Fate Unlimited Codes Review for the PSP

Fate Unlimited Codes is a fighting game by Capcom for the Sony PSP, originally meant for Japanese arcades and which was shortly translated into a PS2 title. Both of those original versions got skipped for US release, and instead we got the portable version meant for Sony PSP, which is unfortunately exclusively available via Sony's PSN store. As far as I know, there is no retail version, even if it would only include a download voucher like Patapon 2 does. A shame, really, as this title deserves a full blown retail UMD release, though it serves as another confirmation of Sony's plans to have a slew of download only titles ready for the PSP Go release (and that PSP 1000, 2000, and 3000 owners can purchase already).

 Fate Unlimited Codes is a one-on-one Sony PSP fighting game based on what seems to be one of the most successful visual novels in Japan. There is also a Japanese animated series based on this novel, and frankly I believe exposure to both may be necessary if you're interested in making any sense of the convoluted storyline.

Fate Unlimited Codes presents the player with a total roster of 17 characters, some of which are unlocked as you keep beating the Arcade mode with other characters. Like many other 3-D fighters, the characters engage each other in a 2-D plane, with the third dimension used for a sidestep move that can come in handy to avoid attacks or to try to regain an advantage when cornered. Most of them use weapons to fight, and some have special gauges not found on other characters that control certain factors such as limited projectiles, or stocks of special attacks. Interestingly, the game uses a somewhat simplified control scheme, as even though it feels like a 2-D fighter with 3-D models, the moves are performed using simpler motions more commonly found in 3-D fighters such as Tekken. Rather than perform circular motions for a fireball type move on some characters, you'll have to press forward two times quickly and then an attack button. Of course, grapplers still retain moves that require a 360 degree spin on the control.

Rather than use a more traditional fighting system in which characters have separate punch and kick buttons of varying strengths, its developer has opted to use three attack buttons and a button reserved for a special parrying move. If you've played the Bleach fighting games for the DS, you'll feel right at home, as there are light, medium, and strong attack buttons and a reflect guard move that can be a dash, just like in the Bleach DS titles. Pressing this buttons in a sequence from light to medium to hard (with some varieties allowed depending on the character, such as medium, down medium, hard, down hard) performs what the game calls a Slash Rave. It's their fancy name for a chain combo.

As previously mentioned, moves are performed using simple commands, such as back, forward, attack button rather than by doing complex circular motions, and it is worth noting that this change is a PSP feature. The original arcade and PS2 versions used standard circular commands for its moves. This makes the title quite accessible with the PSP's uncomfortable directional pad.

Matches are simple fight until a fighter runs out of health affair, or the timer reaches 0. There's no fancy tag team feature or any of the sort, so they're a pure fighter against fighter affair. Characters also possess a Super meter (called a Magic Gauge) divided in three sections that allow them to perform deadlier moves, burst escape moves, and some special moves also use some of this energy. There's also a Holy Grail gauge that both fighters share, and that when full it confers one of the characters the chance to perform its most devastating attack. Some characters also possess their own additional gauges that control certain factors tied to them. All in all, it's an interesting fighting system that will feel familiar and enjoyable.