Kenka Banchou - the way of the Badass

Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble is a PlayStation Portable beat 'em up video game released in 2008 in Japan and 2009 in the United States. It follows the efforts of a Japanese "bancho" (delinquent) and his efforts to become Japan's top bancho by beating up all the other regional banchos during a field trip.

The game takes place on a school field trip to the fictional city of Kyouto. Focusing on Takashi, a bancho of the same school, unwillingly goes with his class as he is told that he will fail the school year if he does not attend. He meets up with his best friend and loyal ally, Yohei, and soon meets with other friends as well riding on the train. When they arrive to Kyouto Station, Yohei accidentally knocks into another bancho. After a swift fight between Takashi and The bancho, Takashi learns that all schools are visiting Kyouto for one week and there are 47 banchos in all fighting together in a contest seeing who is the "toughest guy in all of Japan". Takashi, now persuaded to stay with his class, takes on the challenge to be the toughest guy in Japan.

Title: Kenka Banchou: Badass Rumble
Developers: Atlus
Platform: PlayStation Portable (PSP)
Genre: Beat 'Em Up
Release date: Nov 2008 (JP); Nov 2009 (ENG)

As mentioned somewhere before, this is supposed to be next game in my now playing list, away from home. I've actually planned to play this game long before I finished playing Persona 3 Portable, but it's not untill a few days ago that I was able to get the taste of this game - Kenka banchou: Badass Rumble.

The concept is simple - your main character (default name is Takashi), a badass gangster in your region of choice (I choose Saitama btw) is on a field trip to Kyouto for a few days. Supposedly students go there for education and fun, but for Takashi (that's you!), it's a matter of becoming number 1 Banchou in Japan, since other Banchou from other region in Japan also came to Kyoto around that time of the year. Using this opportunity, you wondered around the city during your few days of field trip, tracking down street punks for their student's itinerary and hence clues of other Banchou's whereabouts, so that you can beat em up and increase your Banchou rank. Sounds like a nice concept, isn't it? I for one am loving this Japanese high school sim *coughpersonacough*.

I personally haven't advance that far into the game, only on my 2nd day of the Kyoto trip. Basically your trip activity is divided into 3 stages - early, afternoon and evening. During that time, you're supposed to visit the likes of Kinkaku-ji, Tenryu-ji, Nijo Castle etc by traveling around the city with bus, train or taxi. Well, you do visit those place, but as mentioned, it's to look for street punks and Banchou and beat em up. This is when the combat system kicks in, which in a way kinda disappoints me. First you need to "Stare" them with your menacing glare to initiate the battle, followed by a mini-game to gain initiative in battle. Then the brawling started. Initially you're limited to a basic 3-combo punch and kicks, followed by a special move which is unique to the region you choose. As you levelled up (by beating them punks and other Banchou), you gain access to more skills and moves and are able to customize your skillset to suit your fighting style. Jump onto them, punch the face, high spin kicks, there's a lot of them for you to choose. Problem is, the battle progress is kinda dull, and players are a little slow to react. Well, they ARE amateurs fighters after all...

Gameplay sample of Kenka banchou. As the game advance you'll learn even more moves.

Takashi as a character is also quite interesting. He's a banchou which code of honours - although he's a total badass, he doesn't mindlessly cause trouble. Added to that, he could even score some chicks, and having good times with some school girls in the game (who actually are interested in him rather than the opposite).

Overall the game is also fairly short (several days of field trip in Kyoto, compared to 1 whole friggin year in Persona), but it seems like you can replay the game with everything carried over so that you can rack up your Banchou level to the top. I have to say that the game was quite appealing to me, I'm enjoying Takashi's badass life as well as the comedies they actually put well through out the game. Fun game, although probably not everyone's taste.

p/s: Man this sounds like I'm making a full review of the game...