Asuka 120% Burning Fest

Asuka 120% BURNING Fest. (あすか120% BURNING Fest.) is a Japanese fighting game series produced by Fill-in-Cafe and published and distributed by FamilySoft and Kodansha. The franchise was programmed and designed by Masatoshi Imaizumi, the music was composed by Keishi Yonao and the game illustrations were designed by Aoi Nanase.

Overview

The game is set at the "Ryōran Private School for Women" which educates the daughters of the upper echelons of society. Here, the high class clubs annually hold a martial arts tournament: the "Club Rivalry Budget Contest Mega Fight." Each character employs a different fighting style; techniques are unique to each club. The original characters are female, thus is a so-called "bishōjo game."

When Asuka 120% was first released in 1994, it was only available for some personal computer systems. In 1995 it was ported to consumer machines such as the PC Engine, which also added new characters. This update increased the cast of six characters to match contemporary fighting games. Game balance was continuously adjusted in subsequent updates.

A version dubbed "Special" was released for the PlayStation in 1996, followed by a balance update released as "Excellent" In 1997. "Limited" was released for the Sega Saturn—graphics were substantially revised and the characters largely changed. Due to the waning success of the Sega Saturn, the "Limited" version was not a commercial success.

Asuka vs. Kumi in the original FM Towns version

Using the graphics from "Limited", "Final" was released for the PlayStation in 1999, coupling the graphics engine of "Limited" with overhauled fighting mechanics. The voice cast was largely replaced with new actors. Despite these changes, the game did not recover popularity.

A feature of the game is that the balance emphasizes speed. The original fighting mechanics feature easy input style move commands for every character; this novel control scheme was readily adopted by other developers. There are two standard operation buttons to use the combat system, with the remaining buttons functioning as macro keys.

Asuka 120% was made by just two full-time programmers comprising Fill-in-Cafe. After the developers moved on to Treasure, the Asuka 120% input system influenced future Treasure fighting games. Development for the X68000 was done by Mad Stalker and for the PSX by Makeruna! Makendō 2: Kimero Youkai Souri for Fill-in-Cafe (which went bankrupt around 1998). Character design was done by Nanase Aoi initially, then Ishida Atsuko for "Excellent", and Sasameyuki Jun for "Final".

Games

A list of known releases in the series.^[1]

• Asuka 120% BURNING Fest. - It is the debut title of the franchise. It was initially released for the Fujitsu FM Towns, but a short time later it was ported to the Sharp X68000 with three versions of its soundtrack, as well as slightly updated graphics.

• Asuka 120% BURNING Fest. Excellent - Unlike its predecessor, this one features adventure elements found in most detective-based video games such as the Famicom Tantei Club series, but in this game, the player must collect as much currency as possible to make high scores by socializing. This game was later remade for the Sony PlayStation using graphics from Asuka 120% BURNING Fest. Special.

• Asuka 120% BURNING Fest. Maxima - Featuring altered graphics and BGM, this one also features some new characters. The gameplay controls in this version were simplified due to the NEC PC-Engine having a limited number of buttons; although a six-button controller exists, it isn't compatible with this game. The object of the game's "Story Mode" is to win two rounds in a row without losing to earn the largest amount of currency.

• Asuka 120% BURNING Fest. Special - A remake of the PC-Engine version Maxima. A new secret character, plus extra combos and moves were added, as well as the graphics and BGM being altered again. This is where the franchise becomes its own, while the BGM sound font stops being updated from then on. However, some new songs were added in later games using the same BGM sound font.

• Asuka 120% BURNING Fest. Limited - For one last time, the graphics were heavily altered to larger sprites and artworks, but the BGM remained unchanged. In addition, the game system was vastly improved. This is the last entry in the franchise developed by Fill-in-Cafe before they filed for bankruptcy a year after this title's release. An S-TV based arcade version was planned with Kaneko being the publisher, but got canceled due to Fill-in-Cafe's bankruptcy issues. An unofficial updated version titled Asuka 120% BURNING Fest. LimitOver was released by former Fill-in-Cafe employees.

• Asuka 120% BURNING Fest. Final - After publisher Family Soft bought the rights to Fill-in-Cafe's library of video games, they hired Success Corporation to develop this version. In fact, Success developed the Super Famicom version of Makeruna! Makendō 2, while Fill-in-Cafe developed the PlayStation version of it. Much of the features were improved from the Limited version. In addition, a Windows port of the game titled Asuka 120% BURNING Fest. Return was released as the very last entry of the franchise with very minor tweaks added.

Characters

Original cast

• Asuka Honda (本田飛鳥) of the Chemistry Club

Voiced by: Riko Sayama. Asuka, the titular character of the game series, represents the chemistry club in the Mega Fight Tournament. She is best friends with Karina Toyota, and more recently, Kumi Ōkubo. Asuka dreams of becoming a chemist in the future. Her main attacks involve volatile projectiles such as throwing chemical-filled beakers.

