Game Reviews

Sometimes, an otherwise perfectly decent game can be completely ruined by the quality of its port. Usually this is due to the limitations of the hardware – a good example being the often appalling conversions of 2D fighters that appeared on the PlayStation, hampered by loading times and an inability to work with too many sprites on the screen. Historically, developers have also been lazy on the programming front, leading to drastic variations in quality between platforms for the same release.

This opening gambit may be a strange way to begin a review of a title that, to date, has only appeared on two platforms (including this release). However, it is without question that there is something very wrong with this title, something inexcusably bad, which may seem petty to some gamers, but that will confound and frustrate 2D fighting fans…

Neo Geo Battle Coliseum was announced to typically feverish fan activity, as SNK Playmore decided to marry together characters from across the Neo Geo universe to create their companion piece to the distinctly Marmite-like SVC Chaos. What was released was an undeniably exciting Atomiswave cart; a fast paced tag-team fighter packed with fan service-tastic nods to the past, albeit in a high resolution stylee. Featuring two new characters, as well as a host of faces from titles as diverse as The King Of Fighters, Metal Slug, World Heroes, Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle and Samurai Spirits 64, it was clear that a lot more effort had gone into creating something worthwhile and for the fans. This was no Capcom Fighting Evolution.

The PlayStation 2 port has arrived surprisingly quickly, presumably to capitalise on the wave of excitement. And what you get is a straight arcade conversion with the same limited options as other recent Playmore releases in terms of picture softening, arranged soundtrack and unlockable artwork galleries. Playability wise, there is little or nothing to separate the port from its arcade origins and there is much to enjoy in the gameplay and original aesthetic vision intended by the developer.

The game is fast and feels supple, instinctive. Battle Coliseum operates in a similar fashion to Capcom’s “VS” series, in that a two-character tag team can be switched in real-time, with the backup character regaining any lost health when they are tagged out. The controls are a five button affair, with a separate button to tag.