Battle Arena Toshinden

Electric Playground (10 out of 10)

In my opinion Tohshinden represents the finest that video gaming has to offer in 1995. It is destined to be remembered as one of the healthiest shells in the PlayStation's initial launch cannon.

Game Players (98 out of 100)

If you buy only one title for your Playstation, make sure it's this one. It's the kind of game that not only 'wows' your friends, but it'll also hold up over time.

Computer and Video Games (CVG) (96 out of 100)

Quite simply this is the best fighting game ever to grace the CVG games room. Obviously the graphics are a major influencing factor, but it also plays exceptionally well. Much of this is down to the 3D graphics which, unlike Virtua Fighter, really do add a new dimension to the gameplay. It's a far more action orientated game, with plenty of special moves and Samurai Shodown-style sword slashes. It is a little easy though, and expert gamesters will probably be most at home in very-hard mode.

Freak (92 out of 100)

וואוו! טושינדן מהווה מכת פתיחה רצינית ביותר לפלייסטיישן. זה משחק שמאפשר לטעום את הביצועים המדהימים שהמכשיר הזה מציע! שימו עליו עין!

GamePro (US) (4.5 out of 5)

All in all, Toh Shin Den is a great fighting game. The texture-mapped polygon look is amazing, and the sidestepping feature brings something new to defense. With a little tweaking of the controls and fighting angles, this fighter could have been a perfect contender.

Video Games & Computer Entertainment (9 out of 10)

Battle Arena Toshinden will forever change the way you look at fighting games (at least until you see Tekken in a few months). It's exciting to see where the next level of gaming platforms is taking us. Just think, this game is being released in the early months of Playstation's existence. What will be seeing two years from now?

Video Games (86 out of 100)

Unbelievable! Takara ist mit seinem Playstation-Debüt ein echtes Meisterwerk gelungen. Die Spielbarkeit von Toh Shin Den ist in jenen traumhaften Regionen des Beat‘em Up-Genres anzusiedeln, in die im klassischen 2D-Bereich nur solche Meilensteine wie Street Fighter oder die besten SNK-Fighter vorstoßen konnten.

GameFan Magazine (86 out of 100)

The Japanese version of Toshinden is one of my favorite fighting games ever and is quite obviously on the the most groundbreaking home games of all time. This is still true of the American version, but the "minor" changes inflicted on a near-perfect game by SCEA caused TSD to slip slightly on the Nick Rox Joy Chart. Although still a fantastic game, the new voices and broke L and R buttons caused me much heartbreak.

Game Revolution (B+)

Although Battle Arena Toshinden doesn't have anything that we haven't seen before in a polygonal fighting game, is a very good example of the genre. If you are a fan of VS fighting games, or if you have a few friends you've been dying to beat up, this game should keep all of you entertained for a long time.

Fusion (B+)

Toshinden is the best piece of software now ready for the PlayStation. The theme may scare away a few buyers, but the majority will appreciate the excitement and visual richness.

Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) (32.5 out of 40)

Toshinden is the most visually impressive fighting game I have ever seen. The game plays well and the characters are all pretty cool. Unfortunately, once you've seen all it has to offer, it loses it's appeal. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy Toshinden, but it gets tiresome. The American version as changed voices and music. Most of you won't really care, but if you've played the import game, it is rather annoying. Toshinden is cool. Show it off to your friends.

GamePro (US) (4 out of 5)

With it's stunning visuals, Battle Arena Toshinden is as fun to watch as it is to play. Had there been more technique involved, this arena could have been a real contender. It's a formidable effort, but fighting buffs may pick this game clean too quickly.

CD Player (8 out of 10)

Atemberaubend, was Takaras Grafikspezialisten aus der Playstation kitzeln. Jede «Tohshinden«-Arena ist ein Augenschmaus: Ob schimmernde Wolken, Lichtkegel oder glühende Höhlen — überall möchte man stundenlang den Hintergrund genießen. Doch dafür bleibt keine Zeit, denn die Gegner verlangen Ihr ganzes Können: Um Peitschenhieben, Lanzenstichen und schweren Betonklötzen zu entgehen, ziehen Sie alle Register dieses spielerisch durchdachten Beat‘em-Ups. Statt wie bei «Tekken« viel Wert auf Kombos zu legen, zählen clevere Angriffe und der rechtzeitige Einsatz der vielfältigen Special-Moves. Die Tekken-Helden beherrschen mehr verschiedene Schläge, dafür ist Tohshinden nicht so hektisch, sieht eindrucksvoller aus und macht Prügel-Anfängern deutlich mehr Spaß, endlich in drei Dimensionen zu kämpfen

Coming Soon Magazine ( )

Toh Shin Den by Takara is the ultimate fight of the underground world. This fight, which has not been held for a long time, is called the Techo-Rage and has brought together eight of the world's best travelling fighters. Some of them have come for personal glory while others have come for their loved ones. They are prepared to do their utmost to gain victory. Will you be strong enough to help bring one of them to glory?

