Sega's 32-bit Saturn system bit the dust rather quickly due to the Sony PlayStation's insane popularity, but it had some excellent games. Considered to be a system for the hardcore gamer, there are a wealth of excellent titles available for it, in particular, Treasure's Guardian Heroes. A side-scrolling 2D fighter, it's hard to find, and quite pricey if you do. However, if you're curious what all the fuss is about, or if you're just looking for a quality beat-em-up, Ubisoft and Treasure's Advance Guardian Heroes for the Game Boy Advance will satisfy your cravings, as it's a beautiful and challenging pocket fighter that'll test your nerves and dazzle your senses.

The sequel to the Saturn Classic, Advance Guardian Heroes picks up where the prequel left off, but you don't have to have played the first to understand what's going on because the instruction manual fills you in. The immortal Zur has resurrected the evil Kanon, allowing him to rebuild his Magic Kingdom so he can control the world. Desperate, its people summon the power of the Soul Sword and ask for help from a heroic soul from another world. However, souls cannot enter the human world without a host. Courageously, an unknown soldier steps forward and offers his body as a sacrifice. With the Princess by his side, the soldier embarks upon a quest to save the Earth, as well as take control of the legendary Soul Sword.

The game's story is all right, but it's not the focal point, as we don't play Treasure's games to dive into a rich and deep yarn about heroes and space ships. It's all about the action, and Advance Guardian Heroes certainly has a lot of it. You move your character (there are three to select from at the outset) from left to right, beating the snot out of anything that gets in your path, and the enemies run the gamut. You'll beat up enemy soldiers, pound monsters into the dirt, and obliterate giant robots, though you're not limited to punches and kicks. Your fighter (over 20 can be unlocked) possesses magic ability that allows him to throw fire balls and execute other deadly attacks, and you'll need them all because Advance Guardian Heroes gets hard after five minutes of play. In typical Treasure fashion, your senses will be blitzed by the amount of enemies, rockets, and other assorted projectiles converged on your tiny soldier. In fact, sometimes there will be so much going on that you won't know if you're hitting them or if they're beating on you! Of course, that's part of the game's charm, as you're not supposed to really care. It's all about kicking the crap out of everything that moves, whether you're at full health or charging into battle with a sliver of life.

Speaking of life, you lose it fast, so you should get used to dying a lot. Thankfully, the game saves at certain checkpoints, so you won't have to continuously go back to complete the same objectives if you manage to keep progressing. However, there's a catch. When you run out of Hit Points (HP), you're asked to sell your soul to the Almighty One. Decline, and it's game over, but if you accept, you will enter Demon Mode, where you're invincible and your Magic Points (MP) don't decrease! Unfortunately, Demon Mode isn't all it's cracked up to be since it's the easier path. At the top right of the screen a timer will appear, and if you fail to complete a level before it runs out, the Almighty One takes your soul and it's game over anyway. Also, you can't level up in Demon Mode, nor can you continue the game from where you entered this mode. Basically, this allows you to achieve instant gratification for a time, while playing the normal way is going to be insanely difficult.

If you want to make the game easier (aside from adjusting the difficulty), you can invite a friend to play alongside you, and if you're really craving an intense multiplayer experience, there's a versus mode for up to four players!

Advance Guardian Heroes' graphics are great, but nowhere near as phenomenal as Treasure's other fighter, Astro Boy: Omega Factor. The characters are far away so you can't really enjoy their detail, and the environments can, at times, look rather drab. However, where the game shines is in its scaling effects. Treasure's done some wonderful Mode 7-like pseudo 3D effects that really bring the excitement level of the gameplay experience through the roof. In particular, the second level is amazing, but I'm not going to give it away.

Simply put, the music in this game is exceptional. From the opening theme, I knew I was in for a treat, and I couldn't have been more correct. Advance Guardian Heroes' music is therapy for the ears, a soundtrack that is among the best in the industry. However, for some reason we're robbed of its clarity, because it sounds fuzzy coming through the GBA's speakers, and while headphones improve this, it still sounds awkward. A shame really, considering the soundtrack's brilliance.

Advance Guardian Heroes is an intense fighter and another Treasure classic, but I just wasn't as wowed by it as I was with the company's other portable adventure, Astro Boy: Omega Factor. However, that's not to say that Advance Guardian Heroes isn't a must buy. It's one of the Game Boy Advance's best games, and reason enough to purchase the system! Of course, if you have a Saturn in your closet, chances are you already have.