This is a very fun fighter!
Let's start with presentation. This game is pure Japanese. The characters are all taken from the Capcom universe (fighting games that is) and have been shrunk down to become cute caricatures of themselves. The animation is very good for a PS1 game and the music fits it perfectly. If you have played Capcom's Super Puzzle Fighter 2: Turbo, think of those characters in a simple and fun fighting game, and you get the idea.
This is not a very deep game, as I said before. But that's okay here. It is just a fun 2D fighter that doesn't take itself too seriously. Each character features his/her signature moves, but are executed with only one punch and one kick button. There is also a button used for taunts and one used for a special move that is unique to each character and isn't seen in any other game. For instance, this move will make Ken immediately jump on a horse and the horse turns around and kicks the opponent. Kind of silly, but that's what this game is all about; endearing charm. You also collect gems as you inflict damage on your opponent. As you collect gems, they are accumulated to make your special moves more powerful. It's an interesting twist that makes this game a great diversion from the standard.
I think, when this game was released, many professional reviewers were going through a phase where they disliked fighting games.The market was over-saturated with fighters and, as a result, all of the Street Fighter off shoots were getting bad ratings because they lacked originality. All of which leads me to believe this game would have been a breath of fresh air. It should have been given better scores by magazines and online game critics. If you find a copy and want to have a good old time with a different fighter, I recommend Pocket Fighter. It is a very fun fighter!