BLADE ARCUS from Shining is a weird name
Along time ago, in an arcade far far away, Sega was king of the scene. Some of the industries best fighters (Virtua Fighter 2, Fighting Vipers, Virtual On…) were developed and powered by the once dominant developer. But alot has changed since the ’90s.
One of my favorite franchises, that has seen little fanfare out west since those oh-so great days, is Sega’s Shining series. All three Shining Force games, Shining the Holy Ark… hell even Shining Wisdom are some of my most cherished gaming memories growing up.
Not since Shining Force EXA have we seen a game in the series come west. You can’t really blame Sega for not bringing any others over lately (I’m sure sales were quite abysmal) but with BLADE ARCUS from Shining being a 2D fighter coupled with their recent acquisition of Atlus, I have just a sliver of hope (pending a home console port first) that the game will eventually make it over here sometime down the road.
Let me explain. First, Atlus in the past has localized Shining games (both Shining Soul titles, and Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon for the GBA). Additionally, they are also not afraid to bring over some quirky themed fighters, like last year’s Aquapazza: Aquaplus Dream Match and the original Arcana Heart are prime examples. Wishful thinking sure, especially for a game that could be garbage, but hey Tony Taka’s art sure looks pretty here.
Well until then, all we have is hope. By the way, don’t even get me started on Sega’s other 2D fighter that keeps looking better and better, Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax. With all the crazy anime characters lined up for that one (Kirito!), I’m sure it’s a licensing nightmare.
