Battle Arena Toshinden 2 (2024)

Battle Arena Toshinden 2(闘神伝2) is a weapon based 3D fighting game developed by Tamsoft. It was released for the arcades by Capcom, followed by ports to the PlayStation and PC. It is the sequel to Battle Arena Toshinden, and was a departure in that it was developed for the arcades first, where as the original had been console exclusive.

An enhanced port/exclusive adaptation namedBattle Arena Toshinden URAwasreleased in 1996 for theSega Saturn.

Gameplay[]

The core gameplay remains unchanged from the original Battle Arena Toshinden, but the game does include a simple combo system. The 3D movement was also altered to create slightly better balance in battle; differentiating from the first game, dodge rolling will no longer make the character temporarily immune to the opponent's attack (in the first game, it was possible for a character to dodge straight through even the most deadly attacks). As in the first game, a player falling out of the ring will result in a ring out, only this time, if both players fall out of the ring at the same time, the one who falls out last will be declared the winner.

Story[]

Prologue Excerpt from The PlayStation BOOKS Toshinden 2 Perfect Guide[]

"The Toshindaibukai... An underworld spectacle that did not ever reach the light of the surface of the everyday world. Since its beginnings, the Toshinden was and has always been a spectacle for the social and financial elite.

To sate this appetite, so did the affluent and wealthy send money and resources to those in the underworld.... For such entertainment of forbidden indulgence, where life or death was decided entirely in the ring, it was through the actions of the Secret Society who controlled the world that helped to organize and make these events happen!

Crystal Cards. The crème de la crème of any ticket to a spectator event in the world. One Crystal Card alone was worth more than any given salary of the everyday person. Attaining one literally did mean one had to be among the elite of society, be it to access private showings or to even access protected TV broadcasts to witness the Toshinden. Traded with enthusiasm, it was through the sale of Crystal Cards that the Secret Society was able to garner their monetary collateral for their purposes. But what else was their purpose for this prime spectacle of the criminal underworld?

Summoning only the greatest warriors the world over, the Toshinden was the Secret Society’s way of being able to keep their watch on those who stood out from everyday society’s norms. To keep tabs on those who have delved deep into the criminal underworld. To keep eager eyes on those who would hold great potential for the purposes of the Secret Society, as either assassins or even future members. To put through trial and test by extremes of life or death to see who was really worthy of their graces.

Into the current day, the executive known as Gaia is the one chosen by the Secret Society to organize the Toshinden Tournaments. Having been one of these challengers who have fought and risen to the top, he is proof of the Secret Society’s crucible of trial by combat. But Gaia’s ascent to power was not without trepidations. The greatest was that of the Master.

The Master of the Secret Society… Never did Gaia witness such coldheartedness and callousness of just one person who literally ruled the world. Being able to predict and counter any movements and actions in the world of politics and world policy. Being able to make high risk investments and moves in the global economy, and succeeding in making windfall profits. Being able to manage all of these projects and plans through the world’s first and foremost leading multinational corporation, the Gerard Foundation. Seeing the world’s people as nothing but units, things, and parts in a machine, rats in a cage or insects. Seeing them as but expendable, tiny specks for greater things, and indifferent to any repercussion of the actions the Secret Society makes. This one man, able to keep two identities in both the everyday world and the criminal underworld, shook Gaia with his absolute coldness that was literally inhumane, beyond anything man could display. Gaia surmised that this callousness would turn into depravity, and upon that time, no amount of reason would ever convince the Master to not turn on him. As the current organizer of the Toshinden, Gaia would use this opportunity to eliminate the Master once and for all.

Upon the long awaited arrival of the Toshinden Tournaments, there were was quite an objection and even criticism of the participants chosen for the Toshinden’s return. Very few of them were of criminal or assassin stock- In fact, more than half of them were merely fighters of “the ordinary world”, and despite all of the violence and suspense, there was no death live on stage. Little did they know, Gaia’s intentions wasn’t to make the Toshinden the criminal underworld’s cruel bloodsport it always was made to be- This time, it was a rallying call for powerful fighters to help him in his mutiny against the Master.

It was through Gaia that the Toshinden’s rules began to include the rule that forbade intentionally killing opponents was decreed. In short time, even its wealthy and interested viewers began to accept that violent and brutal deaths was getting to be a tiresome sight, and welcomed the more incredible displays of fighting prowess and martial arts skill of the participants. With his version of the Toshinden signed into place, the tournament soon became a commercial success, and Gaia’s plans were to come to fruition…

But, despite all good fortune, one from afar did not approve of Gaia’s plans. That was the fellow Secret Society executive, Uranus. With deep seated enmity as a hated rival, Uranus saw through Gaia’s ruse easily. Knowing exactly what he was planning to do, Uranus secretly plotted Gaia’s assassination. But time and time again, Uranus’s attempts all resulted in disappointment. Despite holding their words to themselves, everyone in the Secret Society knew that a power struggle was at hand.

