The Neo Geo Pocket Color is one of the most underrated systems in video game history. Released just a few months after the Game Boy Color, its 16-bit innards meant its games looked significantly better than those on Nintendo’s handheld, and its clicky control stick was a delight too.
Ultimately, though, the system was a failure, capturing just 2% of the US handheld market. As a result, many of its games remain undiscovered and unplayed by most of today’s gamers. Slowly but surely, though, we’ve started seeing some of them on Switch: SNK Gals’ Fighters was released a few months back and anyone who pre-ordered Samurai Shodown on Switch got the NGPC Samurai Shodown! 2 as a free bonus (incidentally, it’s now available to buy separately).
It would appear that these weren’t one-off situations, because now here we have King of Fighters R-2, which initially boots to a Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection logo, implying there’s going to be more where this came from. More retro re-releases are always a good thing in our book, but that’s not to say there isn’t room for improvement here.
For those not familiar with it, King of Fighters R-2 is a handheld fighting game based on its bigger Neo-Geo brother King of Fighters ‘98. While KOF ‘98 has an enormous roster, there are a more modest 14 characters here at first (though more can be unlocked). The main mode lets you either choose a team of three in the traditional King of Fighters arcade style, or simply choose a single fighter for a series of more conventional one-on-one battles you’d expect in other fighting games.
Once you’re into the action itself you’re presented with a pleasantly accomplished combat system, especially for a handheld with only two buttons. Light punches and kicks are performed by tapping either button, whereas holding a button down gives you a strong one instead. Given that KOF ‘98 only uses four buttons, that’s more or less your full move set sorted. This ‘tap or hold’ system does mean there’s a degree of lag – because strong attacks won’t start until you’ve held the button for long enough – but it’s hardly problematic.
Despite being a late ‘90s handheld release, R-2 plays a strong fighting game. There’s a full combo system in place, you can perform counter attacks and evade moves, and there are even two different types of super meter depending on how you prefer to play: the Advanced meter acts like your typical Street Fighter situation with a bar that fills up as you give and take hits, whereas the Extra meter is aimed at beginners and has you charging it manually, automatically making you more powerful for a limited time when the bar fills up.
During actual fights, then, we have no issues. Everything runs nice and smoothly, the numerous music tracks are an absolute delight, hits feel satisfying to land and special moves are reasonably responsive: depending on your controller of choice, of course, as is always the way with fighting games on the Switch. We used a Pro Controller and had no problems at all using either the D-Pad or analogue stick, but as ever your mileage may vary if, say, you’re using the Joy-Cons and insist on using the directional buttons. Again, this isn’t unique to this game.
What is somewhat unique, though, is the oddly named 'Making' mode, a solo affair where you pick a character then take them through a series of battles while winning new ‘skills’. There are more than 200 skills to randomly unlock, and these can do anything from increasing certain stats and improving your ability to counter, to letting you restore more health between battles and even giving you new moves altogether. If you’ve always wanted to have Terry Bogard fire a gun at his opponent, this is where to go (also, what’s wrong with you?).
Versus mode, meanwhile, is handled quite cleverly. Back in the day you had to connect two separate Neo Geo Pocket Color systems with a link cable if you wanted to fight a friend, but don’t worry if you’re afraid that you’ll need two Switches to do the same here. Instead, when you choose the Versus mode on the main menu the game imitates the connection process, splitting the screen into two separate displays for the character select screen. When the actual fight starts the game returns to a single screen: it’s probably the best way this could have been handled without messing with the original game itself.
In terms of general presentation, things are decent if not entirely overwhelming. You can surround the screen with a border that makes it look like it’s running on a Neo Geo Pocket Color, and since the handheld came in a number of different designs there are a number of different borders to choose from as a result. An optional screen filter adds a light grid designed to give the impression that you’re playing on the original hardware (though this dims the brightness significantly), and you can use the right stick to zoom the display to your liking.
It also provides a digital manual, which is a nice touch, but there are still some other things we’d have liked to have seen. It’s a shame that you can’t bring up a move list at any point, for example, meaning the only way you can learn your fighter’s special moves is to get your phone or computer out and Google them as if it was the late ‘90s all over again (though you would have probably been using Yahoo! or Altavista back then instead).
We’d have also loved some bonus content like artwork or even just a gallery of packshots and advertising materials: given that the main Neo Geo games have been getting some incredible compilation packages like the recent Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection – which is rammed with behind-the-scenes stuff – this one feels light by comparison (although, granted, Digital Eclipse handles those compilations and isn’t involved here).
Ultimately, though, the main sticking point for some people will be the price. While Neo-Geo collectors will (correctly) believe that its launch price of $7.99 / £7.19 is a steal for a game like this, many looking to discover it for the first time may find that a tad steep for what’s essentially a 21-year-old handheld game, especially with the Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection branding suggesting there are more of these on the way.
