Ragnagard

Ragnagard[lower-alpha 2] is 2D arcade fighting game developed by Saurus and System Vision, and published by SNK and Saurus for the Neo Geo arcade, Neo Geo CD and Sega Saturn. The game's characters are all based on Shinto deities.[1]

Ragnagard
Developer(s)Saurus[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)
  • Saurus (Neo Geo CD)
Director(s)Ryōmi Momota
Producer(s)Nobuyuki Tanaka
Designer(s)Hiroaki Fujimoto
Programmer(s)Hideki Suzuki
Artist(s)Kyoosuke Motoya
Motohiro Toshiro
Ryōmi Momota
Composer(s)Hideki Suzuki
Platform(s)
Release
1996
  • Arcade
    • WW: 13 June 1996
    Neo Geo AES
    • JP: 26 July 1996
    Neo Geo CD
    • JP: 23 August 1996
    Saturn
    • JP: 4 April 1997
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)
Arcade systemNeo Geo MVS

Gameplay
Gameplay screenshot showcasing a match between Susano and Benten.

Ragnagard is a fighting game using pre-rendered sprites similar to that of Rare's Killer Instinct but with different gameplay mechanics. The game features an Aerial Battle System which is done by pushing up on the joystick and both of the weak punch and weak kick buttons together, allowing for air combos and air dashing. Players can also charge up the power gauge (based on four elements of Water, Wind, Fire, and Thunder, though each character only uses two of the four elements) which allows for Desperation Moves to be performed. Super Desperation Moves can be performed only if the player's life is flashing red, similar to The King of Fighters series.

Ragnagard was later ported to the Neo-Geo AES, the home console version of the Neo-Geo MVS. This version features limited continues and different difficulty settings. This version was re-released through the Wii's Virtual Console exclusively in Japan. Ragnagard was also ported to the Neo-Geo CD exclusively in Japan; this version features an improved intro, slightly cleaner background music, and a few other tweaks. This version of Ragnagard was later ported to the Sega Saturn, also exclusively in Japan. This version features a few new modes and control customization, while some of the game's graphics and gameplay were improved and altered. Unlike the arcade and Neo-Geo versions, in which the player can play as one of the bosses by entering a cheat code, the Neo-Geo CD and Sega Saturn versions allow the player to play as the bosses only by entering the versus mode.

Reception

Ragnagard received generally mixed reception from critics since its release.[4][7][8]

Of Electronic Gaming Monthly's four reviewers, Crispin Boyer had a subdued reaction, but the other three panned the game. Shawn Smith and Sushi-X found it boring due to the characters' choppy movements and the lag time between each move, and Dan Hsu and Sushi-X remarked that while the pre-fight animations are impressive, the graphics are undistinguished once the fight starts.[3] MAN!AC's Robert Bannert commended the character designs but felt overall mixed about Ragnagard when reviewing the Saturn conversion in regards to several design aspects.[5] Player One's Christophe Delpierre compared the visual style of the game with Killer Instinct.[6]

In a retrospective review for AllGame, Kyle Knight felt mixed in regard to the pre-rendered visual presentation and audio design but criticized the balance issues with characters and gameplay.[2]

Notes
  1. Additional work by System Vision
  2. Also known as Shinouken (Japanese: 神凰拳, Hepburn: Shin'ōken, lit. "God Phoenix Fist" or "True King Fist") in Japan.

References
  1. "Maximum News: 3D Rendering with a 2D Fighting Game? Enter Shinoken". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 5. Emap International Limited. April 1996. p. 123.
  2. Knight, Kyle (1998). "Ragnagard [Japanese] (Arcade) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-17. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  3. Smith, Shawn; Hsu, Dan; Boyer, Crispin; Sushi-X (September 1996). "Review Crew: Neo•Geo - Ragnagard (SNK)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 86. Ziff Davis. p. 28.
  4. "NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: 神凰拳". Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 434. ASCII Corporation. April 11, 1997. p. 31. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  5. Bannert, Robert (June 1997). "Overseas – Sega Saturn: Ragnagard". MAN!AC (in German). No. 44. Cybermedia. p. 63.
  6. Delpierre, Christophe (October 1996). "Vite Vu – Neo Geo CD: Ragnagard". Player One (in French). No. 68. Média Système Édition. p. 118.
  7. "Sega Saturn Soft Review - 神凰拳". Sega Saturn Magazine (in Japanese). No. 45. SoftBank Creative. March 28, 1997. p. 152.
  8. "NF編集部にまる - ネオジオゲームㇱインレビュー: 神凰拳". Neo Geo Freak (in Japanese). No. 25. Geibunsha. June 1997. pp. 124–128.
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