Last week we took a look at Bubble Bobble as a likely candidate for Xbox Live Arcade. This week: Power Stone. One of the first games released for SEGA's ill fated Dreamcast, Power Stone was a gorgeous and innovative fighter in it's day. Part Smash Brothers and part Jackie Chan, Power Stone allowed players to use anything and everything to win a fight. Of course, the eponymous power stones were a big help as well. Read on to see why this overlooked Capcom classic would make a great addition to Live Arcade.Filled with bright and colorful characters with names like WangTang, Power Stone was anything but typical. The beauty of Power Stone was the amount of freedom it offered its players. Weapons of all kinds littered the playing field. Items like swords, flame throwers, rocket launchers, squeaky hammers, ray guns, and what I affectionately referred to as the "pokey stick" -- a magical red staff that extended across the entire arena. Another feature that set Power Stone apart was its complete 3D movement. Players were allowed to run in any direction, hang from the ceiling, climb pillars, run up stairs, and set off myriad traps and events. Environmental items even served as weapons. Players could grab chairs, pots, benches, almost everything -- stronger characters could even rip out pillars and clear out a whole room with one swing. And that's before we get to the power stones themselves. Once a player obtained all three stones, which appear at certain intervals, they were instantly transformed into a super powerful version of themselves, capable of dealing "massive damage." As one would expect, once someone got all the power stones, the match was usually over.
Power Stone 2, which unfortunately got even less attention than its prequel, brought four player matches and dynamic stages to the mix. Keeping track of three other players and the ever changing levels was no easy task, but it was always a blast. It's this frenetic fun that makes Power Stone a great candidate for XBLA. The only thing keeping it back could be the 50 Meg size limit (how much space does a UMD have anyway?). Still, if Gastronaut can give us four player action with beautiful backdrops in Small Arms, we're convinced Capcom could at least make a special version of Power Stone just for XBLA. If nothing else, they could get some guaranteed sales out of jaded Dreamcast fans like me. Give us leaderboards, team play, and local multiplayer. Come on Capcom. Step up to the plate.
Do you think this is a good candidate? Think Power Stone is craptacular? Let us know in the comments. And don't forget to include your submission for next week's "That should be on XBLA."
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