Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2

Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 (真・北斗無双, Shin Hokuto Musou) is the sequel to Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage. It was first announced at E3 2012 as the surprise mystery title. This title is one of the many IPs to celebrate Fist of the North Star's thirtieth anniversary.

The producer said this title adds more volume to the original concept. He believes that fans will appreciate the memorable reenactments of their favorite scenes, even striving to make several characters as faithful to the original source as possible. Everything is being revised from the first title to provide a "Warriors-like experience". Since he feels that this game is an in depth re-imagining of the original which better corresponds with fans' requests, he insisted on adding the "True" (真, shin) to the front of its Japanese name rather than giving it a numerical.

The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Treasure Box edition includes a visual storybook, an original soundtrack CD, a postcard calendar, a set of character stickers, and a Kenshiro shaped 4GB memory stick. Consumers who obtain the game early can obtain a downloadable code for Kenshiro's outfit during the Shura Country arc. A smartphone pouch is given to fans who reserve the title. The Legend Edition includes the game, the downloadable code, the smartphone pouch, and a special PS3 model with a matching wireless controller. People who purchase Shin Hokuto Musou from Gamecity Shopping obtain an original card set for any edition of the game. Xbox 360 users can prepay for their online pass for online content under an image of their choice: the game cover, Kenshiro, Raoh and Kaioh or Yuria, Mamiya, and Rin.

Due to budgeting issues, this game is limited to Japanese voice overs for overseas ports. America has the Xbox 360 version through retail, but the PS3 and WiiU version s will be digital download via their respective networks.

Gameplay

 * Unlike the first game, mobs will now spawn at a rate resembling other Warriors titles. The counterpart of this decision has huge aftermath on the overall metagame. It removes everything which made Ken's Rage unique and turns Ken's Rage 2 into a PS2 era Warriors games. Here is the in-depth list of all the changes:
 * The meter build and meter management is now almost inexistent. It is built very fast thanks to the high number of mooks on screen combined to the faster pace of the game, and so the player can spam musou attack (called signatue moves in this series) at a very fast rate (quite similar to Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires actually).
 * The meridian shock state is now obtain through a passive process. In the first game, each move has a meridian shock chance tied to it. The player has to find a way to land them against commanders/officers/bosses in order to maximize the damage of a signature move which are quite expansive because of the slow meter build/low number of mobs on screen. In Ken's Rage 2, the only way to put an opponent in meridian shock state is to wait for them to do a specific attack, make them miss, and then to land a fast attack during a tiny window. This feature makes all the commanders/bosses/officers generic, but moreover, the point of trying to put an opponent into meridian shock state is almost irrelevant since the player can use signature moves very often from now on.
 * The armor gauge of bulky commanders/officers and bosses (i.e: Mr Heart, Huighur or Boss Fang) is not present anymore. Now every major opponents can benefit from an armor mode and the player can't remove it since there is no armor gauge to deplete. This removes the usefulness of regular moves which were design to deplete armor gauge. This also removes uniqueness and identity of both playabe characters and majors opponents and makes the battles more similars in the process.
 * The guard gauge of tall bosses/commanders/officers is not present anymore. It removes the usefulness of every moves which were design to attack the guard gauge such as multi-hits like the hyakuretsu moves. It removes the individuality of both characters and opponents and makes the battles a bit more bland.
 * The jump is replaced by a dash ( / A), which removes two good crowd control moves (jumping strong attack and jumping charge attack). This makes sense since the game has a higher number of mobs on screen and the game designer might not want his game to rely on this. However the jump cancel is not replaced by a dash cancel feature. This means charging a move is now riskier (more enemies on screen and no way to cancel the charge) which forces the player to use only the charge attacks which are really effective (ie: the ones which knock a lot of people down). This makes the other charging moves useless. The ones which permit to put ennemies in meridian shock (the rule is changed), the ones which permit to attack guard gauge and those which permit to attack armor gauge.
 * Nanto characters can't perform "timely strike" in chaos difficulty anymore (which was their core gameplay), Nanto characters can only perform the counter version of the "timely strike" in lower/other difficulties (the chain combo is completely removed from the game). Nanto characters can't perform their Heightened Awareness crowd clearing jumping charge attack anymore (which were their core gameplays). Nanto characters can still use their built-in launcher (against non armor opponent) and they all have one signature move to go into Heightened Awareness mode from now on (only Thouzer benefits from that in the first game).
 * Bottom line: all the game revolves around one or two strings for a given character (crowd control and meter build) and using signature moves every now and then (which is exactly what Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires is). However there is a huge difference between Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 's battle system and the one from Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires. Ken's Rage 2 has lots of useless moves per character, while Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires has very small moveset and only one musou attack tied to a given character, but most of them are useful regarding the situations the player will met. Plus, this game has roll cancel to help the player dealing with the crowd (providing a better connectivity and fighting options), and a very customisable weapon system which involves elemental effect and magic, providing to this early PS3 era Warriors game a more advanced battle system than Ken's Rage 2 which was released in the late PS3 era.
 * Missions have individual rankings and are judged the moment the player completes them during a stage.
 * When boss characters are defeated, a comic panel will be used to frame the finale.
 * Character fighting styles (Hokuto, Nanto, and Special) remain but are more varied with the cast.
 * Characters now have a small animation for opening boxes in the field rather than simply attacking them in typical beat 'em up style.
 * Evasion has changed to be a shorter animation of the character slightly shifting their body away from an enemy attack. It is now assigned to the X/A button. Counterattacks whilst evading are also available. Like One Piece: Pirate Warriors, dashing is performed by holding down this button. It's possible to cancel into a sprint after attacks.
 * This is one of the two button change to the game's previous controls, and it removes the jumping from the player's normal controls. Jumping can only be performed in specific situations dictated by the game. Koinuma stated that there are still attacks the player can perform to send characters airbone. The second change is L2/LT which is now the Taunt button, there´s no Spirit Aura activation now.
 * Character growth in this game requires players to collect five stat items found throughout stages to alter their character's stats. These items affect the following stats: Health, Spirit, Attack, Defense, and Special Techniques. Once these items are obtained, players can edit their characters' capabilities in or outside of battle by equipping these items in an assorted order. Characters' abilities are now presented in a linear chart but unlocking skills in a consolidated manner can unlock hidden bonuses.
 * The Wii U version will not have gameplay controls compatible with the GamePad.
 * Downloadable content will include costumes, three playable characters, and new scenarios in the game's Dream Mode; they are different items than the original game.

