Bubblegum Crash! - Knight Sabers 2034 (Japan) [En by Dave Shadoff+Filler+Tomaitheous v1.0]

This is a fan-translated version of the Japan-only TurboGrafx-16 CD game Bubblegum Crash! - Knight Sabers 2034, which originally launched in 1991. The English patch was created by Dave Shadoff, Filler, and Tomaitheous, bringing the story and menus to English for the first time. It is an action game based on the Bubblegum Crash anime OVA, where players control the Knight Sabers, a team of female mercenaries piloting powered exoskeletons.

You select one of the Knight Sabers and fight through side-scrolling stages against enemy mecha and soldiers. The core gameplay involves running, jumping, and attacking using a combination of punches, kicks, and special weaponry. Each character has different stats and abilities, and you can collect power-ups to enhance your arsenal. The game plays similarly to other beat-em-ups of the era but with a focus on ranged combat and melee.

For fans of the Bubblegum Crisis/Crash universe, this is a rare treat that never made it outside Japan officially. The translation work makes it fully playable and understandable, and the CD-quality soundtrack and sprite work hold up reasonably well. It is a niche title even within the TurboGrafx-16 library, but if you enjoy 16-bit action games with anime flair, it is worth checking out. Just go in expecting a fairly straightforward arcade-style experience.