Neo Geo Battle Coliseum

Post by **Ack** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:05 am

Ok, so I picked this up used yesterday for 12.99 at my local Gamestop. It came with the instructions, and the guy working the counter said he owned it and he absolutely loved it(he's a cool guy, I've talked games with him before). He even checks the condition of the disc before offering it to me, so I know the game is in good shape.

I get it home, I pop it in my PS2, play for a few seconds, and BAM! Slowdown. Like less than ten frames a second slowdown on certain stages. Now I like the game, even if I think there are horrendous balance issues with some of the characters. But I hate 2D sprites with 3D backgrounds, and I really think it's the 3D moving backgrounds that are causing the slowdown, because it only occurs on certain stages. Did any of you suffer from this? The stages I noticed it the most were a temple with a dragon in the background moving around, and this waterfall level where a bear plays with a tire.

Also, character recommendations. I haven't played too much SNK in my life, and they didn't include Hattori Hanzo from Samurai Shodown(though there is a Hanzo, and I like his play style). I really like playing as Lee, but I need a good partner, someone other than Mudman.

Oh, and one last thing. Mudman = greatest taunt ever.

Post by **ott0bot** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:25 am

i was not a big fan, and I'm actually selling in on another post. the slowdown and character selection were disapointing to me as well. i just didn't get into it or even want to keep trying. I know vlame liked it....but I wasn't a fan.

Post by **Majors** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 6:53 pm

3D stages are banned for tourament play. We have a hardcore following for the game in my area. It took awhile of learning the game to like it.

Post by **Pullmyfinger** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:57 pm

I got this at KB for $9.99 on sunday, played for a while and was a bit disappointed, I have yet to try out all of the characters but while I did like it, I don't see myself playing it much

Post by **Ack** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:24 am

I've been spending more time with it, and it's actually a lot better than I originally believed. Certain characters feel a little overpowered, but I'm thinking it's more due to the rock/paper/scissors approach in fighting games. Also, move lists are a lot bigger than I originally thought, and there's a lot more to the system that I'm just starting to get the nuances of, like the D-Assaults. The game definitely suffers on certain stages with some serious slowdown, so I do my best to avoid those stages(they're pretty far up the tier for arcade and survival, so I don't worry too much. I'm just not good enough to get there yet). I'm not a fan of their system for handling arcade mode. I prefer arcade to be the traditional "beat both members and move on to the next," not the "you have 300 seconds to beat as many teams as you can before facing a boss" style that they went with.

Also, the bosses are extremely cheap. They're all obscenely tough when you face them, but when you unlock them, they get neutered, so you will never be as good as the computer because the computer does more damage and can use the moves more often. Of the three bosses I've fought, the first is the hardest. Mizuchi is one of the cheapest fights I've ever encountered, and the version you unlock is nowhere near as good.

As for characters I've unlocked, I've gotten Athena, Mars People, and Mizuchi. I can make it to Shishioh in Survival mode, which is apparently the only way to unlock him. Neo-Dio and Goodman are the same way, but there's no way I'm gonna be able to make it. Depending on what you do, you can face these guys as the bosses in arcade mode, but I didn't manage to unlock Neo-Dio after I beat him. Used a continue though, maybe that was why I didn't get him.

The team I use is from the World Heroes series, Hanzo and Mudman. Let me know what you guys think.

Post by **Pullmyfinger** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 2:42 pm

Ack wrote:Also, the bosses are extremely cheap. They're all obscenely tough when you face them, but when you unlock them, they get neutered, so you will never be as good as the computer because the computer does more damage and can use the moves more often. Of the three bosses I've fought, the first is the hardest. Mizuchi is one of the cheapest fights I've ever encountered, and the version you unlock is nowhere near as good.

I've been playing more too and also liked it better than before, and yeah, the arcade mode approach is kinda lame, King Lion is incredibly cheap and fristrating to fight against, had to resort to jumping backward and kicking during the whole fight to beat him. I'll try survival mode today and see how it goes.

So far I used Mr. Karate, Hanzo and Fuuma, Mudman and the guy that has a special move that shows one of the old neo geo logos in the background and fires a beam.

Post by **vlame** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 6:57 pm

haomaru with foward+high slash. it will make your survival journey easier. also use the guy that looks like krizalid from kof 97.

Post by **baphomet_irl** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 8:30 pm

I think it's an ok game - quite fun I found it...

Post by **Daniel Primed** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:00 pm

This was alright, sprite upscaling is really jaded as well.

Anyone notice how long this takes to load as well? Phew!

Post by **Ack** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 11:16 am

I'm having weird issues with the difficulty. I sat down this weekend and did another run through with survival and found it obscenely easy. The first fifteen bouts, the computer didn't even move. Neo Dio was the first real challenge I faced(and he wiped the floor with me pretty hard). Then the computer finally starts fighting back at its best, and I only manage to make it through three more bouts, losing it in the 21st round. So I think "Hey, I didn't do too bad, I'll try it again." And the computer apparently decides I deserve the pummeling of my life. I limp through to bite it in the 12th round, Shishioh, which is usually how far I make it in survival mode.

I hadn't changed any options in the meantime, and while I'm glad to unlock King Lion and Neo Dio, I just felt it was really weird. Anybody else have this problem, where the computer will suddenly become absurdly easy for a few rounds before finally going back to normal difficulty?

And what does that Sprite option do, anyway? The one in your graphics options that lets you choose from 6 selections? I don't notice any difference in the sprites when I change it.