Rumicsoft's series of Ranma games on the SFC were always solid sellers that were well received by the gaming public. There were three Ranma fighting games on the SFC and 1 puzzle game where you piled block upon block to defeat your adversaries. Rumicsoft's latest Ranma excursion is a solid 2-D fighting game with well defined characters. Ranma is the story of a young boy and his father and the odd thing that happens to him when he gets splashed with cold water - he changes into a red-haired girl. Hit him with some warm water and he'll revert to his manly self. As is usual with television anime, a large cast rounds out the show. A little note, they're changelings as well because most of them have visited the magic pools where Ranma and his father went to fight but accidentally fell in despite the warnings. The television series is fun and addictive because you just can't just watch one. A lot of the levity and humor in the television series has made it into the Ranma series of fighting games and this latest release is no exception. The Playstation version of Ranma plays well and the control is very good. The graphics are rendered in polygon style with textures that make clothing look like cloth and backgrounds that look photo-realistic. Ranma is a strong license and Rumicsoft's continued involvement in console versions of the game help strengthen the track record of both the company and the Ranma name in home video games.
