Digimon has been pretty conservative with its video game releases recently, choosing more story-based games like the Story RPGs and the Survive visual novel. Before this approach, the franchise was trying out different genres to see which would stick, mostly because the publisher wanted to make money.
Even if it was just made for greed, Digimon Rumble Arena was a pretty good Super Smash Bros. clone. Sure, it didn’t do anything groundbreaking and was far from a balanced fighter, especially when compared to Smash, but it succeeded in what it set out to do: have these digital monsters beat each other up.
Released on the original PlayStation, Rumble Arena was a treat for fans because it had characters from the anime’s first three seasons. It wasn’t just the monsters either, as fan-favorite tamers like Tai, Matt, Rika, Davis, and more would sound off on each other before their critters started fighting. They also popped up to inspire their monsters when it was time to digivolve, giving this game a close relationship with the three anime.
In terms of combat, Digimon Rumble Arena didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel. There was a melee attack that could be pressed multiple times for combos, a ranged special, and a melee special. Each creature can also block, jump, and digivolve, the latter of which would give them different attacks. Power-ups also appeared throughout the arena, which was also similar to Smash Bros.
Digivolving was the unique feature that set this fighter apart from Nintendo’s Smash Bros. series. When these Digimon digivolved, they would reach a more powerful form and have stronger attacks. The digivolved form was also temporary, so fans had to make the most out of using its stronger attacks before getting depowered. Players also gain access to an ultimate attack, which drains the meter but also unleashes something deadly.
If you’re expecting any depth or technique from this fighter, prepare to be disappointed. Much like modern anime arena brawlers, this was a game made for fans and no one else. Casual gamers might enjoy the button-mashing, but it can only last for so long.
Content-wise, Digimon Rumble Arena was a mixed bag. There was a pretty basic single-player mode, but going through it multiple times would unlock more characters. Most of them came from the show, like fan-favorite Black WarGreymon, so this game was a treat for viewers.
This game did get a sequel on PS2, Xbox, and GameCube appropriately called Digimon Rumble Arena 2. It was superior in almost every way, having more Digimon to use and three different Digivolutions. Fans who wanted an in-depth fighter weren’t going to get it, but this was still pretty fun.
We’d like to see a return to Digimon Rumble Arena one of these days, even if it’s just for nostalgia bait. This franchise has been around for plenty of years and we’d like to see it get more games again.