Tobal 2

Last updated
Tobal 2
Tobal2 front.jpg
Developer(s) DreamFactory
Publisher(s) Square
Director(s) Seiichi Ishii
Producer(s) Shinji Hashimoto
Designer(s) Seiichi Ishii
Toru Ikebuchi
Artist(s) Akira Toriyama
Composer(s) Takayuki Nakamura
Platform(s) PlayStation
Release
  • JP: April 25, 1997
  • JP: January 25, 2007
(re-release)
Genre(s) Fighting
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Tobal 2 (トバル2, Tobaru 2) is a 3D fighting video game developed by DreamFactory and released by Square in Japan in 1997. It is the sequel to Tobal No. 1 . The game was re-released in 2007 under Square Enix's "Legendary Hits" label. [1]

Contents

As of 2010, the game held the record for the largest character roster in a fighting game with a grand total of 200 playable characters to choose from, as well as a greatly expanded Quest Mode compared to its predecessor. [2]

Gameplay

The fighting system in Tobal 2 is the same as in the previous game. The player can freely navigate 3D fighting arenas under the condition that they face the opponent. High, medium, and low attacks can be executed using assigned buttons. As in Tobal No. 1, the grappling and blocking system offers the player a variety of offensive and defensive maneuvers. An unblockable fireball attack has been added for each character. [3] Tobal 2 was released on the same day as Sony's Dual Analog Controller in Japan, noted as the first game compatible with the peripheral. [4] Graphically, the game features Gouraud shaded and higher-resolution character models compared to Tobal No. 1, but still runs at 60 frames per second. [5]

The "Quest Mode" from Tobal No. 1 makes a return in Tobal 2. The game contains six dungeons (Practice Dungeon, Pyramid, Desert Spaceship, Molmoran Mine, Castle and Final Dungeon) to conquer. Unlike the dungeon-enclosed Quest Mode of the original, it also offers an explorable town that allows the player to eat, sleep, and shop. In each floor of the dungeons, the player will battle against a variety of monsters. When defeated, the monsters will drop either food, stones, potions, money or weapons. As the player progresses through the game, the character gains experience for each body part or type of attack (the most important being each arm, each leg, throwing and guard). The higher the level of the characters arms and legs and throw, the more damage an attack using that part will yield. Similarly, the higher the guard level, attacks on the character will yield less damage. Both attack and defence levels can be increased/decreased by potions and stones. Guard experience can also be accumulated by eating food when the stamina bar is (nearly) full.

Using a special item, the player can capture monsters in Quest Mode for use in the versus fighting mode, [6] making the number of playable characters a maximum of 200. Some monsters are unique, such as the chocobo, [3] but many of them are palette swaps with attributes raised for higher level monsters. Monsters can be captured by throwing a purple stone at them when they are nearly defeated. The progress of the game can be saved using the church buildings in the town, and the character (consisting of additional data such as max hit points and attack/defence levels) can be used in the arcade and versus mode.

Development

Like the first game, the characters in Tobal 2 were designed by Akira Toriyama. [7]

Tobal 2 was to be released in North America, with a planned launch date of March 7, 1998, [8] but the release was cancelled. It would have been the sixth and last title to be part of Square's publishing deal with Sony Computer Entertainment America; the companies instead opted to release Einhänder . [9] According to a Square official, the game was not localized due to the disappointing sales of Tobal No. 1, and the assumption that most of the people who did buy it only did so for the included playable demo of Final Fantasy VII . [10] Square also stated that because they were working on the translations for Final Fantasy VII and Bushido Blade , they lacked the time and resources to translate a text-heavy game like Tobal 2, and their publishing deal with Sony prohibited them from contracting translations of their games to third-party companies. [11] However, according to a feature in the February 2006 issue of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine , Square representatives claimed that the game was not released because the PlayStation's limited memory prevented the English dialogue from fitting in the game's text boxes. A fan translation was completed little more than three years prior to Square's official statement. [12]

