When the original Toshinden was first released, the gaming world was extremely excited. And with good reason. Toshinden represented the new wave of fighters, having firmly stepped (literally) from the confining plane of 2D to the expansive world of 3D. And while it wasn?t the first 3D fighter, it was the first to take full use of the third dimension with its side step defensive move.
Toshinden wasn?t without its faults though, and Battle Arena Toshinden 2 attempts to correct some of the mistakes. For one, the movements are much faster and smoother, a marked improvement over the original?s often sluggish handling. You can also now attack an opponent on the ground, something also conspicuously absent from the first. There are also two new characters, and loads of new moves.
BAT 2 isn?t perfect either. For one, the animation isn?t nearly as smooth as the original. Also, the wildly rotating camera makes it difficult to properly guage attacks, so defense can be tricky. These aside, BAT 2 is a solid fighter. It just doesn?t seem as impressive anymore.