: An archeologist and treasure hunter who blends traits from Indiana Jones and Joseph Joestar from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure .

: A slow but heavy-hitting police tank mecha piloted by a midget chief and his dog mechanic, referencing police tanks from Dominion . Innovative Gameplay Mechanics

: A cocky 13-year-old BMX rider who parodies the "hot-blooded" anime hero, specifically echoing characters like Sie Kensou from The King of Fighters .

The game's primary draw is its personality-rich roster, where each character serves as a parody of a popular archetype.

: A giant purple forest spirit that clearly pokes fun at My Neighbor Totoro .

, released by Sunsoft in 1996 for the Neo Geo MVS, is a vibrant fighting game renowned for its satirical take on 1990s anime and fighting game tropes. Despite the numerical title, it is not a sequel; rather, it refers to its seven primary playable characters and the seven "WakuWaku" balls they seek to have their wishes granted. A World of Satire and Style

While it shares features with contemporary SNK titles—such as the four-button attack scheme and dynamic screen zooming— Waku Waku 7 introduced several forward-thinking mechanics that would later become staples in the genre.