Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first few minutes make Qi Xiao Quan feel unusually unpredictable. Normal mode has you moving through a labyrinthine first-person pseudo-3D dungeon, where exploration can break into side-view fights rather than settling into one steady rhythm. That uncertainty is part of its charm: you are never entirely sure whether the next encounter will be a fight, a manga character, a developer cameo, or one of the game’s stranger diversions.

When combat arrives in Normal mode, it is simple and physical. Ranma can jump, punch, and kick in one-on-one bouts, so the focus is on direct exchanges rather than a deep move list. The dungeon wandering is the bigger commitment, and it can become frustrating if you want clear momentum; its maze structure asks for patience before handing you another payoff.

Special mode is the cleaner recommendation for an action-minded afternoon. It turns Ranma loose in linear side-scrolling stages, lets him fire small projectiles at enemies, and adds a charged stronger attack for moments when you want more punch. Light platforming and a boss at each stage give this half a dependable arcade cadence. It is less strange than Normal mode, but often more immediately satisfying.

The two-mode structure is both Qi Xiao Quan’s best idea and its biggest hurdle. You are effectively getting two different takes on the same character: one exploratory and stop-start, the other brisker and more combat-focused. Try both before deciding the game is not for you, because your preferred mode will depend almost entirely on whether you enjoy mapping mazes or pushing forward through stages.

Graphics

The game switches its viewpoint as sharply as it switches genres. Normal mode uses a first-person pseudo-3D dungeon view before cutting to side-view fights, while Special mode stays with scrolling side-view action. Ranma remains in his male form throughout, and the changing camera makes the two halves feel visually distinct as well as mechanically different.

Story

Qi Xiao Quan draws on Ranma ½’s central comic complication: Ranma is a teenager cursed to become a girl whenever he touches water. It is a strong fit for a game built around unexpected encounters, even though you control his male incarnation in both modes.

Rather than presenting its material as one straight dramatic journey, the game uses the manga connection as a source of interruptions and oddball encounters. Meeting characters from the manga during dungeon exploration gives Normal mode some welcome personality between its corridors and fights.

The panda encounter is especially on-brand for the premise. Ranma’s father turns up for rock-paper-scissors, which is the kind of deliberately silly detour that tells you this adaptation is happy to lean into the series’ comedy. If you want a tightly told action plot, that scattered approach may leave you cold; if you enjoy Ranma’s nonsense, it is part of the reward.

Overall Experience

Qi Xiao Quan is a fascinatingly uneven licensed game because it refuses to be only one thing. Normal mode has the curious, messy energy of a dungeon game that can veer into fighting, trivia, and comedy bits. Special mode supplies the more familiar action-game backbone when the wandering starts to wear thin.

The payoff is real if you can meet it on its own eccentric terms. The game does not build one seamless flow between its ideas, but its willingness to jump from maze exploration to brawling to rock-paper-scissors gives it a personality that many straightforward adaptations lack.

Ranma ½ fans will get the most from the recognizable premise and character encounters, while retro action fans should begin with Special mode and treat Normal as the stranger bonus half. Qi Xiao Quan is not polished into a single unified experience, but it is memorable precisely because it is such an unusual pair of games sharing one title.

Retro Replay Score

6/10