Dreamcast Game #19: Psychic Force 2012
サイキックフォース2012
Psychic Force 2012 is a one-on-one arcade fighting game developed by Taito as the sequel to their 1995 title, Psychic Force. The game was first released in arcades in 1998 for the arcades and was then ported a year later to the Dreamcast, becoming one of the console’s earliest titles when it was released in Japan on March 4, 1999. A North American version was released on November 9, 1999, and a year later in Europe, distributed by the now-closed Acclaim Entertainment but self-published by Taito. Hideki Takahagi is the video game’s composer, and Takeshi Kamimura is the game’s producer (like the previous game).
The fighting system of this video game remains the same as its predecessor, but the control has been redefined and the balance has been adjusted while the playing mechanics of the previous game has been fleshed out and new ones have been introduced as well.
Psychic Force 2012 takes place two years after the events of the first game, the sequel finds the world caught in the crossfire between two factions who vie for control over the Earth. Upon returning after his fateful past battle against his old friend Burn Griffiths, Keith Evans resurrects NOA as Neo NOA and once again resumes his conquest of establishing a utopia for united Psychiccers. Richard Wong, who had broken away from NOA, establishes his own group of Psychiccers known as “The Army” and seeks to eliminate Neo NOA in an attempt to conquer the world. As the two groups fight for control over the fate of the Earth, independent Psychiccers who find themselves being drawn into the conflict seek to hunt down members of Neo NOA and The Army in an attempt to find the truth and help locate their missing family and friends.
Characters
New
Psychic Force 2012 introduced seven characters new to the series. A few have similarities in fighting styles with a few of the previous cast. Some of the voice actors were affiliated with 81 Produce at the time of the game’s development (and release).
- Might (v.b. Midorikawa Hikaru): The new lead character of the game. A young Psychiccer boy who has the ability to use the psychic power of lightning in battle. While Might enjoys his job in hunting down and killing Psychiccers as a Psychiccer Hunter, he begins to question why he takes up such an occupation.
- Patricia “Patty” Myers (v.b. Kumai Motoko): A young Psychiccer girl who has the ability to use the psychic power of tone in battle. As a close friend of Might, Patty always watches over him and makes sure that he never gets himself into trouble. Aside from that, Patty is also on a personal mission to find and locate her missing mother.
- Carlo Belfrond (v.b. Nakamura Daiki): A well-suited and intellectual Psychiccer man who has the ability to use the psychic power of water in battle. Carlo, who serves as Keith’s new subordinate in Neo NOA, helps support Keith’s dream of a Psychiccer-only utopia and, along with his younger sister Regina, vows to eliminate anyone who gets in the way of Neo NOA.
- Regina Belfrond (v.b. Fukushima Orine): A beautiful Psychiccer woman who has the ability to use the psychic power of fire in battle. Much like her older brother Carlo, Regina is also a supporter of Keith’s ambition and fights to make it come into reality itself.
- Gudeath (v.b. Ōtomo Ryūzaburō): A ruthless Psychiccer man who has the ability to use the psychic power of gravity in battle. Brutal and merciless, Gudeath dislikes people who he deems as being weak, especially the Psychiccers of Neo NOA, and vows to eliminate them and anyone else in order to show off his superior power.
- Setsuna (v.b. Sakai Tetsuya): A cold-hearted Psychiccer man who has the ability to use the psychic power of darkness in battle. While Setsuna serves The Army for the thrill of fighting powerful opponents, he plans on eliminating Wong so that he can take full control over the organization.
- Genshin Kenjoh (v.b. Itoh Hiroshi): A Japanese Yamabushi monk/priest who uses Shugendō magic in battle. Much like Genma from the first game, Genshin is convinced that Psychiccers are evil and he vows to eliminate each and every one of them while attempting to rescue a young Yamabushi named Shiori from Wong and The Army.
Original
- Burn Griffiths (v.b. Madono Mitsuaki): The main protagonist of the series. Awakened from his frozen slumber for the past 2 years, Burn is ready and prepared to not only thwart the plans of both Neo NOA and The Army but also to find and stop Keith so that he can convince him to give up his ambition of creating a Psychiccer-only world once again.
- Emilio Michaelov (v.b. Arai Izumi a.k.a. Takayama Minami): Brainwashed by Wong to serve his army.
- Wendy Ryan (v.b. Hikami Kyoko): Having lost Sonia in the previous game, Wendy now searches for Burn, who mysteriously disappeared, and Emilio.
- Richard Wong (v.b. Madono Mitsuaki): Now head of The Army which is opposing Neo NOA, Wong still plots for world domination.
- Gates Oltsman (v.b. Ōtomo Ryūzaburō): Reprogrammed by Keith to serve Neo NOA, Gates is currently fighting for control.
- Keith Evans (v.b. Tsukui Kyōsei): The leader of Neo NOA who is still trying to create a utopia for Psychiccers, but at the same time, concerned about his friend, Burn, who he kept in a frozen slumber for the past 2 years.
I did play the game on the Sega Dreamcast but burned it from CoolROMS before Nintendo started shutting down ROM sites back in mid-2018 (following copyright concerns) instead of purchasing it physically because it wasn’t even in stores. The game (including its predecessor) is now in the hands of Square Enix after Taito was acquired. This is the first post of 2022.