The Tobal 2 Original Sound Track was scored by Takayuki Nakamura. Like the soundtrack for the game's predecessor, it includes a fusion of many different styles such as jazz, funk, and rock and roll. [13] Nakamura's music was influenced by Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Jeff Beck. [14] The 20 track CD was released by DigiCube on April 21, 1997, in Japan. [15]

According to Ken Kutaragi, when tested with a "performance analyzer" which Sony's engineers had developed to test how much of the PlayStation's potential a piece of software uses, Tobal 2 was shown to use 90%, while every other PlayStation game released up until that point measured at 50% or less. [16]

Reception

Reviewing the game as an import, American video game website GameSpot gave Tobal 2 an 8.1/10, finding it superior to Tobal No. 1, but also said that it has no chance of competing with more popular fighting series such as Tekken and Mortal Kombat . [3]

Tobal 2 sold over 318,000 copies in Japan in 1997, making it the 31st best selling game of the year. [21] In 2000, Tobal 2 was ranked number 50 on Weekly Famitsu 's 100 best PlayStation games of all time. [22]

Related Research Articles

<i>Final Fantasy Tactics</i> 1997 video game

Final Fantasy Tactics is a 1997 tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. Released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998 by Sony Computer Entertainment, it is the first game of the Tactics series within the Final Fantasy franchise, and the first entry set in the fictional world later known as Ivalice. The story follows Ramza Beoulve, a highborn cadet placed in the middle of a military conflict known as The Lion War, where two opposing noble factions are coveting the throne of the kingdom.

<i>Final Fantasy IV</i> 1991 video game

Final Fantasy IV, known as Final Fantasy II for its initial North American release, is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in 1991, it is the fourth main installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game's story follows Cecil, a dark knight, as he tries to prevent the sorcerer Golbez from seizing powerful crystals and destroying the world. He is joined on this quest by a frequently changing group of allies. Final Fantasy IV introduced innovations that became staples of the Final Fantasy series and role-playing games in general. Its "Active Time Battle" system was used in five subsequent Final Fantasy games, and unlike prior games in the series, IV gave each character their own unchangeable character class.

<i>Final Fantasy VI</i> 1994 video game

Final Fantasy VI, also known as Final Fantasy III from its initial North American release, is a 1994 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the sixth main entry in the Final Fantasy series, and the first to be directed by someone other than series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi; the role was instead filled by Yoshinori Kitase and Hiroyuki Ito. Long-time collaborator Yoshitaka Amano returned as character designer and concept artist, while composer Nobuo Uematsu returned to compose the game's score, which has been released on several soundtrack albums.

<i>Final Fantasy VII</i> 1997 video game

Final Fantasy VII is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation console. It is the seventh main installment in the Final Fantasy series. Published in Japan by Square, it was released in other regions by Sony Computer Entertainment and became the first in the main series to see a PAL release. The game's story follows Cloud Strife, a mercenary who joins an eco-terrorist organization to stop a world-controlling megacorporation from using the planet's life essence as an energy source. Events send Cloud and his allies in pursuit of Sephiroth, a superhuman who seeks to wound the planet and harness its healing power in order to be reborn as a demigod. During the journey, Cloud builds close friendships with his party members, including Aerith Gainsborough, who holds the secret to saving their world.

<i>Final Fantasy Chronicles</i> Video game compilation released in 2001

Final Fantasy Chronicles is a compilation of Square's role-playing video games Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger, released for the North American Sony PlayStation on July 2, 2001. TOSE ported both titles from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System; each had been previously released as individual Japanese PlayStation ports in 1997 and 1999. Several bonus features were added to each game, such as art galleries, bestiaries, and cutscenes—including computer-generated full motion video used at the beginning of Final Fantasy IV and anime scenes used throughout Chrono Trigger.

<i>Ehrgeiz</i> 1998 video game

Ehrgeiz, fully titled Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring, is a 3D fighting video game developed by DreamFactory and published by Namco in 1998 for the arcade platform. It was first ported to the PlayStation and published by Square Co. in 1998, then to Japan's PlayStation Network by Square Enix in 2008.

