Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel

Even though I still have no idea who most of these characters are, that didn't end up mattering to me in the end. Nitroplus Blasterz is a fast, smooth, strategic, and generally enjoyable fighting game that has found a happy medium between accessibility and depth. Provided a decent-sized community builds around the game, this is a fighter I could see myself enjoying for a long time to come.

Unfortunately for Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel, its single player content is so threadbare that, more than ever, like-minded friends are essential in order to enjoy the game to its middling potential, and even then, any online sessions will most likely be scuppered by the wonky netcode. It's messy, it can look bad, and it feels incomplete, but beneath all of this is core gameplay that isn't without merit – if only for the most hardcore of Nitroplus' fighting game fans.

In the end, those who are more familiar with works of Nitroplus will get the most out of Nitroplus Blasterz (shockingly enough), but even those with no prior knowledge of the included franchises should easily be able to enjoy it.

On the whole, Nitroplus Blasterz Heroines Infinite Duel is a quality 2D fighter, even if it lacks the narrative in needed and the characterisation that would have made it more effective as fanservice. All I can recommend is that you give the game a chance until you've managed to topple the boss, because from that point on you'll probably find yourself with a game that has a combat system you'll quite enjoy.

Nitroplus Blasterz Heroines Infinite Duel is a massive step backwards in the world of fighting games like this. Cast your minds back to the 90's with classics like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Tekken and you'll find much better, much more playable games than this. Although a well drawn, well presented game - it lacks so much with its gameplay and what little story there is, it is a massive let down.

Overall, Nitroplus Blasterz probably won't make it into your top list of fighting games, but it certainly has its own charm. The story mode is challenging but not difficult (until the last boss; she is absolutely brutal) and offers a story line for each character, the Another Story is interesting, if not overly complicated, and each character has their own play style, which makes it fun to try out each of the characters. While the game certainly lacks in any form of tutorial, and the music and stages can get repetitive, the gameplay is solid and it was definitely fun to see all my favorite niche characters duke it out with each other. If you're a niche Nitroplus fan, this is definitely a game you may want to pick up, although fighting veterans and newer players to the 2D fighting style might not be able to get into it too easily.

While the fighting mechanics and especially the assist feature in the game are very well done, if you don't have another person to play with, you're going to have about three hours of fun until you're left with nothing to do.

While I can't speak for the fighting game specialists or professionals out there, for the general gaming public, Nitroplus Blasterz is definitely a title that's worth a look.

When you boil it down to its very core, Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel struggles to find its footing in the vast ocean of available fighting titles. There's a fast-paced, casual title to be found here, with a wide roster of uniquely designed, beautifully stylized characters and supporting abilities.

A well-presented - if misjudged- presentation based on an obscure IP with a fresh feeling graphic style that is often bogged down by the lack of relevant additional modes and an online play system which is better left untouched. Excessive action, revealing costumes and an additional story mode are not enough to save this average fighter from a destiny of mediocrity.