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It's the rarest thing in the videogame world to take a game that gets nearly everything wrong, and dare to produce a sequel that's so very right. Because make no mistake, Neogeo Battle Coliseum is the continuation of SNK vs Capcom, with its Capcom side of the fighting equation replaced with an eccentric collection of characters from a great span of SNK franchises, from obvious choices like King of Fighters and Samurai Showdown, to the underrated World Heroes and even the non-fighting Metal Slug series. Though if you're facing down a Mars Person with a slow-moving sword jockey, you better prepare yourself for a hundred tentacle ass whoppin'.
In basic form, fighting is in pure SNK style with two punches and two kicks, blended with controller movements to pull of special attacks and devastating desperation moves. What's new is the two man (or woman) tag-team, that you can switch in and out of at any time, even doubling up for a killer combo. Borrowed from Marvel vs Capcom 2, fighters currently unused recover part of their life bar, making careful juggling a key to success, especially when life isn't recovered between rounds in either Arcade or Survival modes. Guard step makes its return, and though it's not as cheap as the previous game, it's still a tactic that can give you the edge when your back is against the wall.
Survival Challenge is the final and most delicious mode in the game. Here is an endless battle.
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The low resolution is a shame, but the result is still lovely. While some sprites were a bit ancient, most were either carried over from the recent Capcom vs SNK or made especially for this fighting fiesta. So despite the wide range of characters, everything from a hulking samurai to a thin slip of a schoolgirl, it all feels like it belongs in the same game, and wasn't the MUGEN mash-up I had been dreading. Backgrounds are a mix of 2D and 3D with some eye-catching effects, and more than a few cameos. It's a bit of a game to recognize which stage belongs to what series, and spot Kain from Mark of the Wolves lounging on fallen columns. The music is intense. I played something like two dozen matches before I realized I was listening to the arcade soundtrack, which clearly wasn't limited by the old Neo-geo hardware that I had become accustomed to. NGBC doesn't need an arranged soundtrack, but it has one anyway, making well use of the stereo situation and kicking up the bass. Both soundtracks end up excellent and well worth listening to.
With game options, arcade mode is a little out of the ordinary. You face bouts of three matches against two fighter teams, where scoring a knockout against either enemy will earn you the win. Between these rounds, you can recover a little life, gain a little more time, or charge up your power stock, though once you choose an option, it's gone forever. Upside is if time runs out, the game always rules in your favor. Downside is you'll be facing Mizuchi at the end of it all. Longtime KoF fans remember him well, like your own scream after waking up from a nightmare. Mercifully, he's been toned down since his last appearance, but then again he isn't the game's true boss...
Tag Mode is more standard two on two battles, where both members of either side need to kiss pavement before ending the round, and all your time and life returns to prepare for the next bout. This is the best mode to take advantage of true SNK style random selection, where you'll get a new dynamic duo for each round, allowing you to get a good sample of the game's stable of forty fighters. I should also mention that while most of the characters are either fan favorites or obscurities from the depths of time, there are two new fighters, Yuki and Ai, who are both technical and potent combatants. Yuki has to charge up his special moves to make the most of them, trading vulnerability for delivering a colossal punch, while Ai... honestly I have no idea how to use Ai, but she is cute and has a neo-pocket motif going, so I respect that. NGBC's greatest strength is actually the sheer range of fighting styles it represents, and while it's not perfectly balanced, it comes pretty close. So there's something to match any play style, from grapplers, to charge characters, to shoto clones, to truly unique warriors.
Survival Challenge is the final and most delicious mode in the game. Here is an endless battle. You choose two fighters, and you better choose carefully, because you'll face fighter after fighter all trying to wear you down. There is no health restoration here, and it's a long way before you'll reach the bosses waiting to be taken down. This forces you to play defensively and play well. That bit of damage you took when you were careless five matches ago just might spell your doom. The thing that really makes it work is outside of the initial match, there's virtually no loading times in this mode. It'll make you pause the game just to take a break from the relentless action.
While lacking a bit of the depth and complexity of King of Fighters XI, Neogeo Battle Coliseum makes up for it in character variety. Two player co-op and four player clashes are woefully absent, since they would have made a great fit beyond the vanilla versus, but you still have a well put together package at a low price. |
