Waku Waku 7

About Waku Waku 7

Waku Waku 7 (1996) is Sunsoft's comic Neo Geo fighter whose oddball cast parodies famous characters from games and anime, each with a chargeable, unblockable Harahara move.

Waku Waku 7 in Depth

Using features common to SNK fighters, such as four basic attacks and a zooming screen, Waku Waku 7 has an unusual feature set for its time. Its roster of nine characters, two of them only in the console ports' versus mode, each play very differently and parody a well-known character. Every fighter has a powerful Harahara move that must be charged, during which the character concentrates, speaks, strikes a pose or plays a fanfare while the game flashes a warning and sounds an alarm; once released it is unblockable and hard to dodge, but it can be interrupted while charging. Fighters can be launched through the screen into the other corner and attacked on the ground, though they can dodge or attack while getting up.

The characters chase the WakuWaku Balls for their own reasons. Rai Bakuoh is a cocky 13-year-old BMX rider with a double jump, parodying Sie Kensou. Arina Makihara is a 14-year-old bunny-eared girl seeking true love, spoofing half-animal shōjo heroines. Dandy-J is a whip-wielding treasure hunter in the mould of Indiana Jones and Joseph Joestar, aided by Natsumi and her cat. Mauru is a purple forest creature parodying Totoro, carrying a lost girl and fighting much like Darkstalkers' Sasquatch, while the slow but hard-hitting Politank-Z spoofs the police tanks of Dominion. Slash is a calm elf swordsman hoping to lift a curse from his laser sword.

Making Waku Waku 7

It was Sunsoft's third fighting game, after Sugoi Hebereke on the Super Famicom and Galaxy Fight. Released in arcades in 1996 and later on the Neo Geo AES with easy difficulty settings and limited credits, it was met with generally positive reviews; AllGame's Kyle Knight called its presentation among the best on the Neo Geo and praised its sound, fighting system and roster, while criticising its power gauge. The Japan-only Saturn conversion received a more mixed response for being a straight port, though readers of Sega Saturn Magazine rated it well. Hamster later included it in the ACA Neo Geo series, and Nintendo Life praised its cartoon presentation, frantic pace and varied cast.