<i>Tobal No. 1</i> 1996 video game

Tobal No. 1 is a fighting video game for the PlayStation developed by DreamFactory and published by Square in 1996. The game was DreamFactory's first release, as well as Square's first release on the CD-based console.

<i>Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles</i> (video game) 2003 video game

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is an action role-playing video game developed by The Game Designers Studio and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It was released in 2003 in Japan and 2004 in North America, Europe and Australia. A remastered version for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Android, and iOS was released in August 2020. A spin-off of the Final Fantasy series and beginning of the series of the same name, Crystal Chronicles was the first title in the franchise to be released for a Nintendo home console since Final Fantasy VI in 1994.

<i>Dragon Quest VII</i> 2000 video game

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past is a 2000 Japanese role-playing video game developed by Heartbeat and ArtePiazza, and published by Enix for the PlayStation. It was released in North America in 2001 under the title Dragon Warrior VII. The game received a remake on the Nintendo 3DS in Japan in 2013, released in English under the title Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past in 2016. A version of the game for Android and iOS was released in Japan in 2015.

<i>Bushido Blade</i> (video game) 1997 video game

Bushido Blade is a 3D fighting video game developed by Lightweight and published by Square and Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The game features one-on-one armed combat. Its name refers to the Japanese warrior code of honor bushidō.

<i>Chocobos Dungeon 2</i> 1998 video game

Chocobo's Dungeon 2 is the 1998 PlayStation sequel to 1997's Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon.

<i>Dragon Quest: Shōnen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon</i> 2006 video game

Dragon Quest: Young Yangus and the Mysterious Dungeon is a prequel and spin-off to Dragon Quest VIII, developed by Cavia and published by Square Enix as part of the Mystery Dungeon series.

<i>Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko no Daibōken 3</i> 2002 video game

Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko no Daibōken 3 – Fushigi no Dungeon is the third game in the Torneko series released in 2002. It is part of the Mystery Dungeon series and contains randomly generated dungeons and uses turn-based action combat. It is the third Dragon Quest spin-off game in the Mystery Dungeon series. The game was also made for the Game Boy Advance in 2004.

<i>Dissidia Final Fantasy</i> 2008 video game

Dissidia Final Fantasy is a fighting game with action RPG elements developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign for the Final Fantasy series' 20th anniversary. It was released in Japan on December 18, 2008, in North America on August 25, 2009, and in Australia and Europe in September. It was then re-released in Japan, based on the North American version, as Dissidia Final Fantasy: Universal Tuning, on November 1, 2009.

<i>Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobos Dungeon</i> 2007 video game

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon is a role-playing video game published by Square Enix for the Wii. It is an installment in the Chocobo series that focuses on Chocobo and his quest to free a town lost in time from eternal forgetfulness. It is a loose sequel to Chocobo's Dungeon 2 on the PlayStation.

<i>All Star Pro-Wrestling</i> 2000 video game

All Star Pro-Wrestling is a Japan-exclusive professional wrestling video game developed and published by Square on June 8, 2000 for the PlayStation 2. It was the first wrestling game published on this platform.

<i>Crystal Defenders</i> Two tower defense video games by Square Enix

Crystal Defenders is a set of two tower defense video games developed and published by Square Enix. The games use the setting of Ivalice and design elements from Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, forming part of the wider Final Fantasy franchise. The games feature a selection of characters sporting Final Fantasy-based character classes, and play out tower defense scenarios against recurring series of monsters. The first game in the series is Crystal Guardians, which was released in three parts for Japanese mobile phones in 2008. It was adapted for iOS later that year as Square Enix's first game for the platform, and renamed Crystal Defenders. Under that name, the game was also released between 2009 and 2011 for Android, Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare, and PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable via the PlayStation Store. It was re-released with graphical improvements for iOS as Crystal Defenders Plus in 2013. A sequel, Crystal Defenders: Vanguard Storm, was released for iOS in 2009.

