Power Stone 2 Review (Sega Dreamcast, 2000)

Power Stone was nearly synonymous with the Sega Dreamcast and multiplayer. This was the console’s equivalent to Super Smash Bros. Capcom ditched the deep fighting mechanics they were known for, and created a brawler that everyone could enjoy. The problem? It only supported two players. The third and fourth controller ports went ignored. What a shame. For the sequel Capcom did what they do best and went all out. Not only did Power Stone 2 add a plethora of new content, but finally the Dreamcast’s multiplayer capabilities were fully realized. It should then be the perfect game, right? Today we’re going to take a look at it. Here’s our Power Stone 2 review.

Capcom didn’t try to re-invent the wheel here. Thank goodness. Power Stone 2 plays in a very similar fashion to its predecessor. This is a 3D arena based fighting game where your goal is to drain the life energy out of your foes. You do so with a series of punches, kicks, and items. You can move freely during gameplay in all directions. The camera displays the action from an angled overhead perspective as you and up to three other opponents duke it out. The camera zooms either out or in depending on how close everyone is to one another. The action is very fast paced, and due to the amount of on-screen chaos can become overwhelming. I mean that in the best way possible.

Fighting game purists are sure to be disappointed by what Power Stone 2 doesn’t do. There aren’t many special moves, nor is there an intricate combo system. You can’t even block. Those looking for a technical experience won’t find it here. Gameplay is admittedly on the shallow side. To put it plainly, Power Stone 2 doesn’t take itself seriously. I suppose me and the game have that in common. It is best described as a free roaming Super Smash Bros, but less technical. Honestly it’s a little refreshing to not worry about counters or recovery frames. That also makes it one of the most approachable fighting games around. Anyone can jump right in and figure just about everything out in short order.

Controls are pretty basic. I did like the fact that you can use either the analog stick or the directional pad for movement. That’s kind of rare in fully 3D games. You can jump, attack, pick up items, discard them, and activate super moves. That’s it. I was admittedly skeptical with a fighting game that only has one attack button. It just works. Your method of attack changes based on directions you’re holding and if you’re airborn. It’s a super simple system with not a lot to it. Anyone can grasp the basics, and there really isn’t a lot to master here. Power Stone 2 is clearly intended to be more of a party game than a serious fighter. That’s it’s greatest strength.

The roster is just as crazy as the gameplay. Power Stone 2 uses a delightful colorful anime style that still holds up wonderfully today. The line-up includes all of the original characters (minus Kraken and Valgas, but honestly, who cares about them anyway) and adds six new faces to the line-up. Two of them are unlockable. Boo. Because special moves aren’t really a thing here these guys primarily differ in strength, speed, and agility. The differences between them are vast, and switching things up by selecting someone new is surprisingly fun. For example, playing as Ayame lets you zoom around the battlefield. The problem is she is kind of fragile, but makes up for this by being able to juggle foes in the air. On the opposite side of the spectrum is Gunrock. He’s slow, but has some serious power behind every strike.

Among the cast I’m particularly a fan of Falcon. He’s the poster boy for the franchise, and serves as the generic all-rounder type we see in so many other fighters. There’s nothing wrong with that though. He was my go-to in the first game, and I had a tough time not playing as him again here. The rest of the cast is really good and some of the designs are fantastic. While special moves are lacking their basic strikes have different effects. This includes things like juggling foes and knockdown power. They really do feel very different from one another, and there’s just the right amount of selection. I’m really happy with the roster here.

So why then is it called ‘Power Stone?’ I was just getting to that. The game’s main gimmick is that, by collecting three differently colored stones your character undergoes a temporary transformation. They become a significantly more powerful version of their former selves, and their attacks completely change. They have new special moves that often involve shooting projectiles across the screen. Transforming is unbalanced, and is almost too much of an advantage. That doesn’t work against the game though. At times fights become mad dashes to grab the loose stones. Sometimes they randomly spawn, and in other instances they’re unlocked from broken elements in the environment. You can even knock these power stones off of a character and pick it up for yourself. This mechanic makes battles even more fun and frantic in my opinion.

Power stones aren’t the only items you’ll find though. These too tend to spawn into each stage, but can also be released by breaking boxes and other objects in the environments. You will find things like melee weapons, guns, and throwable items. They lack the power and oomph of the power stone transformations but they’re still plenty useful. This is especially true because the characters by default don’t have projectile attacks. This makes up for that. Of course the items are limited use and can break, but also your foe can knock them away with a well placed kick or punch. They’re similar to those in Super Smash Bros, but honestly, I think the mechanic is more interesting in Power Stone 2.

Now let’s talk about game modes. Power Stone 2 has a lot of them. Let’s start with adventure mode. This is best considered the main way to play, and loosely follows the vague story. Here you fight against three other enemies. The best two advance to the next stage. What’s cool is that you’re typically given a choice of which level to progress to. This also has an effect on which opponents you will face. The most interesting part of adventure mode is that it contains within it two different boss fights. You and the other advancing fighter work together here to take them out. It’s a great change of pace, and I found these challenging in ways that the rest of the game just isn’t. There are also collectibles in this mode, and you can even earn money to spend in the shop. The in-game store unlocks additional items.

Next up is arcade. This is the standard fight your way through the roster until the end. I would say it’s boring, but it’s really not. The base gameplay is so entertaining here that it has no problem carrying a conventional mode of play. Boss characters are also present here, so that’s a major plus. The real meat of the game however is in the original mode. This is multiplayer versus in everything but name. Here a total of four players can sit down and duke it out with one another. I spent countless hours here, and it never gets old. There’s also a one-on-one mode of play but it simply can’t compare. Those who prefer the original Power Stone might like it though. I am more than satisfied with the options this game has. Of course you can mess with the difficulty and other settings too.

It simply must be said. The stages are simply amazing. They are surprisingly full of little details and interactive elements that make them very dynamic. There are multiple tiers, sometimes water, turrets that you can use against enemies, and tons of destructible elements. They’re also big. There’s a lot of space to accommodate the speedier characters for when you want to put some distance between you and your foe. What’s more is the fact that they change during the course of gameplay. A good example is the water based level where you’re fighting atop submarines. Sometimes they submerge, and even blow up. Your characters can swim but this is limited. You also cannot attack out of the water. Sometimes an entire stage will destruct, and you’ll find yourself falling into a new area. All of these elements add up to one of the best Dreamcast fighting games overall.

Power Stone 2 is also really easy on the eyes. The environments look absolutely fantastic. This is especially true with all of the moving parts. With that said the action can get a little chaotic. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell where your character is at, or what’s happening to them. That’s part of the fun here though. The game is also super colorful. Everything is vibrant and looks, for a lack of a better word, fun. My only complaint is that the character models look a little blocky by Dreamcast standards. Considering the camera spends most of its time zoomed out this is hardly an issue though. The soundtrack is bouncy and fun with a lot of great music. Each track fits the game extremely well. My only complaint is that it’s not very memorable.