fbpx
Wikipedia

Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen

January 23, 2023

Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen[1] (Yu Yu Hakusho: Battle To Unite The Demon Plane) is a 1994 fighting game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Mega Drive. It is based on the manga series Yu Yu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi. The plot follows the protagonist Yusuke Urameshi, who is tasked by the ruler of the afterlife with solving detective-style cases involving both humans and demons threatening the living world. The story begins to focus heavily on martial arts battles as it progresses.

Yū Yū Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen
Developer(s)Treasure
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Tetsuhiko Kikuchi
Programmer(s)
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
  • Satoshi Murata
  • Katsuhiko Suzuki
  • Aki Hata
  • Norio Hanzawa
SeriesYu Yu Hakusho
Platform(s)Mega Drive
Release
  • JP: September 30, 1994
  • BRA: 1999
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

The game features 11 playable characters from the manga and traditional 2D fighting gameplay. Opponents compete in rounds, attempting to deplete each other's health by utilizing short and long-range attacks and special combos. It also integrates other mechanics, such as allowing up to four players to compete simultaneously and letting fighters alternate between horizontal planes in the foreground and background. A number of multiplayer options are available that include battle royales, tag team matches, and tournament modes.

Makyō Tōitsusen was produced at the height of a global fighting game boom for home consoles in the early 1990s, brought on by hits like Street Fighter II. After the company made its debut on the system with Gunstar Heroes, Treasure began development on Makyō Tōitsusen as one of a quartet of Mega Drive games to be published by Sega. Unlike the rest of these titles, Makyō Tōitsusen was never localized in North America or Europe. The game's only other official release was in Brazil via Tectoy in 1999 where it was titled Yu Yu Hakusho: Sunset Fighters. The game did not receive any form of re-release until its inclusion on the Japanese Sega Mega Drive Mini in 2019. Despite its limited availability, the game has been assessed by several publications outside those two regions and enjoyed a mostly positive response from critics. The gameplay and four-player options were praised by many reviewers, several of which have even considered it among the best fighting games of the 16-bit generation, although its graphics and sound received criticism.

Gameplay

 
Four fighters participate in a match on two separate horizontal planes. The characters' health and spirit energy are displayed at the top of the screen.

Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen is fighting game based on the supernatural manga series Yu Yu Hakusho, written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. The manga follows protagonist Yusuke Urameshi, a juvenile delinquent who sacrifices his life to save a child and is resurrected by the ruler of the afterlife in order to solve detective-style cases involving humans and demons threatening the living world.[2] The plot puts a heavy emphasis on martial arts battles as it progresses. Makyō Tōitsusen allows the player to choose one of 11 key characters from the manga. It has no story mode, does not adapt or tie into the plot of its source material, and features few appearances from the supporting cast.[3] The game adopts a versus fighting game template made popular by the Street Fighter series where the objective of each match is for the player or players to eliminate opponents by depleting their health gauges using various short and long-ranged attacks. Fighters move horizontally on 2D battlefields and can jump from the ground toward or over opponents. One-on-one matches are possible, but Makyō Tōitsusen allows up to four characters to battle simultaneously in a single match. This added action is complemented by the inclusion of a second layer in each stage. Similar to the Fatal Fury series, players can leap onto a separate horizontal plane in the background.[2][4][5][6][7] Matches have no time limit.[2]

Since multiple opponents can potentially face either in front of or behind the player, pushing back on the controller's directional pad will cause a character to face the opposite direction rather than simply back away or block enemy attacks. Makyō Tōitsusen is compatible with both the Mega Drive's three-button and six-button gamepads. The three-button controller's "A", "B", and "C" face buttons can be mapped to light attack, heavy attack, and guard, while movement actions like dashing forward, dashing backward, and shifting planes are performed using basic combinations of the directional pad and face buttons. The additional "X", "Y", and "Z" inputs on the six-button controller allow for mapping these six actions to one face button each.[7][8] All characters can use combos and unique special attacks that may be performed either on the ground or in the air, some of which can be charged for larger amounts of damage.[6] Since the three-button controller is standard and pushing the back button changes a character's direction, combos are fairly simple to execute.[3][7] A few abilities require "spirit energy" that is represented by a second gauge under a fighter's health and can be refilled by holding down an attack button. A charged attack can be temporarily cancelled and stored by pushing back on the directional pad and then instantly unleashed at that strength the next time the player uses it.[7] The game offers several modes that consist of a single-player campaign for fighting consecutive one-on-one matches; an endless practice mode; and multiplayer options further divided into four-participant battle royales and tag team matches with opposing teams of two.[8] A bracketed tournament mode can also be chosen where individual players, teams of players, and the computer can battle until a final championship match. Up to four human players can participate in these multiplayer modes using Sega's Team Player multitap device.[2][7]

Development and release

Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen was developed by Treasure and was produced in association with Yu Yu Hakusho author Yoshihiro Togashi, the manga's publisher Shueisha, the anime adaptation's Studio Pierrot, and its television broadcaster Fuji TV. The home video game console market of the early 1990s was in the midst of a fighting game craze thanks to hits such as Street Fighter II.[2][3][7] The concurrent popularity of Yu Yu Hakusho in Japan led to games in this genre showing up on several home and handheld gaming platforms. After Treasure's debut on the Mega Drive with Gunstar Heroes, Makyō Tōitsusen was one of four games in simultaneous development by the company for the system with Sega as publisher.[9][10] Makyō Tōitsusen is Treasure's first fighting game and its second game based on a licensed property, after McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure.[11]

