$20 Game of the Week: Neo Geo Battle Coliseum (PS2)

In the realm of 2-D fighting games, SNK is second only to Capcom in terms of sheer longevity and quality. Even though Sammy’s Guilty Gear is the current reigning champion, the series owes its existence to SNK, Capcom, and the gameplay mechanics that they established. Throughout the years, SNK has produced a number of hit franchises, both fighting and otherwise. Any gamer worth their salt has been exposed to at least one SNK game, weather it’s Metal Slug, King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Athena, or Samurai Showdown. This new fighting game is a celebration of SNK’s 20 plus year history. Even though many gamers will find this game a bit lacking (especially graphics wise), this game is a dream come true for hardcore SNK and fighting game fans.

It’s the year 2017 and Neo Geo World is in chaos. The mysterious Warez corporation is sponsoring a tournament, and its mysterious leader plans on using it to topple the world’s greatest fighters. The government responds by sending its agents Ai and Yuki to investigate. Okay, so the game is a bit light on the plot (especially compared to King Of Fighters games), but its tag-team gameplay makes up for it. This game is SNK’s equivalent to Marvel vs Capcom 2, and as such, SNK didn’t just settle for simply sticking to more ‘serious’ fighters like Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting. The game’s cast features characters from all over SNK’s back catalog. Alongside Terry Bogard, Kyo Kusagni, Iori Yagami, and other usual suspects, you’ll find characters from Last Blade, Samurai Showdown, Kizuna Encounter, World Heroes, and even Metal Slug. There are even several unlockable characters including Athena (who is not the same as the KOF character).

The game progresses a bit differently than other fighting games. The arcade mode has you beat three teams per round, and you only have 300 seconds to do it. If the time runs out during a match, you’ll face the boss rather than the usual ‘time-out’ victory. It takes a while to get used to to say the least. Who you fight depends on how many matches you’ve won at that point. The game makes use of Sammy’s Atomiswave arcade board, but many will find the background graphics lacking. Thankfully the sprites hold up well, and you’ll see a number of zany characters and special attacks. There are secret attacks that can be discovered by teaming up certain characters, such as Mr. Karate and Robert Garcia. Like many recent SNK home games, this features options for remixed music, enhanced graphics, a survival mode, color edit, and a gallery featuring unlockable artwork and endings.

Gamers who are unfamiliar with SNK will wonder what the big deal was. Critics will pick apart its graphics, while 2-d fighting games will find another worthy addition to their library. For SNK fans however, this is the perfect trip down memory lane. What this game lacks in graphics, it makes up for in its sheer amount of fan service.