The game's prologue introduces a land called I-Praseru (which, the narrator gravely informs us, is also known as “Happy Island”) where there's been some vague threat from Ihadurca, a sorceress who exists in several different dimensions at the same time. Why this is threatening is never explained, but Ihadurca is apparently so sinister that the residents of I-Praseru see fit to arrange her destruction by summoning what the manual describes as “mighty warriors from other worlds.” They're just a host of random anime archetypes, though, encompassing a brash tomboy named Midori, sword-wielding schoolgirl Setsuna and her ghostly inhabitant Karin, a sneering, pale psychopath known as Linedwell Rainrix (snicker), the boisterous bounty hunter Gally “Vanish” Gregman, buxom mercenary girl Erel Plowse, Power Rangers escapee Danzaiver, and other characters who look almost too generic to have names.

It seems that developer Yuke's (Hermie Hopperhead, Sword of the Berserk, and numerous wrestling games) had an anime parody in mind. Evil Zone's story mode presents each character in his or her own “show,” whether it's devoted to the exploits of “Passionate Midori” or the relationship between Gally “Vanish” Gregman and his wife Seyaka. Each episode pits the selected warrior against another, and the chosen fighter promotes the next episode with a title like “Noisy Girl,” “Threats of a Powerful Enemy. Secret Love. Entry of Fake Danzaiver!” or the informatively prescient “Erel Meets a Pervert!”

As one might surmise, Evil Zone is a kitsch worshipper's paradise, littered with bizarre names, plot points that serve no purpose, and dialogue that's either hokey or completely incomprehensible. And there's a lot to laugh at, due to the game's inexplicable focus on its half-formed storylines and character interaction. Though certain essential plot elements are never addressed (Why are these people slugging it out with each other instead of teaming up? And what makes Ihadurca so evil, anyway?), the cast members actually spend less time fighting than they do spouting hilarious and random lines such as “Shut up! I transcend human experience!” or “I like booze! Before I was married, I drank a lot!”

This attention to an alleged plot apparently occupied the developers to the point where they didn't spend much time crafting the gameplay. Evil Zone's fighting system has its good ideas, such as the option to charge powerful moves as your life meter dwindles, but it simply doesn't play well. Attacks vary according to the distance between characters, so it's all but impossible to coordinate your assault. Nor does it help that the play mechanics are shallow, and matches are often won merely by charging and releasing special moves over and over. And while it's initially fun to experiment with a character's variety of techniques, the novelty soon recedes, leaving only a simplistic and tiresome game engine. At least Evil Zone's anime atmosphere is flashy, if slightly flicker-prone, and the accompanying artwork and cinema sequences are given a professional sheen courtesy of AIC.

The true appeal of Evil Zone lies in its translation, as both the in-game text and instruction manual are magnificently awkward. For example, here's the profile of Linedwell Rainrix:

“He fought Hamika who was sent on a mission from the Tenpouin Clan, a descendent on Onmyouji who used the principals of Chinese Yin-Yang philosophy, to destroy Linedwell's magic sword Shahal, which means 'Lucifer standing for the god of the morning star.'”

Huh.

The game's voice-overs back up this entertaining blather. Though the actors include such veterans as Paul Eiding (Campbell in Metal Gear Solid) and the talented Lani Minella (who's done voices in everything from the Berenstein Bears to Everquest), all of them play their characters with such serious conviction that it only adds to the humor. So do the poorly-matched lip-sync, the scratchy audio quality, and the inconsistent translations; Ihadurca is referred to as “Ihadulca” in the introduction, and Gally proclaims himself to be “Banish,” when his title card gives his nickname as “Vanish.” Even the game's original Japanese title, Eretzvaju, was lazily left in the opening animation. Still, in a game as scatter-brained as Evil Zone, such screw-ups are just another harmless joke.

And laughs provide Evil Zone's only value, as it's too shallow and perfunctory to compete with even the fluffier strain of fighting games. Evil Zone may be a mediocre piece of programming, but for those who enjoy rampantly inane entertainment, it's a brilliant comedy.