I have thoroughly enjoyed the re-releases of NEO GEO Pocket games on the Switch. They have reminded me that back in the day you sometimes could get the most out of a portable fighting game using just two buttons. They have also reminded me that the NEO GEO Pocket card games created for this system should be coming soon…if a deal is struck with Capcom. C’mon, SNK, make that happen.
Anyway, today’s NGP game review is for King of Fighters R2, and I have had some fun with it, probably more than I should have. Let’s get this thing going.
King of Fighters R2 came straight from 1999, a year where I was dreaming of college graduation and wondering if I would ever become a ‘key’ manager at Waldensoftware. Those were the days. Anyhoo, King of Fighters R2 is and was quite brilliant during the NGP time period and has translated pretty well onto the Nintendo Switch. While I can’t say I’m in love with the graphically replicated NGP as the majority of the space on Switch’s screen, I will say the game has held up over the years.
Graphically Delicious
The character models in the game are straight from King of Fighters big boi edition that was found on the PS1 and the NEO GEO CD at the time. The characters contain all their personalities, their animations, and their fighting styles, even though the screen has shrunk to a 2-3” height/width. How SNK got all the movements and celebrations into those tiny/adorable characters on that teeny-tiny screen is anyone’s good guess, but they did. The joy of the KoF series is seeing those personalities in motion from the models. For example, knowing that Iori is going to laugh maniacally at the end of each match after someone loses is neat to see replicated in cute tiny form. It may not be completely 1:1 graphically, but it’s definitely perfect in presentation and execution. Related, while I’m not entirely thrilled with Mai’s ‘extra animation’ in the console game, and it is always the ‘extra animation’ in every KoF game she is featured in, it is interesting to see that SNK took the effort and brought it to the small screen. Ultimately, how this game visually translates is a treat.
Two buttons? And you can do what?
I’m equally as impressed with the controls as I am about the graphics. While you’re stuck with two buttons, as was the case with the original NGP control scheme, somehow SNK crammed the appropriate movements into those two buttons with the help of the thumbstick. That means you can pull off most of the combo moves and final blows that are featured in the bigger console version of the game. Did everything get ported over with the simplified control scheme? Nope, but the game is designed to make combos and those much bigger moves easier to execute. It’s as if SNK nerfed the control scheme to help bring up the entertainment value of the game because they knew not every controller move was going to be pulled off on the Pocket. Imagine a company caring about your entertainment over your skill. Brilliant stuff.
That damn screen
Regretfully, I’m still not in love with the NGP system graphic taking up most of the screen. While there are some great purest out there that will see this move as a plus, wanting, and getting the full NGP experience, I still think you can maintain the integrity of the game by porting it onto a bigger screen size. Go full 4:3 ESPN on it if you have to, where you get these obnoxious side panels making up for the lost space or…yep…just stretch it out. I know, I know, it’s a sin. Regardless, make this thing fit the screen better! Those of us who have to wear glasses will appreciate it, as the screen size is a bit difficult to see. Anyway, the saving grace with this complaint is that you can press the ‘-‘ button and zoom in with the right stick. While that technically does give you the above ESPN description, it still feels a little unnecessary to have to do that manually. That should be the default. I know seeing the NGP is magical, as some gamers out there didn’t get to experience it growing up, it’s unnecessary to start with it gulping up the screen space. There are a few other ways that could be done without the user needing to choose the zoom option.
Conclusion
Overall, I think that this might be my favorite re-release on the Nintendo Switch so far. King of Fighters R2 has a fun fighting scheme, features unique and fun personalities renown for the series, and preserves most of what made King of Fighters great — cool moves to pull off during fights. If the screen size could be fixed, we would be golden.
