Taito's 1998 fighting game Psychic Force 2012, later ported to the Dreamcast in 1999 and eventually the PS1, is a polarizing game. At the time it got widely mixed reviews, with some celebrating it as an inventive take on the genre and others who found it deeply inferior to the Dreamcast's many better offerings. And while it may not be one of the best fighting games on the Dreamcast, and its 2D aerial combat of projectiles and zoning, at times playing almost like a mix between a fighting game and a shmup, takes some getting used to, for those willing to give it a chance, Psychic Force 2012 can be a good time. There's a reason it's still played competitively today, and with a cast of colorful characters sporting a range of flashy, screen-filling elemental powers, it can be a lot of fun at a casual level, too.
For this episode, Sean is back with Sound Stone Network regular Fredo (https://bsky.app/profile/fredo.bsky.social) to unpack the game's distinct mechanics, its sci-fi tale of Psychiccers and their competing organizations, and why this game has such a divided reputation. Psychic Force 2012 is actually due for a release on modern consoles next year, and while we didn't know that when we planned this episode, it's actually an even better time than we thought to look back on a game that, while it may not be on the A-list of Dreamcast fighting games, doesn't belong on the D-list either.
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Our 2000s-inspired theme music is by Duncan "PixelTea" Smith (https://duncansmith.carrd.co/), and our show art is by Andrew Elmore (https://bsky.app/profile/elmore.zone).
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