Treasure initially made Makyō Tōitsusen as an original game titled Axion before converting it into a Yu Yu Hakusho title.[12][13] The project was directed by Tetsuhiko Kikuchi and supervised by Treasure founder and president Masato Maegawa. According to Kikuchi, Axion was conceived sometime in 1993 when the company noticed a lack of unique Mega Drive-exclusive fighting titles. However, production stalled when a game with a similar world and concepts was set to beat Axion to market. Treasure's plans for their game were reconsidered many times before the Yu Yu Hakusho license was integrated, which Kikuchi believed would assure good sales.[12] Maegawa said that the controls and gameplay mechanics, including the multiplanar stages, were already created for Axion before the arduous process of reworking the game with Yu Yu Hakusho assets.[14] Sega assigned Yoichi Shimosato to support the game's production after he joined the company's Third Consumer Research Division in 1993.[15] Despite the developer's seemingly close relationship with Sega, Maegawa claimed the publisher's communication was poor and that it offered no help to Treasure during the game's creation.[16]

Treasure's staff was made up chiefly of Kikuchi as director and main graphic designer; graphic artists Makoto Ogino and Hiroshi Iuchi; programmers Masaki Ukyo and Mitsuru Yaida; and lead sound effects and music composer Satoshi Murata. Kikuchi was appreciative of the game's animators for their use of character sprite shadows, but implied that their disregard for how much memory they required created difficulties.[12] Ukyo found it most challenging to program having four characters on-screen simultaneous and give them the ability to freely change the direction they face.[12] Alongside Katsuhiko Suzuki, Aki Hata, and Norio Hanzawa, Murata composed original music tracks for the game while also providing instrumental versions of the songs Hohoemi no Bakudan and Unbalance na Kiss o Shite from the Yu Yu Hakusho anime.[12][17] The game's main theme, "Tokenai Hono" (溶けない炎, Insoluble Flame), was written and arranged by Hata, who also performed a vocal version of the song for its official soundtrack CD and later one of her own albums.[18] The game also features an extensive array of digitized character voice samples portrayed the anime's voice cast.[19][20] Kikuchi was satisfied with the quality of the game's voices despite the Mega Drive's inferior ability to synthesize voices when compared to the console's main competitor, the Super Famicom.[12]

Makyō Tōitsusen was released in Japan on September 30, 1994.[21] The Mega Drive was less commercially successful in Japan than it was overseas and because Treasure maintained profits by shipping small numbers of its products, few units of the game went to retail.[3][7] Maegawa insisted that Treasure always developed games with foreign markets in mind.[16] Despite these factors, Makyō Tōitsusen was never officially localized in North America or Europe, perhaps due to the Yu Yu Hakusho franchise being relatively unknown in those regions during the Mega Drive's lifespan.[2][4][7] It remains the only Mega Drive game by Treasure not to see a release in these territories.[22] However, the game was licensed by Tectoy, translated into Portuguese, and released in Brazil in 1999 as Yu Yu Hakusho: Sunset Fighters.[19][23] A Portuguese dub of the anime by Rede Manchete[23] had already begun airing in South America, while the Mega Drive maintained a strong presence in Brazil throughout the decade largely due to a distribution partnership between Tectoy and Sega.[24][25] Other than the text, the two versions of Makyō Tōitsusen are nearly identical. The Portuguese translation is mostly faithful to the original Japanese text, though some character names were altered.[7][19] Like the Japanese edition, very few copies were shipped.[2][19] Makyō Tōitsusen did not see a digital re-release for over two decades after its initial debut, likely due to licensing issues.[7][26][27] After the success of Nintendo's NES and Super NES Classic Editions in 2016 and 2017 respectively, Maegawa expressed interest in Sega releasing a similar dedicated version of the Mega Drive.[16] The Mega Drive Mini was ultimately released worldwide in 2019 and Makyō Tōitsusen was included on its Japanese version.[28]

Reception and legacy

Upon its release, Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen was given average review scores from panels in major Japanese magazines like Famitsu and Beep! MegaDrive.[21][29] Although it never had an official localization in any region other than South America, it was imported by print and online publications in North America and Europe and met with greater acclaim there. Nick Des Barres of GameFan, Tom Stratton of Gamer's Republic, and the editors of Retro Gamer have all heaped praise on the game. Des Barres called it "the best 16-bit fighting game ever" in a 1994 review and concluded that "Yu Yu Hakusho is a game that truly has to be seen to be believed."[5] Stratton likewise described it in 1999 as "easily one of the best 16-bit fighters there has ever been."[6] Retro Gamer has repeatedly lauded the game, describing it as possibly the best Yu Yu Hakusho game and among the best Mega Drive games and fighting games of the 16-bit era.[2][25][35] Kurt Kulata of Hardcore Gaming 101 said, "It manages to be one of the best anime license games ever produced, and stand toe to toe with the most legendary of tournament fighting games."[7]

