In 2012, "Complex"s Elton Jones ranked this "underrated and virtually unknown fighter" as the 12th best SNK fighting game ever made, commenting, ""Waku Waku 7" was a trip. Most of the cast was full of colorful beasts and parodies of popular fighting game characters. Mauru had to be the strangest looking creature on the roster (he was also one of the most fun guys to play with). We appreciate this game’s tight gameplay, super cheery graphics, and hilarious super moves. Do yourself a favor and import a copy of this joint." That same year, "GamesRadar"s Lucas Sullivan included "this cheery, colorful Neo Geo fighter" among the little-known classic fighting games that deserve HD remakes, adding: "Though the zany roster is only seven fighters strong (not including goofy secret characters like a sentient punching bag), Sunsoft crafted quite the fun brawler that gives you super meter and glitzy special moves as often as modern-day "Marvel Vs." games."