• Kumi Ōkubo (大久保久美) of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Club

Voiced by: Miki Nagasawa -> Masaki Miki. Kumi represents her rhythmic gymnastics class in the Mega Fight Tournament. She met Asuka during the Ryouran entrance exam and has been friends since the tournament. A rather household-oriented type of girl, Kumi desires to have a family with lots of children in the future. Kumi's attacks involve her rhythmic gymnast skills.

• Tamaki Shindō (新堂環) of the Tennis Club

Voiced by: Masako Katsuki -> Ogawa Rieko. Tamaki represents not only her tennis club, but is also the daughter of the school principal. She is looked up to by the juniors as the "Big Sister," and is well loved by her fellow seniors. Tamaki dreams of being a teacher. Her moves involve the use of her tennis racket.

• Ryūko Yamazaki (山崎竜子) of the Volleyball Club

Voiced by: Akira Morimoto. Ryūko specializes in volleyball, and holds a big rivalry with Tamaki Shindō since losing to her in the last Mega Fight Tournament. Ryūko is popular for her movement in sports, though schoolwork is another story. Ryūko mainly uses volleyball tactics to attack her opponent, such as tackles and serves.

• Megumi Suzuki (鈴木めぐみ) of the Cheerleading Club

Voiced by: Shizuka Hōjō -> Yukana Nogami. Megumi is the cheerleading club representative. She is short in stature with a babyish face, but on account of her glamor, she is popular even with other schools' students.

• Torami Hōjō (北条虎美) of the Karate Club

Voiced by: Mio Itō. Torami is the karate club representative and runner-up the previous year. The karate moves issuing from her tall figure are powerful.

Introduced in later games

• Karina Toyota (豊田可莉奈) of the Biology Club (first appearance: Maxima BURNING Fest)

Voiced by: Kae Araki. Karina is the biology club representative, and Asuka's rival since childhood. A lot of her special moves involve her pet frog "Kero-pyon". (To show her rivalry with Asuka, Karina's surname is Toyota as compared to Asuka's surname which is Honda.)

• Cathy Wild (キャシィ・ワイルド, Kyashii Wairudo) of the Pro-Wrestling Club (first appearance: Maxima BURNING Fest)

Voiced by: Urara Takano -> Urarahana Inoue. Cathy, an exchange student from a sister school in Florida, is a member of the pro-wrestling association. Her special moves involve pro-wrestling throws.

• Kiyoko Mitarai (御手洗清子) of the Softball Club (first appearance: Maxima BURNING Fest)

Voiced by: Yumi Yabuki -> Noriko Hidaka. Kiyoko is the softball club representative. Her special moves involve a sharply thrown underhand pitch.

• Nana Owada (小和田奈々) of the Japanese Dance Club (first appearance: Maxima BURNING Fest)

Voiced by: Miki Takahashi -> Yūmare Asakura. Nana is a Japanese dancing research society representative and the eldest daughter of notable house Owada. Her special moves involve attacking with her folded fan and her naginata.

• Shinobu Kawasaki (川崎忍) (first appearance: Special BURNING Fest)

Voiced by: Hiroka Nishizawa. Shinobu is a gang leader from another school. She intrudes on the brawl in order to get revenge on Tamaki Shindō (whom she had lost to previously) and clear her name. Her special moves are like a Qigong bullet called "Banchō bazooka" (meaning "gang leader bazooka"). Her design resembles that of Rei Ayanami and her moves and personality are somewhat of a parody of Akuma and Makoto Mizoguchi.

• Tetsuko Ōgigaya (扇ヶ谷鉄子) of the Chemistry Club (first appearance: Limited BURNING Fest)

Voiced by: Saeko Shimazu. Tetsuko is from the chemistry club. Since the chemistry club is winning though it usually loses most years, the senior who has an eye on middleclassman Asuka trains her intensively. Her special moves are similar to Asuka’s.

• Genichirō Shindō (新堂源一郎) (first appearance: Limited BURNING Fest)

Voiced by: Seizō Katō -> Daisuke Gōri. Genichirō is the principal. He uses special moves with names that are yojijukugo, such as "乾坤一擲" ("all or nothing").

• Ichiko Furutachi (古館伊知子) of the Journalism Club (first appearance: Final BURNING Fest)

Voiced by: Yūko Mizutani -> Kaoru Morota. Ichiko is the journalism club representative. She endeavors for real conditions but participates in "Final". Her special moves involve assaults with her microphone.^[4]

See also

• Phantom Breaker

References

External links

• ASUKA 120% BURNING ROOM (official website) (Japanese)
• SUCCESSS Corp's SuperLite 1500 version website (Japanese)
• Partial release list and screenshots of Asuka 120% at C-GAMES.INFO
• Asuka 120% series at Jap-Sai
• Asuka 120% Excellent Burning Fest. info
• Asuka 120% Burning Festival fansite