Yu Yu Hakusho: Dark Tournament

This title is complete fan service to those who like the anime, and will largely be enjoyed by these people, just be careful of the occasional cheap comeback by the computer.

A game that (probably) does as much justice to the cartoon series as you can expect, and while fans of ‘proper’ fighting games will overlook it – with some justification – it’s not without its merits. The visual style, special effects, damageable arenas and, we understand, proper voice actors all lend themselves to a fairly well rounded experience.

It's got average graphics, sound that does not stand out, and decent replayability due to unlockable items, but the issues with control and timing outweigh these items.

If you're a big-time Yu Yu Hakusho fan looking to step into the shoes of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, or any of the other notable characters from the series, you'll definitely find Dark Tournament to be a much more engaging experience than if you were just looking for a good 3D fighting game.

For the veteran of Virtua Fighter, or Tekken, however, it’s a sheep in wolf’s clothing.

Feels like an incomplete game to me, as the limited combo system and unresponsive control definitely left a feeling that more could have been done.

To a fan, if you can get over the fighting's sluggish pace, there's much nostalgia to be had. For the rest, this is one ghost file that best remains closed.

With no online capabilities or even tag-team possibilities, you're better off spending the 40 bucks on a Jenga game and a case of Schlitz.

If you dig the Yu Yu Hakusho anime (particularly the Dark Tournament saga) then you’ll be pretty satisfied with this bare-bones PS2 brawler.

YYH's problem is with the controls, which are shallow yet complicated. [Jan 2005, p.107]

Only ultra-devoted Yu Yu fans will think this doesn't suck. [Jan 2005, p.72]

This game gets boring quick, and the frustration induced from agonizing over the awkward controls makes Yu Yu destined for the dark bargain bin pit of despair.

With only eight stages, poor controls, and moderate visuals, its solid line up of 25 characters cannot save this game’s fate of falling below mediocrity.