![KenJu [拳獣] Game Sample - Arcade (Unreleased)](/images/yt/he/kenju-game-sample-arcade-unreleased-6zhpu.jpg)
KenJu [拳獣] Game Sample - Arcade (Unreleased)
146Here's another Arcade game that was unearthed not too long after Force Five that never saw an official release outside of location tests throughout Japan and London, and in the world of unreleased video games, this one rates pretty high on the "interesting" factor. Showcased between 2004 and 2005, "KenJu" (which literally translates to "Beast Fist") is a joint project between Sammy and DreamFactory (who are best known for "Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring", the "Tobal" series, "Crimson Tears" and "Kakuto Chojin") and, besides having quite a bit of style and a few unique mechanics, features a lightly cel-shaded aesthetic with 2.5D appeal and is loosely compared to Capcom's "Project Justice".
The game has a lot more going for it than novelty however. The most fascinating thing about this game is the arcane unlockables (from extra characters to hidden game modes), as well as the ability to naturally switch the game from Japanese to English, but its gameplay is a fun combination of several other fighters with some original bits. The game utilizes a standard fighting engine familiar to those who have ever played a Street Fighter or KoF title; players utilize a four-button fighting system (two punches, two kicks, and a taunt button) and can execute a variety of command moves, special moves and super moves (called "Dramatic Strikes" in this game). Most special moves can be upgraded in an EX-Attack style for the cost of one super gauge and players can also launch players into the air (Guilty Gear style) with a connected Air Drive for the cost of another super gauge. All Dramatic Strikes cost three full bars and vary wildly in their utility, but all characters have three and only one can be chosen and taken into battle (ala Street Fighter III).
Most characters can link basic attacks together (light punch - light kick - strong punch / kick) with a special move and dramatic strike to cause tons of damage, but the game's most interesting systems come in the form of "Impact Defense" and "Pressure Awareness". Impact Defense is a well-timed deflect (similar to a parry) which helps you breakthrough attacks and is really needed to have a fighting chance against the game's mid/last boss syndrome (as they can constantly pull off combos that take half your health or more) while "Pressure Awareness" is illustrated by a long bar between your character's health bars. It functions in a seesaw fashion based on player aggression and successfully landing attacks, and when the player's advantage is overwhelming enough, "Pressure Danger" is triggered and unleashes the "Kenju Kakusei" mechanic. When this state is triggered, being knocked off your feet can prove very dangerous as players will fall in slow motion, which allows juggles to be created with ease (most characters can essentially infinite until it runs out, but they'll likely be defeated before then).
Besides all that, each character falls into a certain category such as a striker, grappler, trap, rekka, etc., but there is one character that deserves special mention... well, more like two: Rina & Mina. This is a technical character composed of two twins who are agents of Mephisto, and they have their own set of command moves and special moves. Players can switch between them by pressing all four attack buttons and one of their Dramatic Strikes is a team attack. While I can't say something like this has never been done in a fighter, it's too far and between and they're a fun character for expert players to experiment with as they effectively throw players off their game.
No one knows the exact reason the game never saw a final release, but the common points of interest would be the waning of Arcade games, the relative lack of interest during location testing (outside looking in, I can see why... the attract mode is kinda weird and fully 3D fighters were becoming all the rage) and the large amount of competition on the market. The game has a unique style to it, controls well enough, and is mostly complete in its current form (the game has a story of sorts, but no real endings, which would be the one thing I can say against it), and I can't really find a glaring reason as to why it shouldn't have been released, but given its unique circumstances, I'd be remiss not to include it in this channel.
This is a video of the game in action. Enjoy.
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