The gameplay and multiplayer options were high points for many reviewers. Retro Gamer summarized Makyō Tōitsusen as "highly enjoyable in single-player as an over-the-top and zany anime-styled brawler, it's unstoppable in four-player mode and one of the best multiplayer experiences available on the system."[36] Stratton, Kulata, and Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) all found the gameplay to be well-balanced.[6][7][8] Stratton used the game's dual layer stages as an example of how this balance was accomplished, explaining that players could tactically parry enemies by switching planes or charge an attack to meet an opponent jumping into their plane.[6] Kulata similarly credited the plane-shifting mechanic for allowing an equal emphasis on player defense and offense and noted that projectile attacks are made less powerful than standard punches and kicks, as opposed to its fighting genre contemporaries.[7] Mean Machines Sega writers Gus Swan and Steve Merrett and Anime News Network contributor Todd Ciolek were all pleased with the variety of extra game modes.[3][31] However, Swan and Merrett were more critical of the gameplay overall, pointing to a "sluggish" pace and simple-minded computer AI. The duo stated that the game paled in comparison to Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat II, both of which were more accessible to Western gamers in 1994.[31] EGM admitted to having difficulty keeping up with the action with multiple characters in a single battle.[8]

Reception for the graphics and sound of Makyō Tōitsusen has been mixed. Des Barres, Stratton, Kulata, and Retro Gamer all had positive comments regarding its visuals and audio. Retro Gamer felt the game boasted "slick animations and detailed character sprites," while both Des Barres and Stratton thought the characters properly mimicked their anime counterparts.[5][6] Kulata was especially impressed with the backgrounds, which utilize various effects such as parallax, transparencies, and warping.[7] Des Barres and Retro Gamer enjoyed the music, the former proclaiming it to be "the best Mega Drive music" he had ever heard.[2][5] Kulata made similar, constructive remarks about its voice samples and sound effects, but considered the soundtrack to be "forgettable" in contrast to other Mega Drive games by Treasure.[7] Ciolek opined that Treasure focused too much on refining the gameplay and failed to fully develop its presentation. He criticized it for having small character sprites, a "bland" soundtrack, "scratchy" voice-overs, and dynamic backgrounds that "try to compensate for frequently boring scenery with changes in lighting."[3] Swan and Merrett were complimentary of the sprite animation and voice sample quality, but echoed complaints that the backgrounds lacked detail and coloring and that the soundtrack was "not up to the standard of Treasure's other in-game music."[31] Retro Gamer agreed that the backgrounds were "drab" and "unfinished" when compared to the rest of the game's aesthetic.[2] EGM seconded the notion that the sprites were too small while also experiencing "break-up" when too many present were on-screen at once.[8]

Treasure's next fighting game, Guardian Heroes, was released for the Sega Saturn in 1996. This game features 2D sprites and gameplay mechanics resembling Makyō Tōitsusen like simplified combos and multiple horizontal planes in battle.[3][36][37] For Guardian Heroes, Treasure president Masato Maegawa told gamesTM that the developer wanted to "evolve" what they had created in Makyō Tōitsusen into an original game with "more madness and excess."[38] Treasure also carried this design over into two Nintendo DS fighting games that are based on the manga series Bleach.[2][3][4][39] This includes supporting up to four players simultaneously and having two horizontal planes between which players can switch during fights.[40][41][42]

