It's been almost three years since I played and finished All Kamen Rider Generation on the DS, time sure does fly by! AKRG2 was released simultaneously on both the DS and the PSP, but for reasons known only to me, I opted for the PSP version. One would think that the DS version, being the lead platform, would be the superior version, but you'd be surprised.
The game has a story. But it's also in Japanese, so I've no idea what it's all about, but hey, over 57 Kamen Riders get united in one game to kick butt, do you really need to know why? The game is divided into 6 Worlds, with 5 to 7 stages each, and an unlockable 'Another' world with about 10 more stages. It sounds like a lot, but stages are pretty short, I finished the initial 6 worlds in 3 hours, but clearing the 'Another World' lengthens the game, even if there's nothing new to see. Still, for this type of game, the length is alright, it ends just before it gets boring. Each stage can also be replayed on 5 different difficulty settings for added replayability. Just as with the previous game, each stage has a mission, but this time around character unlocks aren't tied to the fulfillment of these, so if you can't read Japanese(Or find a translation), it's no biggie. The previous game had some run 'n jump stages that scrolled to right automatically, which have been removed... mostly. For some reason, there's only two of these in the entire game, which makes you wonder why even bother? They aren't very fun anyways.
All 28 Riders from the last game are back, and each one has at least one new attack. There's 29 new characters for a total of 57. The core of the game remains the same, you, alongside a partner Rider of your choice, go through each stage killing every single enemy that stands in your way. There's a new mechanic, which I like to call jump cancel, by jumping mid-combo your Rider will dash forward, allowing you to start your attack chain anew, it's fairly simple, but it's fun to execute. It's a fairly brainless, uncomplicated game, every character plays basically the same, but there's so many of them, and it's so much fun to play as your favorite Riders!
While I appreciate how they blended the different forms of each Rider on their special attacks, I wish every Rider got the same treatment as the then-new Riders. OOO, W and Fourze have complete form changes, with new weak combos and entirely different special attacks, as a matter of fact, Fourze can customize his four special moves from a rather wide variety of options.
I though All Kamen Rider Generation was gorgeous. I was wrong. The game looks a hundred times better on the PSP, the sprites look much crisper and better defined, while the backgrounds are smoother. The difference is almost like night and day. Almost. While the DS version suffers from slowdown every now and then, there's none to be found on the PSP. The DS does have its advantages, however, since the PSP is a disc-based console... there are load times. Engaging in the 'form change' menu for OOO, W or Fourze will make you go through two loading screens, they last 3 seconds at most, but they can get a bit annoying. Using Super Moves also requires going through two loading screens, problems that the DS version does not have. It's not a deal breaker, but it's something to keep in mind.
Graphics in the game are amazing. The 3D backgrounds are rather bland, but a huge step up from the barren stages from AKRG 1, but where the game really shines is in the characters. Sprites are very well animated, and look amazing in motion. You get to look at your favorite Riders, fighting recognizable enemies in glorious 2D. And on the PSP, it looks phenomenal. The music isn't anything special, but for a licensed game like this, it's alright, but would it have killed them to include music from the shows? Voice Acting is done by different actors than those from the shows, which is a tad disappointing, and for some reason, they don't sound very good.
While the gameplay received mostly small tweaks, it still feels like a better game than its predecessor. More moves on each character, the new jump-cancel mechanic makes creating combos a possibility, more stages and more appealing backgrounds, and over 50 characters. It kinda makes the old game obsolete. Still, what you see is what you get, this is a beat'em up, if you don't like the genre, you'd better look elsewhere.
7.5 out of 10
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