Zatch Bell! Electric Arena

Zatch Bell! Electric Arena
Title
Romaji	Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Unare! Yūjō no Zakeru
Kanji	金色のガッシュベル!! うなれ!友情のザケル
Localized	Zatch Bell! Electric Arena
Game Information
Platform(s)	Game Boy Advance
Developer(s)	Eighting
Publisher(s)	Banpresto, Bandai
Release
Japan	December 12, 2003
English	November 11, 2005
Technical
Genre(s)	2D Fighting

Zatch Bell! Electric Arena, known as Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Unare! Yūjō no Zakeru (金色のガッシュベル!! うなれ!友情のザケル, mainly written as 金色のガッシュベル!! うなれ！友情の電撃, Konjiki no Gasshu Beru!! Unare! Yūjō no Dengeki, lit. "Golden Gash Bell!! Wish! Electric Shock of Friendship") in Japan, is a fighting game based on the Zatch Bell! anime/manga that was released on Game Boy Advance in the U.S. and Japan. The game was developed by Eighting and published by Banpresto in Japan and published by Bandai in North America. It was the first Zatch Bell! game to be released.

Information

Zatch Bell!: Electric Arena is a fighting game based on the first season of the anime " Konjiki no Gashbell!! ", which was still airing in Japan at the time of the game's release in late 2003. The game features popular characters from the anime as selectable fighters and has a story mode that recreates the most important episodes of the series. In 2005, the anime series also began airing in the United States under the new name " Zatch Bell! ", the North American version was so popular during its original airing that it was decided to localize the game for the American market. Thus, two years later, the game could also be enjoyed in the West in its English version.

This is a side-scrolling fighting game in the classic format, with the most innovative feature that each player controls two characters at once: the mamodo and its human partner. The graphics are made with colorful, anime-style miniature sprites, highlighted by their elaborate and detailed animations, which give each character great personality and respect their attitude in the series. The game's music includes a wide variety of rhythms to match each scenario. Also noteworthy is the story mode, which features a Japanese visual novel style , with large anime-style illustrations of the characters conversing through text-based windows.

The game's controls are very simple compared to other fighting games, with special attacks executed by simply pressing one or two buttons together, and no complex sequences or combinations are required. The game's difficulty is relatively low, although it can be adjusted to make it harder. The game includes several single-player modes and also a multiplayer mode for fighting against a friend connected via Link Cable.

Mechanics

The player chooses a mamodo partner to duel against a rival pair. Pairs consist of a mamodo and their human bookkeeper. The player controls both characters simultaneously, but only the human is directly controlled, while the mamodo responds to the player's commands and movements. In each fight, the objective is to attack the enemy to reduce their health bar; when this bar is depleted, the character is defeated. Fights can also be decided by time; when the time limit of a fight expires, the character with the highest amount of health wins. Each fight in the game is decided by the winner of two out of three rounds, although the number of rounds can be changed in the options menu.

In Electric Arena fights , health is only lost when the human character takes damage, while damage taken by the mamodo doesn't count. Therefore, the objective is to hit the human, although it's still necessary to attack the mamodo, which always stands in front of its human to protect it.

The game allows for various types of attacks to be performed easily by pressing one or two buttons. Mamodos can perform various types of attacks and also combos , while humans can only perform single attacks, which are weak but very useful when used strategically. Characters can also take cover to receive minimal damage when attacked and generate a counterattack.

The mamodos' primary ability is to cast spells, but it is the human who invokes the spell, so the spell only works when both are standing. To cast a spell, the power bar at the bottom of the screen must be fully charged; it charges automatically, but the player can use the charge move to fill it more quickly. Each pair has their own repertoire of spells that produce different types of attacks, such as shots, shields, combos, or paralyzing attacks. The more powerful the spells, the more power they consume. Each character also has a "final" spell that can only be used with a full power bar. This spell deals severe damage and cannot be blocked, but can be evaded. When two rival spells collide, a collision of powers occurs , where the player must press the spell button very quickly to outrun the enemy attack.

There is also a third type of attack, called a combo attack. When the combo attack is activated, the mamodo separates from its human ally and begins attacking the opponent on its own. The player can take advantage of this to cause confusion and force the human to move or attack the opponent from another angle as they try to defend themselves. When the combo attack is activated, the power bar drains, and when it runs out, the combo ends, although the player can also cancel this attack voluntarily.

Characters

Character select screen

All fighters are represented as Mamodo and human spellbook partners, battling in pairs just as in the series. The human reads spells from the book, while the Mamodo performs the attacks. Each team has its own unique set of moves and special abilities that reflect their roles in the manga and anime.