References

  1. ^ 幽 (ゆう)☆遊 (ゆう)☆白 (はく)書 (しょ) 魔 (ま)強 (きょう)統 (とう)一 (いつ)戦 (せん)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Retro Gamer staff (August 2009). "Import Only: Yu Yu Hakusho Sunset Fighters". Retro Gamer. No. 66. Imagine Publishing. pp. 46–7. ISSN 1742-3155.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Ciolek, Todd (October 29, 2008). "Field of Fire - The X Button". Anime News Network. from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Miller, Patrick (February 11, 2016). "17 mold-breaking fighting games that all developers should study". Gamasutra. UBM plc. from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d Des Barres, Nick (October 1994). "Japan Now". GameFan. Vol. 2, no. 10. DieHard Gamers Club. p. 166. ISSN 1092-7212.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Stratton, Tom (November 1999). "Retro Archives: Yu Yu Hakusho". Gamer's Republic. Vol. 2, no. 6. Millennium Publications. p. 98. ISSN 1520-5169.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Kulata, Kurt (May 2, 2008). "Yu Yu Hakusho: Makyou Touitsusen". Hardcore Gaming 101. from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d e Electronic Gaming Monthly staff (December 1994). "International Outlook". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Vol. 7, no. 12. Ziff Davis. pp. 110–3. ISSN 1058-918X.
  9. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (March 6, 2006). "Maegawa Talks Gunstar". IGN. from the original on December 1, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  10. ^ Sega staff. "名作アルバム -『ガンスターヒーローズ』- P4" [Class Album - Gunstar Heroes - Part 4] (in Japanese). Sega. from the original on November 14, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  11. ^ Retro Gamer staff (July 2011). "From The Archives: Treasure". Retro Gamer. No. 91. Imagine Publishing. pp. 68–75. ISSN 1742-3155.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Etsuko Shimada (July 1994). . Beep! MegaDrive (in Japanese). No. 58. SoftBank Creative. pp. 35–36. OCLC 852214170. Archived from the original on August 20, 2022.
  13. ^ Kikuchi Tetsuhiko (December 29, 1996). はんの個人誌 落描帳総集編 (壱~参) [Han's Personal Magazine Doodle Book Omnibus (1~3)] (in Japanese). Self-published doujinshi. pp. 1–130.
  14. ^ Famitsu staff (November 15, 2018). "メガドライブ生誕30周年記念特集！" [Special feature on the 30th anniversary of the birth of Mega Drive!]. Weekly Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 1561. Gzbrain. OCLC 852442485.
  15. ^ Sega staff (March 17, 2005). "Sega Voice Vol. 13" (in Japanese). Sega. from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  16. ^ a b c McFerrin, Damien (October 31, 2017). "Treasure's Masato Maegawa Wants Sega To Make A Mega Drive Mini". Nintendo Life. from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  17. ^ "幽遊白書 魔強統一戦 サウンドトラック" [Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen Soundtrack] (in Japanese). Treasure. from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  18. ^ Hata Aki (December 21, 2007). "隷属快美の娘達～BEST SONGS II～ / 畑 亜貴" [Reizoku Kaibi no Musumetachi ~BEST SONGS II~ / Aki Hata] (in Japanese). Aki Hata. from the original on December 1, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  19. ^ a b c d Tectoy staff (February 9, 2017). "Yuyu Hakusho para Mega Drive – O jogo que só saiu no Japão e no Brasil!" [Yu Yu Hakusho for Mega Drive – The game that only came out in Japan and Brazil!] (in Portuguese). Tectoy. from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  20. ^ Beep! MegaDrive staff (September 1994). "Treasure Factory Deluxe: Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen". Beep! MegaDrive (in Japanese). SB Creative. pp. 48–9. OCLC 852214170.
  21. ^ a b c Famitsu staff (October 7, 1994). "New Games Cross Review 新作ゲームクロスレビュー". Weekly Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 303. ASCII Corporation. p. 40. OCLC 852442485. from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  22. ^ Retro Gamer staff (February 2013). "Sega Mega Drive: Collector's Guide". Retro Gamer. No. 112. Imagine Publishing. p. 74. ISSN 1742-3155.
  23. ^ a b Ação Games staff (August 1999). "Notas: Novo game em português" [Notes: New game in Portuguese]. Ação Games (in Portuguese). No. 142. Editora Abril. p. 12. ISSN 0104-1630.
  24. ^ JBox staff (June 16, 2007). "Yu Yu Hakusho" (in Portuguese). JBox. from the original on April 3, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  25. ^ a b c Retro Gamer staff (November 2006). "Company Profile: Tec Toy". Retro Gamer. No. 30. Imagine Publishing. p. 50. ISSN 1742-3155.
  26. ^ Kennedy, Sam (January 4, 2007). . 1Up.com. IGN. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  27. ^ Fletcher, JC (November 7, 2007). "IMPORTSHOCK! More Sega imports on the way". Engadget. Weblogs, Inc. from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  28. ^ Cabrera, David (September 29, 2019). . Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  29. ^ a b Beep! MegaDrive staff (October 1994). "Be-Mega Hot Menu: Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen". Beep! MegaDrive (in Japanese). SB Creative. p. 20. OCLC 852214170.
  30. ^ Joypad staff (November 1994). "Import Super Famicom: YuYuHakusho Makyotoissen". Joypad (in French). No. 33. p. 166. ISSN 1163-586X.
  31. ^ a b c d Swan, Gus; Merrett, Steve (February 1995). "Mega Drive Review: Yu Yu Hakusho". Mean Machines Sega. No. 28. EMAP. pp. 68–70. ISSN 0967-9014.
  32. ^ Cordon, Ivan (May 1998). "Jogos da Edição: Yu Yu Hakusho 2 - Mega Drive" [Game Reviews: Yu Yu Hakusho 2 - Mega Drive]. Ação Games (in Portuguese). No. 127. Editora Abril. pp. 36–7. ISSN 0104-1630.
  33. ^ Mega Console staff (February 1995). "Review Mega Drive : Yu Yu Hakusho". Mega Console (in Italian). No. 12. Italy: Futura Publishing. pp. 78–80. OCLC 955744385.
  34. ^ PlayStation Magazine staff (April 15, 1998). 超絶 大技林 '98年春版: メガドライブ - 幽☆遊☆白書 魔強統一戦 [Chōzetsu Daigirin '98 Spring Edition: Mega Drive - Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen]. PlayStation Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 42. Tokuma Shoten Intermedia. p. 885. ASIN B00J16900U.
  35. ^ Retro Gamer staff (December 2004). "Feature Profile: Treasure Trove". Retro Gamer. No. 8. Live Publishing. p. 50. ISSN 1742-3155.
  36. ^ a b Retro Gamer staff (October 2005). "Great import-only games". Retro Gamer. No. 18. Live Publishing. p. 50. ISSN 1742-3155.
  37. ^ Mean Machines staff (December 1995). "Work In Progress: Guardian Heroes". Mean Machines Sega. No. 38. EMAP. p. 27. ISSN 0967-9014.
  38. ^ gamesTM staff (May 2011). "Behind The Scenes: Guardian Heroes". gamesTM. No. 109. Future plc.
  39. ^ Des Barres, Nick; Kohama, Dai (November 2005). "Play Japan: Interview #02". Play. No. 47. Fusion Publishing. p. 117. ISSN 1537-7539.
  40. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (August 17, 2005). "Jump World 2005: Bleach DS Playtest". IGN. from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  41. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (September 13, 2005). "Talking With Treasure". IGN. from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  42. ^ Torres, Ricardo (September 14, 2007). "Bleach: The Blade of Fate Exclusive Hands-On". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.

