Battle Hunter Is An Obscure PS1 Gem That I Wish Would Come Back

The original PlayStation was a hugely significant console back when it was released in the mid-90s. Pushing gaming even further into the mainstream compared to its previous history as something of a “kids” medium, the PlayStation began Sony’s ascent to becoming one of the top dogs in the gaming industry, a reputation it continues to carry today as the PlayStation line continues. It was loaded with a vast library of incredible games, and also made a name for itself in the world of RPGs, thanks in no small part to titles like the revolutionary Final Fantasy VII.

Of all the great original PlayStation games that remain a frequent topic of conversation today, one game that never seems to receive much talk is Battle Hunter. It was a very small game released late in the PlayStation’s life cycle that didn’t seem to get a massive push from the different companies who published it around the world. It’s a shame because it’s truly a great and unique game, and one that I think could use a modern revival.

What Is Battle Hunter?

Released in 1999 as a budget game from Japanese developer Success (though American and European gamers would not receive the game until 2001, months after the release of the PlayStation 2), Battle Hunter was a grid-based tactical RPG title where players controlled hunters tasked with collecting a relic in a randomly generated dungeon. There’s a unique mix of cooperative and competitive gameplay on display here, as four hunters are always in every game, whether controlled by other players or by the computer. In traditional RPG fashion, players move across tiles where movement is determined via dice roll.

Players are tasked with collecting relics throughout a given dungeon, though each mission requires that players collect a certain more specific relic. Each hunter gets points for escaping the dungeon, but the competitive element comes in seeing who can get each mission’s required relic. Players can also battle each other to steal relics and items from one another. These relics are then sold back to a shopkeeper, who provides players with credits that can be used to level the player up. Relics are also important to the story, as they are items from cities that have been destroyed in a massive war, and they are useful in helping the characters take down an evil organization.

The game also features a card-based system, featuring a deck of 100 cards that each player gets five of at a time. These cards are color-coded and offer players different effects and abilities depending on their use. Blue cards are used for movement, yellow cards are used for defense, red cards are used for attacking, and green cards set traps on the grid. Blue and green cards work best on the grid, while yellow and red cards are best saved for combat. Some cards can be used in both situations, though, as blue cards can help players escape combat situations, and yellow cards can help players evade traps on the grid.

Should the deck run out of cards, a massive beast known as GON spawns in the dungeon. He is essentially the game’s version of a “boss battle,” and he’s someone you’d be best served avoiding. He’s incredibly challenging, and his attacks can wipe out hunters in one measly hit. Thus, there’s an added bit of pressure to the overall gameplay, forcing players to get what they came for and get out without wasting time. It adds a touch of challenge to a game that’s largely pretty accessible and easy to get into.

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Let This Game Live Again

Battle Hunter remains a unique and fun game that’s often forgotten among the PlayStation’s pantheon of bigger and more successful titles, and it’s a game that I feel could be worthy of some kind of revitalization today. Back in 1999, the game was slightly shafted because it was a budget game, but in the years since, the market has grown to become more receptive to smaller titles such as this. The growth of the indie game scene has allowed developers to put these under-the-radar type games out and see much larger success, especially in a world with greater social media marketing than ever before.

A game like this would presumably not be too expensive to make, especially as its visual style wouldn’t need to be overhauled too heavily. In fact, with the recent rise of HD-2D games, Battle Hunter could make a move into this style. After all, if there is one thing that Battle Hunter could use some improvement on, it’s the style of the game boards, which are rather bland and don’t have much to them graphically. A move to HD-2D could make for an even more beautiful-looking game with a greater amount of detail to engage with.

Furthermore, its gameplay concepts still feel fresh and unique in a way that it feels like other modern games haven’t explored in the same way. Sure, we may be in a time where tactical games and RPGs are all the rage, but the way the game utilizes multiplayer to be simultaneously cooperative and competitive at the same time feels truly different from a lot of what is out on the market right now. It would be great to bring it back as a couch co-op type of game, though there’s also a lot of interesting online potential in a game like this. Whether they offer it or not, a new Battle Hunter title would be a refreshing change of pace in the modern multiplayer gaming landscape.

There wouldn’t even be a need to bring new hands in on this one, as the game’s original developer, Success, is still around to this day. Plus, the team originally self-published the game in its Japanese release, which means there shouldn’t be any huge worries about whether they are legally able to make a new game. Even if the development team at Success probably looks a lot different today than it did in 1999, the opportunity to bring the game back is still absolutely there. It’s a huge deep cut from the PlayStation, but one I would love to see make a comeback.

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