History VideoGame / BattleArenaToshinden

''Battle Arena Toshinden'' (simply titled ''Toshinden'' in Japan) is ''the'' first 3D {{fighting game}} franchise where every character toted a weapon of some sort (the first series to do it in 2D was ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown''). It was considered a {{killer app}} when it was released as a UsefulNotes/PlayStation launch title, and Creator/{{Sony}} promoted it heavily. However, as the years passed by, it got left in the dust, as it was upstaged by other 3D fighting game franchises such as the ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'', ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'', and the ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul]]'' series, who continued to innovate and refine their gameplay while ''Toshinden'' remained stagnant. Not quite as fondly remembered as it was back then, but still worth a look.

The series also has a 2D UsefulNotes/GameBoy port. Unlike [[PortingDisaster other fighting game ports was released on the Game Boy]], it's [[PolishedPort actually quite good and entertaining]]. It includes all the 8 playable characters from the first game and 4 bosses (Gaia, Gaia II, Sho, and Uranus). [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic The background music is also outstanding to say the least]]. One weird fact that distinguish it from other 2D fighting games is that keeps its ''Ring Out'' feature from the 3D games, but it's made in such a way it doesn't break the game balance (you've a 3 points ''Ring Out'' meter; until it gets emptied you don't fall). If you have time in your hands, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8pxUyuwrW4 give it a look,]] it's worth it.

In 2009, the series had gotten a {{spiritual successor}} for the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} in the form of ''War Budokai'' (simply titled ''Toshinden'' in Japan, but spelled with different kanji characters[[note]]the original [=PlayStation=] games are titled 闘神伝, while the Wii version is 闘真伝[[/note]]), a weapons-based arena fighter with heavy anime influences which also incorporate skills such as {{summon magic}}.

* GaidenGame: ''Battle Arena Toshinden URA'' for the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn.

''Battle Arena Toshinden'' (simply titled ''Toshinden'' in Japan) is ''the'' first 3D {{fighting game}} franchise where every character toted a weapon of some sort (the first series to do it in 2D was ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown''). It was considered a {{killer app}} when it was released as a UsefulNotes/PlayStation launch title, and Sony promoted it heavily. However, as the years passed by, it got left in the dust, as it was upstaged by other 3D fighting game franchises such as the ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'', ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'', and the ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul]]'' series, who continued to innovate and refine their gameplay while ''Toshinden'' remained stagnant. Not quite as fondly remembered as it was back then, but still worth a look.

The first two games received PC ports in 1996 and 1997, respectively. The PC versions were basically identical to the Playstation versions, with the graphics beefed up a bit (provided you had a 3Dfx card) and network play included. Unfortunately, due to the limitations of PC gamepads at the time, the original's gameplay is rather stripped down compared to that of the Playstation original if you play with a native gamepad and is very clunky when played with a keyboard. Luckily, playing on Dosbox with the keyboard controls mapped to a modern PC gamepad more-or-less solves this problem.

* DressedLikeADominatrix: In the first game, Sofia wears a black leather leotard, thigh-high high-heeled boots, opera gloves, a choker, and a ponytail. She wields a whip. The ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' is a spiritual successor to ''Battle Arena Toshinden'', so the similarities aren't coincidental.

* ExcusePlot: Surprisingly the series was one of the first in fighting games to gradually try to append this by having story modes past the first title. Too bad it's mostly character motivations and why some characters dislike eachother, as it's still fairly threadbare for an excuse to have tournaments so [[LetsYouAndHimFight everyone battles each other.]] Even with more narrative focus in ''4'' it still boils down to a small roster of characters forming teams for their own goals and beating the crap out of one another again.
* {{Fanservice}}: When the a large amount of the female cast is some level of {{Stripperific}}, packing a MinidressOfPower or LeotardOfPower, and have characters like [[MsFanservice Sophia]] spearheading the game's advertising, you can tell the series indulges in a bit of this. Official art isn't shy of a PantyShot or highlighting AbsoluteCleavage, either.

** In ''Toshinden 2'', Chaos had some secret moves via {{some dexterity required}} commands that are blatant references to other fighting games, usually something made by Creator/{{SNK}} (the specific special moves that Chaos does includes [[VideoGame/FatalFury Terry Bogard]]'s Power Geyser, [[VideoGame/ArtOfFighting Ryo Sakazaki]]'s Haoh Shoko Ken, [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Kyo Kusanagi]]'s Serpent Wave, and [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Iori Yagami]]'s Dark Thrust).

