It's time for another SNK dream match!!! As if, they didn't rely on that genre as it is.
Overview
Is it another KOF tournament? Nope. Are they fighting with Capcom, again? Not even close. So why is this consider a dream match? Well, that's because SNK is breaking into their former work. This battle includes people that appear on the Neo Geo system era when it was alive and kicking.
The forty plus cast include the typical SNK dream match combatants and the downright obscure, who finally make their way to the scene, ranging from games like Last Blade, World Heroes, and even, King of the Monsters. Two new fighters are introduce as agents who are sent to Neo-Geo land in help securing the area from a force known as “WAREZ”. Many other signature personas from throughout the land and time of Neo-Geo are also experiencing the problems WAREZ is causing in some form.
So let's hope onto the train for another trip to dream match central to see who's the one to come out on top in Neo-Geo Battle Coliseum. When push come to shove, will NGBC be spared to live another day or will it get the thumbs down and be fed to the lions?
Graphics 9/10
“Wow!” is what I got to say about this. All of what I am seeing is spectacular and some of their best work since reviving as SNKP. Everything looks wonderful with the endless amount of colors. The backgrounds are nice, clear, and sharp to look and not mediocre then past SNKP projects. The Giant Satellite Grid stage is a personal favorite of mine. It even gives us special cameos from past SNK creations we hadn't seen in years that should reappear on some future appearances. I'm looking at you, Jubei Yamada.
The fighters are sized up well and are pixel nicely so it doesn't look like a mismatch against the scenery. Some of the reedited older fighters got a great touch up, but I did notice that Haohmaru's eyes seem to bugging out when he stands still. What is up with that? New students like Marco and Asura mix so well with the semi-odd cast. Seeing the artwork, it unique is a special way. It's nothing I ever saw on a fighting game and for some reason it just works with what this games has to offer. The animations for the fighters' graphic effects are bright and convincing. To see brushes of fire from Kyo, Tung's throwing beams of blasting light, to Akari's calling forth an army of evil monsters, it just perfect to watch.
Gameplay/Controls 9/10
The battle is setup with selecting two members to each team. The ways of reaching the end of the game is done in a totally new approach that I haven't seen done before. Of course, there are requirements that must be met to reach pacific bosses, but the twist is the game starts off with 200 seconds on the clock. Your job is to go into a stage, where three sets of teams are waiting for you. Only needing to defeat one opponent to beat a team, if you complete this agenda, you head into another stage and repeat the same task until time runs out. Each break gives you four choices, in which three can be only be use once and one option to not use any of them. Choose wisely, because having an “I don't care, I pick this one” attitude could lead to your downfall, if you really want to make it to the end. When everything is over, whatever actions you did (during the fights, battle bonuses, energy left) they will tally up and brings you to the assigned boss.
The computer AI is actually quite challenging this time around. Majority of the fighters can be quite the handful in the later stages, as some will just outright crush you. The move list for all the fighters are astounding and provide tons of unpredictable ways of handling yourself in the battlefield. Most people will be shocked that this is also one of my favorite times of battling bosses in recent memory. The end bosses actually have that feel of yeah, they have really powerful moves, but you know in some way, you can beat them. Also, letting them fill up their missing energy constantly is just what the doctor ordered and severely needed.
Your special meter will act like it always supposes to do. Store up by getting hit, blocking, executing specials, and so forth. To make things interesting, after a couple of seconds, when “D-Assault OK” or “Auto Charge OK” appears on your side, the meter will automatically fill up, even while your staying still, doing nothing. It'll stop once the meter is use for something (i.e. switching, guard cancels, supers, etc.) and you are going to have to wait once more if you want that boost again. I welcome this with open arms.
D-Assaults, or “Double Assaults”, is what it means, it gives both members the privilege to attack the active rival. While it barely does any real damage, it does take out part of the red life refill portion of their opponent's bar, preventing the foe from recovering more life when they tag out. Many people will shrug it off like it has no use, but any informed mind would take it to their advantage. In addition, certain people, when teamed together, can gain access to special double assaults. I won't say how to do it, but let's just say if you get to do them, they are wickedly awesome.
To get things started on the configurations, the E button works to switch partners, when it is okay. The rest of the button layout works out the same it was on the Neo Geo arcade cabinet setup, but depending of who you play as during that time, you will have adapt to their style of fighting. So playing a fighter from a KOF or Fatal Fury will have the first four presses acting as weak and strong versions of the punch and kick. However, take somebody from Samurai Shodown and you will get the first three as their slashes and the forth one as their kick. It might seem strange, but it really isn't a hassle. Although, Last Blade's fighters having to perform the series' deflect skill as a special is sort of unnatural to me in some way.
Now, the only thing to stop this from getting the maximum score of 10 is the loading time in between. Some hate it, some are not affected by it, but when you into the action, it sort off kills the mood. I don't think nobody would like watching their favorite television show and having commercials come in every two minutes, would they? Okay, bad metaphor, but I hope you get what I'm saying.
Sound/Music 8/10
While you will notice some of the staple fighters got some new people to speak as them. No matter because the voice acting, in the game, is very clear to understand. The announcer, thankfully, doesn't speak broken English and is much more professional to listen to. As for the music department, it's quite excellent. It gives off the futuristic style without actually going off to the bland generic dance music route. It's like music you would hear to get ready watching something on Pay-Per-View. My favorite moment is when the fight is finish they do a piano crash like moment and the 'epic' theme of the bosses. One last thing…am I the only one who thinks the continue screen's music belongs in some Christmas song?
Replay Value 8/10
The characters, old and new, are just oozing out nostalgia in every part of their moves. Believe me, if just feels good to witness this stuff. Even with the large amount of characters in stock, two player fights is where it's at after you succeeded in reaching your goals of meeting and beating all the bosses in one player mode, which is no easy task. Problem is, depending where you are in the world, you have may have crowds of challengers waiting or no one who share your logic that 2D fighting is fun. I wisely chose two player fights because the rules for winning that one is both teammates must be defeated, extending your playing time. I really was into “the modern look” pictures in the endings, like it was something they wear in real life after getting out of work.
Overall 9/10
So would I say Neo-Geo Battle Coliseum is the first game I liked from SNKP? If you read my way of my reviewing things, I have to say…yes. I truly love this game to the max. If you can push over the loading times aspect, you are going to explode with happiness with what you find in here. As if that was not enough, the game's mechanics are quite cool and is a refreshing change of pace for dream match battles we seen in the past and present. Do yourself a favor, if you still know an active arcade and it has this in their display, don't afford to miss it. It's been a long time coming for a good SNKP game and you are looking at the one that broke the glass.
- by Boombada
