The articlegameplay, story, development, reception
Gameplay
The game is a 1v1 fighting game in the vein of Street Fighter II, but in Asuka 120% each character employs a fighting style and techniques unique to each club as opposed to particular martial arts. The game has a standard input system for special moves across the entire cast which had not been seen in other fighting games at the time. Asuka 120% would switch from a 2-button to a 3-button game depending on the console it was released.
Also, unique to Asuka 120% is its "clash system". If both characters hit each other neither take damage; rather, they go into the next phase of the move until one character takes damage. During a clash, players can cancel into a special move, a movement option or a throw, which makes for explosive battles.
Story
The game is set at the Ryōran Private School for Women, which educates the daughters of the upper echelons of society. Every year, the school's clubs hold a martial arts tournament called the "Club Rivalry Budget Contest Mega Fight" to compete for increased budget to the winning school club. After repeated poor performances at previous tournaments, the Chemistry Club president, Tetsuko Ōgigaya, scouts and trains Asuka Honda to become this year's winner. Asuka now has to defeat members of several school clubs in order to succeed.
Development
Asuka 120% was produced by just two full-time programmers who comprised the company Fill-in-Cafe. The franchise was programmed and designed by Masatoshi Imaizumi, its music was composed by Keishi Yonao, and the games' illustrations were designed by Aoi Nanase. Asuka 120% Burning Fest was just one fighting game of the era which had female characters, humor, and fan service. Similar games from that era include games such as Tōkidenshō Angel Eyes, Pretty Fighter X, and Variable Geo.
Categorized as a bishōjo game, eleven versions were released for various platforms between 1994 and 1999. The combat system of Asuka 120% was based on the beat-em-up Mad Stalker, and is also similar to Makeruna! Makendō 2: Kimero Youkai Souri. Development of Mad Stalker for the X68000, FM Towns and PlayStation (PCE CD port was co-developed by Kogado Studio); the PlayStation port of Makeruna! Makendō 2: Kimero Youkai Souri (Super Famicom version was developed by Success) was done by Fill-in-Cafe.
Reception
Japanese game magazine Famitsu reviewed several versions of the game. Maxima Burning Fest was given a score of 21 out of 40, Special Burning Fest was given a score of 23 out of 40, and Burning Fest Final was given a score of 28 out of 40.
Ted Thomas from Viz Media's online magazine wrote that Special BURNING Fest. is not worth importing.