Given that it’s presented almost exactly like SNK Gals’ Fighters was, this appears to simply use the same emulator shell with a different game slotted into it, and it therefore looks like SNK’s plan is to keep doing this every few months so that gamers can build up a collection of NGPC games. While we aren’t against this in theory, we’d rather SNK didn’t go with this trickle approach. It may be too late now but we’d rather just get it over with and pay full price for a Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection compilation, with 15 of the system’s best games on there in one go.
Still, that’s not to take away from what actually is on offer here. Naturally, those who appreciate the NGPC hardware will get the most out of this one, but that’s not to say that those who appreciate a good fighting game won’t enjoy it too (as long as they’re not the type to scoff at what are now slightly basic graphics two decades later).
Conclusion
It may be a handheld game from the late '90s, but there's a solid fighting system in King of Fighters R-2 and genre fans should check it out if it passed them by the first time around. It may be a tad pricey given that it's lacking in the sort of special features many other retro releases get these days, but gameplay's where it counts and in that respect we have no complaints.
Comments 41
I hope they continue these NGPC releases. I'm hoping for a port of Cotton at some point.
Got this along with Samurai Shodown Pocket game. I missed out on these games back in the day but I’m glad I got the chance to play em now. I heard Samurai Shodown was taken off the eshop in UK though. Similar of what happened with SNK Gals Fighters.
This game is awesome for what technology it was originally on. I have the original game and it's a joy to play.
I’m glad these are available but I’d be so much more tempted by the collection treatment. Which I realise is silly as just having them is the main thing.
I really want to grab this as a fan of SNK fighters, thanks for reviewing it! Looks like lots of fun!
@shonenjump86 yeah, I can’t find SS!2 on Nintendo UK’s site any more
But if we’re getting more NGPC games, maybe it’ll come back at some point. I’d welcome Sonic’s Pocket Adventure as well.
This is a great game surprisingly complex for a handheld fighter of the time used to love match of the millennium and turf masters too
Ehh ive never really bothered with move lists in games. So no biggie.
Who keeps thinking it’s a good idea to have such ugly border images for these legacy games?
give us a physical collection, or does that have to come after they've all been released seperately
Biomotor Unitron please!
I own all these so far, but will definitely pick up some NGPC games I missed out on once they are rereleased. Looking out for Metal Slug: Second Runner, Biomotor: Unitron, Beast Busters, and especially SNK vs Capcom.
@TG16_IS_BAE I think they do that to preserve the original aspect ratio / to keep it perfect pixel - I could be wrong. It is definitely ugly though, I agree.
i did like my neo geo pocket colour but to be honest cant see me playing any of the games again
These NGPC fighters are cute, but what i really want are the 2 Metal Slugs.
@everynowandben @TG16_IS_BAE
The border illustrations are optional and the image can be resized, so it's not really bad.
However, i also don't understand why small images with huge distracting borders are often the default setting and why reviewers don't turn this nonsense off.
@EmirParkreiner Precisely, though in some collections it can't be turned off!
@everynowandben You're totally right, it's done for the "purists," that want the pixel perfect ratio.
@kobashi100 I thought so too. Had this one of my first game on neo geo haha.. was amazed @ the colours back then
@TG16_IS_BAE I agree but do realize that the virtual joystick and buttons on them borders aren't just for show, you could actually use those to play the game if you're playing this in handheld mode. That means if you had these NGPC games for Switch and want to play them on the go you really don't need the joycons or controllers to play em as you could just use the virtual controls. This also implies that the emulator they are using was meant for mobile play but was implemented for Switch.
@retro_player_77 Thats interesting for this title, but doesn’t explain why it’s been done for other games.
@TG16_IS_BAE Well yeah they're all using the same emulator.
@retro_player_77 Oh, I meant other collections, such as MMX/MMZ, the Konami ones, etc. those don’t need ugly borders is all I’m saying.
@TG16_IS_BAE Yeah but what would you prefer they include instead of borders? Stretching the games would make them look worst and then there's TATE mode on games like Contra and Super Contra where you could just play them vertical eliminating borders altogether.
@retro_player_77 I prefer the stretching, honestly.
@TG16_IS_BAE You can turn the border off completely, one of the border selections is all black. Aside from that, the border selections are different from game to game, which is interesting. Sadly, my Stone Blue border (my actual NGPC) is only available on KoF R-2 and Samurai Shodown! 2. And if anyone has the see-through colors, those borders are only available in Gals Fighters (which also has the most borders to choose from, for sone reason)
Still waiting for Match of the Millennium.
