I・S・U

I・S・U is a top-down fighting game built around musical chairs. You choose a character and compete with other players or CPU opponents to claim the chair. Sit in it for three seconds to win; if the time limit expires, the player closest to the chair wins. The default time limit is 60 seconds, and players whose HP is depleted are eliminated.

Fight for the chair

Characters have different skills, activated with simple button presses rather than complicated command inputs. SP and EX gauges build over time, and you can also use actions to charge them; spending the gauges activates character skills. Available actions include strikes, tackles, guarding, charging, sitting or standing, and special SP and EX Arts. Tackles can rush toward opponents, while a Chair Tackle launches you directly from the chair. Each player can also use a Miracle once per game to cancel their current action and knock away nearby characters; EXTRA can cancel the Miracle's recovery.

Game modes

• LESSON: Learn the controls and character skills.
• REHEARSAL: Set up a practice session using rehearsal options.
• VS: Play against other players or CPU characters, or watch a match between CPUs. Up to four players can play at once.
• ２VS２: Compete in teams of two; the team of the winning player takes the match. Character combinations add strategic options.
• ARCADE: Fight through successive CPU opponents. Clearing stage 10 reveals the ending.
• OPTIONS: Change settings including key configuration, game speed, time limit and what happens when a player is eliminated. ARCADE and REHEARSAL have separate settings, which you can change from OPTIONS on their character-select screens.
• AWARDS: View released awards and hints for awards you have not earned. A keyboard is required to earn all awards.

VS offers three camera modes: one follows Player 1, another splits the screen to show each player, and the third focuses on the chair. You can select a camera mode in the options.

Playable characters

The roster includes 12 characters, each with their own abilities and fighting style:

• Histoire: A French game master made of artwork with an ego and a head shaped like the concept of a chair. He specializes in handling the chair.
• Fadia: A free-willed robot from Dubai, created after the singularity. She has two battle modes that you can switch between during a match.
• Kokuzo: A Japanese ninja seeking the villain who killed her father. She has low HP but moves quickly and attacks with a sword and shuriken. Her EX Arts lets her move from the chair to a position behind the nearest enemy.
• Iwan: A powerful, honest but clumsy Russian farmer who enjoys wrestling. He has high endurance and long periods of invulnerability, but moves slowly and can struggle to win after leaving the chair.
• Meaw: A non-violent ladyboy from Thailand, protected by a violent spirit called Phi. You control both characters, and Phi can attack even while Meaw sits in the chair.
• I Pak-ssu: A Korean Ponchak star who loves to sing and dance. His skills can cancel all actions, letting him respond quickly to different situations. During EX Arts, he can attack falling enemies and deal heavy damage with a STRIKE.
• Dan: A Scottish football prodigy born into nobility who resents his strict father. His long-range attacks let him control the area without approaching the chair, but he takes time to recover when hit and can be eliminated before counterattacking.
• Dafu: A chubby, easily deceived Hong Kong trickster and kung fu master. He has few difficult matchups and is easy to use, with a high-risk, high-reward skill that can decide a match at once.
• Wunala: A violent kangaroo fighter from Australia with low HP, fast movement and powerful attacks. A single mistake can leave him knocked out.
• La Suicida: A daredevil Mexican luchadora who accepts any challenge. Her tackle covers a distinctive distance, and she is easy to use.
• Shanti: A yoga master from the Himalayan Range. Her EX Arts meditation improves her abilities, and she can also fully recover her health.
• Steven: An American mayor and self-proclaimed spokesman for justice who solves problems by force. He moves slowly but has skills that help him get around; because he is poor at taking the chair, he generally needs to defeat opponents.