Mega Fun (78 out of 100)

Nach kurzem Anspielen scheint Toh Shin Den, höchstwahrscheinlich seiner Grafik wegen, noch das Prügelspiel schlechthin zu sein, doch schon nach wenigen Viertelstunden macht sich die fehlende Spieltiefe in nicht geringem Maße bemerkbar. Spielt man Toh Shin Den allerdings länger und lernt die dritte Dimension, ein Feature, das bisher kein anderes Beat‘em Up bieten kann, zu nutzen, kehrt doch etwas an Spielbarkeit., Taktik und somit Spielspaß zurück. Zu zweit gezockt sieht Toh Shin Den dann schon ganz anders aus: Dadurch, daß menschliche Gegner, zumindestens einige, intelligent und meist mit eigener Taktik spielen, wird Toh Shin Den dann doch noch zur Herausforderung, die in Verbindung mit der genialen grafischen und musikalischen Präsentation Riesenspaß garantiert.

Retro Archives (14.5 out of 20)

Initialement présenté comme un titre pensé pour supplanter Virtua Fighter et prendre la Saturn à son propre jeu, Battle Arena Toshinden restera avant tout comme un des premiers jeux de combat à avoir réellement mis à contribution la 3D avec l'inclusion du pas de côté, et comme un annonciateur des prouesses techniques à venir avec ses textures et ses décors. S'il laisse aujourd'hui l'impression, à l'instar de son inspirateur, d'un programme un peu primitif avec assez peu de contenu, sa relative simplicité a au moins le mérite de le rendre accessible aux joueurs ayant envie de pouvoir tenter leur chance sans prendre le temps de maîtriser cent cinquante attaques spéciales à la perfection. Rapidement supplanté par ses successeurs – et par la saga Tekken – le titre de Tamsoft n'en demeure pas moins une porte d'entrée valable dans l'univers des jeux de combat en 3D. Un fragment de l'histoire de la PlayStation.

IGN (7 out of 10)

The graphics are also equally impressive. In fact, one might even say they were gorgeous. The backgrounds are nice, and the detail in the characters' faces is exceptional. The game also makes good use of light shading. Not as impressive as, say, Tekken 2, but then again, BAT was part of the PlayStation's initial launch group. The game makes good use of the basic fighter preset - kick, punch, etc.- and throws in a few cool projectiles to boot. Unfortunately, Toshinden does tend to respond a little slowly. And in fighters, that can mean everything.

MAXIMUM Magazine ( )

Battle Arena Toshinden looks good (although the animation on the fighters is not a patch on similar games in the genre) and plays entertainingly enough - however, Namco's Tekken title (out officially in November) is faster, smoother, has more moves and far more characters to master. Our advice would be to leave this on the shelves and wait for the Namco title - it's a whole generation beyond this release.

Thunderbolt Games (6 out of 10)

Despite its gameplay flaws, I still view Toshinden as somewhat of a breakthrough game on the PlayStation. It introduced the wonders of 3D fighting to the console gaming world and that in itself is something I look back fondly on. But, as a fighting game compared to the many great brawlers available today it just doesn’t have the gameplay depth to compete. Go out and pick up a used copy of Battle Arena Toshinden if you want to experience a little piece of videogaming history, but don’t expect much more than that or you’re bound to be disappointed.

The Video Game Critic (C+)

The characters are a bit blocky with visible polygon seams, and the stages do a lousy job of blending photo-realistic backgrounds with chunky polygon foregrounds. While not as deep as Tekken, Toshinden is still a respectable game, and unlike many other fighters, its matches don't run very long. Its age is clearly showing, but Toshinden is an interesting game to look back on.

Push Square (5 out of 10)

Tamsoft's Battle Arena Toshinden epitomises how the ageing process changed gamers' perspectives from being bedazzled by the outstanding 32-bit visuals of PlayStation's first 3D fighter in early 1995 to feeling unimpressed by primitive polygonal graphics as a PS Classic title in 2018. Its classic status is undermined by slow, unresponsive controls for moves like Super Attacks and sluggish weapons-based combat, as well as rudimentary gameplay options and no story mode. This is unfortunate, because an energetic soundtrack is a highlight, plus innovations like circling and counter-attacking opponents meant that Battle Arena Toshinden was not a load of old tosh. PSone was finding its feet in the fifth generation console face-off in 1995, so launch games like Battle Arena Toshinden have historical significance by ensuring that at the call of 'Bout 1, fight' Sony's first console came out swinging.

HonestGamers (Staff reviews only) (3 out of 10)

Ultimately, Battle Arena Toshinden is a forgettable fighting game overshadowed by its brothers. Genre titles released well before Battle Arena arrived on the scene manage to outperform it in terms of speed and all around entertainment. That alone set the game up for obscurity, and with the eventual release of games like Tekken and Soul Blade, Battle Arena became an even less desirable choice. From there, the game had nowhere to go but the cold limbo of obsolescence, where it joined myriad WWF/E video games and a handful of forgotten launch titles. There you can still find it, and possibly you’ll even enjoy it… if you're willing to forget all of the advancements showcased in modern fighting games.