External links

January 23, 2023
hakusho, makyō, tōitsusen, hakusho, battle, unite, demon, plane, 1994, fighting, game, developed, treasure, published, sega, mega, drive, based, manga, series, hakusho, yoshihiro, togashi, plot, follows, protagonist, yusuke, urameshi, tasked, ruler, afterlife,. Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen 1 Yu Yu Hakusho Battle To Unite The Demon Plane is a 1994 fighting game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Mega Drive It is based on the manga series Yu Yu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi The plot follows the protagonist Yusuke Urameshi who is tasked by the ruler of the afterlife with solving detective style cases involving both humans and demons threatening the living world The story begins to focus heavily on martial arts battles as it progresses Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō TōitsusenDeveloper s TreasurePublisher s JP SegaBRA TectoyDirector s Tetsuhiko KikuchiProgrammer s Masaki UkyoMitsuru YaidaArtist s Tetsuhiko KikuchiMakoto OginoHiroshi IuchiComposer s Satoshi MurataKatsuhiko SuzukiAki HataNorio HanzawaSeriesYu Yu HakushoPlatform s Mega DriveReleaseJP September 30 1994BRA 1999Genre s FightingMode s Single player multiplayerThe game features 11 playable characters from the manga and traditional 2D fighting gameplay Opponents compete in rounds attempting to deplete each other s health by utilizing short and long range attacks and special combos It also integrates other mechanics such as allowing up to four players to compete simultaneously and letting fighters alternate between horizontal planes in the foreground and background A number of multiplayer options are available that include battle royales tag team matches and tournament modes Makyō Tōitsusen was produced at the height of a global fighting game boom for home consoles in the early 1990s brought on by hits like Street Fighter II After the company made its debut on the system with Gunstar Heroes Treasure began development on Makyō Tōitsusen as one of a quartet of Mega Drive games to be published by Sega Unlike the rest of these titles Makyō Tōitsusen was never localized in North America or Europe The game s only other official release was in Brazil via Tectoy in 1999 where it was titled Yu Yu Hakusho Sunset Fighters The game did not receive any form of re release until its inclusion on the Japanese Sega Mega Drive Mini in 2019 Despite its limited availability the game has been assessed by several publications outside those two regions and enjoyed a mostly positive response from critics The gameplay and four player options were praised by many reviewers several of which have even considered it among the best fighting games of the 16 bit generation although its graphics and sound received criticism Contents 1 Gameplay 2 Development and release 3 Reception and legacy 4 References 5 External linksGameplay Edit Four fighters participate in a match on two separate horizontal planes The characters health and spirit energy are displayed at the top of the screen Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen is fighting game based on the supernatural manga series Yu Yu Hakusho written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi The manga follows protagonist Yusuke Urameshi a juvenile delinquent who sacrifices his life to save a child and is resurrected by the ruler of the afterlife in order to solve detective style cases involving humans and demons threatening the living world 2 The plot puts a heavy emphasis on martial arts battles as it progresses Makyō Tōitsusen allows the player to choose one of 11 key characters from the manga It has no story mode does not adapt or tie into the plot of its source material and features few appearances from the supporting cast 3 The game adopts a versus fighting game template made popular by the Street Fighter series where the objective of each match is for the player or players to eliminate opponents by depleting their health gauges using various short and long ranged attacks Fighters move horizontally on 2D battlefields and can jump from the ground toward or over opponents One on one matches are possible but Makyō Tōitsusen allows up to four characters to battle simultaneously in a single match This added action is complemented by the inclusion of a second layer in each stage Similar to the Fatal Fury series players can leap onto a separate horizontal plane in the background 2 4 5 6 7 Matches have no time limit 2 Since multiple opponents can potentially face either in front of or behind the player pushing back on the controller s directional pad will cause a character to face the opposite direction rather than simply back away or block enemy attacks Makyō Tōitsusen is compatible with both the Mega Drive s three button and six button gamepads The three button controller s A B and C face buttons can be mapped to light attack heavy attack and guard while movement actions like dashing forward dashing backward and shifting planes are performed using basic combinations of the directional pad and face buttons The additional X Y and Z inputs on the six button controller allow for mapping these six actions to one face button each 7 8 All characters can use combos and unique special attacks that may be performed either on the ground or in the air some of which can be charged for larger amounts of damage 6 Since the three button controller is standard and pushing the back button changes a character s direction combos are fairly simple to execute 3 7 A few abilities require spirit energy that is represented by a second gauge under a fighter s health and can be refilled by holding down an attack button A charged attack can be temporarily cancelled and stored by pushing back on the directional pad and then instantly unleashed at