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This is a two-for-one video today with a bit of interesting history behind it. "Force Five" and "Jingi Storm" are two games created with Sega and Sammy's "Naomi and Atomiswave" Arcade system hardwares (both were based around Dreamcast architecture but Atomiswave has standard network features and several other differences), but one of these games was never actually released: Force Five was intended to be a late 2003 release co-developed by Sammy and Anchor Inc. (who also developed Fighting Vipers 2) and also intended to be the first 3D Atomiswave fighter, but was cancelled at the last minute due to poor reception from various location tests throughout Japan. Unlike some games that are scrapped and never seen again however, the game's assets were picked up by a small unknown Japanese outlet called "Atrativa Japan" who modified the game into one of Japan's only "Hentai / Ecchi" Naomi-based Arcade fighting games, which was its main selling point. The game was not received well during initial testing and garnered a reputation as a "cursed" fighting game.

Perhaps misinterpreting public opinion about the game's mature content, the adult content was completely removed from the final build of the game and slapped with "The Arcade" moniker, but the game was panned for technical reasons and completely forgotten about. A rare Arcade title in and of itself (due to Atrativa's quick bankruptcy, not being seen before or since the release of Jingi Storm), it only became relevant once a private collector worked together with the gaming preservationist community to find and dump the Beta it was based on, Force Five. To describe both games simply, they are fast-paced 3D fighters that utilize most of the core mechanics found in Sega's "Virtua Fighter" series (primarily VF4) with a punch, kick and guard button, but they also have a little "Toy Fighter" in here as well (the most notable addition being the "Catch" system which can reverse a well-timed attack with a specialized throw, even in air, though a steep penalty awaits those who miss) and are more button-masher friendly. To describe them in a little more detail...

Force Five features a varied cast of characters and fighting styles from around the world where players perform basic fighting arts and combos as well as execute special attacks and even shoot projectiles. One thing that's interesting about FF is that it is the more serious and cohesive of the two titles, even though it was ultimately unreleased -- the character models look better and the illustrations are all high quality and of the same mold (more in a bit), there's a fun reference for fighting game fans in the form of Delsol's second appearance (he was originally a secret boss character in Anchor's "Fighting Vipers 2") and, if we go by this beta, it has the honor of being the first 3D fighter for the Atomiswave. The game doesn't have a combo counter, but there are combos to perform as well as critical strikes when certain moves land before an opponent connects with an attack.

Jingi Storm, on the other hand, is a strange affair... it's a game that was based on a previous game and developed by a team who never made games prior who were trying to make a quick buck but failed. All the main playable characters were replaced by generic dudes (read: reskinned) who have female "companions" and the few female characters were relegated to mid-boss characters. The game also adds very subtle additions (such as a combo counter, faux scanlines for replays, etc.) and scenes where the losing opponent's companion engages in a bit of humiliated banter (as the stripping aspect based on performance was nerfed in the final release for an "all-ages" game). The artwork is generally pretty good, but the game outsourced various illustrators (Yasuyuki Tsurugi, Ein, etc.) as Atrativa couldn't decide on one artist. While this wouldn't be the first game to do this, the contrasting styles clash a bit here (as the guys all seem to have the same illustrator). If Glen Quagmire had to describe this game, he'd probably consider it the equivalent of "a snake without the venom" (to not quote him exactly).

Overall, the games are functional enough and play well, but they just feel like they're missing a little something... I think Anchor knew this initially which is why they didn't go on to release the game and then Atrativa acquired the base and didn't really improve it (and wound up releasing the game more than two years later, which didn't help) which ultimately sealed the title's fate. Still, many thanks to the men and women who work tirelessly to keep games like these around for future generations. This is a video of the games in action showing various attractions and things. Enjoy.

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