Just another odd fighter from Konami!

Japanese Game Front

Terrific Forelock Isn't So Terrific Today

Lightning Legend is a rare treat for Konami fans, because it is one of the few fighting games made by them, and if you're curious to see what a good fighting game made by Konami would look like...look no further than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters for NES and SNES (I didn't like the Genesis game much) because Lightning Legend falls a little short.

Okay, so Lightning Legend isn't a terrible game. One highlight to this fighter is its unusual story presentation (which is illustrated with anime and SD characters) which has your characters confronting each other and battling for mostly whimsical reasons until they face off with the ancient demon, Dragless. He was sealed away by an ancient hero (blood relative of the Raioh lineage) and has been freed, wrecking havoc in the world once more. Another highlight would consist of its numerous unlockables, which the game's case brags about, as well as its slight "RPG" elements, which aren't really anything more than its more slightly elaborate "fighting game" story and the items you unlock. You can unlock about 200 things, which include character profiles, artwork and more.

The game also has pretty decent graphics for a late '96 (early '97) Playstation title, and a very anime-esque soundtrack. It's not anything remarkable, but it gets the job done. The real thing that weighs this game down is the clunky fighting engine. Jerky animation, touchy controls, fairly poor hit detection and cheap hits tend to be the norm for this game. Add the otherwise unremarkable fighting game segments (and not the item collection gig) and you have a game that falls to the standard, if not sub-par category. This is a shame because Lightning Legend would of had a lot going for it otherwise.

I will graciously give the game the "okay", "passing marks", "thumbs up", or whatever floats your boat. However, I can't really give it anything more praiseworthy, because it just lacks the little extra polish that it needs to be the "lesser known gem" that I would have liked for it to be. It's fun while it lasts, and anime fans and Konami fans will probably have a blast. It's probably better for the casual gamer to pass this one up.

- Written by Vyse the determined -