Legend Mode
The Legend Mode includes events from both arcs of the main series. The first story arc has more stories and characters than were featured in the previous title.

Similar to One Piece: Pirate Warriors, story cutscenes quote the comic directly and switch between panel-by-panel audio animatics or in-game cutscenes. Events have been altered to be more seamless than the original game. Quick Time Events can happen in the midst of cutscenes and boss battles. These additions strive to mimic canonical events within the comic. Penalties for failing QTEs vary on the stage; sometimes the boss will recover their health with a strength buff or the chance for a quick kill is missed and the fight resumes normally.

Like Dynasty Warriors 7, in-game cutscenes may automatically determine which character the player can use in each stage.

Dream Mode
Similar to the first game with different scenarios for the returning cast. Players complete various scenarios within one of the following episode sub-headings:
 * Hokuto Shinken - Kenshiro, Raoh, Toki, and Jagi. Focuses on the four brothers' fight to become Ryuken's successor, and their lives after the nuclear war. Includes comic faithful flashbacks and other scenes with Yuria.
 * Nanto Seiken - Thouzer, Rei, Shuu, Juda, Shin, and Fudoh. Depicts relations between the six fighters and how each chose separate paths in the wake of the war.
 * Hokuto Ryuken - Shachi, Hyoh and Kaioh. Tells the stories of how these Hokuto Ryuken fighters came to be on the Shura island and their adventures outside Shura.
 * Lone Fighters - Juza, Falco, Ein, Mamiya, and Ryuga. Individual stories for select fighters of the age, each detailing their background and their part in the game's setting.
 * Hokuto Army - original scenario centering on an adult Bat and Rin being teleported to the past. They face departed heroes to improve themselves.
 * Other

Each character has their original story and endings. Intro and outro cutscenes follow the same type of structure as Legend Mode. They can either follow their story or use play another scenario ala Free Mode.

