Darkstalkers: The Chaos Tower

The Darkstalkers series is known to be one of Capcom’s finest. The full line-up included three incarnations of arcade machines: Darkstalkers (1994), Night Warriors (1995), Vampire Savior (1997), and the Japan only Vampire Savior 2 (1997). Each version introduced new characters and/or moves, all of which are included in The Chaos Tower – a kind of Darkstalkers compendium.

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The Darkstalkers characters are based on worldwide ancient folklore, resulting in their distinctive appearance and startling fighting techniques. Their vivid colour schemes, elaborate artwork, and sophisticated animation once represented the bleeding edge of arcade technology. Similarly the combat system was a step up from the standard 2D fighting fare of its time, although based on the (still) popular six-button configuration.

Ten years later, Darkstalkers remains a richly rewarding game that suits the PSP format well. You’re encouraged to familiarise yourself with all 18 ‘Night Warriors’ within five different modes of gameplay. You might want to begin in ‘Training’, but ‘Arcade’ is the most straightforward challenge. Within ‘Network’ you can engage another player via Wi-Fi to fight a ‘Versus’ battle, or ‘Limit’ battle that involves random handicapping of moves. Finally ‘Tower’ is a survival mode, setting some rather unusual rules for victory.

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This roster of gaudy ghouls brings a zany but massively entertaining brand of ‘versus fighting’ to PSP. The likes of Felicia, Anakaris and Sasquatch (respectively: cat-girl, Egyptian Mummy, and Abominable Snowman) perform outlandish moves without the need for fiddly button commands. Even so, the combat system is as deep as you’re prepared to make it, with character-specific ‘Chain-Combos’ to master alongside all their special moves. Darkstalkers really doesn’t take itself too seriously, and as a result becomes accessible to anyone. What’s more, even the smaller monsters can fill the screen with their colourful magic attacks, ideal for a pocket-sized display.