King of Fighters R2

Neo-Geo Pocket

Review by Matt Paprocki

SNK

Fighting

Graphics: 8

Sound: 7.5

Gameplay: 9

Overall: 8.5


It's not often a portable fighter comes along with great AI, graphics, sound, and near-perfect gameplay. Who woulda' thunk that the Neo geo Pocket would pull all of this off? Thanks to the fine people over at SNK, they have meticulously programmed this great playing game, a super-deformed translation of their popular arcade franchise.

Not all of the Geo's popular fighting game franchises were translated, but all of this that were proved the console had some muscle under it miniscule exterior. The speed of this game is simply amazing especially considering the great graphics the game puts out. Colors burst off the Pockets screen with small details littering the backgrounds. The amount of animation packed into the cartridge is almost scary plus almost all of the special moves from the arcade have made their way into the game in stunning fashion.

The music is translated in classic 8-bit style with uncanny accuracy and even manages to keep up with the blistering pace of the gameplay. While none of the voices have made their way into the portable, but this in no way hinders the overall package.

If by some long shot that the gameplay become a chore to the player, the game is chock full of features to keep players busy for months. Gamers are allowed to edit their fighters and place them into a story mode where new weapons and items become available. The challenge has been bumped up in this mode to keep the replay value high, but frustration is rarely a factor.

Anyone without a Pocket should begin looking for one immediately. Take your Game Boys back, sell off your Poke' crap, and get yourself a console that plays real games. Games like the one reviewed here show what this little portable wonder can do. It's a shame that the console didn't perform better here in the states as first-gen games like KOF R2 are only a small fraction of what the system can do.

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Last updated: Friday, December 26, 2003 09:19 PM