Characters are unlocked through multiple methods:

• Story Mode: Advancing through the main storyline unlocks new Mamodo teams.
• Special Criteria: Some teams require completing specific conditions or challenges to unlock.
• Alternate Costumes: By holding L or R when selecting a team, players can access an alternate costume for that pair.

The game’s roster grows steadily as you progress, encouraging players to replay stages and master different teams. Once unlocked, every team becomes available across VS modes for single or multiplayer battles. Below is a full list of playable Mamodo teams and the requirements for unlocking them.

Character	Sprite	Alternate Sprite	Description	Unlock Criteria
Zatch & Kiyo			Zatch is an electric mamodo who can shoot powerful beams from his mouth. His book's guardian is Kiyo, a Japanese high school student whom Zatch treats like an older brother. This pair possesses very balanced offensive and defensive techniques and has one of the most powerful ultimate spells in the game.	Unlocked from the start.
Reycom & Hosokawa			Reycom is a mamodo with ice powers. He can spit dangerous, thorny ice and freeze his opponent. His human ally is Hosokawa, a criminal who uses Reycom to rob banks and become rich. He also views his mamodo as a tool, mistreating him and leaving him in rags. They have a fighting style based on foul play and traps, and one of the longest-range spells.	Unlocked by beating Reycom & Hosokawa in Story mode.
Kanchomé & Folgore			Kanchomé is a bizarre and wimpy mamodo with the ability to change shape and size. The guardian of his book is Italian superstar Parco Folgore, an actor and singer who utilizes his impressive dancing skills to move and combat in ways that are difficult to predict. These characters' unusual attacks can only be effectively utilized by skilled players.	Unlocked by beating Kanchomé & Folgore in Story mode.
Brago & Sherry			Brago is a sinister mamodo with the power to control gravity to crush his opponent. Sherry Belmont is a young French socialite who guards Brago's book. Despite being weak, she possesses great courage and fighting spirit. Her fighting style focuses on firing highly effective short- and long-range powers that also have defensive properties.	Unlocked by beating Brago & Sherry in Story mode.
Kolulu & Lori			Kolulu is a young and sweet Mamodo girl who transforms into an evil and destructive monster when she reads her spellbook. Lori is a kind girl who treats Kolulu like a little sister and suffers greatly when she must transform. This team is based purely on offense; Kolulu can execute terrifying and powerful combos with her sharp claws and also fire her fists as projectiles.	Unlocked by beating Kolulu & Lori in Story mode.
Rops & Apollo			Rops is a tiny, ladybug-like mamodo who can send out powerful hooks as his primary attack. Apollo is a young American who travels the world in search of adventure and friendly fights with other mamodos. This guardian of the book has learned to use Rops' hooks to lift huge boulders from the ground and hurl them at enemies. His combat style relies on speed and unstoppable short-range spells.	Unlocked by beating Rops & Apollo in Story mode.
Tia & Megumi			Tia is an energetic and outgoing mamodo girl who has the ability to generate powerful defensive shields. Megumi is a young and famous Japanese singer who takes care of Tia's book and treats her like her best friend. They are also good friends with Zatch and Kiyo. This pair employs a very defensive fighting style, utilizing their shields to reflect their opponent's attacks back at them. They are the final opponents in the story mode.	Unlocked by beating Tia & Megumi in Story mode.
Wonrei & Li-en			Wonrei is a mamodo expert in martial arts with powerful protective spells. Li-en is a young Chinese woman who also has excellent martial arts skills and creates a solid attack-defense duo with her mamodo. This pairing also stands out because the mamodo and the human are in love with each other. Their fighting style is based on both protection and offense with strong physical attacks. They appear as hidden bosses in the story mode.	Unlocked by beating Story Mode on hard difficulty without selecting continue.

