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I am a huge fan of fighting games,and there is one series that has a special place in my heart: Blazblue. Ever since I played Calamity Trigger on PSP  I fell in love with it, the gameplay, the characters, the music everything came together to give birth to one of the most beloved franchises of Arc System Works.Fast forward 3 games( Continuum Shift II PSP, CS Extend Vita, Chrono Phantasma Vita) and know we have the definitive version of the 2014 entry Chrono Phantasma. As the name implies Chrono Phantasma Extend, is a version that included several gameplay changes kept over from the 2.0 update of the Arcade version of the original. It features the playable inclusion of Celica A. Mercury, as well as the reintroduction of Lambda N.11 as a standalone playable character. So for me its the complete package, and while I like playing on home consoles, the portability of the PSVita version is unbeatable.

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Blazblue is a series unlike any other I have ever played before. Most fighting games are more focused on the combos and action( there is plenty of combos and fast paced fights here), but they left the story of why you want to beat down everyone on your path, to something simple and sometimes it lacks more depth, and you are often wondering how this came to be?.That is not the case in Blazblue, it has a good story to tell and in this installment it ties all loose ends in previous games, without spoiling much I was surprised to find out who was “Bloodedge”.Also the Extend stories of Kagura, Bullet and Kokonoe are a good way to know the backgrounds of these characters.I strongly recommend to play the Arcade Mode first with all characters before trying the Story Mode since both modes are intertwined in regards to the story as a whole. Blazblue Chrono Phantasma Extend offers a lot to do and for newcomers to the series, the Training Mode is a must.Not only it covers the basics of combat but also covers each of the 28 characters basic strategies as well as intermediate and advance techniques.Another great addition to the game itself is the Stylish mode(yep it is), is a special mode that is catered to novice players, that have no experience with fighting games.Everything from Specials to Distortion Drives are performed with a push of a button and a direction, so the novice players can be on a even ground with the more experienced ones, and ultimately have fun as I believe that is the purpose of the game.

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Speaking of Story BBCPEX features a HUGE amount of it, I personally like the “Teach me more, Miss Litchi!”Here you’ll have super-deformed (SD) characters go over the game’s lore in a comedic fashion.I love also how Taokak(THE BEST CHARACTER MEOW!!) can’t remember anything at all not even the names of the cast, but she remembers all of their nicknames, Good Guy(Ragna), Lacking Lady(Noel), Shorty(Carl), Scruffy Man( Bang) and so forth, this mode is a great way to learn all of the story in a funny way. There is also the “Remix Heart Gaiden” and has a separate story taking place in the military academy with a different protagonist.So you have a lot to look forward to in regards of “Side Stories”.

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For this game though, “Chrono Phantasma” are The Phantoms of Time; they are those who possess a different future from the one they originally should have.The story takes quite some time to pick up but once it does, it’s very entertaining. It has a variety of scenes so it isn’t all non-stop action; there’s plenty of humor, sadness, mystery, and yes – even a dose of “fan service”. Moving on the actual fighting,the different modes here contain the standard fighting game modes you’d expect. The Arcade mode has you fight a certain arrangement of characters depending on which character you choose. Versus lets you fight one on one against a character of choice. Ad-Hoc allows you to face other people via local wireless. Score Attack has you compete for a high score on the leaderboards. Abyss mode is something that most won’t be familiar with. Here you’ll defeat waves of enemies while being able to strengthen your character’s stats along the way. You’ll continue descending until you reach the bottom level of Kagutsuchi. Unlimited Mars Mode is Arcade mode but with very intelligent AI, and lastly Highlander Assault Mode is a special mode where you face off with the final boss from story mode. Unlike story mode though, you’ll be able to choose whichever character you want to tackle him with. Network Mode. Here is where you’ll go online and face off with other players. You can choose between Ranked Matches or Player Matches. In ranked matches, you’ll queue up and wait for someone to challenge you – pretty simple stuff. Player matches though, take place in lobbies. These lobbies are customizable by the host and you’re able to challenge players, chat, and spectate battles.

Now for those of you who like to 100% everything the Gallery Mode is for you, several items unlock as you progress through the game, such as Arcade Endings and such, here you can also buy Art made by the developers, and Fan Art received during the development process, as well Unlimited Characters (Bad-ass versions of all the cast) and Stages, so there is a lot of diversity and ways to spend your earned P$.

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Bottom Line Blazblue Chrono Phantasma Extend is the definitive version, and I am glad I got to play it on the PS VITA, it has a great and complete story, a intuitive battle system, with mechanics that allow even beginners to enjoy the game, great music, it plays and looks beautiful. And being able to play it on the go is the deal breaker. I definitely recommend it to anyone wanting a dose of action on the PS VITA.

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