Mash Card Saga

Mash Card Saga is an action-adventure video game developed by Burst Arts and published by Multisoft. Released for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC, Mash Card Saga focuses on 10 characters wielding the magical Mash Cards, each of them aiming to obtain the others for their own purposes.

Gameplay
As a successor to the Petropolis games, Mash Card Saga is an action-adventure game with platforming and beat ‘em up elements. Inspired by the Sonic Adventure games, of which the overall later Petropolis entries was also based on, Mash Card Saga features ten playable characters, each with their own story campaigns and attributes. Every character starts off with one Mash Card, one of the magical cards made by Mash Nestar. Later in the campaigns, the character can gain another Mash Card to strengthen themselves.

In the character’s campaigns, there are two forms of levels: Leisure Areas and Action Stages. Leisure Areas are open-ended hub worlds inhabited by non-playable characters. In these Leisure Areas, the player can interact with these NPCs, some of which can offer information regarding an upcoming Action Stage. In addition to that, the player can also visit shops, rest stops, and arcades. There are places in Leisure Areas which lead to the concurring Action Stages. Once the player accesses an Action Stage, they are tasked with a simple objective: to collect the Mash Cards from anyone else. Due to this, the otherwise-playable characters make up most of the bosses in each stage. However, there is a hidden boss in an Action Stage that will grant each character (except Daisuke) another Mash Card. There are ten Action Stages, four Leisure Areas, and a secret stage, thus making it 15 stages in total.

Each character has a Mash bar, which fills when they perform attacks on enemies successfully and is split into three sections. If one stock is filled, the player can perform a Mash Strike, an enhanced version of a characters' basic attack. Some characters’ Mash Strikes are improved versions of their special attacks while others are original. If two stocks are filled, players can perform a Sign-Mash Break, super moves that can deal large amounts of damage to enemies. Finally, three stocks allow the player to activate a Rev-Mash Break, a special attack that can defeat enemies in a larger blast radius.

Story
In the 15th century, there lived a wise magician named Mash Nestar, whose magic was respected by his peers and feared by his emissaries. During his prime he created the Mash Cards, magical cards that empower the user with their godlike powers; these type of cards often assisted him in his exploits. He has created two guardians with the power of these cards, the ape-like Darius and the demihuman Shinra. With them on his side, Mash was able to save not only his home, but also the world from any threats...

But everything changed one fateful day...Two mysterious beings encountered Mash and his allies, supposedly here for the Mash Cards. They desire the cards so they can fulfill their purposes. Mash, Darius and Shinra tried to fight them off, but they eventually fell for the trap set by the two intruders: they stripped the magician of his Mash Cards and now plan on changing the world with them. However, the beings had a dispute over what they wanted to do with the power of these cards. One wanted to doom the world into chaos while the other seeks to reshape it in his image. This argument ended up being a battle that destroyed most of the village thanks to the true power the Mash Cards are capable of. Eventually, the battle came to an end, with the disappearance of the beings and Shinra. Mash, in his dying breath, requested Darius to seal himself with the Mash Cards and hide them away from greedy hands. And with that, the man known as Mash Nestar has passed…

Fast-forward to the 21st century, the Mash Cards have been kept in a museum exhibit, safe from curious hands. But a young man named Shinobu Raikatsuji noticed the case containing the Mash Cards and, without being detected by the security guards, opens it up, as if he was drawn by a familiar presence. Once he successfully opens the case, all 55 cards were scattered all around the world.

Ten of the cards eventually fell under the possession of ten normal people. Greeted with the cards' magical essence, these ten find their lives changed as they start searching for any other cards that may exist out there. But soon these card wielders will discover a more harmful truth to why these cards have been hidden for so long...

Characters
Mukuro Harukawa ​She is known as the “Headphone Girl” to the public bystanders. In theory, however, Mukuro Harukawa is a kind-hearted young lady who is willing to help anyone she encounters. She resides with the carpenter Eijiro Tomizato, father of Hitsuka Tomizato. As friends of her family, they took Mukuro in when she was informed that her parents have died in an accident in the city. Feeling that she was responsible for her parents’ death, she promises herself to help whoever she can. The earphones she wears were actually a gift from the first person she helped, a girl from another high school. Her friendliness and tendency to assist others are put to the test when she comes across a Mash Card.
 * Mash Card: Fleur the Flower, Jade the Nature (unlockable)

Stephan Lennox Refined and courageous are what describes the swordsmanship of Stephan Lennox. Such art is the result of the training of his father and several other sword fighters in Scotland. However, deep inside he feels as if he does not fit the proper criteria of a worthy successor even after all of this training. That is, until he came across a special sword, one that granted him a sudden surge of power. When he presented this sword to his trainers, they were surprised by how far his training had brought him. He decides to take off to Japan to find someone stronger than him, but his true motivation is to find the strange magical presence his new sword was picking up.
 * Mash Card: Silverlight the Sword, Bronzelord the Shield (unlockable)

Hibiki Aritsu Hibiki Aritsu, the imaginative daughter of the founders of the economic conglomerate Aritsu Savings, has the intent of painting her own future. Her parents tend to pressure her to be a dominant force in the economy like them, but she aspires to be a singer. One day, she was practicing her vocal cords to prepare herself for tryouts until she noticed a card float into her room. She picked it up and was welcomed with a mysterious aura that allowed her to master the art of song. Excited about the wonders this had brought her, she decides to tell her friend Mukuro, who now wears the headphones she gave her, about her new abilities.
 * Mash Card: Mezzo the Song, Another the Reflection (unlockable)

