Arcana Heart attacks US

Atlus has made a name for itself in the US by localizing an assortment of esoteric Japanese games, from the Trauma Center and Persona series to one-off efforts like Odin Sphere and Ontamarama. While the genres involved run the gamut from medical drama to rhythm action, it has been a considerable time since Atlus imported a fighting game.

Now, 10 years after Atlus introduced American gamers to the Guilty Gear franchise with the original PlayStation edition of the game, the publisher is debuting another series domestically, as today it announced the impending release of Arcana Heart for the PlayStation 2.

The 2D fighter features an all-female cast of 11 anime archetypes battling to prevent a power-hungry woman from destroying the world. Players will be able to customize their fighters with new skills, and Atlus is including both the original arcade game and the revamped Arcana Heart Full, as well as a training mode and various unlockable bonuses.

Arcana Heart has not yet been rated, but is expected to launch April 8 with a retail price of $29.99.