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Story: At the end of the 20th century... A huge natural disaster destroys the Eastern section of a certain country. As a result of this disaster the central economy crumbles, the tall buildings of the central government are knocked down, and in the end a large total of 158,000 lives are lost.

At the beginning of the 21st century... The multiple enterprise corporation "Probe Nexus" begins reconstruction of the destroyed Eastern section. Probe undertakes the destroyed area under its own administration and creates a huge enterprise city. With the large market and modern technology overflowing like boiled water, tall buildings that dwarf all others, the world's largest market mall, and even a theme park are built in this modern-day Babylon, this world's most valuable place. Named Zone Prime, it symbolizes the birth of a new century.

General: The Rumble Fish is a unique, and in America, a seemingly "underground" 2D fighter. It features 9 characters, and uses a 5 button layout (4 attacks and 1 dodge button). Graphically the game stands out because of a rendering technique that makes individual segments of the characters body animate seperately... The characters are quite high res, and even give Guilty Gear X's sprites a run for their money. The characters animate very smoothly, almost appearing to be 3D. Characters clothing also get ripped during the fight, and can also lose clothing or accessories.
   The system is pretty standard for a 2D fighter, aside from the "block meter" which goes down as you block incoming attacks (formerly used in SFA3), and can result in a guard break if you're one of those people who like to abuse blocking (turtling). There are also two more meters, one for offense and one for defense. You can use these meters seperately for super moves, or use them both for a "ultimate critical arts attack." You can also use your offensive meter for a "jolt attack" by hitting LP and LK, which makes the screen turn red and allows for a custom combo.
   Rumble Fish is a techical, stylish, and traditional 2D fighter all at once, but the small character roster and lackluster story leave something to be desired. And what a weird name for a fighting game don't you think?
Manufacturer: Dimps / Sammy
Platforms: Arcade, PS2 (Japan)
Year: 2004
Characters: Zen, Hikari, Typhon, Garnet, Orville, Boyd, Viren, Kaya, Aran, Sheryl, Greed, Hazama
Comment: I still haven't gotten around to playing this one... I've read mixed reviews, some people say it's good, some people think otherwise.
Rating: N/A