Hitsuka Tomizato Hitsuka Tomizato is the son of the carpenter Eijiro Tomizato. He was the one who discovered Mukuro by herself and, after telling him about her parents' unfortunate fate, decided to bring her in as his adoptive sister. The two have grown close over the years, despite some of the casual fights they tend to get into. Unlike his carpenter father, Hitsuka was personally interested in culinary arts, as he liked cooking even before Mukuro came into his life. As he was practicing his cooking skills, he came across a fiery-red card which welcomed him a warm aura. Soon he will learn that this is no ordinary warm feeling, as he will encounter those like him.
 * Mash Card: Flamber the Fire, Blank the Eraser (unlockable)

Watomi Shirahara Watomi Shirahara is a young Japanese woman who is devoted to her duties as a shrine maiden. She attends Shinden University with Hitsuka, who is well aware of her profession. One night, she had a vision of a god causing chaos around the world, as well as several silhouettes fighting against the god, and a silhouette of herself was a part of the group. That was when she received a green card which granted her the power of winds, thus confirming part of her vision. As she begins her journey to find the origin of this card, the rest of what she envisioned will soon be confirmed.
 * Mash Card: Anyl the Wind, Kage the Eclipse (unlockable)

Summer Holland Summer Holland is an American woman who works as a bounty hunter as a means of cleansing the Earth of any irredeemable criminals. As a teenager, she witnessed the corpses of her family and decided to take matters into her own hands by getting rid of any evildoer who does not deserve a jail sentence. During her latest mission, where she was to search for a terrorist who is disguised as one of the security guards of a museum, her target went missing when all of the Mash Cards have been released to the world, accidentally claiming one as a result. While she was able to capture the terrorist with the help of this new Card, Summer will learn that there will come a larger threat that she has never faced before.
 * Mash Card: Galva the Storm, Ender the Whisper (unlockable)

Daisuke Ritsumori Nothing is known about the man named Daisuke Ritsumori. All that is already known is that he was there when the Mash Cards have been released, albeit unconscious. He woke up and found the Mash Card of Earth in his hand. For some reason, he was greeted with a familiar yet strange presence, so he journeyed around Japan in search of some answers regarding his origin.
 * Mash Card: Cobble the Earth

Edna Quintana Edna Quintana is a freelance photographer from Brazil. Back in her home, she was often credited for capturing the current events that have been occurring around the world. While she was on her trip to Japan, she noticed a powerful light emitting from the museum in Tokyo. Edna was ready to enter the museum and find the source of that light, but it was already gone the moment she arrived. Edna was worried about how this could have a major impact on her career until she discovered a magical card, this one being the Mash Card of Water. With this newfound power, she will uncover the strange occurrences in Japan, as well as uncover the truth of these cards.
 * Mash Card: Aquiris the Water, Illumina the Flash (unlockable)

Ren Jing Ren Jing is a well-respected inventor of China. Known for inventing many gadgets that benefited his home, he was hailed as one of the pioneers for the advancement of Chinese technology. What nobody knew was that Ren was suffering from an incurable illness that could affect his eyesight. Eventually, the illness got to him, and he became blind as a result. But he was not about to let this get in the way of his talent, so he put to use a special visor he built for those who are blind like he is now. That was when he discovered an odd card that granted him illusive abilities, and now he is in Japan searching for the origins of this strange card...
 * Mash Card: Sakkaku the Illusion, Tonglo the Labyrinth (unlockable)

Ash Cardinal The sensation of reaching the skies cannot simply be described in words. For the young Ash Cardinal, his wish to be the best pilot is his way to achieve this particular feeling. His graduation from the Skydawn Flight Academy and retrieval of his new aircraft, the Flugel, were the first steps of following the footsteps of his idol, the legendary pilot Glen Stallwind. But as he finally reached the skies, the engines of the Flugel malfunctioned, sending the plane and Ash down to earth. Ash could have died if it wasn't for the presence of the Mash Card of Flight, leading him to safety in Japan, where he plans to find a way back home while also learning of the Mash Card's origins.
 * Mash Card: Flugel the Flight, Antigra the Leaper (unlockable)

Shinra The final boss of the game. Shinra is a demihuman created by Mash Nestar to act as one of the guardians for his Mash Cards. While his partner Darius was to protect the Mash Cards of Light, Shinra's purpose was to guard the Mash Cards of Darkness. When encountered by the two unknown beings, Shinra was assigned to protect Mash from the duo and keep them away from the cards, only to lose to them and fail his objective. Before the enigmatic duo could finish him off, Shinra performed one last spell that will end up with him reincarnating into the human college student Shinobu Raikatsuji. At this point, Shinobu releases the Mash Cards that have been sealed off and hidden in the museum, which led to him being reawakened as Shinra. He now stands at the top of Tokyo Tower, awaiting those who have collected any of the Mash Cards to challenge him, to see if they are worthy for a future threat...
 * Mash Cards: Lux the Light and Obscura the Dark

Action Stages

 * Amatsu Academy Grounds
 * Amber Beaches
 * Black Factory
 * False Landing Area
 * Golden Gardens
 * History Museum
 * Mystic Shrine
 * Neon Concert
 * Lost Woods
 * Shopping Fes

Leisure Areas

 * Akihabara
 * Ikebukuro
 * Shinden University

Secret Stage

 * Tokyo Tower