that strength the next time the player uses it 7 The game offers several modes that consist of a single player campaign for fighting consecutive one on one matches an endless practice mode and multiplayer options further divided into four participant battle royales and tag team matches with opposing teams of two 8 A bracketed tournament mode can also be chosen where individual players teams of players and the computer can battle until a final championship match Up to four human players can participate in these multiplayer modes using Sega s Team Player multitap device 2 7 Development and release EditYu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen was developed by Treasure and was produced in association with Yu Yu Hakusho author Yoshihiro Togashi the manga s publisher Shueisha the anime adaptation s Studio Pierrot and its television broadcaster Fuji TV The home video game console market of the early 1990s was in the midst of a fighting game craze thanks to hits such as Street Fighter II 2 3 7 The concurrent popularity of Yu Yu Hakusho in Japan led to games in this genre showing up on several home and handheld gaming platforms After Treasure s debut on the Mega Drive with Gunstar Heroes Makyō Tōitsusen was one of four games in simultaneous development by the company for the system with Sega as publisher 9 10 Makyō Tōitsusen is Treasure s first fighting game and its second game based on a licensed property after McDonald s Treasure Land Adventure 11 Treasure initially made Makyō Tōitsusen as an original game titled Axion before converting it into a Yu Yu Hakusho title 12 13 The project was directed by Tetsuhiko Kikuchi and supervised by Treasure founder and president Masato Maegawa According to Kikuchi Axion was conceived sometime in 1993 when the company noticed a lack of unique Mega Drive exclusive fighting titles However production stalled when a game with a similar world and concepts was set to beat Axion to market Treasure s plans for their game were reconsidered many times before the Yu Yu Hakusho license was integrated which Kikuchi believed would assure good sales 12 Maegawa said that the controls and gameplay mechanics including the multiplanar stages were already created for Axion before the arduous process of reworking the game with Yu Yu Hakusho assets 14 Sega assigned Yoichi Shimosato to support the game s production after he joined the company s Third Consumer Research Division in 1993 15 Despite the developer s seemingly close relationship with Sega Maegawa claimed the publisher s communication was poor and that it offered no help to Treasure during the game s creation 16 Treasure s staff was made up chiefly of Kikuchi as director and main graphic designer graphic artists Makoto Ogino and Hiroshi Iuchi programmers Masaki Ukyo and Mitsuru Yaida and lead sound effects and music composer Satoshi Murata Kikuchi was appreciative of the game s animators for their use of character sprite shadows but implied that their disregard for how much memory they required created difficulties 12 Ukyo found it most challenging to program having four characters on screen simultaneous and give them the ability to freely change the direction they face 12 Alongside Katsuhiko Suzuki Aki Hata and Norio Hanzawa Murata composed original music tracks for the game while also providing instrumental versions of the songs Hohoemi no Bakudan and Unbalance na Kiss o Shite from the Yu Yu Hakusho anime 12 17 The game s main theme Tokenai Hono 溶けない炎 Insoluble Flame was written and arranged by Hata who also performed a vocal version of the song for its official soundtrack CD and later one of her own albums 18 The game also features an extensive array of digitized character voice samples portrayed the anime s voice cast 19 20 Kikuchi was satisfied with the quality of the game s voices despite the Mega Drive s inferior ability to synthesize voices when compared to the console s main competitor the Super Famicom 12 Makyō Tōitsusen was released in Japan on September 30 1994 21 The Mega Drive was less commercially successful in Japan than it was overseas and because Treasure maintained profits by shipping small numbers of its products few units of the game went to retail 3 7 Maegawa insisted that Treasure always developed games with foreign markets in mind 16 Despite these factors Makyō Tōitsusen was never officially localized in North America or Europe perhaps due to the Yu Yu Hakusho franchise being relatively unknown in those regions during the Mega Drive s lifespan 2 4 7 It remains the only Mega Drive game by Treasure not to see a release in these territories 22 However the game was licensed by Tectoy translated into Portuguese and released in Brazil in 1999 as Yu Yu Hakusho Sunset Fighters 19 23 A Portuguese dub of the anime by Rede Manchete 23 had already begun airing in South America while the Mega Drive maintained a strong presence in Brazil throughout the decade largely due to a distribution partnership between Tectoy and Sega 24 25 Other than the text the two versions of Makyō Tōitsusen are nearly identical The Portuguese translation is mostly faithful to the original Japanese text though some character names were altered 7 19 Like the Japanese edition very few copies were shipped 2 19 Makyō Tōitsusen did not see a digital re release for over two decades after its initial debut likely due to licensing issues 7 26 27 After the success of Nintendo s NES and Super NES Classic Editions in 2016 and 2017 respectively Maegawa expressed interest in Sega releasing a similar dedicated version of the Mega Drive 16 The Mega Drive Mini was ultimately released worldwide in 2019 and Makyō Tōitsusen was included on its Japanese version 28 Reception and legacy EditReceptionReview scoresPublicationScoreBeep MegaDrive7 75 10 29 Famitsu25 40 21 Joypad90 30 Mean