Golden Axe2002

Shadowrun is an action role-playing game.It was adapted from the cyberpunk role-playing game Shadowrun.The game is the second video game adapted from Shadowrun, and has a more open ended style of gameplay than its 1993 Super NES counterpart, Shadowrun by Beam Software. The game is set in the Shadowrun universe, in the 2050s. A time where the blending of technology and human flesh is common; it is around the time the Matrix, a huge computer network, came online, with the ability to jack into its cyberspace directly. It was also a time of magic renewal: a phenomenon known as The Awakening occurred, where magic returned into the world. Sorcery was once again possible, and slowly and seemingly at random humans began to mutate into orcs, dwarves, elves or trolls. This time of upheaval was not without political conflicts: mega-corporations began to control the world. But with their magic, native shamans threatened them and the world geography came to a complete change. The Amerindians and Elves reclaimed an area called Salish-Shidhe, close to the free city of Seattle, a major city in the newly formed United Canadian and American States.

Xanadu Next is an exploration-centric action RPG from Nihon Falcom, the acclaimed creators of the Ys and The Legend of Heroes RPG franchises. A late entry in their immensely popular Dragon Slayer series and a spiritual follow-up to the late ‘80s cult classic Faxanadu, Xanadu Next puts players in the shoes of a gravely injured knight given a new lease on life through ancient magic who must now seek a legendary sword called “Dragon Slayer” to ensure his survival.

The console version of Soul Edge adds more content to the original arcade game such as new characters and additional game modes. Added features - The inclusion (besides the standard "Arcade" mode) of "VS", "Survival", "Team Battle", "Time Attack" and "Training" modes. - A new RPG-styled mode called "Edge Master Mode". - Seven extra weapons per character, which have different designs and statistics. - The original ten selectable characters received a new PlayStation-exclusive costume.

Soul Edge is a 3D arcade fighting game and the first in the Soul series, it is one of the first 3D fighting game in history that place a particular emphasis on the story of the fighters. Each character have their own weapon, allowing for a wide range of play styles. The slower, longer ranged characters try to deliver their heavy blows from a distance whereas the quicker, faster characters try to get in as close as possible and deliver quick-hitting attacks.

"Marking Kratos' second foray into portable gaming, God of War: Ghost of Sparta stands as a spin-off nestled between the events of God of War and God of War II. Despite ascending to the title of the god of war, Kratos remains haunted by nightmarish visions. One such vision compels him to embark on a new journey when he witnesses his mother, Callisto, imprisoned in Atlantis under the dominion of the sea god Poseidon. Against Athena's counsel to ignore the vision, Kratos sets forth to unravel his past and, in the process, rescue his long-lost brother, Deimos, from the clutches of the god of death, Thanatos. This second instalment for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) maintains a gameplay style akin to its predecessor, introducing a handful of new mechanics. Kratos wields his trusty Blades of Athena in this quest, now augmented with a new magic known as Thera's Bane, amplifying the potency of his attacks. The game also introduces several new magical items and a fresh secondary weapon. In addition to the captivating story mode, Ghost of Sparta offers the "Temple of Zeus," a location where players can spend orbs acquired in the Battle Arena to acquire various art and other bonuses."

Shadow over Mystara is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up with role-play elements that make it stand out from other similar games released at the time. In addition to the original four heroes found in its predecessor, Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom (Cleric, Dwarf, Elf and Fighter), Shadow of Mystara adds a Thief and a Magic-User to the selection. Furthermore, with the inclusion of two separate versions of each character's sprite set, the game allows up to two players to select the same character (in Tower of Doom each of the characters could only be selected once), effectively giving the game 12 "different" characters to choose from. The two Clerics and two Magic Users also have subtle differences within their spell books. The controls are using four buttons: Attack, Jump, Select (brings up a small inventory ring around the character allowing the player to choose what item is set in the Use slot) and Use. The Cleric, Elf and Magic-User also have two extra rings for their spells, with the Jump button used to switch from ring to ring. While the game uses the same kick harness as the previous game, the Select and Use buttons are reversed. Shadow over Mystara also introduced a selection of special moves which are executed by moving the joystick and tapping the buttons in certain combinations, in a way similar to the Street Fighter series. The characters (except for the Magic-User) have a Dashing Attack as well as a Rising Attack which can be used to combo monsters or even juggle them in the air. Most characters (again, with the exception of the Magic-User and also Cleric) also have a Megacrush, a move common to nearly all of Capcom side-scrollers, which damages all enemies standing close enough to the character but in turn also damaging the player themselves.

While incorporating action role-playing game elements from the three games which preceded it, Legend of Mana has its own distinct style of gameplay. Most notably, it gives the player the ability to shape the game's world of Fa'Diel according to his or her desires, a system which was incorporated through the use of "artifacts," which are gained as the player progresses through the game. The player uses the artifacts to create different towns, dungeons, etc., called "Lands", to venture to and explore. This creates a non-linear gameplay, since the game is driven by a series of what would be considered side-quests in other games. Legend of Mana features three different plots which can occur simultaneously, and which do not necessarily need to be completed for the player to finish the game. Legend of Mana was a financial success in Japan. While the game garnered considerable praise for its graphics and presentation, many critics and fans were turned off by the game's lack of a main storyline.

Guardian Heroes is a 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up video game with RPG elements developed by Treasure and released in 1996 for the Sega Saturn. A band of young adventurers begin a quest to change the fate of their kingdom after an enchanted sword falls into their hands. Players may choose between four characters, each with their own unique fighting style, and embark on many different paths in the game's story mode. The game also includes a special versus mode wherein up to six players can compete against each other in arena combat.