Crappy videogame review: Ikkitousen, Xross Impact (PSP, 2010)

Ikkitousen Xross Impact is a 2010 action game for the PSP, based on the Ikkitousen anime and manga series. It combines fast-paced, side-scrolling beat 'em up gameplay with a large roster of characters, each inspired by warriors from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Featuring flashy combat, cooperative partner mechanics, and plenty of fan service, the game is tailored for fans of the franchise while delivering an energetic brawler experience.



Back when I had my PSP some years ago, this was a game that was really hard for me to put down. I could spend hours and hours playing just this game. One of the last times I checked, I had poured like 80 hours into it… and the worst part is that I don’t know why.

I can’t figure out what draws me to this game so much. Despite its "pretty crappy" look, it was incredibly addictive.

The game is a beat-'em-up. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a genre where you pick a character (and there are many to choose from here) and progress through stages, beating the crap out of every copy-pasted enemy you encounter until you reach the boss. In this case, there are usually two bosses per stage, and yes, you beat the crap out of them too.

This particular game is based on the Ikkitousen anime franchise. Back in the day, anime about badass girls fighting until their clothes were barely hanging on was all the rage. It was THE AGE of fanservice. It wasn’t uncommon to see anime featuring girls in skimpy outfits kicking each other around, and it was considered the coolest thing ever. Funny thing is, I never watched Ikkitousen. It felt a little too fanservice-y for me—like it was trying too hard to grab dudes' attention. And while, yes, I do enjoy that kind of thing sometimes, back then it felt too corny for my taste. (I don’t hate it; it’s just not my cup of tea.)

The game also has its fair share of fanservice, but that’s NOT what draws me to it (seriously). It has a story mode where you pick one of three schools and follow their plotline, but here’s the catch: the game was only ever released in Japan. It’s all in Japanese, and no one’s bothered to fan-translate it. So, if the plot isn’t what hooked me, then what did? The mechanics? Probably.

I haven’t played many beat-'em-ups outside of some arcade classics, which are designed to be tough as nails. This game, however, is different. The mechanics are butter-smooth. Each stage floods you with enemies, so you’re constantly mashing buttons to fight them off.

Honestly, the game works like a button-masher fidget toy. (Remember fidget spinners? Those were wild times. Glad they’re gone, but I digress.) The fighting is dynamic and satisfying. You can string together combos by mashing the punch button, jump to do aerial attacks, or use “spirit bombs” to blast away enemies when surrounded. Each character also has one or two special moves activated with a simple button combo, which deal massive damage. Defeat a boss with a special move, and you even get a little surprise.

Whether you play story mode or arcade mode, you always have two characters in a tag-team setup. You control one, and you can switch to the other at any time, either to level them up or to use their unique abilities. Every character has their own quirks, so it’s fun to experiment and see who works best for each stage.

As you play, your characters level up. The more combos you land, the more points you earn, and leveling up lets you improve stats like strength and stamina. But the real fun is unlocking new combo moves. You can extend combos, juggle enemies in the air, and unleash all kinds of chaos.

I think this is what makes the game so entertaining. The enemies don’t put up much of a fight—sure, they’ll get a few hits in, but mowing down hordes of them with combos is so satisfying. Before you know it, hours have flown by, and you’ve been mindlessly smashing everything in your path.

So, yeah, this game is a mindless button-mashing fest, and I love it for that. Some people might prefer a game with more depth in its story or gameplay, but that’s not what this is. Sure, it gets repetitive—most stages throw the same enemies at you over and over—but if you enjoy the mechanics as much as I do, that’s not a bad thing.

The game’s for PSP, so you can play it on your PSP/Vita, or use an emulator on your computer or phone, or even one of those Sony consoles capable of running PSP games. Whatever works for you.