Game Details
| Size | 417 MB |
| Region | Japan |
| Genre | Fighting |
| Format | 7z / BIN |
| Year | March 29, 1996 |
| Console | PSX |
Asuka 120% Special: Burning Fest. Special (1996) is a vital milestone in Fill-in-Cafe’s legendary all-girl 2D fighting game franchise. Released on the PlayStation 1 a year before Excellent and three years before Final, Special serves as the crucial bridge that brought the series from its origins on Japanese home computers (like the FM Towns and PC-98) onto Sony’s 32-bit powerhouse console.
It is highly regarded by retro fighting game enthusiasts as the title that introduced console gamers to the series’ addictive, hyper-kinetic Clash System.
Story & Premise: The Inception of the Burning Fest
The premise establishes the classic series tradition: the Ryoun High School Student Council is hosting the “Burning Fest” Club Tournament. With school funding on the line, representatives from the academy’s most popular clubs lace up their sneakers, grab their club gear, and prepare to duel.
The base roster features 10 playable high school combatants, representing an incredibly creative array of school clubs:
- Asuka Honda (Chemistry Club): The balanced, fireball-throwing face of the franchise.
- Kumi Ookubo (Rhythmic Gymnastics Club): An agile fighter who attacks with long-range rhythmic ribbons and gymnastics flips.
- Tamaki Shindou (Tennis Club): A zoning specialist who uses her tennis racket to smack high-velocity tennis balls across the screen.
- Megumi Suzuki (Cheerleading Club): A hyper-active fighter who utilizes pom-poms and acrobatic high-kicks to pressure opponents.
- Nana Owada (Nagata/Traditional Dance Club): Uses a traditional wooden staff for excellent mid-range poke attacks.
Key Gameplay Features
- The Foundation of the “Clash” System: Special perfected the mechanic that made the series famous. If you and your opponent strike at the exact same moment, your attacks hitboxes collide and instantly cancel each other out. This triggers a distinct “clash” sound effect and visual flash, allowing both players to immediately cancel into a jump, dash, or another special move. This turns standard matches into intense, rapid-fire parry wars.
- The 2-Button Combat Layout: Designed around the original PS1 digital controller, Special features a streamlined combat system utilizing two primary attack inputs: Light Attack (
X) and Heavy Attack (Circle). Special moves are executed using traditional arcade motion inputs (like quarter-circle forwards). - The 120% Super Gauge: Fighting, defending, or clashing fills your super meter. Reaching 100% allows you to unleash massive, screen-filling super moves. If you max out the meter to 120%, your character enters a temporary “Max Mode” surge where you can spam infinite super attacks until the timer expires.
- Fully Animated Intros & Voice Acting: Taking full advantage of the PS1’s CD-ROM storage capability over older floppy-disk computer formats, Special treats players to a gorgeous, high-end 90s anime opening cinematic and full voice-acting tracks for every single character during battles and cutscenes.
Short Review: A Historically Important Hidden Gem
The Good
- Phenomenal High-Speed Fluidity: For a 1996 console fighter, the speed and fluidity of Special are breathtaking. The double jumps, air-dashes, and seamless chain combos make it feel significantly ahead of its time.
- Accessible But Deep: The 2-button layout makes it incredibly easy for beginners to pick up and start landing cool combos, while the micro-spacing required to master the Clash system provides immense depth for competitive players.
- Incredible Music: Features an unforgettable, high-energy chiptune rock soundtrack that pushes the PS1’s sound chip to its absolute limits.
The Bad
No English Localization: Being a Japan-exclusive import, navigating the main configuration menus or enjoying the story mode visual novel segments requires a translation guide or a bit of patient trial-and-error.
Lack of Air-Tech Recovery: Unlike the later sequel Asuka 120% Final, Special lacks an active air-recovery mechanic. If you get launched into a corner by a skilled opponent, you can easily find yourself locked into lengthy, inescapable juggle combos.
Screenshots
