"Waku Waku 7" was met with generally positive reception from critics since its initial release in arcades and other platforms. "AllGame"s Kyle Knight reviewed the AES version regarded the graphical presentation as among the best on Neo Geo, praising the audio design, unique fighting system and character roster but criticized its implementation of the power gauge mechanic. The Sega Saturn conversion was met with a more mixed response from reviewers for being a straightfoward conversion of the original arcade game. However, fan reception was positive; Readers of the Japanese "Sega Saturn Magazine" voted to give the Saturn port a 7.4692 out of 10 score, ranking at the number 527 spot below "Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors", indicating a popular following.