Tōkidenshō Angel Eyes
Encyclopedia
is a fighting video game
developed and published by Tecmo for the arcade game
market in 1996. It was later ported to the PlayStation game console, being released on December 11, 1997; in 2009, it has been also made available as downloadable content in the Playstation Store
, for the PlayStation 3
and the PSP
. Both the original arcade version and the PS version were released in Japan
only, and the downloadable version for PS3 and PSP remains in Japanese language
.
Angel Eyes featured an all-female character roster, in the same way as other fighting games with all-female rosters like Metal & Lace: Battle of the Robo Babes
, Variable Geo
, Seifuku Densetsu Pretty Fighter, Arcana Heart
and Asuka 120%. In a similar way to Capcom
's Justice Gakuen series, most of the characters were teenage students fighting for the honor of their school and to earn the right of becoming the Great Angel. The game sported very high-quality, manga
-styled character artwork, vigorous animation and attractive backgrounds. Contributing to the game's uniqueness, its visuals combined two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphics. Angel Eyes has remained mostly in obscurity in the West, due to not being released outside Japan. In Japan however, it gained a moderate success and following, and is still being used in tournaments there.
Following the traditional template of fighting games, the characters had at their disposal and arsenal of normal martial arts
moves varied by the characters' posture, complemented by special moves endowed with additional power or abilities. The game also featured certain gameplay mechanics that although by today standards are commonplace, were rather unique and innovative back at the time of its release, such as a mid-air dash, mid-air suspension, mid-air chase capabilities, a homing jump, high jump, and a special ability trigger called Angel Synchro.
-style stereotypes. Some of them attend the , named after Tecmo's former company name. They ranged from a hot-blooded schoolgirl to a kunai
-wielding teenage kunoichi
. The basic roster is as follows:
To promote the game in Japan, Tecmo released an album containing artwork of the characters as well as a music CD containing the game soundtrack. Also, a Drama
CD titled , was released in the late 90's, containing songs and storyline narrative.
Arcade version
PlayStation version
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...
developed and published by Tecmo for the 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...
market in 1996. It was later ported to the PlayStation game console, being released on December 11, 1997; in 2009, it has been also made available as downloadable content in the Playstation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
, for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and the PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
. Both the original arcade version and the PS version were released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
only, and the downloadable version for PS3 and PSP remains in Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
.
Angel Eyes featured an all-female character roster, in the same way as other fighting games with all-female rosters like Metal & Lace: Battle of the Robo Babes
Metal & Lace: Battle of the Robo Babes
Metal & Lace: Battle of the Robo Babes is a 2D fighting game released by Megatech Software for MS-DOS on May 29, 1992. It was a localization of an all-female fighting game titled originally released by the eroge company Forest. It was later followed by a Japan-exclusive sequel titled , which was...
, Variable Geo
Variable Geo
, also known as V.G., is a Japanese 2D fighting game series developed and published by Giga for home computers. It was also developed and published by Technical Group Labroratory for home game consoles...
, Seifuku Densetsu Pretty Fighter, Arcana Heart
Arcana Heart
is a 2D arcade fighting game series developed by Examu Inc. . The first edition was released to arcades in late 2006...
and Asuka 120%. In a similar way to Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
's Justice Gakuen series, most of the characters were teenage students fighting for the honor of their school and to earn the right of becoming the Great Angel. The game sported very high-quality, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
-styled character artwork, vigorous animation and attractive backgrounds. Contributing to the game's uniqueness, its visuals combined two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphics. Angel Eyes has remained mostly in obscurity in the West, due to not being released outside Japan. In Japan however, it gained a moderate success and following, and is still being used in tournaments there.
Storyline
The game's storyline takes place in Japan. The substance of an angel from heaven was sent to Earth to incarnate in a human. However, there are eight girls holding the potential to become the host of the angel's substance. Therefore, who is worthy of inheriting the substance is to be she who proves herself the strongest in battle.Gameplay
Tōkidenshō Angel Eyes was as most fighting games of its day, a two-dimensional and sprite-based (although some of the characters were three-dimensional models, that interacted with the hand-drawn, sprite based characters in a two-dimensional environment), one-on-one fighting game, and the objective for the player was to advance by defeating the opponent by winning two rounds out of three in competitive matches.Following the traditional template of fighting games, the characters had at their disposal and arsenal of normal martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
moves varied by the characters' posture, complemented by special moves endowed with additional power or abilities. The game also featured certain gameplay mechanics that although by today standards are commonplace, were rather unique and innovative back at the time of its release, such as a mid-air dash, mid-air suspension, mid-air chase capabilities, a homing jump, high jump, and a special ability trigger called Angel Synchro.
