyneside, England* Shields Road subway station, an underground station in Glasgow, Scotland-United States:* Shields, Indiana, an unincorporated community...
for defense, elixirs for invisibility
Invisibility
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible . The term is usually used as a fantasy/science fiction term, where objects are literally made unseeable by magical or technological means; however, its effects can also be seen in the real...
, adhesive sprays to slow your opponents, and wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
s for extra jumps. Cards that can be used to mix items can also be found in Adventure mode. Furthermore, most stages also have their own collection of unique items and fixtures that the player can use. For example, the submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
level comes with turrets
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
, small planes
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
to drop bombs, and icebergs to throw at opponents. Each level is also highly interactive, as players can use many of the stage elements themselves. All players can also gain extra height by jumping off a wall.
Boss Characters
- Pharaoh Walker - A giant sphinxSphinxA sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
-like robot, controlled from the inside by numerous small men. The men can send homing electric spheres to damage the player, while the sphinx itself can attack by lashing out its tongue at the player, crouching down and spinning its legs at the player or jumping up and paralyzing the player upon landing. On top of that, the sphinx sports a powerful laser on its tail which will be fired as well. Players can hack away at the creature's legs until it falls, at which point the more vulnerable head comes into striking range periodically. Alternatively, players can attempt to take control of the powerful laser weapon and use it to shoot the head, dealing very heavy damage. Assuming that a time limit has been set on the stage, if the Pharaoh Walker is not defeated within the time restraint, it will jump onto a hill in the background and fire a massive laser blast onto the playing field, instantly KOing all the remaining players. - Dr. Erode - The villain of the game; a monstrous green giant sitting at a table. Though his motives are unclear, he states in his entrance quote that the power in his own Power Stone (which, judging from its black color, can be assumed to be an evil dark variety of the Power Stone) would become absolute if he destroyed the heroes. Items can be retrieved from his meal and hurled at his vulnerable head; with sufficient damage, his even more vulnerable heart will be exposed momentarily, allowing for further damage. His attacks include stabbing the table with his knife, lunging his arm at the player to grab and bite him/her, drinking from his cup and regurgitating poison, shooting lightning from his hands, and calling forth beeBeeBees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
-like creatures to attack the player. If not defeated within the time limit, Dr. Erode will shoot a final blast of lightning from both hands, instantly killing the players.
Item Shop
An innovative addition to Power Stone 2 is the "Adventure" mode. This mode is functionally identical to the "1-on-1" and "Arcade" modes; however, there is an additional inventory filled with items and money that the player has collected.These may then be taken to the game's "Item Shop", run by secret character Mel. The overall goal of the Item Shop is to allow players to gain access to new items; either by purchasing them, or by combining existing items in a 'mixing' process. This gives the game considerable additional longevity, as many of the best or most entertaining items are available only from the Item Shop.
VMU
Power Stone 2 includes a VMUVMU
The VMU, or Visual Memory Unit is a memory card peripheral for the Dreamcast. Its official name was changed by Sega for each of the three key regions:-* Japan = Visual Memory System * North America = Visual Memory Unit...
application called the Mini-Book. This can be used to inspect the player's item inventory, or trade items with another player. Additionally, a player may register up to five items in their inventory as "Handy Items". These may then appear to the player in Original mode, offering a tactical advantage.