Digimon X Arena

For the home console game of the same name, see Digimon X Arena Console.

The Digimon Xros Arena (デジモンクロスアリーナ, Dejimon Kurosu Arīna), stylized as DIGIMON X ARENA, was a free-to-play promotional battle game installation produced by Bandai as part of the merchandise line for Digimon Xros Wars. It began operating in Japanese toy stores and other retail locations in August 2010, with approximately 200 machines planned for installation nationwide.

The game used augmented reality technology to display Digimon over a live image of the play area. Players summoned Digimon by scanning AR Codes and controlled them using physical Battle Plates tracked by the machine's camera. It could also communicate with the Digimon Xros Loader and supported codes included with several other Digimon Xros Wars products.

Unlike Digimon Xros Wars Super Digica Taisen, Digimon Xros Arena did not require payment or dispense collectible cards. The two games were also installed separately, meaning that stores operating a Digimon Xros Arena machine did not necessarily contain a Super Digica Taisen arcade cabinet, and vice versa.

A home console adaptation, TV ni Setsuzoku Digimon Xros Arena, was released on February 26, 2011.

Development

Digimon Xros Arena was unveiled by Bandai on May 20, 2010, during the presentation of the Digimon Xros Wars product line. It was conceived as a promotional installation connecting the anime, the Digimon Xros Loader, figures, cards and other merchandise through a shared system of two-dimensional codes.

Early promotional material referred to the project under the working title AR Colosseum (ARコロシアム, AR Koroshiamu). This prototype also used a significantly different cabinet design from the version eventually installed in stores.

The game was initially scheduled to begin operating during the summer of 2010. Its rollout coincided with the launch of Digimon Xros Wars Super Digica Taisen in August, whose cards included compatible codes on their reverse sides.

Design

AR Code Card design

The installation consists of a cabinet equipped with an 18-inch color monitor, a camera and two physical Battle Plates. The red plate is assigned to the first player and the green plate to the second. Rather than conventional buttons or joysticks, the plates act as augmented-reality markers whose positions and movements are recognized by the camera.

The monitor displays the live play area with computer-generated Digimon superimposed over it. Menu options are selected by holding a Battle Plate over the corresponding part of the screen for a short period.

An AR Code reader situated beneath the monitor is used to summon Digimon and generate items. When scanning a code, the player positions it inside a frame displayed on the screen until the camera recognizes it.

Gameplay

The objective of a battle is to reduce the opposing Digimon's HP to zero before the time limit expires. The amount of damage inflicted increases as the remaining time decreases.

The game supports both one- and two-player battles. Players can summon either one or two Digimon, resulting in four principal configurations:

• One player using one Digimon against a computer-controlled opponent.
• One player using two Digimon against computer-controlled opponents.
• Two players using one Digimon each.
• Two players using two Digimon each.

In single-player battles, the opponent's difficulty can be selected from three levels.

During some two-player battles, a computer-controlled Digimon may interrupt the match. The two players then temporarily cooperate against the intruding Digimon, although their own Digimon continue fighting one at a time.

Summoning

Before the battle begins, each player scans an AR Code to summon a Digimon. After a successful scan, the Digimon appears on the monitor and its parameters are displayed.

If the player does not possess a compatible AR Code, the code printed on the reverse side of the Battle Plate can be scanned instead. Alternatively, if the scanning time expires, the game provides a built-in Digimon. Shoutmon and Ballistamon are among the Digimon that can be supplied in this manner.

Battle

The player guides their Digimon around the battlefield by moving the corresponding Battle Plate. When the opposing Digimon are brought close together, they enter an attacking or defensive state.

The attacking player moves the Battle Plate to perform an attack, while the defending player moves their plate in an attempt to evade it. Defensive actions can reduce the damage received. The game alternates between these actions until one Digimon loses all its HP or the time limit expires.

Items can appear during battle. Obtaining certain items activates an Action Slot used to perform a Special Move. The player attempts to align the symbols displayed by the slot; the resulting technique depends on how many matching Special Move symbols are obtained. A defending player who aligns Guard symbols can reduce the damage inflicted by the opponent's Special Move.

Tag Battle

In Tag Battles, the two summoned Digimon do not fight simultaneously. Instead, one Digimon from each team participates in the battle at a time. The active Digimon can be exchanged by covering the Battle Plate with the player's hand. A player loses when the HP of both of their Digimon has been reduced to zero.

AR Codes

An AR Code is a two-dimensional code distributed across the Digimon Xros Wars merchandise line. Scanning one with the machine's camera summons the corresponding Digimon or generates an item within the game.

Compatible AR Codes were included with products such as:

• Digimon Xros Wars Super Digica Taisen cards.
• Digimon Xros Figures.
• Digital Monster Series soft-vinyl figures.
• DigiMemories.
• Other related Digimon Xros Wars merchandise.

Some AR Codes could also be scanned with an ordinary mobile phone. Rather than launching the game data, doing so could open a Bandai webpage displaying an official illustration of the corresponding Digimon.

Although AR Codes were specially distributed for use with the game, possession of one was not required to play.

Digimon Xros Loader connectivity

The machine communicates with the Digimon Xros Loader through infrared. By placing a Xros Loader in the designated area of the installation, players can use Digimon they have raised on the device in Digimon Xros Arena.

The connection also operates in the opposite direction, allowing the Xros Loader to obtain new Digimon through interaction with the machine. Promotional descriptions additionally indicated that the machine could transmit sounds for the Xros Loader's sound-recognition system, generating Digimon on the device.

Home console adaptation

A home adaptation titled TV ni Setsuzoku Digimon Xros Arena was released by Bandai on February 26, 2011. It connected directly to a television and recreated the original installation's augmented-reality battles using two included Battle Plates.

The home version expanded the concept with more than 200 appearing Digimon, over 50 playable Digimon and more than 50 quests. It could scan both official AR Codes and certain ordinary two-dimensional codes, as well as communicate with the Digimon Xros Loader through infrared.

Image Gallery

External Links

• Digimon Web — Digimon Xros Arena (JP) (Archive)
• GetNews — Digimon Xros Wars product presentation (JP)
• D-Liner NEXT gameplay report (JP)
• Bandai — TV ni Setsuzoku Digimon Xros Arena (JP)
• Digimon X Arena gameplay videos: 1, 2 (YouTube)