is a 2D fighting video game developed by Arc System Works and published by Sammy Corporation. Announced by Arc in September, it was released on December 17, 2003, in arcades as the sixth installment of the Guilty Gear series. Later, the game was ported for a release on the PlayStation 2 (PS2), Xbox, and Windows in Japan. The PS2 version was brought to North America by Sammy, and, in Europe, the home console version was released by 505 Game Street and the PC version by Zoo Digital Publishing.
While the gameplay remained almost the same as in previous titles, the game introduced a four-player battle mode, and the PS2 and Xbox version included new features to the series, including a scrolling adventure, a customization mode, and two new characters. Guilty Gear Isuka received mixed critical reviews. It was praised for its visual, music and customization features. However, although some aspects of the new gameplay—such as the two fighting planes and the turn button—were praised as original, their implementation was criticized. The removal of features present in previous titles was also not well received by critics.
Gameplay
Combat system
The basic gameplay system of Guilty Gear Isuka is like the other games in the series. Unlike previous games, it features a "turn" button, since a character does not automatically turn around if its opponent moves to the other side of the screen. Each character (or team) starts a fight with at least a "soul"; when a character life bar is emptied, its life is filled while the player lost a soul. If the life is depleted when the player has no souls, it is defeated.
Modes
thumb|left|alt=Busy video game screen, with four characters shooting at once|Guilty Gear Isuka is the first game in the series to allow four characters to appear onscreen at the same time. [[HUD (video gaming)|HUD features (from top to down): the character's health, the burst gauge, and the tension gauge. The character's "souls" lie on the side of the burst gauge.]]
The game introduces a four-player option in Versus Mode, giving a player four characters who can fight two-on-two, three-on-one or everyone-for-themselves. There are two fighting planes, one in the foreground and the other behind it.
Another innovation was Boost Mode: a two-player, side-scrolling, arcade-style beat 'em up mode not included in the arcade version, in which a player fights enemy waves to accumulate items, health and experience. For the Xbox, this mode was adapted for online play with Xbox Live, supporting up to 16 players. Experience points from Boost Mode can be used in the new Robo-Ky II Factory mode, in which a player can customize a robot named Robo-Ky II by teaching him moves, combos, or one of 65 special attacks from other characters. In addition to the attacks, other aspects such as jump height, offense, defense, recovery time, tension, and speed can be improved. Three characters were added to the PlayStation 2 edition: A.B.A, Robo-Ky, and Robo-Ky II.
Development and release
In September 2003, Sammy Corporation announced that a new game dubbed Guilty Gear X Series The Newest Version would be featured at the Japan Amusement Machinery Manufacturers Association (JAMMA) arcade show; at the show, the company revealed that Guilty Gear Isuka would be the game's name. "In Guilty Gear Isuka we want to satisfy existing fighter fans with new content and never-before-seen innovations. We also want to reach out to mainstream fans to show them that, right now, the envelope in fighting games is also being pushed in two dimensions", declared Tim Pivnicny, senior VP of Sammy Studios, Inc. A PlayStation 2 version of the game was announced to be in development on March 3, 2004. An August 24 announcement said that the game would be compatible with Xbox.
Guilty Gear Isuka was released in Japan on December 17, 2003, by Sammy for the Atomiswave arcade cabinets, followed by the PlayStation 2 version on July 29, 2004. and Sourcenext released the game for Windows on November 25, 2005. In North America, Guilty Gear Isuka was released by Sammy for PlayStation 2 on November 2, 2004. In Europe, 505 Games Street released it on June 16, 2005, for PlayStation 2, and the PC version was released on April 7, 2006, by Zoo Digital Publishing (now Zushi Games). DotEmu also released Guilty Gear Isuka on its DRM-free shop in April 2011. On January 16, 2014, the game was released on the Steam digital distribution platform for Windows PCs. In 2020, a homebrew conversion was released for the Dreamcast.