Characters
The characters were designed following several typical animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
-style stereotypes. Some of them attend the , named after Tecmo's former company name. They ranged from a hot-blooded schoolgirl to a kunai
Kunai
A is a Japanese tool possibly derived from the masonry trowel. Two variations are the and the . It is a good example of a very basic tool which, in the hands of a martial arts expert, could be used as a multi-functional weapon...
-wielding teenage kunoichi
Kunoichi
is the term for a female ninja or practitioner of ninjutsu .-Etymology:The term is thought to derive from the names of characters that resemble the three strokes in the kanji character for ; said in the order they are written: ku - no - ichi...
. The basic roster is as follows:
- A hot-blooded, brawl-loving teenage schoolgirl. As the pun on her name implies, she moves with the speed of a lightning. Famous for her record of 49 wins and 1 loss. She is a 17 years old, student at Tehkan.: A passionate girl, daughter of a Chinese woman and a Japanese man, a part-time waitress at a Chinese restaurant. Raiya's rival and also has pyrokinesisPyrokinesisPyrokinesis, derived from the Greek words and , was the name coined by horror novelist Stephen King for the ability to create or to control fire with the mind that he gave to the protagonist Charlie McGee in Firestarter...
. Student at Tehkan, bears a grudge with Raiya from their past. Her real name is . She is 17 years old.: A shy, mild-mannered girl, wearing the typical, now out of use, physical education uniform of a Japanese schoolgirl. Her real name is . Also a student at Tehkan. She lost her mother at a young age, so she helps her sister with a part-time job. She loves cake and her kind father. She is 12 years old.: A maid that became a kunoichi (female ninja), lover and protector of animals. She uses speed and a pair of kunai as weapons. Her real name is . She is 18 years old.: Dealer of the "Royal Flush" casino. Serious but kind. Her real name is . Her likeness was inspired by Fujiko MineFujiko Mineis a fictional character created by Monkey Punch, for his Lupin III series. Fujiko is a professional criminal, burglar and "confidence trickster"....
, a character featured in Monkey PunchMonkey PunchMonkey Punch is the pen name of Japanese manga artist Kazuhiko Katō , creator of the successful Japanese manga series Lupin III...
's iconic manga Lupin the Third. Mesmerizes opponents with her "glamorous body". She is 26 years old.: A school teacher and a biker. Daughter of an American man and a Japanese woman. Popular among her pupils. Her real name is . She is 27 years old.: A female cyborg sniper. She was turned into a cyborg to avoid death from serious injury. Reemerged as a cyborg assassin and crime-fighter. Her body is covered entirely by a special fiber called "Linaspacial". Her real name and age is unrevealed. A 3d character.: A wealthy, selfish little girl whose companion is a large teddy bear, named King. Student at Tehkan. Her strength lies on throws. Her real name is and King's is . Marie is 12 years old.: The final boss and the only unplayable character in this game.
Ports and related releases
The arcade game was later ported to the Sony PlayStation on December 11, 1997. This version included eight additional characters, which were mainly modified, palette swapped versions of the original characters, with special capabilities. The characters were unlocked by meeting certain requirements during gameplay, they are listed as follows: Bin Chibiko, Black Raiya, Hyper Mysterious Power, Lina 2, Maria & Panda, Robo Chibiko, Wounded Highway Star and Akane. The Story mode in this version also further explored the plot. On March 31, 2009, the PlayStation version was re-released through the PlayStation Network.To promote the game in Japan, Tecmo released an album containing artwork of the characters as well as a music CD containing the game soundtrack. Also, a Drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
CD titled , was released in the late 90's, containing songs and storyline narrative.
External links
Arcade version
- Tōkidenshō Angel Eyes at arcade-history
- Tōkidenshō Angel Eyes at The Large Cult Fighting Game March
PlayStation version
- Tōkidenshō Angel Eyes at PlayStation Store