At the same time, Gaia’s Toshindaibukai was revealed to have been held without consent or discretion of the Master. Though Gaia’s Toshinden was fruitful in summoning powerful warriors to his event, he was not successful to win any of them over to his cause. A tragic and frustrating loss, Gaia did not just fail to rally an army of fighters, but was further marked as a traitor for his attempted mutiny against the Master.

A year has now passed since this last Toshindaibukai...

Strong and hushed words of anticipation again echo throughout the global underworld. Another Toshindaibukai definitely will happen, word on the street says.

However, many of its participants are again those who participated last year, and are not summoned by their own free will. Threats of kidnappings, extortion, and ruinous penalties of absence fill their invitation letters. The sender of these letters are none other than Uranus. More shadowy than Gaia, no one outside of the Secret Society has ever set eyes on Uranus, not even to know Uranus’s gender. One of such letters even made their way to the traitor, Gaia. Even after 15 years of seclusion, the Secret Society has now managed to track him down.

Uranus’ aim was clear. “Eliminate them all!!” No one was to be spared this tournament. Not even those who wished to have nothing to do with the Secret Society.

The Crystal Cards have been bought and sold. Events and arrangements have now been set. Excitement, anticipation, and curiosity fill its viewers. What shall await for us, as the curtains rise on the dramatic event that is the Toshindaibukai?"

Summary[]

Following the discovery of his treachery, Gaia has been branded a traitor and marked for death by Uranus and Master, the respective leaders of the Secret Society, who hold another Battle Arena Toshinden tournament in order to lure him out so that he can be swiftly eliminated by them and their loyal forces. In a complete state of personal desperation, Gaia turns to the previous tournament's fighters for help in having to overthrow his former allies, unaware that the entire situation is a deadly trap/scheme orchestrated by Uranus as she personally seeks to eliminate all who stands in her ambitious way of overthrowing Master and taking the Secret Society for herself.

As in the previous tournament, Eiji Shinjo advances to the finals and manages to defeat both Uranus and Master in battle, and even though he is still unable to locate his long-lost older brother Sho, a series of clues are left behind that may lead Eiji to Sho from within the near future. With the deaths of both Uranus and Master, it seems that the Secret Society has been crushed once and for all. However, unbeknownst to the participants, the tournament has secretly been observed through the eyes of the mysterious Vermilion, an agent for the Secret Society's long-time rival criminal group, the Organization, who start to put their own plan for the fighters in motion.

Characters[]

Returning Characters[]

• Eiji Shinjo
• Kayin Amoh
• Sofia
• Rungo Iron
• Fo Fai
• Mondo
• Duke B. Rambert
• Ellis
• Gaia
• Sho Shinjo

New Characters[]

• Tracy - A notorious New York police officer who likes to fight against criminals with a reckless manner. She is assigned to look into the activities of the Secret Society.
• Chaos- An executive of the Secret Society who unexpectedly lost his memories and went completely insane. He is given the orders to eliminate the organization's traitor Gaia.

Unlockable Characters[]

• Uranus- A beautiful angel-esque woman who happens to be the second-in-command of the Secret Society. She seeks to overthrow the organization's current leader so that she can take total and absolute control of the Secret Society. She serves as the sub-boss of the game.
• Master - A mysterious yet powerful female psychic who leads the Secret Society and seeks to destroy anything that stands in the organization's way of world domination. She serves as the final boss of the game.
• Vermilion - An unknown gunfighter who infiltrates the tournament for a shrouded agenda. He is a secret boss in both Battle Arena Toshinden 2 and Toshinden URA.

Release[]

A special edition of Toshinden 2 named Battle Arena Toshinden 2 Plus was later released only in Japan for the PlayStation on The Best range (equivalent to the Greatest Hits and Platinum ranges in North America and Europe). It features enhanced graphics, improved control and tweaked CPU AI. It also makes some balancing tweaks to the characters' attacks. An option to save results, option settings and unlocked characters to a memory card was also added.

Toshinden 2 was ported to the PC. It is a Windows port of the PlayStation version with arcade graphical fidelity, the ability to play the game in higher resolutions and some additional options, such as the ability to remap all the controls (the PlayStation version only allows the remapping of the shoulder buttons). Unlike the original PlayStation port, it also saves unlocked characters, settings and results. However, the introductory movie was removed.

Gallery[]