- Review

Yuu Yuu Hakusho is a Japanese comic and cartoon series featuring a "spirit investigator" called Rei who used to be a good natured but lazy boy who never really bothered studying and was considered a punk. One day, he saved a kid and got run over in doing so.When he arrived in the underworld he was sent back because his life wasn't suppose to be over but since he already knows of the underworld they confer upon him the rank of spirit "investigator" to apprehend any rogue ghosts and demons on earth. He gets joined by others on his quest and they travel around helping Rei in his job.

There are a number of Yuu Yuu Hukasho games on the Super Nintendo

Gameplay: 10/10
This is one of the best and most unique games in terms of gameplay. It is intense without feeling rushed. How is this achieved you ask? Well, instead of two fighters side on duking it out like in games like Killer Instinct, you have two windows showing the action and a number of areas around of them containing information like your energy level.

What you then do is select a direction, each direction along with a button gives you a different action. For example, pressing down and the X button will unleash your most powerful energy attack while pressing down and the A button will unleash a close range energy attack, it all depends on what you would like to do. Pressing back will allow you to use blocks, up various special powers or jump and forward punches. Not only that, but depending on how long you hold the direction is how accurate your attack will be (there's a bar at the bottom to tell you just how accurate so you don't have to guess). Once you've decided and pushed the button, your character will execute the move.

The windows will come alive in true Japanese animation style, the angles, the light, the movement is just like watching a cartoon except they cut out all the boring talking and get right down to bashing each other. A lot depends on the move you choose at this moment and sometimes whether you pushed the button first. Some moves neutralise each other and others are very effective against others, the character's status also plays a part, faster characters will obviously have more chance of dodging attacks while stronger characters will take less damage.

Character design: 5/5

You have a wide range of people to choose from and each has a different fighting style and animations, all of them are of course from the Yuu Yuu Hakusho series. Most characters are well balanced against each other. Even though a character is naturally weaker than another if you practice enough you will find out what technique to use against the enemy to beat him or her consistently even though they have the advantage. There are even complex moves which take up several turns to unleash although you usually need only need to waste one turn to activate it. That is while you fight the complex move is charging up.

Graphics: 5/5

The graphics and animation are superb as mentioned in the gameplay. It is very smooth and very cool looking, a lot of thought went into it to make it exciting.

Music and Sound: 5/5

While the music is okay and exciting there a huge number of sounds and voices while sound really cool when you unleash your attack.

Replayibility and Longevity 5/5

One of the most unique and perfect games around, while there is no story mode you do get to choose all the characters (unlike the first one where you had to unlock them) and the challenge of finding out just how to counter and enemy's attack and master the game will keep you going for a long time. And when you're done you'll want to keep returning to try another character and challenge your friends to one more bout. A true classic.

For: Excellent unique idea, great gameplay, great voices, great atmosphere, great animation etc.

Against: Sometimes characters have too great of an advantage over others.