	Guilty Gear Judgement
	Developer: Arc System Works Publisher: THQ Release Date: Out Now Players: 1-2	Words By:
Ever wanted to flip around on a tiny screen in tiny hot pants and an electrified sword, pummelling monsters to wailing guitar solos? No, me neither, but why the hell not? The 2D fighting series Guilty Gear follows the footsteps of other games in that genre like the Tekken games and shrinks itself down for the PSP audience. But this is no ordinary game - as well as Guilty Gear X-2, a 2D arcade fighting game you also get Guilty Gear Judgement, a 2D scrolling beat ‘em up along the lines of (but not as ‘80s camp as) Streets of Rage. So basically you’re getting two games in one, which sounds like an absolute bargain. The first things to bear in mind are: 1. PSP games are usually cut-down versions of their console counterparts and 2. These are both arcade games anyway. Guilty Gear Judgement was the first game I played, so let’s start with that one. There are a lot of characters to choose from but not initially and you’ll come across each unlockable character in the game as you progress. There isn’t a lot to say about the gameplay, as if you’ve played any scrolling beat ‘em up you’ll know the score - a heavy and light attack, jump button and a couple of special attack buttons. The controls feel like a stripped-down version of the controls for X-2 (which I’ll come to later) and combos seem very easy to pull off. After about ten minutes you’ll have found the combos which flip you into the air and electrocute ten enemies at once, and you’ll be having a surprising amount of fun doing it. Underneath all the hard-rocking geekiness that always seems to be synonymous with modern 2D fighting games there is fun to be had here, which is great because people who find games like Capcom vs. SNK Hyper Alpha Super Special Edition XI a little hard to get into can jump into this fairly easily and have a good time, admittedly partly from laughing at the absurd characters. I think the stripped-down controls are really what make it more accessible and enjoyable than previous titles. Judgement can get a little samey after a while, but anyone who said the amazing SoR, Final Fight or Golden Axe’s gameplay was completely different on every level is a damn dirty liar. Different enemies are thrown at you and the bosses are, well, different… but at least it’s not over too quickly, which has been the problem with some of the best console releases recently. Guilty Gear X-2 I played less than Judgement, mainly because it plays more like the previous games in the GG series. You choose another silly character dressed like an Elizabethan goth called “Leroy Potemkin” and proceed to button mash your way through a series of 1v1 fights in arcade mode until you reach the end. The controls are more complex than GGJ and it’s harder to lay a string of combos and fireballs but you can still pick up the basics pretty easily. The graphics are still as bright and vibrant as in GGJ but for some reason are very blocky, which is quite bizarre considering the picture is being downsized… There isn’t as much content in X-2 as in GGJ but you can fight via Wifi against real opponents, and there are a couple of other minor game modes, like survival mode. Guilty Gear Judgement will appeal to a lot of people, and certainly more than just GG fans who bought the console games. It’s quite fun to take a step back from the PSP games which are basically trying to be PS2 games and have some simple, bright beat ‘em up action for a change. Some people may not like the rather bizarre goth-punk style or the obligatory wailing guitars (still not sure why Japanese games always have them) but those who want to relive a simpler time in gaming could do a lot worse. Just don’t expect ground-breaking stuff here.

Best Bits
- Big, bright graphics
- Simple gameplay
- 2 games in one!

Worst Bits
- Both games can get repetitive
- Style won’t suit everyone


by: Crazypunk