If you follow me on Tumblr or Twitter then you probably saw me talking about United States-based gaming magazine Game Informer shutting down after 33 years. GameStop, who owns GI magazine, has been shitting the bed for a while now, so this didn’t surprise me a whole lot. The closure itself was painfully sudden though, with many staff working on GI posting on Twitter about how shocked they were when they all suddenly got laid off. My heart goes out to them, truly. IGN wrote an article about the closure that you can read here: ign.com/articles/game-informer-to-shut-down-after-33-years

That said, I have a ton of Game Informer issues laying around, ranging from my oldest issue, issue 150 (October 2005), to 298 (February 2018).

This isn’t all of them.

Physical magazines are appealing to me; it’s nice reading something that’s not on a screen, and GI’s reviews always felt relatively fair. They always had other interesting articles around the reviews for stuff I’d’ve never gone out of my way to learn about otherwise, like interviews with talent from the gaming industry, the history of certain consoles, or concept sketches for mainboards.

Hearing about the closure of Game Informer got me thinking it’d be interesting hauling these things out and sifting through them for Guilty Gear reviews. Retromags actually dropped me a line over on Twitter letting me know about their Game Informer scans archive that went up not long after GI announced its closure. Big thank you to them and bogusfrank over on the Retromags website for saving me the effort of having to scan my own issues. Any scans in this newsletter will be from their archive. Be sure to give them thanks either over on Twitter or on the Retromags website itself, if you have an account. They do good work.

This newsletter is a little different from the Guilty Gear community roundup lists I usually do, but I’ve been taking a bit of a break from GG lately and don’t know when my next roundup list will be. It seemed like a fun idea to write an actual newsletter article for once.

Guilty Gear: The Missing Link (1998) //

The first Guilty Gear… This game’s development was rocky and led to it getting delayed several times. The official North American release was October 31, 1998, but it didn’t show up in Game Informer until December ‘98 issue, 68. I couldn’t find anything about its NA release being delayed. It’s not unlikely it was though.

December 1998, issue 68.

If you thought 2D fighters were through, or couldn't be done well on the PlayStation, think again. We don't know how, but Guilty Gear boasts some serious character animation. They look nearly as good as a Capcom Saturn fighter with a cart upgrade. The game itself is rooted in the 4-button style of Samurai Shodown, but with many new concepts. The biggest one is the instant-kill move. Using a universal move, players can kill their opponents with one movement. However, the other player can always counter, unless dizzy. This game is for old-school 2D-loving combo junkies. If you have ever played and loved the Neo Geo fighters, then you must buy this game. You'll thank us.

• Size: 1 CD-ROM
• Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting
• Special Features: 13 Characters (10, Plus 3 Hidden): 2D Fighting; Lots of Animation; Instant Kills; Combo Mania
• Replay Value: High
• Created by: Arc System/Team Neo Blood for Atlus
• Available: Now for PlayStation
Bottom Line: 8.25

“Replay Value: High,” 8.25 rating. Not bad! The compliment on the graphics makes me wonder if Team Neo Blood (later, Team Red) ever looked back and was glad they switched to 2D hand drawn sprites from the 3D computer-generated ones they had in the April ‘96 and October ‘95 issues of Dengeki PlayStation magazine.

What could have been. From the Oct. ‘95 Dengeki PS issue.

Guilty Gear X (2001) //

Another one reviewed a few months after release (September 30, 2001 - October 2001).

December 2001, issue 104.

Not only does Guilty Gear X not push the 2D fighter envelope, it doesn't even give it the slightest nudge. Hell, it doesn't even throw the envelope a nasty glare. It's okay due to its reliance on proven genre standards, but there are many better prospects in the PlayStation 2 field. Since it's especially weak in the singles game, consider purchasing Guilty Gear X only if you and a friend want to go at it. -Jay

■ Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting
■ Publisher: Sammy
■ Release: October 9
■ Rating: 6

6 out of 10. Ouch!