This was the greatest handheld fighting game experience back in the day, spent many hours with this. Had to pick it up just for nostalgia sake, and it's still an excellent game that stands out for it's more simplified take on the KOF series. Gotta love the cute characters as well, great game.
@Paperboy I hope they continue too. Love that all the different generations are coming together on Switch.
@EmirParkreiner The reason I include the borders in screenshots when I review these sorts of retro compilations is because some people want to know what the borders look like. Everyone knows what no border looks like, after all.
Ultimately, though, the main sticking point for some people will be the price. While Neo-Geo collectors will (correctly) believe that its launch price of $7.99 / £7.19 is a steal for a game like this, many looking to discover it for the first time may find that a tad steep for what’s essentially a 21-year-old handheld game...
People have become so cheap. And delusional. They'll pause at buying this but will head over to a fast food joint and spend nearly the exact same amount on terrible food, that's literally bad for your health, and that last 20 minutes. Or order two higher priced coffees at Starbucks and spend more. But this is too much?! I never understood this logic and I never will, despite it being so prevalent out there. I for one am very excited to try a new system I never had a chance to try out before and for a measly $8 a pop, its a no brainer.
@Agent721 So anyone who eats fast food shouldn't complain about game prices? Seems a bit of a reaching argument and more of just a rant. People buy based on how much things are worth to them. If a single rom of ngpc isn't worth much to them that's their business.
I think a fair argument about the price would be when you compare it to how much Virtual Console games used to cost on 3DS and Wii U. A solid, classic SNES game costs $7.99. If I remember correctly. I could be wrong. While a NES game was $4.99, and a Gameboy game was even less, depending. So should a Neo Geo Pocket Color game be as much as a SNES game? Probably not, but I’m thankful we’re getting them, and I understand its a business.
Cons: A fairly bare-bones package with no extras
Lack of move lists makes learning each character fiddly
Is this your first King of Fighters game?
@doctorhino I didn't say they couldn't complain, I said they were cheap and delusional and I will never understand this point of view. And I stand by that whole heartedly. If you argue you don't like the game, that's something else, but to argue you would buy it if it was cheaper, because $8 isn't cheap enough? No, the issue here is a cheap buyer, who most likely is broke and is used to pulling ROMS of the internet illegally for free, who now feels entitled to grab whatever he wants for free. $8 is $8. Its dirt cheap already.
@Agent721 how about the game is not robust enough to warrant 8 dollars and I would only buy it as part of a ngpc collection pack. I got so many genesis games for 30 bucks in their collection and even if I did like it I wouldn't be able to justify 8 for a single game by that formula.
8 dollars isn't dirt to everyone, some of us still have to justify price per gaming enjoyment to qualify a purchase as worth it whether we have the money or not.
When I could easily put 8 bucks towards a 22 dollar game or get both for 30 and I will get 10x the amount of playtime out of the 22 dollar game it follows logic perfectly well.
@Papichulo No, but for some people it might be.
@doctorhino We disagree as we are clearly at different income levels, so we see the value of money differently. However, you'll never hear me say, short of Angry Birds, that a NEO GEO pocket game, or an NES game, or even an Atari game, is not robust enough to warrant $8. Minimum wage in the state I work is $12.00 an hour, so do I think most games are worth working 45 minutes in CA, for $8? A resounding yes. In the end, our own personal perspective differs, as its based on our own personal life, and that's ok.
@Agent721 I make 120k a year so yeah we are probably at widely different income levels.
I'm in my mid 30s and have to pay for absolutely everything and save up for retirement and keep emergency funds around. See it doesn't matter how much you have, it's all about how you value your own money.
@doctorhino You make good money, we are in the same ballpark actually. I'm early 40s, married and also saving up for a ton of stuff...and I agree with you on valuing money. We probably do it in different ways. But no none is right or wrong and the more I think about it, the more I realize this argument is not worth the time as everyone has their own opinion in terms of value. Perhaps I pay $8 for this, but I won't for that, and perhaps you do the opposite. And I definitely agree with you that if a collection was available, that would of course be the better choice. Hopefully for this, we will see a collection as that would be much more cost conscious. And honestly, kudos to you for watching your cash and planning out...most don't. I do, so I definitely respect what you're saying and I get your point. You can't spend $8 on every single game there is and you can choose what is worth it to you.
@Agent721 pretty much was my point, that you can't judge people too much on what they buy. Though it can be annoying when people waste money really heavily and then complain about stuff they want. For anyone complaining who wants kof, 2002 is the same price though. I guess it's hard for neogeo to come out with a collection now that they have all these ACA games at 8 a pop for years.
KOF NGPC is finally back! I've already got it in my backlog so I'm excited Also I'm hoping for Sonic Pocket Adventure to return. Missed opportunity to include it in Sonic Gems...
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