All of the characters have combos that can be activated simply by jamming on a C button repeatedly, removing the need for skill when juggling an opponent. In fact, it's possible to defeat the one-player game on its default setting just by pressing the down C button over and over. Collision detection is atrocious; characters miss each other by miles even though they're standing right next to each another one minute and then footsweeping airborne opponents the next. The animation is equally awful: When fighters perform handsprings to get back on their feet their hands aren't anywhere near the ground. Jumping animations are stilted and jerky, and almost all of the characters can perform attacks infinitely without any fear of reprisal.
Aside from the character animations, the visuals are moderately appealing. The camera zooms in and out gracefully as characters negotiate the distance between each other in the ring, and the close-up textures of combatants leave no doubt in your mind that you're looking at characters based on Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Conner, and Ted Raimi. The backgrounds are well-drawn collections of temples, town squares, and dungeons, and they feature plain touches such as plants, fallen stone pillars, marble floors, flickering torches, and Persian rugs.
Multiplayer games are enjoyable, but if two or more characters team up on you, you have absolutely no chance of defending yourself successfully because your back is always exposed. Defeating the computer on the hard setting is next to impossible because the two CPU characters will attack relentlessly until you're destroyed, leaving you no chance to launch a strategic assault of your own. This would probably make a decent party game for players who don't know how to do anything more than mash every button available, but fans of fighting games should stay far, far away.
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