<i>Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII</i> 2013 video game

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. It is a sequel to Final Fantasy XIII-2, concludes the storyline of Final Fantasy XIII, and forms part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries. It was released in 2013 in Japan and 2014 in North America and PAL regions, and was ported to Windows in 2015 and Android and iOS through cloud gaming in 2016 in Japan. Lightning Returns employs a highly revamped version of the gameplay system from the previous two games, with an action-oriented battle system, the ability to customize the player character's outfits, and a time limit the player must extend by completing story missions and side quests.

<i>Final Fantasy</i> (video game) 1987 video game

Final Fantasy is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1987. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series, created by Hironobu Sakaguchi. Originally released for the NES, Final Fantasy was remade for several video game consoles and is frequently packaged with Final Fantasy II in video game collections. The first Final Fantasy story follows four youths called the Warriors of Light, who each carry one of their world's four elemental crystals which have been darkened by the four Elemental Fiends. Together, they quest to defeat these evil forces, restore light to the crystals, and save their world.

References

  1. ↑ Spencer (November 15, 2006). "Square-Enix reprints their Legendary Hits". Siliconera. Archived from the original on September 26, 2010. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  2. ↑ Guinness World Records 2011 - Gamer's Edition. Guinness World Records Ltd. 2010. p.  122. ISBN   978-1-4053-6546-8.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Gerstmann, Jeff (May 8, 1997). "Tobal 2 Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on April 15, 2009. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  4. ↑ IGN staff (April 3, 1997). "Analog Joypad To Go On Sale In Japan". IGN . Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
  5. ↑ "Games You'll Never Play That You Should". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  6. ↑ Ken Ogasawara (October 1997). "Tobal 2". GamePro . No. 109. IDG. p. 64.
  7. ↑ [鳥山明ほぼ全仕事] 平日更新24時間限定公開！ 2020/04/24. Dragon Ball Official Site (in Japanese). Shueisha. April 24, 2020. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  8. ↑ "SquareSoft on PlayStation Marketing Plan: Marketing Charts" (PDF). Polygon (Part of a collection of internal SCEA documents compiled by former Sony senior product manager David Bamberger for "Final Fantasy 7: An oral history"). Vox Media. January 9, 2017 [First published c. late 1996/early 1997]. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 17, 2017. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  9. ↑ Leone, Matt (January 9, 2017). "Final Fantasy 7: An oral history". Polygon . Vox Media. Archived from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  10. ↑ IGN staff (May 14, 1997). "Tobal 2 USA Launch Canned". IGN. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
  11. ↑ "Tobal 2 Gets Canned". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 97. Ziff Davis. August 1997. p. 24.
  12. ↑ "Tobal 2 Translation Project". Archived from the original on 2007-10-24. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  13. ↑ Paredes, Alonso. "Tobal 2 Original Soundtrack". Soundtrack Central. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  14. ↑ "RocketBaby's interview w/ Takayuki Nakamura". RocketBaby.com. July 4, 2000. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  15. ↑ "Tobal 2 Original Sound Track". Chudah's Corner.com. Archived from the original on 2012-05-23. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  16. ↑ "What's the 'Father of PlayStation' Playing At?". Next Generation . No. 32. Imagine Media. August 1997. p. 13.
  17. ↑ "Tobal 2 for PlayStation". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  18. ↑ "1997's Famitsu Scores Archive". FinalFantasyTR.com. Archived from the original on 2009-04-13. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  19. ↑ Toose, Dan & Cheung, Kevin (April 1998). "Games of the Rising Sun: Tobal 2". Hyper . No. 54. Next Media Pty Ltd. pp. 34–5. ISSN   1320-7458.
  20. ↑ "Japan Zoom: Tobal 2". Joypad (in French). France. June 1997. pp. 55–57.
  21. ↑ "1997 Top 30 Best Selling Japanese Console Games". The Magic Box. Archived from the original on 2012-04-14. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
  22. ↑ IGN staff (November 20, 2000). "Famitsu Weekly PlayStation Top 100". IGN. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.