Guilty Gear X Advance Edition (2002) //

They did a “second opinion” for this one, which was unexpected. This was the GGX “port” for the Gameboy Advance that might as well have been an entirely different game.

August 2002, issue 112.

The first review:

After only fifteen minutes, I finished Guilty Gear X without losing. Now, I know my fighting game skills are beyond most gamers’ (just ask my official punching bag, Justin), but I had no idea they reached such a dominating level! In all seriousness though, Guilty Gear X presents absolutely no challenge, even on the hardest difficulty setting. Players unfamiliar with the series can easily pick up Advance Edition, mash buttons, and win without any problems. The new modes such as Tag Match and 3-on-3 add variety, but still cannot compensate for this fundamental problem. Despite the serious setback, however, Sammy reproduced Guilty Gear X’s gameplay on GBA almost perfectly. Every move is simple to perform, and all of those high-hitting combos are a cinch to execute. Plus, since Sammy originally designed Guilty Gear X as a four-button game, it’s probably the most playable portable fighter around. Overall, Guilty Gear X offers the deepest combat system among the competition, making it the best fighting game on GBA for two players. But, due to the shoddy AI, it’s only a mediocre single player experience. Also, if you overvalue superficialities, you might not like the way Guilty Gear X looks or sounds. -Chet

■ Concept: A fighting game that resembles Capcom's Versus titles, but for GBA!
■ Graphics: The game looks okay at best. Although it doesn't bother me, the graphics aren't very impressive
■ Sound: This element is weak too; the quality isn't up to par, and the sound effects are sparse
■ Playability: Moves are easy to execute, and the four-button interface works flawlessly
■ Entertainment: GGX is a blast to play, but way too easy. Definitely snag a copy if you have someone to play against
■ Replay Value: Moderately High

8 out of 10 is a lot higher than I was expecting for a handheld port of a game they previously gave a stank rating for. On to the second opinion.

Image captions, clockwise from left: "Just check out some of these goofy looking moves," "Faust is one of the stranger characters," "The graphics are bland but thats a cool character effect," "The cutscenes look good and offer a variety of dialogue"

Guilty Gear X is the proverbial mixed bag. It has a mess of complex mechanics to master. The characters are some of the most original, clever ones I've seen -– ranging from a cutesy female pirate that has a dolphin deliver her anchor weapon, to a morphing, crazy doctor with a bag over his head. Tag modes rock, the backgrounds are beautiful, and I always welcome a color edit – albeit for deviant desires. Strangely, one of the few things missing is AI, which kind of makes the depth of gameplay moot. I was undefeated in Arcade, Survival, and Tag modes, even on the hardest difficulty level. Also, the character sprites are tiny, especially when compared to GBA's Street Fighter II. The sound effects and music would have even been lame back in the NES days. I dug GGX, despite the lack of difficulty (especially with link play), but it still hampers the overall package. -Justin

■ Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting
■ Publisher: Sammy
■ Developer: Arc System Works
■ Release: June 25

7.5/10.

Guilty Gear X2 (2003) //

This was Guilty Gear XX in Japan.

March 2003, issue 119.

Change within this genre comes in minute doses, as if a weaning process is a necessary precursor to innovation. For this reason, the enhancements made to GG X2 will only be appreciated by those who are hardcore enough to know what Guilty Gear is in the first place. For you fans, buy it for the new characters and modes - the Mission mode being reason enough to warrant a purchase. If you're unfamiliar with the series, you'll want GG X2 because it reigns as the best 2D fighter outside of the Capcom universe. -Chet

■ Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting
■ Publisher: Sammy
■ Release: February 4

Nice n cool 8.75/10.

Guilty Gear X2 ♯Reload (2004) //

This is the only one of the XX updates GI reviewed. North America only got ♯Reload on the Xbox until the PC port in 2014 while Europe also got the PlayStation 2 port in 2004.

What do you mean this was only us$20 back on release?! September 2004, issue 137.

