«©NCSX» Previous video games inspired by the Fist of the Northstar (Hokuto no Ken) franchise have invariably placed Kenshiro in the position of main protagonist. Interchannel's new Hokuto no Ken: Raoh Gaiden Ten no Haoh scraps Ken and casts his older brother Raoh into the hero role.
The new game is based on Yuko Osada's manga serial of the same name which follows the adventures of a young Raoh as he travels the badlands of the future. The game features a Story Mode which is all Raoh all the time fighting a procession of enemies including Ryuga, a Versus CPU Mode (Free Battle, Survival, Time Attack), and a Practice Mode for beginners to get acquainted with the play mechanics. When fighting in Practice Mode, the bottom of the screen constantly shows the D-pad and button combinations being pressed in sequence so you can see what you're hammering out.
A total of 13 characters are in the fighting roster but only twelve are playable at the outset. A question mark blocks the thirteenth character who must be unlocked by meeting certain conditions during the game. The fighting action is straighforward with the "X" button performing a kick, the "O" button for punch, "Π" for block, and "Δ" for jump. The game engine also features an attack cancel facility where a player's punch or kick is canceled if the opponent punches or kicks at the same time so the only result is a circular illumination on screen. Background objects are breakable including a jail cell which can be entirely demolished. In addition to the primary game modes, a Network option allows players to link up wirelessly.
