GAME: Inuyasha (Inuyasha RPG)
PLATFORM: Playstation
GENRE: Action/RPG (Roleplaying)
PLAYERS: 1 player
DEVELOPER: Bandai

AVAILABILITY: Japan (Japanese language only)
RELEASED: 2001

ESRB RATING (US): n/a

This review is for the Inuyasha PS1 action/RPG game released in Japan; there is no overseas version available.

THE JIST: Based off of the events of the Inuyasha manga and anime, in this game you work your way through various missions and stories that take place throughout the series. Playing as the characters from the series, you begin from the time Kagome falls through the well and meets her hanyou companion, and the story of Inuyasha unfolds from there. Inuyasha and Kagome build their relationship with each other, and along the way meet the familiar faces of Miroku, Sango, and Shippou, and face off with enemies like Sesshoumaru and Naraku.

Because this game wanted to follow the events of the series, there were some rather familiar moments (Inuyasha rescuing Kagome from the bandit, and Kagome breaking the jewel by shooting the shibu-garasu, just to name a few) but did have to "re-present" some things in order to make it more into an interactive video game, and also make it just a tad original. Which some fans may or may not like.

I didn't mind it at all, really...

THE FIGHT SYSTEM: The fight system of Inuyasha is RPG-style in that it's a turn-based system. You give each member of your team various commands to perform in turn. But the actual look of the fight is actually not all that visually impressive, even for being a PS1 game. The characters are shown in 2D, anime-design shots. A character goes in to attack, and along with a pretty still-frame style animated attack screen, you get a readout that says something like, "Inuyasha draws on his power and throws a punch! Inuyasha does 20 points damage to the bad youkai!"

...just in case we needed stating of the obvious, I suppose.

Not all that hard to figure out for any RPG player, which I appreciated. Except that I really wished there was a better Attack Gauge or something (Juso no Kamen's gauge is actually one of my favorite RPG gagues, in any game). For some ridiculous reason, you really have no way of knowing when each character or enemy will get their actual turn in battle. So you'll have entered in the commands in the order [INUYASHA, KAGOME] and next thing you know Inuyasha is getting smacked by the enemy and Kagome is making an attack.

So the fight system actually was a bit of a disappointment. Usually I like battles, but eventually I started opting for the "quickbattle" button (using the SQUARE instead of CIRCLE to enter commands) because of the the VERY slow, repetitive animation and slightly lacking play through a battle.

THE CHARACTERS: Of course, once again, being in an interactive environment with my favorite series' characters is always pure enjoyment for me. When I got this game, it was actually after the anime had ended, and so it was like a new episode unfolding. I always enjoy having the characters brought to life, and seeing them live through their adventures, no matter what format it's in.

THE MUSIC & VOICES: This is where one of my biggest surprises was; as I played this game, I suddenly noticed that Juso No Kamen had recycled a lot of the music from this game. Which I admit, was a little disappointing (for Juso, not this game). So, actually, my opinion on the music stays the same. It's nothing outright spectacular, but fits in with the environment. I loved hearing Inuyasha's theme playing for certain boss battles.

The voicework, once again, made me beyond happy. I didn't know if this game would have a lot of voicework, but much to my delight, it DID. Character interactions in all of the key scenes were voiced over by the original voice staff. Kappei Yamaguchi as always delivered Inuyasha just as brilliantly as he does in the series. And Satsuki Yukino had some great delivery, too. As the two characters you follow the most, naturally they get the most lines, and as always, they shine.

THE ARTWORK: Being built for the PS1, the graphics are pretty crude by more current game standards. The design and look is a throwback to some of the old-school RPGs of the past, kind of like Final Fantasy VI and before. Which didn't bother me in the slightest, as I am a really big fan of that style, with the sprite-like character designs and environment.

Character interactions are handled with the dialogue appearing subtitled on the bottom with the speaker's name (and mug, in the case of those who have bigger roles). The animation and action of the battle screens, as mentioned above, were probably my biggest disappointment. But, another really nifty thing that this game included were a few added fully-animated sequences.

THE GOOD: Being able to roleplay thorough the adventures of the Inuyasha series would probably be enjoyable for any Inuyasha fan. There's some challenging moments (some bordering on frustratingly challenging... :P) and good gameplay throughout the entire adventure, so I'm sure that it would have its appeal for many Inuyasha fans.

THE BAD: Being released in 2001, naturally the game only covered events that occured up until that point in the series. A lot has developed since then, so for a lot of players (and yeah, even me) it felt a little incomplete. Like most anime-based games, it also really doesn't strive to be terribly mindboggling or amazing in terms of gameplay, so it will hold practically no value for anyone not already a fan. Most of the enjoyment will come from being a fan of the series and going through day-to-day adventures with the cast.

THE UGLY: This game was never released in the US.

BOTTOM LINE: There's nothing I enjoy more than being able to see the Inuyasha cast in action, no matter what the format. While the Inuyasha RPG doesn't really make any significant strives, it's still a pretty fun trek through the series. I definitely enjoyed my time playing it.