Neo Geo Battle Coliseum is a hardcore fighter's dream come true!
For years, at least in America, SNK has played second fiddle to Capcom's 2D fighting games. For some reason on this side of the pond games like Fatal Fury and Samurai Showdown just haven't appealed to the masses like Street Fighter II. For that reason alone this game will never see the light of day here in the United States. Importing is the only way you can play this gem. And a true gem it is. It's a shame such quality games are exclusive to the Japanese market. Neo Geo Battle Coliseum is a hardcore fighter's dream come true! And if you are a hardcore fighting game fan this gem is not to be missed.
Let's start with the basics. This game is a 2D fighting game featuring characters from the SNK universe. Remember great games like Art of Fighting, The King of Fighters, and the aforementioned Samurai Showdown? Well if you spent any time in an arcade during the 90's, are one of the lucky few that own a Neo Geo system, or if you're a hardcore fighter then you know these games or at least are somewhat familiar with them. All characters in this game hail from some of SNK's more popular titles. Even characters from the Metal Slug series make their fighting game debut in this game. The result of such an amalgam is a great game filled with exciting and rich characters. Even if you aren't familiar with many of them you'll be pulling off moves and finding favorites from the onset of the game. Speaking of which, the game is somewhat fashioned after Capcom's successful "vs." series in that you have a tag team style play. You pick any two characters and go to town against either your friends or the computer. The difference between this game and Capcom's tag team games is this one is WAY more down to Earth. Did you think Capcom's games were too flashy? Did you like the tag team idea but couldn't stand the insane button mashing or the ridiculous combo system that made the game a breeze to walk through? If you said yes then this is the game for you. SNK goes by the Army acronym K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid). They don't complicate the formula in the wrong areas. Instead of what their friendly rivals have to offer SNK gives us a game with a deep battle system and plenty of challenge. It's not the flash of Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Instead of being all style and no substance Neo Geo Battle Coliseum is a great balance of both style and substance that puts Capcom's flashy fighters to shame.
There are multiple types of play modes. First off is Arcade Play. In this mode you pick two fighters and play the computer with one life bar for each character and you fight during a specified time limit. The clock starts at 300 seconds and that's all you get. It sounds like a lot but it really isn't when you consider the other factors. For one, you are pitted against not one team per match but three. That means you have three teams that you have to go through for each individual match and with only one life bar for each of your chosen fighters. Once the match is over the clock does not reset. It starts right where the last battle left off. It can be quite grueling. On top of that your life bar(s) don't replenish at the beginning of the next match. You are given an option between matches to add a little time (20 seconds) to the clock, replenish a little life, or fill your power move meter. Be careful though. Once you have used any one particular option you will not be able to use it again. All of this makes for a demanding game even against the computer. It's nice because it offers plenty of single player challenge. You need to be good at this game to play it.
You also have Tag Play which is more traditional and a great way to "get" good at the game. One team is pitted against another and you both duke it out until someone loses. It's not too tough but is still fun. If you are looking for more of a challenge then Arcade Play is more up your alley. Interestingly this game takes more of a cue from Tekken Tag Tournament that Capcom's tag games in that when one fighter's energy bar is depleted fully, the match is over. So it forces you to use some strategy. If you are getting your ass handed to you, you better switch characters fast or you might lose the match.
Next is Survival Challenge. This is pretty much never ending battles until you just can't keep up anymore. In between matches your life bar gets replenished a little. The better you finish, the more energy is given back to you. It's a fun mode but a standard one as well.
Of course there is also the Arcade Vs. mode where you and a friend square off and then there is also the Practice mode where you can practice moves and get to know your fighters. A nice addition is Gallery where you can look at various works of art featuring the SNK characters in the game. It's especially cool because a lot of this stuff has never been available to Americans or Europeans before. If you're a fan of Japanese art you'll like this mode too. It's also incentive to play with every character in the game because the more you play, the more you get to see. There is also a Network Match mode but, sadly, this mode is only available for the Japanese. Even if you import the game you will not be able to utilize this mode of play outside of Japan.
Gameplay wise this game is a winner. It's just classic SNK fighting greatness. Switching out characters is the easy tap of a button. You have your standard 4 button layout so playing with the Dual Shock 2 is cake. Gameplay is even more enhanced if you have an arcade stick as this game just feels more like an arcade fighter rather than a console fighter. The combo system is great. It's not insane like Capcom's vs. games but it's something that requires skill. No button mashing here. Even the computer will wipe the floor with you. There are special moves for all the characters plus the super moves that are available once you have built up your power meter. You can also use super special moves where both of your fighters beat a huge chunk of energy out of your opponent. They're a little tough to pull off but the reward is worth the effort. This game is made for hardcore fighting game fans. If you've been looking for a new 2D fighter to master get this game!
The thing you have to realize when playing this game is that it is an SNK game. You are to expect great 2D animation but must also understand that the character models are old. It's not that the game looks bad. Quite the contrary. Just don't expect Guilty Gear XX # Reload hi-res graphics for the characters. You know the models of characters used in The King of Fighters, Art of Fighting, and Samurai Showdown? That's about what you'll see here. They all animate wonderfully but if you've seen the characters in the other games, you've them here. The only exception would be the characters from the Metal Slug series. They have been remodeled to fit more with the fighting game mold rather than their cartoony side-scrolling shooter look.
The backgrounds are another story. While SNK has been prone to keeping with their standard Neo Geo backgrounds, you'll notice that this game is a definite upgrade. The backgrounds have received what I call the "Dreamcast Treatment." They are all rendered in 3D while keeping the fighting in 2D. Think Capcom vs. SNK 2 backgrounds and you have the right idea. Where Neo Geo Battle Coliseum beats Capcom here is the backgrounds look great but also have a gritty look to them. The characters actually look like they fit the backgrounds they are fighting in. It's a great look to an already great game.
Now I don't know about you but to me sound has always carried a significant amount of weight in a game's quality. No matter what genre if the music sucks the game leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If it's great then the game sticks in my head while I'm away until I go back and play some more. This game falls into the latter category. The music is just great. It's got that semi-cheesy Yu Suzuki Japanese anime flair that feels like it's right at home in this game. The characters all have their distinct voices. While most of them sound exactly the same as they have from their original games some of them sound like they've been redone from their originals. But rest assured those that were, have all been redone well. An example might be Genjuro from Samurai Showdown fame. His vocals have been rerecorded but he still sounds like Genjuro. It's all good.
At the end of the day this game is a must own for fighting fans. The character roster starts out with 34 fighters to select. More are available once you beat various modes and accomplish certain aspects in the game. It's a fine fighter with a great fighting engine. The cast is rich and the gameplay is outstanding. It's pretty to look at and just sounds fantastic. Some have complained about long loading times in this game. But if you consider all of the RAM required for a monumental 2D fighter, such as this, it's not that bad. As I said before this game is a hardcore fighter's dream. It's a game that will never leave the land of the rising sun. If you have the means, I highly suggest importing a copy of it.