Project Justice

Description

You can always count on Capcom to take their action-fighting games seriously. After all, the company has been responsible for some of the most successful titles like the Street Fighter and Vampire Hunter series (SNK fans may disagree). I just never realise it also has a warped sense of humour--not until Shiritsu Justice Gakuen (aka Rival Schools) came along for the PS.

Set in a world of rivaling schools and students too eager to mix it up for the sake of school spirit, this oddball of an action-fighting game wasn't just stuffed with mini-games, it even had the unlikely love-simulation thrown in for good measure.

Capcom has now brought back that high school mayhem with Moero! Justice Gakuen (which translates to 'Burn! Justice Academy!', but referred to by the development team--and henceforth in this review--as Project Justice) for the Sega Dreamcast. Fans of the original should feel right at home with the 128-bit version, while there are still enough new features and characters to guarantee that this is more than a mere remake of a popular title.

Just like the arcade version, the fighting action in Project Justice is broken up into the two different modes. In Story Mode, you get to pick a school and its three fighters, and watch the drama unfold by clearing one stage after another. In Free mode, however, you can form a team of three from any of the fighters available to take either the computer or any human player head-on.

The story for Project Justice's pretty run-of-the-mill--much like any other action-fighting game--but what really makes this game rock is the speedy action, easy controls, and the way its quirkiness finds its way into almost every aspect of the game.

Rival Schools wasn't exactly that great-looking when it came out on the PS, and one of the most obvious thing about Project Justice is how great the graphics are on the DC sequel. While this isn't Dead or Alive 2, they're still nifty--in an anime/manga way--and the 3D characters do come alive on screen, whether it's the way they look or behave. This gives Project Justice the visual appeal which the previous title was found to be rather lacking.

The action in Project Justice hasn't changed much since its Rival School days. Despite the 3D treatment, Project Justice is still very much a 2D-action-fighting game. And like Street Fighter Alpha, the action tends to be more laid-back and strategic rather than fast-hitting; besides the standard moves and combos, characters can counter an attack with his or her own. Action also isn't restricted to just only on the ground, as characters can hit, block, counter, and even execute full combos while high in mid-air. All this may sound like a lot to chew on, but like Rival Schools, Project Justice's quick learning curve isn't likely to leave casual gamers baffled.

There are up to 22 fighters in Project Justice, including six newcomers not available before, and seven schools. Each school has its own representatives with unique sets of skills--one features a sports team, one a bunch of roughnecks, while even school administrators get involved in another. The personality of the characters are reflected in their moves--whether it's volleyball players smacking volleyballs into opponents' faces, violinists whipping the opposition up with her bow, or disciplinary masters dishing out push-ups as punishment. Given how off-beat the characters are in the game, expect a good laugh when they fight. And if that's not enough, you can also create your own characters and use them in the game.