* ExcusePlot: Surprisingly the series was one of the first in fighting games to gradually try to append this by having story modes past the first title. Too bad it's mostly character motivations and why some characters dislike eachother, as it's still fairly threadbare for an excuse to have tournaments so [[LetsYouAndHimFight everyone battles eachother.]] Even with more narrative focus in ''4'' it still boils down to a small roster of characters beating the crap out of each other for basic reasons.

* {{Fanservice}}: When the a large amount of the female cast is some level of Stripperific, packing a MinidressOfPower or LeotardOfPower, and have characters like [[MsFanservice Sophia]] spearheading the game's advertising, you can tell the series indulges in a bit of this.

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: In the first game.

* DualWielding: Several characters (Tracy and Rachael with their [[DualTonfas tonfas]], Ellis with her [[DeviousDaggers daggers]], and Vermilion with his Peacemaker and a ''[[SawedOffShotgun shotgun]]'').

* DualWielding: Several characters (Tracy and Rachael with their [[DualTonfas tonfas]], Ellis with her [[KnifeNut daggers]], and Vermilion with his Peacemaker and a ''[[SawedOffShotgun shotgun]]'').

** The Sega Saturn received a port of the first game titled ''Battle Arena Toshinden Remix'' (''Toshinden S'' in Japan), which added an extra character named Cupido to the roster and a story mode which had helped fleshed out a few details about the fighters' own character backgrounds. It was so graphically worse then the [=PS1=] version, that it virtually proved the Saturn was the weaker machine overnight -- a ''really'' bad move for Sega (as better looking 3D fighting games, such as ''[[VideoGame/VirtuaFighter Virtua Fighter 2]]'' and ''VideoGame/FightingVipers'' were later released).

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/battle_arena_toshinden_2_jap.jpg]]

* AdaptationalHeroism: Fo Fai in TheAnimeOfTheGame, in which in the games themselves, he is a seemingly friendly old man and traveling magician who is actually a SerialKiller who would gladly kill anyone ForTheEvulz. While the OVA did follow the first part of Fo Fai's personality, it had downplayed the second part as he is seen with the other Toshinden fighters in the big fight against the Secret Society. Though granted, it was highly implied that he had only did it [[EnemyMine just to get back at the Secret Society for trying to attack him earlier in the OVA]].

* AdaptationalModesty: Sofia seems to play this trope really straight at first in TheAnimeOfTheGame, when we first see her greeting Eiji in her debut scene wearing a rather large shirt that covers most of her body. Though this gets subverted later on when she gets a brief full-frontal nudity scene in the shower, then when she gets [[{{Brainwashed}} mind-controlled]] by Uranus and tries to attack Eiji, she is seen in her usual MsFanservice attire.

* MovesetClone: Eiji and Kayin have the same basic moveset (Rekku [=Zan/Sonic Slash=] and [=Hishouzan/Deadly Raise=]) although with a few differences. Sho functions as the "Akuma" character, with more powerful versions of all of both characters' moves.

** Toshinden 2:

** Toshinden 3:

* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Surprisingly flat out averted in the English voice work in Battle Arena Toshinden Remix's story mode in which all Asian & European characters have their respective region's accents. Granted the accents were generally not well received but still.

* {{Shotoclone}}: Eiji and his brother Sho; Kayin; Mondo; and their clones.
** Eiji and Kayin even ''do'' look like Ryu and Ken with swords, to boot.

** In some offical artwork, Abel looks ''a lot'' like [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure Dio]].

The series also has a 2D UsefulNotes/GameBoy port. Unlike [[PortingDisaster other fighting game ports was released on the Game Boy]], it's [[PolishedPort actually quite good and entertaining]]. It includes all the 8 playable characters from the first game and 4 bosses (Gaia, Gaia II, Sho, and Uranus). [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome The background music is also outstanding to say the least]]. One weird fact that distinguish it from other 2D fighting games is that keeps its ''Ring Out'' feature from the 3D games, but it's made in such a way it doesn't break the game balance (you've a 3 points ''Ring Out'' meter; until it gets emptied you don't fall). If you have time in your hands, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8pxUyuwrW4 give it a look,]] it's worth it.

