The original PlayStation can be seen as a bridge between retro and modern gaming. It was the first truly successful CD-based game console, and the additional storage space provided by CDs made it possible to create more ambitious games. Many of the best PS1 games, like Final Fantasy VII And Castlevania: Symphony of the Nighttook full advantage of the PS1’s hardware capabilities.
However, underneath classics like Resident Evil 2 are many PS1 games that haven’t received the same attention. One of the best examples is the Toshinden Battle Arena fighting game series. The first installment was actually a PS1 launch title in the US, but neither title received much attention. Now the Toshinden Battle Arena the games are ported to modern consoles, giving everyone the opportunity to play these PS1 classics.
Battle Arena Toshiden is a forgotten PS1 franchise that deserves a return
The 1990s saw a boom in fighting games and series like Mortal Combat, TekkenAnd Street fighter became a huge success. That said, many other fighting games haven’t gotten the kind of fame they deserved, and the Toshiden Battle Arena titles are a great example of this.
Even though the series never became a major success and has been largely forgotten today, the games still had many die-hard fans. The original title received three sequels, and during Toshiden Battle ArenaAt the height of this era, there was even an anime that brought the game’s story to life.
Now, Edia, a Japanese company specializing in retro game re-releases, is offering the original Toshiden Battle Arena trilogy to modern consoles. Although Edia has not confirmed which consoles the games will be released on, they have stated that they are planning to re-release the games in 2026 or 2027. This is a perfect opportunity for retro gaming fans to experience some underrated PS1 games that almost everyone has forgotten about.
The original Toshinden Battle Arena was ahead of its time
The PS1 had one of the best launch lineups in PlayStation history, and Toshinden Battle Arena held its own alongside games like Rayman. This is an early example of a 3D weapons-based fighter, and the 1995 game actually predates it. Soul Edgethe first game of Soul Calibur series, within a year.
Like many great fighting games, Toshinden Battle Arena offers players a wide range of fighters to choose from, including the main protagonist, Eiji Shinjo, who is on a quest to find his long-lost brother Sho. He decides to participate in a dangerous underground fighting tournament broadcast to elite viewers.
The tournament attracts fighters from around the world, including Sofia, a Russian private detective who fights with a whip, and Run-go Iron, an American miner who joined the tournament in hopes of saving his missing wife and son. Nothing here is unusual for a fighting game, but all the fighters are interesting and have clear motivations.
Of course, the most important part of any fighting game is the gameplay, and that’s something that Toshinden Battle Arena does a great job with it. It was designed to work with the original PS1 controller, which lacks the DualShock’s analog sticks, but it still controls very well, and once players master each fighter’s combos, they’ll be ready to take on any challenge the game throws at them.
One of the game’s most interesting mechanics is its Desperate Attacks, which are powerful moves that players can only use if their fighter’s health bar is below 10%. With this feature, fighters can potentially return at the last minute, and fights are much more interesting. Since the PS1 launched with only 11 games, many early adopters have tried the fighting game, and its sales have been solid overall.
Battle Arena Toshinden 2 improves on the original in every way
Toshinden Battle Arena 2 debuted in arcades, and even though it was released just a year after the original game, its mechanics are much more refined. The first game’s combat mechanics, including Desperate Attacks, are largely left intact, but it also introduces new features into the mix, like a faster combo system and an overdrive gauge, which allows fighters to perform even stronger moves after racking up combos.
The title continues the story of the previous game, with all of its fighters making a return. There are also plenty of new fighters in the mix, including Chaos, an unhinged man who fights with a scythe and shield, and Tracy, an American police officer who joins the tournament while investigating a cold case.
Although the game received positive reviews, it had much more competition than the first game, and although it sold quite well in Japan, it did not fare as well in the United States, selling only 133,491 copies on PS1. Luckily, while the game may have underperformed, it still did well enough to get a sequel.
Battle Arena Toshiden 3 is the best game in the entire series
Toshiden Battle Arena 3 arrived on the PS1 in 1997 and, like its predecessor, it upped the ante. Not only is the number of fighters doubled compared to the previous game, but the plot is much more fleshed out than before. This time around, the fighters aren’t just competing against each other. They are also working to eliminate the forces responsible for the Battle Arena Toshiden tournament.
In addition to increasing the scope of the game’s story, Toshiden Battle Arena 3 refines its combo system even further and adds some under-the-hood changes, like the ability to choose between a smooth and stable 30fps or a faster but potentially unstable 60fps. The title also improved the battle arenas, making them completely enclosed so players could throw their opponents against walls or ceilings.
Despite these improvements, Toshiden Battle Arena 3 sold just 95,019 copies in Japan and 50,952 in the United States, placing it well below previous entries. Although the series received a final installment with a new roster of characters, 4 of Toshithe game was never released abroad, and the Toshiden Battle Arena the series has been largely forgotten today.
Now that the games are coming to modern consoles, players will have the chance to experience some of the PS1’s most underrated and interesting fighting games. It’s a little disappointing 4 of Toshi won’t join the original trilogy, but if the games do well maybe it will be ported as well. Either way, this new release from Edia highlights some underrated games.