When the player completes a specific set of missions for a stage in this mode, they can unlock it for online two player co-op. Players can also play in an online tag team mode, or form two four-man teams and compete amongst themselves to clear missions in a stage. Similar to Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3, victorious online matches offer more stat items and bonuses than playing solo.

Gallery
Gallery mode which keeps and catalogs earned movies and scenarios for repeated viewings.

Characters
There are twenty playable characters in the game, not including DLC. According to the producer's comments, more supporting characters have been included to properly dramatize and reenact scenes from the comic. The characters he wanted to focus on were Thouzer and Ein; Hara was enthusiastic for Falco.

Raoh Arc

 * Kenshiro - playable
 * Bat
 * Rin
 * Yuria
 * Zeed
 * Outlaw - playable
 * Misumi
 * Spade
 * Heart - playable
 * Shin - playable
 * Mad Sarge
 * Colonel
 * Toyo
 * Taki
 * Jackal
 * Fox
 * Devil Rebirth
 * Rei - playable
 * Mamiya - playable
 * Koh
 * Fang Clan
 * Airi
 * Jagi - playable
 * Ryuken
 * Toki - playable
 * Amiba - playable DLC
 * Raoh - playable
 * Raiga and Fuga
 * Uighur the Warden
 * Zarqa and Qasim
 * Juda - playable
 * Shew - playable
 * Shiva
 * Thouzer - playable
 * Ohgai
 * Huey
 * Shuren
 * Rihaku
 * Fudo - playable
 * Juza - playable
 * Ryuga - playable

Celestial Emperor Arc

 * Kenshiro
 * Bat (adult) - playable
 * Rin (adult) - playable
 * Ein - playable
 * Asuka
 * Harn Brothers
 * Solia
 * Falco - playable
 * Jako
 * Jask
 * Shiino
 * Rui
 * Myu

Shura Country Arc

 * Akashachi
 * Nameless Shura - playable DLC
 * Shachi - playable
 * Leia
 * Tao
 * Jukei
 * Alf
 * Keiser
 * Han - playable DLC
 * Sayaka
 * Hyou - playable
 * Kaioh - playable
 * Kuroyasha

Bat and Rin's Arc

 * Mamiya
 * Bolge

Spin-offs

 * Pachinko CR Shin Hokuto Musou - by Sammy; promotional song: AHEAD by VAMPS

Related Media
Koei held a press meeting to celebrate the game's completion for the media with the comic creators (Tetsuo Hara and Horie Nobuhiko), Hisashi Koinuma, and Youichi Erikawa as guests. It was a simultaneous live web broadcast at Nico Nico Live. Interested consumers could also try a trial version of the game in various Japan outlets throughout December. Residents in Japan can use the QR codes from the game's giant posters to obtain custom PlayStation themes.

4Gamer Radio reported on the game for their 142nd episode. Interested fans can view their gameplay footage for the broadcast on Niconico Video.

The first guidebook includes a PS3 only bonus for Japanese consumers which completely unlocks Kenshiro's skill chart. The same serial is also within the second guidebook, which includes data regarding characters and events in Dream Mode.

Players who purchase the February 2013 issue of Comic ZENON can obtain a serial code for a red version of Kenshiro's Shura outfit. It's a partial tie-in with the magazine's side story for Heart. Readers of this issue can enter a present campaign for a chance to win autographs of the game's voice actors, a copy of the game, or a postcard. It's a simultaneous collaboration with Weekly Famitsu.

Steak & Hamburger Ken restaurant chain will be offering a Shin Hokuto Musou themed menu for consumers. Customers who order the two featured dishes will obtain stamps depending on the amount of meat they choose to purchase for their meal. Stamps can be collected onto a card and can be exchanged for a chance to win prizes. 3,000 contestants can win a character card. Rarer prizes include a copy of the game, the Treasure Box edition of the game, or their preferred home console (PS3, Xbox 360, WiiU) and the game. The campaign ends on December 28.

Once both products are available, players of 100man-nin no Hokuto Musou can exchange serial codes and passwords between the two mediums.

Image Song

 * ROCK YOUR SOUL
 * Performed by V6

* Used for the ending credits and commercials.