Machines Sega76 31 Retro Gamer95 25 Acao Games9 10 32 Mega Console81 100 33 PlayStation Magazine JP 24 2 30 34 Upon its release Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen was given average review scores from panels in major Japanese magazines like Famitsu and Beep MegaDrive 21 29 Although it never had an official localization in any region other than South America it was imported by print and online publications in North America and Europe and met with greater acclaim there Nick Des Barres of GameFan Tom Stratton of Gamer s Republic and the editors of Retro Gamer have all heaped praise on the game Des Barres called it the best 16 bit fighting game ever in a 1994 review and concluded that Yu Yu Hakusho is a game that truly has to be seen to be believed 5 Stratton likewise described it in 1999 as easily one of the best 16 bit fighters there has ever been 6 Retro Gamer has repeatedly lauded the game describing it as possibly the best Yu Yu Hakusho game and among the best Mega Drive games and fighting games of the 16 bit era 2 25 35 Kurt Kulata of Hardcore Gaming 101 said It manages to be one of the best anime license games ever produced and stand toe to toe with the most legendary of tournament fighting games 7 The gameplay and multiplayer options were high points for many reviewers Retro Gamer summarized Makyō Tōitsusen as highly enjoyable in single player as an over the top and zany anime styled brawler it s unstoppable in four player mode and one of the best multiplayer experiences available on the system 36 Stratton Kulata and Electronic Gaming Monthly EGM all found the gameplay to be well balanced 6 7 8 Stratton used the game s dual layer stages as an example of how this balance was accomplished explaining that players could tactically parry enemies by switching planes or charge an attack to meet an opponent jumping into their plane 6 Kulata similarly credited the plane shifting mechanic for allowing an equal emphasis on player defense and offense and noted that projectile attacks are made less powerful than standard punches and kicks as opposed to its fighting genre contemporaries 7 Mean Machines Sega writers Gus Swan and Steve Merrett and Anime News Network contributor Todd Ciolek were all pleased with the variety of extra game modes 3 31 However Swan and Merrett were more critical of the gameplay overall pointing to a sluggish pace and simple minded computer AI The duo stated that the game paled in comparison to Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat II both of which were more accessible to Western gamers in 1994 31 EGM admitted to having difficulty keeping up with the action with multiple characters in a single battle 8 Reception for the graphics and sound of Makyō Tōitsusen has been mixed Des Barres Stratton Kulata and Retro Gamer all had positive comments regarding its visuals and audio Retro Gamer felt the game boasted slick animations and detailed character sprites while both Des Barres and Stratton thought the characters properly mimicked their anime counterparts 5 6 Kulata was especially impressed with the backgrounds which utilize various effects such as parallax transparencies and warping 7 Des Barres and Retro Gamer enjoyed the music the former proclaiming it to be the best Mega Drive music he had ever heard 2 5 Kulata made similar constructive remarks about its voice samples and sound effects but considered the soundtrack to be forgettable in contrast to other Mega Drive games by Treasure 7 Ciolek opined that Treasure focused too much on refining the gameplay and failed to fully develop its presentation He criticized it for having small character sprites a bland soundtrack scratchy voice overs and dynamic backgrounds that try to compensate for frequently boring scenery with changes in lighting 3 Swan and Merrett were complimentary of the sprite animation and voice sample quality but echoed complaints that the backgrounds lacked detail and coloring and that the soundtrack was not up to the standard of Treasure s other in game music 31 Retro Gamer agreed that the backgrounds were drab and unfinished when compared to the rest of the game s aesthetic 2 EGM seconded the notion that the sprites were too small while also experiencing break up when too many present were on screen at once 8 Treasure s next fighting game Guardian Heroes was released for the Sega Saturn in 1996 This game features 2D sprites and gameplay mechanics resembling Makyō Tōitsusen like simplified combos and multiple horizontal planes in battle 3 36 37 For Guardian Heroes Treasure president Masato Maegawa told gamesTM that the developer wanted to evolve what they had created in Makyō Tōitsusen into an original game with more madness and excess 38 Treasure also carried this design over into two Nintendo DS fighting games that are based on the manga series Bleach 2 3 4 39 This includes supporting up to four players simultaneously and having two horizontal planes between which players can switch during fights 40 41 42 References Edit 幽 ゆう 遊 ゆう 白 はく 書 しょ 魔 ま 強 きょう 統 とう 一 いつ 戦 せん a b c d e f g h i j k Retro Gamer staff August 2009 Import Only Yu Yu Hakusho Sunset Fighters Retro Gamer No 66 Imagine Publishing pp 46 7 ISSN 1742 3155 a b c d e f g h Ciolek Todd October 29 2008 Field of Fire The X Button Anime News Network Archived from the original on December 4 2018 Retrieved November 22 2018 a b c Miller Patrick February 11 2016 17 mold breaking fighting games that all developers should study Gamasutra UBM plc Archived from the original on July 31 2018 Retrieved November 16 2018 a b c d Des Barres Nick October 1994 Japan Now GameFan Vol 2 no 10 DieHard Gamers Club p 166 ISSN 1092 7212 a b c d e f Stratton Tom November 1999 Retro Archives Yu Yu Hakusho Gamer s Republic Vol 2 no 6 Millennium Publications p 98 ISSN 1520 5169 