Phantom Breaker(ファントムブレイカー,Fantomu Bureikā) is a fighting video game developed by 5pb., Delta Factory and R.U.N, and published by 5pb. in 2011. An Arcade version of the game running on Sega's RingEdge 2 Arcade Board, titled Phantom Breaker: Another Code(ファントムブレイカー アナザーコード,Fantomu Bureikā: Anazā Codo) was released in 2013. A new version of Phantom Breaker titled Phantom Breaker: Extra(ファントムブレイカー: Extra,Fantomu Bureikā: Extra) was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2013. A beat 'em up spin-off, entitled Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds has also been released.
Phantom Breaker is a 2D fighting game that supports two distinctive fighting styles, the player is able to choose between Quick style and Hard style. Quick style focuses on quick hits and combos while the other is more about defense.
When the player reaches Overdrive mode, their character might get an extra increase in speed or defense. Every attack the player releases can cancel out their enemy's attack and raise their tension gauge; timing it right will maximise the player's gauge to boost their attack power.
Plot
The game's setting takes place in Japan. A mystery organization led by Phantom organised a fighting tournament in Tokyo, whose winner will have their wish granted.
Characters
There is a total of 18 playable characters in the game. An additional "female gang member" character was planned, but never made it into the final game.
Mikoto Nishina (仁科 美琴,Nishina Mikoto): A 19-year-old college violinist. Her weapon is a large, two-handed sword named Maestro. Voiced by: Nana Mizuki.
Mei Orisaka (折坂 芽衣,Orisaka Mei): A 14-year-old idol. Her weapon is a magical wand called Candy. Voiced by: Yukari Tamura.
Yuzuha Fujibayashi (藤林 柚葉,Fujibayashi Yuzuha): A high school girl, who is also a ninja-in-training from the Bakufu era. Her weapons are Shoukaku and Zuikaku — a ninja blade and a kunai. Voiced by: Aki Toyosaki.
Waka Kumon (九紋 稚,Kumon Waka): A descendent of the miko (a family of exorcists that have had some dealings with Phantom in the past). She fights with Kahoutou, her naginata, to stop the duels. Voiced by: Miyu Matsuki.
Ren Tatewaki (帯刀 蓮,Tatewaki Ren): One of the few males in this contest. He is fighting to cure his little sister of an incurable disease. He fights with a gauntlet named Koutarou. Voiced by: Kenichi Suzumura.
M (影霧,Eimu): She has no memories and fights only to satisfy her lust for battles. Her weapon of choice is a mace made of scrap materials, named Humongous. Voiced by: Satomi Moriya.
Itsuki Kōno (神埜 唯月,Kōno Itsuki): She does not know much of the world and have a gentle personality but a strong sense of justice. She beats opponents over the head with her battle hammer, Maggie. Voiced by: Akiko Hasegawa.
Ria Tōjō (東條 莉亜,Tōjō Ria): She finds out that one of the other combatants in Phantom Breaker killed her mother, and she is on a quest for revenge. She fights with two blades called Aldina. Voiced by: Ryōko Shiraishi.
Tokiya Kanzaki (神崎 刻夜,Kanzaki Tokiya): The other male main character in this game. He is the CEO of a pharmaceutical company and he is fighting in order to resurrect his parents, who were assassinated fifteen years ago. He uses a long sword named Setsuna. Voiced by: Eiji Miyashita.
Cocoa (心愛,Kokoa): She got bored with the real world and modified her body into an idealized version, based on a video game she liked. Her occupation is cosplaying. She fights with a giant claw called Kusenia’s Claw. Voiced by: Ai Matayoshi.
Fin (フィン,Fin): A 9-year old time-traveler from the future who is part of the organization “Schrodinger”. She is accompanied by a droid named Mauchuu. Her weapons are all-purpose laser guns named JJ Apple. Voiced by: Tomoko Kaneda.
Infinity (インフィニティ,Infiniti): He is not a main character but the bodyguard to the mysterious Phantom. He fights using telekinesis. Voiced by: Akeru Semi.
Sofia Kalganova (ソフィア・カルガノワ,Sofia.Karuganowa): A new character added in Phantom Breaker: Extra. Sofia is a Fu-mantion Artifact made by the Russian Science Academy that despises Phantom. Voiced by: Sumire Uesaka.
Shizuka Saejima (冴嶋 閑,Saejima Shizuka): A new character added in Phantom Breaker: Extra. A former senior official that worked for Phantom who wants to bring Japan back to its militarism dogma. Voiced by: Ayaka Suwa.
Ende (エンデ,Ende): A new character added in Phantom Breaker: Extra. Ende is from the Schrödinger Space-Time patrol group brings a giant robot named Nataku into battle. Voiced by: Yū Kobayashi.
Gaito & Rin (ガイト & リン,Gaito & Rin): A new character added in Phantom Breaker: Extra. Gaito & Rin are a team, but Rin, a 6-year-old girl, controls Gaito, an anti-soul that is brimming with power. Voiced by: Kentarō Itō (Gaito) & Yuka Ōtsubo (Rin).
Rimi Sakihata (咲畑 梨深,Sakihata Rimi): Guest character from Chaos;Head. She is an Esper who can conjure whatever she imagines. She does not possess a known weapon. Voiced by: Eri Kitamura.
Kurisu Makise (牧瀬 紅莉栖,Makise Kurisu): Guest character from Steins;Gate. She is a genius who graduated early from an American university and helps out in a circle that develops strange inventions. She uses these strange inventions in gameplay. Voiced by: Asami Imai.
Release
Phantom Breaker was initially slate to be launched in April 2011, but was delayed and released in June 2011. The game had been announced for a first quarter 2012 North American release by 7Sixty (a subsidiary of SouthPeak Games) but the release has since been cancelled for unknown reasons.
Phantom Breaker: Another Code
An arcade version of the game running on the RingEdge 2 board titled Phantom Breaker: Another Code(ファントムブレイカー アナザーコード,Fantomu Bureikā: Anazā Codo) was released on April 4, 2013. Version 1.1 was released on June 2013. This version adds Infinity, the game’s final boss, as a playable character, rebalanced gameplay, and a new opening movie.
Phantom Breaker: Extra
In May 2013, 5pb. announced a new updated version of Phantom Breaker titled Phantom Breaker: Extra which was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 19, 2013. It features rebalanced gameplay, new characters, new techniques, new "Extra" fighting style, new stages, renewed background effects, and an online spectator mode. Unlike the first console release, it is region-free.