Quirky doesn't even begin to describe this game. Maybe if you add "deeply disturbing" and "inexplicably compelling" then you'd have a start With a roster of startling characters that would make Vincent Price whimper like a kitten, Guilty Gear distinguishes itself with humor, relentless difficulty, and a combat system that is hard to pick up and even harder to master. Though this title is not for casual 2D fighter enthusiasts (or people who like their like their games to have a solid "American" feel), hardcore fighter fans will love everything Guilty Gear has to offer: multiple modes of play, progressive scan, online matches via Xbox Live, and a $20 price point that will make you want to punch the store clerk in the face with joy. -Joe

■ Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting (2-Player Xbox Live)
■ Publisher: Majesco
■ Developer: Arc System Works
■ Release: September 7
■ ESRB: T

8.25/10.

Guilty Gear Isuka (2004) //

December 2004, issue 140.

With its unconventional characters and quirky brand of action, playing Guilty Gear has always been similar to Alice stumbling through Wonderland — the more strange things you uncover, the more engrossed you become. Unfortunately, this magic is lost in the series' latest iteration, Guilty Gear Isuka. Even with the indusion of four-player fights, a side-scroll- ing brawler mode, and Robo Ky II (a new character with a customizable moveset), the omission of the "auto-face" feature leaves you stuggling just to look your opponent in the eyes. Add to that the lack of a traditional arcade mode, and this title simply has no legs to stand on. Instead of a fantastical jaunt down a rabbit hole, Isuka is more similar to being unceremoniously stuffed into a dingy crawl space. -Joe

■ Style: 1 or 4-Player Fighting
■ Publisher: Sammy Studios
■ Developer: Arc System Works
■ Release: November 9
■ ESRB: T

6.75/10. That’s about how I feel towards Isuka too, to be honest.

Guilty Gear Dust Strikers (2006) //

I don’t know why or how, but this game actually released in North America before it released in Japan. April 25, 2006 vs October 5, 2006.

May 2006, issue 157.

Dust Strikers is what you get when you take an existing franchise and suck everything that makes it cool out of it in the process of trying to copy a different successful franchise. Inserting Guilty Gear characters into an uninspired knockoff of Super Smash Bros. gameplay has predictable results. Single-player is boring as is usual for fighting games, but beating up on your friends through the wireless multi-player is entertaining for at least a little while. Of course, there are a number of much better multiplayer titles on the DS, but it's something. -Adam

■ Style: 1-Player Fighting (Up To 4-Player via Wireless
■ Publisher: Majesco
■ Developer: Arc System Works
■ Release: April 3
■ ESRB: T

6/10. I haven’t played Dust Strikers, but everyone on the wiki reacts with great sympathy whenever one of us has to dig into it for something.

Guilty Gear 2: Overture (2008) //

October 2008, issue 186.

After a brief glance at Overture you might mistake it for a Dynasty Warriors clone. You'd be wrong to do so. While Overture is largely a hack and slasher that sends you speeding across large battlefields and slicing through enemies by the dozens, the game also adds RTS elements. While this strategy twist could have made the title shine, it's marred by too many problems. When your units cluster together it is difficult to select specific units. Your troops also don't respond quickly enough, but that doesn't matter since they don't listen to your orders half the time anyway. With crawling load times and a story that reeks of awkward Japanese translation, a glance should be all you give this game. -Ben

■ Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting (Up To 4-Player Online
■ Publisher: Aksys
■ Developer: Arc System Works
■ Release: September 30
■ ESRB: T

6.25/10. Overture is deeply flawed for sure, but I still think the good parts of it outweigh the bad. That said, I’ve only played the Steam port and not the original 360 version. Maybe it was a lot worse back then…

Guilty Gear Xrd Rev2 (2017) //

This review is online-only and too long to include in this newsletter. Game Informer did give it an 8/10 though, which is pretty good. You can read their review over in a Wayback Machine archive [HERE].

Game Informer didn’t do reviews for any of the XX updates past Reload, Xrd Sign, Xrd Rev, Strive, Judgment, or Pro Jumper. Genuinely surprised by the lack of a review for Strive. ASW really hyped up the release for that one.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading. Shoutout again to Retromags and bogusfrank for the scans.