The Rumble Fish fighting game series heads west for the first time

Written by. Marco Farinaccia based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-07-14 09:03 JST)

Publisher 3goo has announced that The Rumble Fish and The Rumble Fish 2 will be released worldwide for modern consoles this winter. This marks the first time that the series has been released outside of Japan, and the first console release of The Rumble Fish 2 even in Japan, as the game was only playable at the arcades.

The Rumble Fish is a 2D fighting game that was created by Japanese developer Dimps and released for arcades in 2004 and later for the PS2 in 2005. The game takes place in a certain country that was struck by a large-scale natural disaster at the end of the 20th century which caused enormous damage to its economic center. At the start of the 21st century, efforts began to restore the destroyed area. The newly built Zone Prime, a giant business city lined with high-rise buildings and entertainment venues, thoroughly transcends the region’s former grandeur. However, in the shadows of these revitalization efforts is an illegal fighting tournament known as the F.F.S. The Rumble Fish tells the story of those who compete in this tournament.

In terms of gameplay, The Rumble Fish follows the fundamental concepts of the 2D fighting genre. Victory is achieved by approaching one’s opponents with jumps and dashes and then depleting their health with special attacks and combos.

The game employs a unique two gauge system, featuring an offense gauge and a defense gauge. The offense gauge is increased by attacking an opponent regardless of whether the attacks hit or are blocked. The defense gauge slowly accumulates over time once the match has begun but can also be increased by blocking an opponent’s attacks. Each gauge can be expended to allow the use of a variety of different offensive and defensive abilities, and the key to victory lies in how you manage the two gauges.

There is also a guard gauge that depletes when you block attacks. This discourages excessive guarding because if the gauge empties, you will enter a guard crush state which leaves you defenseless. There are different evasive mechanics, including a ground dodge that allows you to move forward with upper-body invincibility and an aerial dodge that allows you to evade low attacks with a short hop, as well as a parts crush system where a character’s clothing will be damaged as they take hits.

The Rumble Fish 2, the second game in the series that was only released for arcades, added new characters and further enhancements to the gameplay systems.

3goo describes The Rumble Fish as a title beloved for its smooth 2D visual animation, captivating characters, strategic two gauge system and more, so much so that it is still played in tournaments even today. This love for the series is no doubt one reason why the series is being brought to consoles worldwide.