Xbox

Digimon Rumble Arena 2

Digimon Rumble Arena 2 is welcomed by me as a good party fighter that fills in a gap found on the Xbox, while also offering Gamecube fans another option after they have had enough of Super Smash Brothers Melee. Nothing to get too excited about but it’s worthy of picking up if you love fighting games. The game is barely worth the $39.99 price tag but at least it tried to make something of itself. Without Xbox Live being enabled, it should be noted that it is missing a key feature that should be at least somehow implemented with the current generation of Xbox games

Digimon Rumble Arena 2 is a perfect example of turning something underrated into a great game. Its also embarrasses Pokemon Colosseum and its fuddy-duddy turn based approach, flaunting a more hands on approach. If Pokemon took a leaf out of Digimon's book for a change they too could have a great game on their hands. It's not perfect - the multiplayer could be more customisable and a few more modes would have helped - but as it stands, this is a solid fighting game with a deep evolving system and some unique level design. There's plenty to unlock and a lot here to keep you entertained. Not everyone will appreciate that this has been released at a budget price, but I do - I cherish my money and I count all my pennies before I go to sleep! And regardless of whether you're a fan of Digimon or not, this game is most definitely worth the money.

This is the true problem of Digimon Rumble Arena 2; in the end, it’s really for the fans. Yes, it is fun for people who do not like digimon…for a while. The reasons explained throughout this review are what make Digimon a decent game, but it proves to be too cheesy after a while for people who don’t like kid-anime shows like that. Thus, the score reflected in this review is in large part directed toward the digimon fan-base. Despite this, non-fans should consider giving the game a rental and, if they really do enjoy it, consider a purchase afterward, as Digimon Rumble Arena 2 is still a decent fighting game with enough twists in the gameplay to set it apart from the pack.

It's hard to appreciate the craze that is Pokemon, Digimon, and Let's-capture-some-intelligent-and-seemingly-precious-animals-and-make-them-fight-to-the-death-mon. As far as the Saturday morning cartoon tainted hand sees things, there are a lot of cute critters that battle one another and the forces of evil. The other hand that still lives somewhere on Earth is a bit more practical; it sees animal cruelty. Wouldn't Psyduck and the gang be much happier if children didn't imprison them in magical balls and force them to combat others of their kind for the sake of some ridiculous tournament? Shouldn't Pikachu be set free and allowed to roam the grasslands of Nebraska without having to worry about what bloody dragon his punk-ass kid of a tyrannical master forces him to face next?

Basically all that can be said about Digimon Rumble Arena 2 is that it’s fun. It’s a fun game for fans of Super Smash Brothers and a fun game for fans of the 2D fighters of yesteryear. Sadly the game does feel a bit too much like Nintendo’s smash hit which definitely hurts the originality of the title. Fans of the series should definitely check this one out but everyone else should just stick with the genuine product.

Digimon: Rumble Arena 2 isn't a bad title if you are obsessed with the TV and toy counterpart; it has pretty good graphics, destructible arenas and decent enough multiplayer modes. If you're a Digimon fan you might be able to excuse the average (and at times frustrating) gameplay or ignore the shallow single player experience. Anyone else though should drop this title in preference to 'Soul Calibre 2' and 'Dead or Alive 4' as they are far superior titles in every way and they can currently be brought for the same price. Its a cop out we know, but Digimon Rumble Arena 2 is for serious fans only.