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Kulata Kurt May 2 2008 Yu Yu Hakusho Makyou Touitsusen Hardcore Gaming 101 Archived from the original on November 29 2018 Retrieved November 20 2018 a b c d e Electronic Gaming Monthly staff December 1994 International Outlook Electronic Gaming Monthly Vol 7 no 12 Ziff Davis pp 110 3 ISSN 1058 918X Gantayat Anoop March 6 2006 Maegawa Talks Gunstar IGN Archived from the original on December 1 2018 Retrieved November 10 2018 Sega staff 名作アルバム ガンスターヒーローズ P4 Class Album Gunstar Heroes Part 4 in Japanese Sega Archived from the original on November 14 2015 Retrieved November 11 2018 Retro Gamer staff July 2011 From The Archives Treasure Retro Gamer No 91 Imagine Publishing pp 68 75 ISSN 1742 3155 a b c d e f Etsuko Shimada July 1994 Special Report 幽 遊 白書 Beep MegaDrive in Japanese No 58 SoftBank Creative pp 35 36 OCLC 852214170 Archived from the original on August 20 2022 Kikuchi Tetsuhiko December 29 1996 はんの個人誌 落描帳総集編 壱 参 Han s Personal Magazine Doodle Book Omnibus 1 3 in Japanese Self published doujinshi pp 1 130 Famitsu staff November 15 2018 メガドライブ生誕30周年記念特集 Special feature on the 30th anniversary of the birth of Mega Drive Weekly Famitsu in Japanese No 1561 Gzbrain OCLC 852442485 Sega staff March 17 2005 Sega Voice Vol 13 in Japanese Sega Archived from the original on March 24 2016 Retrieved November 11 2018 a b c McFerrin Damien October 31 2017 Treasure s Masato Maegawa Wants Sega To Make A Mega Drive Mini Nintendo Life Archived from the original on December 2 2018 Retrieved November 10 2018 幽遊白書 魔強統一戦 サウンドトラック Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen Soundtrack in Japanese Treasure Archived from the original on December 2 2018 Retrieved November 12 2018 Hata Aki December 21 2007 隷属快美の娘達 BEST SONGS II 畑 亜貴 Reizoku Kaibi no Musumetachi BEST SONGS II Aki Hata in Japanese Aki Hata Archived from the original on December 1 2018 Retrieved November 17 2018 a b c d Tectoy staff February 9 2017 Yuyu Hakusho para Mega Drive O jogo que so saiu no Japao e no Brasil Yu Yu Hakusho for Mega Drive The game that only came out in Japan and Brazil in Portuguese Tectoy Archived from the original on December 4 2018 Retrieved November 12 2018 Beep MegaDrive staff September 1994 Treasure Factory Deluxe Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen Beep MegaDrive in Japanese SB Creative pp 48 9 OCLC 852214170 a b c Famitsu staff October 7 1994 New Games Cross Review 新作ゲームクロスレビュー Weekly Famitsu in Japanese No 303 ASCII Corporation p 40 OCLC 852442485 Archived from the original on December 4 2018 Retrieved December 1 2018 Retro Gamer staff February 2013 Sega Mega Drive Collector s Guide Retro Gamer No 112 Imagine Publishing p 74 ISSN 1742 3155 a b Acao Games staff August 1999 Notas Novo game em portugues Notes New game in Portuguese Acao Games in Portuguese No 142 Editora Abril p 12 ISSN 0104 1630 JBox staff June 16 2007 Yu Yu Hakusho in Portuguese JBox Archived from the original on April 3 2018 Retrieved November 10 2018 a b c Retro Gamer staff November 2006 Company Profile Tec Toy Retro Gamer No 30 Imagine Publishing p 50 ISSN 1742 3155 Kennedy Sam January 4 2007 Treasure Talks 360 Wii and PS3 1Up com IGN Archived from the original on September 27 2007 Retrieved November 25 2018 Fletcher JC November 7 2007 IMPORTSHOCK More Sega imports on the way Engadget Weblogs Inc Archived from the original on November 29 2018 Retrieved November 24 2018 Cabrera David September 29 2019 The Japanese Sega Genesis Mini How American players are missing out Polygon Vox Media Archived from the original on November 29 2021 Retrieved August 21 2022 a b Beep MegaDrive staff October 1994 Be Mega Hot Menu Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen Beep MegaDrive in Japanese SB Creative p 20 OCLC 852214170 Joypad staff November 1994 Import Super Famicom YuYuHakusho Makyotoissen Joypad in French No 33 p 166 ISSN 1163 586X a b c d Swan Gus Merrett Steve February 1995 Mega Drive Review Yu Yu Hakusho Mean Machines Sega No 28 EMAP pp 68 70 ISSN 0967 9014 Cordon Ivan May 1998 Jogos da Edicao Yu Yu Hakusho 2 Mega Drive Game Reviews Yu Yu Hakusho 2 Mega Drive Acao Games in Portuguese No 127 Editora Abril pp 36 7 ISSN 0104 1630 Mega Console staff February 1995 Review Mega Drive Yu Yu Hakusho Mega Console in Italian No 12 Italy Futura Publishing pp 78 80 OCLC 955744385 PlayStation Magazine staff April 15 1998 超絶 大技林 98年春版 メガドライブ 幽 遊 白書 魔強統一戦 Chōzetsu Daigirin 98 Spring Edition Mega Drive Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen PlayStation Magazine in Japanese Vol 42 Tokuma Shoten Intermedia p 885 ASIN B00J16900U Retro Gamer staff December 2004 Feature Profile Treasure Trove Retro Gamer No 8 Live Publishing p 50 ISSN 1742 3155 a b Retro Gamer staff October 2005 Great import only games Retro Gamer No 18 Live Publishing p 50 ISSN 1742 3155 Mean Machines staff December 1995 Work In Progress Guardian Heroes Mean Machines Sega No 38 EMAP p 27 ISSN 0967 9014 gamesTM staff May 2011 Behind The Scenes Guardian Heroes gamesTM No 109 Future plc Des Barres Nick Kohama Dai November 2005 Play Japan Interview 02 Play No 47 Fusion Publishing p 117 ISSN 1537 7539 Gantayat Anoop August 17 2005 Jump World 2005 Bleach DS Playtest IGN Archived from the original on December 4 2018 Retrieved November 10 2018 Gantayat Anoop September 13 2005 Talking With Treasure IGN Archived from the original on December 4 2018 Retrieved November 10 2018 Torres Ricardo September 14 2007 Bleach The Blade of Fate Exclusive Hands On GameSpot CBS Interactive Archived from the original on December 4 2018 Retrieved November 10 2018 External links EditYu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen at MobyGames Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen amp oldid 1125515289, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.