Selectable Secret Characters

Character	Sprite	Alternate Sprite	Description	Unlock Criteria
Brago & Sherry (Berserk)			Consumed by her desire to seek revenge on the Mamodo who took her friend Koko , Sherrie stops sleeping and enters a state of frenzy where she pushes Brago's powers to the limit. They appear as the final opponents in Challenge and Survival modes.	Unlocked by beating Brago & Sherry (Berserk) twice in Challenge mode on Normal or Hard difficulty with Zatch & Kiyo.
Zeno & Dufort			Zeno is a mysterious mamodo who is Zatch's evil twin. He not only looks similar but also uses the same electric spells and harbors a deep hatred and resentment toward Zatch. His book's guardian is Dufort, a quiet, serious young man with psychic abilities. This team fights like a more aggressive version of Zatch and Kiyo. They appear as hidden bosses in Challenge Mode.	While having at least 80% of Zatch Collection completed (with #19 Yellowtail being one them), beat Challenge mode with Zatch & Kiyo on Normal difficulty with the 60-second timer and beat every round with your health above 50%. You'll battle Zeno & Dufort as the final boss. Defeat them.
Ponygon & Raiku			Ponygon is a strange mamodo that resembles a horse, behaves like a dog, and talks like a sheep. He hasn't yet found a guardian for his book, so he decides to ally himself with Raiku Sensei, the creator of the Zatch Bell! series. Raiku wins Ponygon's sympathy for walking around dressed as a horse, but is unable to read his book and therefore cannot use spells, and they fight using the craziest and most comical techniques in the game. Their fighting style is based solely on rare physical attacks, which can be highly effective when used correctly. They appear as hidden bosses in Challenge Mode.	While having at least 80% of Zatch Collection completed, beat Challenge mode on Normal difficulty via timeouts only with the 60-second timer while playing as Zeno & Dufort.
Rauzaruk Zatch & Kiyo			Zatch fights under the power of the Rauzaruku spell, which envelops his body in electricity and greatly increases his offensive capabilities. In this mode, the pair cannot use other spells, so the fighting style changes greatly and encourages the use of Zatch and Kiyo's powerful combined attacks.	Unlocked by collecting 26 items for Zatch Collection and input the code Up, L, R, Down, L, R, L, Left, Right, R at the title screen, then start Story Mode.

Game Modes

Zakeru in the game.

• Story: In this mode we play as Zatch and Kiyo, in a total of 7 fights that's follow the order of events that occurred in the Anime/Manga.
• Free Battle: This is a traditional one-on-one battle. Choose any character and stage and begin fighting immediately.
• Challenge: In this mode you choose one of the characters and fight against 7 other characters, life is fully recovered every match, if you defeat all 7, you win the Challenge Mode.
• Survival: This mode is almost equal to Challenge Mode, you choose a character and fight with other 7, the only difference is that with each fight, life does not fully recover with each match.
• Comm (Communication):

Story

Story mode follows the plot of the Zatch Bell anime, recounting key events through cutscenes with images and text. The player controls Zatch and Kiyo and must face a series of enemies that always appear in the same order. After the second battle, one of the minigames can be played. The fifth battle is the only one that differs from the others, as Zatch and Kiyo face the giant Baltro in a special fight where they can only use the Zaker spell as an attack and it lasts a single round. The final battle is the seventh, where the protagonists face Tia and Megumi in a regular fight. All characters defeated in story mode immediately become selectable in the other game modes.

Free Battle

This mode allows for a quick single-player battle where the player can choose their partner, their opposing partner, and the stage. The final stage is exclusive to this mode.

Challenge

The classic Arcade mode , where the player can choose their favorite mamodo partner and face a series of battles against enemy pairs. This mode does not follow a story, so the enemies appear in any order and there are no cutscenes in between. The final battle is in the 8th battle where the enemies are Brago and Sherry (Berserk) . Curiously, this battle is the only one that shows a small story in which Brago argues with Sherry and it is always the same for all characters.

Survival

The most difficult game mode. It follows the same battle structure as Challenge Mode , but the big difference is that the player must complete each fight with only one health bar remaining. This means that when they advance to the next fight, they retain the damage received from the previous battle. As a small bonus, winning a fight replenishes their health a little. In this mode, fights also last only one round. The final round is the same as in Challenge Mode .

Comm

This is the two-player mode. It allows two people to connect their consoles and face off in battle with the characters of their choice. It differs from the other modes in that the game keeps track of the number of wins and losses achieved in this mode.

Minigames

• Naomi Attack!!: In this mini-game you will have to run from Naomi, the girl who torments Zatch every time he goes to the park, quickly pressing the A and B buttons.
• Create a Volcan!: Unlocked by completing Story Mode once. In this mini-game you will have to mount Volcan 300, Zatch's friend, which is a puppet made of a box of daisies and toothpicks, you will have to press the buttons you send, for example, it appears: R, then you will have to press R, But it appears in sequences, for example, RRRBALL, go tightening everything that appears until you win! Missing a sequence and the sequence will reset to a new sequence as well as reduction in time. In Difficult! mode, there are branching sequences leading to different Zatch Collection rewards upon completion.
• Ponygon's Chomp Chomp!: Unlocked by completing Challenge mode once. In this mini-game you will have to help Ponygon, a mamodo horse that lives in Zatch's house, to bite Kiyo's hand, when Kiyo's hand is close to his mouth, press A or B and then you will have to keep squeezing A and B very quickly until you reach a certain number of bites.
• 00F ~Iron Folgore~: Unlocked by completing Challenge mode with Parco Folgore and receive the Zatch Collection #13: Folgore's CD. In this mini-game, you will have to help Folgore, a famous Italian actor and singer, to divert from the bullets of a gang in his newest film "00F Iron Folgore", similar to Create a Volcan, you will have to Press the buttons that appear on the screen

Naomi Attack!!

