Since the days of arcades – big rooms that had video games you paid for with quarters, but that’s not important right now – fighting games have been a staple of the industry, and my personal favorite on-again-off-again gaming niche. From the classic successes like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, to relative unknowns like TMNT: Tournament Fighters, some game where two people beat the piss out of each other has always graced my consoles. Battle Arena Toshinden 3 was one of the first three games I had on PlayStation, and my PS2’s very first title was Tekken Tag Tournament.

Part of the appeal was that I had a younger brother, and fighting games provided the much-sought-after ability to let us both play at the same time. Of course, that didn’t always work out so well. As I got older, my best friend Jay and I made a habit of renting pretty much any fighter we hadn’t played yet from the local Blockbuster. Eventually, I came across a copy of Guilty Gear X on the PS2. It kicked my ass, and with no story mode, limited my desire to learn the system; my copy was unfortunately stolen with all of my other games later that year.

Instead of re-purchasing it, I waited until Guilty Gear X2 came around, having heard that it contained a full story mode and new characters. Jay and I would wind up pouring countless hours into that little disc over the next two years, and below is a list of some of our rewards.

Achievement Unlocked:

Achievement #1

Let’s Rock! – Pick up a copy of X2, excited to see the new characters and modes. Foolishly forget how hard X was. Get ass kicked repeatedly. Cry in shame.

Achievement #2

A New Challenger – Play with best friend instead of against computer. Enjoy it so much that you buy him a copy for his birthday so you can both practice and get better. Start sharing save data so you both reap the rewards.

*Achievement #3

On the Battlefield of History – Finally get good enough to try story mode. Realize that each character has multiple endings that are accessed in bizarre ways.* Print out an extensive FAQ on the subject.

*Achievement #4

Dr. Feelgross – As you try and push through the entire story arcs, develop a deep loathing for playing as Faust. Force your friend to learn his move set for story mode. Repeat process for Bridget, Zappa, and Eddie / Venom.

*Achievement #5

Paradise City – Insist on blaring Guns ‘n’ Roses anytime you are playing through Axl Low’s story sections. Become intimately acquainted with how parents feel about waking up at 2 am to Slash’s sick guitar riffs.

*Achievement #6

Not the Good Guy – Play as Sol Badguy to the point where you can defeat almost any opponent with a precision combo as soon as the match starts. Blow through his story mode, only to be told that you are never, ever allowed to use him in another “versus” match with friends.

*Achievement #7

Dizzy With Joy – After literally months of trying, get a call from your best friend that he has finally managed to beat Dizzy’s primary story scenario, meaning the two of you together have officially completed the game. Race over to view the ending.

*Achievement #8

Missions: Impossible – Realize that there are special unlocks tied to completing the special matches in “Mission” mode. Overconfident from story mode, attempt to beat each of them. Afterwards, swear never to speak of it again.

*Achievement #9

I-No The Feeling – Spend lots of time browsing the in-game gallery and deviantArt for shots of I-No, Dizzy, Millia and Jam… for, you know, artistic purposes…

*Achievement #10

Full of Fighting – Watch the animated trailer for Guilty Gear X in the gallery so many times that you can still recite every word of it years later. Remain exceedingly sad that there was never a badass GG animated movie or series.

*Bonus*

Calamity Trigger – Hear about the upcoming release of BlazBlue while living in Germany. Go and reserve the special edition as soon as you get home. Quickly realize that you and your best friend no longer have the free time or energy you did as teenagers. Almost never play it. Buy the sequel.

* Seriously though, look up a walkthrough for the different paths in this game. Simply beating each fight in story mode will usually net you the worst ending. You have to do things like “win the second fight with half heath, wait until the last 20 seconds and then lose the fifth fight, and win the seventh fight using only light kick on a Tuesday.”