Featuring bright, vibrant 2D graphics, the original arcade was a pretty big hit, but subsequent games failed to make a dent, except on consoles like the Saturn and the PlayStation. Now, though, Sony is betting that the vampires and monsters featured in the series will successfully make the transition to the portable gaming market, as it will release Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower for the upcoming Sony PSP. Earlier today, we had a chance to check out the game in action, and aside from a few glitches with the multiplayer play, it looks like the game is better than ever.
Like the recently released Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, Darkstalkers Chronicle is a greatest hits compilation of sorts, feature characters and levels from not only the original game, but also from later titles like NightWarrior: Darkstalkers Revenge and Darkstalkers 3. You can battle characters from one game against foes from another, and every time you pick a avatar, you have to decide which fighting style to use: Vampire, Savior, or Hunter.
There are a few different game modes to choose from, including the brand-new Tower mode, in which you must choose three different fighters before fighting your way up to the top of the titular tower, one floor at a time. Although this doesn't sound that different than the Survival mode found in many games in the same vein, there is a bit of a twist: there are certain conditions that must be met if you want to advance. You may have to win the match using only punches or kicks, or finish off your opponent using one of the game's highly imaginative super moves. This makes the mode extremely challenging, as does the fact that once you lose a character, he's out for the rest of your quest. Thankfully, injured characters will slowly regain health during the time that they're sitting out, so you've got a fighting chance.