Create a Volcan!

Ponygon's Chomp Chomp!

00F - Iron Folgore

Zatch Collection

The Zatch Collection is a special menu that displays all the items the player has collected in the various game modes. Collection items are objects that reference characters and situations from the anime. These are obtained by achieving certain unspecified objectives, such as completing story mode, winning minigames , or beating Challenge mode with each character. There are a total of 27 collectible items, though most are useless; collecting them all is necessary to unlock secret characters. Here is a guide on how to unlock each item.

1. Volcan 300: Beat Story Mode.
2. Volcan (Mountain Version): Beat "Create a Volcan!" on Easy mode.
3. Volcan (Doctor Version): Beat "Create a Volcan!" on Normal mode.
4. Lori's Crown of Flowers: Beat Challenge mode on Normal difficulty with Lori & Kolulu.
5. Tina: Beat "Create a Volcan!" on Difficult! mode using the top route.
6. Crybaby Tangerine: Beat "Naomi Attack!!" in Story Mode for the first time.
7. Smiley-Face Orange: Beat "Naomi Attack!!" in Story Mode for the second time.
8. Delighted Grapefruit: Beat "Naomi Attack!!" in Story Mode for the third time.
9. Naomi's Car: Beat "Naomi Attack!!" on Difficult! mode.
10. Volunlun: Beat "Create a Volcan!" on Difficult! mode using the bottom route.
11. Kanchomé's Snacks: Beat Challenge mode on Normal difficulty with Ponygon & Raiku Sensei.
12. Folgore's Skateboard: Beat "00F ~Iron Folgore~" on Difficult! mode.
13. Folgore's CD: Beat Challenge mode on Normal difficulty with Kanchomé & Folgore.
14. Tia's Watch: Beat Challenge mode on Normal difficulty with Tia & Megumi.
15. Ponygon's Toy: Beat Challenge mode on Normal difficulty with Zeno & Dufort.
16. Princess Pear: Beat "Create a Volcan!" on Difficult! mode using the top route.
17. Praying Mantis Joe Figure: Beat "Create a Volcan!" on Difficult! mode using the two top + one bottom route or the two bottom + one top route.
18. Kanchome's Paddle Board: Beat Challenge Mode on Normal difficulty with Berserk Brago & Sherry.
19. Yellowtail: Beat Challenge Mode on Mormal mode with Wonrei & Li-en.
20. Rushka's Sheep: Beat Story Mode on Normal mode without losing a match.
21. Evil Flower: Beat Baltro & Steng in Story Mode.
22. Friendship Curry: Beat "Ponygon's Chomp Chomp!" on Difficult! mode.
23. Kiyo's Bag: Beat Challenge mode on Normal difficulty with Zatch & Kiyo.
24. Rocks piled up by Suzy: Beat Challenge mode on Normal difficulty with Rops & Apollo.
25. Owashi: Beat Challenge mode on Normal difficulty with Brago & Sherry.
26. Kiyo's Schedule: Beat Challenge Mode on Normal difficulty with Reycom & Hosokawa.
27. The Shining Red Spell Book: Unlock Rauzaruk Zatch & Kiyo.

Trivia

• When the game was released in Japan, the anime was airing on episode 35 (The Battle of the Magic Mirror). Surprisingly, when the game was released in the United States, the anime was also airing on episode 35 in that country.
• Ponygon does not have the guardian of its corresponding book ( Kafk Sunbeam ) because when the video game was released, he had not yet appeared in the anime.
• Raiku Sensei, Ponygon's partner, is not a character from the anime, but a caricature of Makoto Raiku himself , the mangaka who created the Zatch Bell! series. Raiku often portrays himself as this character when he makes small cameos in the Zatch Bell! manga or anime.
• Anime characters who make cameos: Kory, Seitaro Takamine (story), Naomi-chan, Suzy Mizuno (minigames), Praying Mantis Joe, Vulcan 300 (collection).

External Links

• Official page
• Game information on Dimps