Sakura Wars 2

Here was a little-known game released on the Saturn about three years ago that came up and bit every Saturn owner righteously in the butt.

Its name was Sakura Wars. With the passing of time, it seems that the Saturn is now in its last day, but to paraphrase the works of many a classical writer, Sega is drawing upon its dying breath to strike one last palpable blow against its competitors at that time. And what a blow it is. Taking the form of a three-pronged attack, the Saturn launched games that redefined their respective genres through ingenuity and sheer, raw power. Burning Rangers and Vampire Savior are two of the. The last, and probably the greatest, is Sakura Wars 2.

Strapping on the boots of Oogami once again, you re-enter the ranks of the Flower Squadron a year after the events of the original Sakura Wars. Your mission is now to defend your local territory and defeat a newly formed faction that is intent on world dominance, the Black Demon Marauders. As was the case in the original game, you get to roam about the Hanagumi mansion and converse with your fellow pilots in between each fight sequence.

As you make a somewhat tearful return to the Hanagumi mansion, you will be met with characters new and old. Old flames like Sakura, the exquisite Sumire, the revoltingly cute little Iris (who would realistically be quite illegal to chase after), and the other characters have all made a return. New to the fold is a stuck up Italian girl named Soretta and a 12-year old boy genius called Reni.

Bigger and better animation during conversations is enough to make any true anime fan drool. For those who have been deprived of the pleasure of playing the original Sakura Wars, the conversational element basically allows you to select from a variety of responses to which the ladies will react negatively, positively, or indifferently. A positive response earns a point, and a negative response deducts a point.

Chalk up the most points with any one particular girl, and you’ll steal her heart at the end of the game… or is that the other way around? When the alarm bells go off, the characters jump down the secret chutes, change into their battle uniforms, and get ready to rock in some isometric mech strategy action. The magic of Sakura Wars 2 comes from the fact that, like its predecessor, it is set out like an actual anime series.