R-Zone: Battle Arena Toshinden

This handheld version of Battle Arena Toshinden adapts Takara’s console fighting series into Tiger Electronics’ R-Zone format. The player chooses a warrior armed with bladed weapons and competes in one-on-one duels against successive opponents, aiming to claim the title of champion in the mysterious Toshinden tournament.

The R-Zone platform projects the game’s monochrome visuals onto a mirrored eyepiece. Each R-Zone cartridge contains its own transparent LCD panel; when inserted, red light from the console illuminates the panel, and the image appears as a floating display before the player’s eye. Controls consist of a small D-pad and buttons wired to the main unit.

Within these constraints, Battle Arena Toshinden presents a simplified interpretation of its 3-D source. Directional inputs move the fighter left and right, while the attack button triggers weapon strikes. Each round measures success by a segmented health bar at the top of the image. Winning a bout advances to a faster and more aggressive rival. Gameplay alternates between timing defensive parries and launching attacks when an opening appears, the LCD’s limited animation conveying the rhythm of combat through flashing silhouettes and sound cues.