* AdaptationalHeroism: Fo Fai in TheAnimeOfTheGame, in which in the games, he is a seemingly friendly old man and traveling magician who is actually a SerialKiller who would gladly kill anyone ForTheEvulz. While the OVA did follow the first part of Fo Fai's personality, it had downplayed the second part as he is seen with the other Toshinden fighters in the big fight against the Secret Society. Though granted, it was highly implied that he had only did it [[EnemyMine just to get back at the Secret Society for trying to attack him earlier in the OVA]].
** Eiji and Kayin are technically this as well, since while Eiji is the franchise's [[TheProtagonist main protagonist]] and Kayin is his [[HeterosexualLifePartners best friend]] and [[TheRival rival]], the two of them do have their own personality flaws from within the games themselves (Eiji being a JerkWithAHeartOfGold and Kayin being a KnightInSourArmor), thus both Eiji and Kayin are substantially nicer and more heroic in the OVA. And while the second part of the OVA did state that the reason of why the other Toshinden fighters had pulled a BigDamnHeroes and help aided Eiji, Kayin, Sofia, and Tracy was because they had just wanted to get back at the Secret Society. Namely how the OVA did try to point out that the Toshinden fighters are for the most part acquaintances than allies. Though that being said Eiji did help Rungo (getting his battered body back to his family to take care of him) & Sonia (seeking her out to warn her about the Organization that is coming after the Toshinden fighters.)
* AdaptationalModesty: Sonia seems to play this really straight at first in TheAnimeOfTheGame when we first see her greeting Eiji in her debut scene wearing a rather large shirt that covers most of her body. Though this gets subverted when she gets a brief full frontal nudity scene in the shower then when she gets mind controlled and tries to attack Eiji she is seen in her usual MsFanservice attire.
** Ellis on the other hand plays this straight in the OVA as she looks even younger and is flat-chested unlike how she was in the Games.

* AdaptationalHeroism: Fo Fai in TheAnimeOfTheGame in which in the games he is a seemingly friendly old man and traveling performer who is actually a serial killer who would gladly kill anyone ForTheEvulz. While the OVA did follow the first part it downplayed the latter as he is seem with the other Toshinden fighters in the big fight against the Organization. Though granted it was highly implied that he only did it [[EnemyMine just to get back at the Organization for trying to attack him earlier in the OVA]].
** Eiji & Kayin are technically this as well since while Eiji is the franchise's {{Protagonist}} and Kayin is his best friend they are substantially nicer & more heroic in the OVA. And while Episode 2 did state that the reason why the other Toshinden fighters pulled a BigDamnHeroes and aided Eiji, Kayin & Sonia was because they just wanted to get back at the Organization. Namely how the OVA did try to point out that the Toshinden fighters are for the most part acquaintances than allies. Though that being said Eiji did help Rungo (getting his battered body back to his family to take care of him) & Sonia (seeking her out to warn her about the Organization that is coming after the Toshinden fighters.)

* AdaptationalHero: Fo Fai in TheAnimeOfTheGame in which in the games he is a seemingly friendly old man and traveling performer who is actually a serial killer who would gladly kill anyone ForTheEvulz. While the OVA did follow the first part it downplayed the latter as he is seem with the other Toshinden fighters in the big fight against the Organization. Though granted it was highly implied that he only did it [[EnemyMine just to get back at the Organization for trying to attack him earlier in the OVA]].

*** Uranus wins the tournament, having slain all of her opposition. As she kills off Master, she takes on as the next "Master", and moves in on planning on taking over the everyday world.

The series also has a 2D [[{{Game Boy}} Game Boy port]]. Unlike [[PortingDisaster other fighting game ports was released on the Game Boy]], it's [[PolishedPort actually quite good and entertaining]]. It includes all the 8 playable characters from the first game and 4 bosses (Gaia, Gaia II, Sho, and Uranus). [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome The background music is also outstanding to say the least]]. One weird fact that distinguish it from other 2D fighting games is that keeps its ''Ring Out'' feature from the 3D games, but it's made in such a way it doesn't break the game balance (you've a 3 points ''Ring Out'' meter; until it gets emptied you don't fall). If you have time in your hands, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8pxUyuwrW4 give it a look,]] it's worth it.