This is the only fighting game that I recognize, it is very healthy, you really still feel happy even when you lose. With the Parry system and almost fixed damage, you don't have to worry about being defeated too quickly and can counterattack at any time. To me this is the gold standard for fighting games, the controls are easy to get used to, the battles are crazy and thrilling, even if you lose you're still happy because you really tried your best, instead of getting mad at the controller.
Ah yes, Shinobu Kawasaki. The perfect rival to Sakura Kasugano. And also, the modern high school setting is one of my favourite settings in fiction. I adore sailor outfits being used as school uniforms. Probably where that certain anime and manga franchise got its name from. You know which one. It makes me wish I was back in school. Life hasn’t been that easy after graduation like I thought it would be but I now work a job in town. Regardless of me wanting to be back in school, I should be thankful to have a job, it lets me buy food (I always buy snacks from Walmart along with my bro because they’re stupid cheap proving not everything is always expensive, god I get irritated when I hear that) and video games. Despite some occasional struggles, a few suspensions and times I was sent to the principal’s office (I was a hotheaded youth, okay?), it was all good. I didn’t hate being in school that much like many others do. I saw it as an opportunity to make friends like my classmates, memories, hit on girls (Shelby was my crush growing up) and experience field trips as a group. I will never forget that skiing trip to Manitoba with my classmates when I was 12. I was very rarely bullied but sometimes irritated. But it was mostly smooth sailing for me and decent grades. Seeing that high school setting in fiction makes me want to be a kid in school again, not a teacher. Too much work.
Also, this game is pretty good even if the blue bar underneath is a bit of a hindrance. My favourite version is Asuka Special Burning Fest on the PS1 (I don’t care if it has a 16-bit presentation, not complaining about that at all) as opposed to Limited on the Saturn although an unofficial hack of it exists giving us the “ultimate” experience. I do own Asuka on the Saturn though, got it for Christmas back in 2018. Bought it from a Japanese seller on eBay and man, some of these used copies of Japanese imported fighting games are dirt cheap on the second hand market which is why I have quite the collection of J-fighters.
![Asuka 120% Burning Fest Final (PS1/1999) - Shinobu Kawasaki [Story: Playthrough/LongPlay]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
