SNK-o De Mayo II: The Rage and The Fury

Honestly, it's been a while since I've updated this blog, and there are plenty of things I could talk about right now. At the top of the list is the Neo-Geo Mini, which arrived yesterday. All of the complaints you've read in other reviews are right on the money... there's no internal battery or even room inside the unit for a pair of AAs, and throw on the joystick is so pronounced that left and right live on opposite ends of the country. This presents a problem in shooters like Blazing Star, where it's tough to move diagonally, and the King of Fighters titles, which under better circumstances give the player finer control over their jumps than other fighting games.

Lowered expec-tayay-tions...
(image from Amazon)

However, the system was so cheap that I'd feel guilty dwelling on its faults. If I paid the full retail price for this, I'd be more inclined to bitch about the tiny LCD display and the games chosen for inclusion in the international edition. I like Metal Slug, really, but nobody needs this much Metal Slug. However, the Neo-Geo Mini cost me just thirty dollars. If I dared to complain too much about it, I'm pretty sure the Jess from twenty years ago would catch the nearest TARDIS to 2020 and kick my ass. Or just complain about my complaining... even in my twenties, I was never the ass-kicking sort.

Anyway, what else was I going to mention? Oh yes, Streets of Rage 4. For the most part, the game was worth the twenty-five year wait. The comic book artwork gives the series a welcome push into the 21st century, with plenty of details that would be easy to miss if you're not paying attention. The art museum has a golden turkey on display, which can't be eaten but works perfectly well for bludgeoning enemies. Characters from previous games that aren't playable at least make cameo appearances... Ash shows up in a poster in an early stage, and you'll find Victy the kangaroo tending bar in a later one. (It's probably best not to ask how he has the fine motor control to make drinks while wearing boxing gloves.) The game also plays much like it did in previous iterations, with launchers and juggles adding to the excitement, not to mention the combo potential. 

Oh, and there's four player gameplay, too!
And Adam is playable for the first time in
nearly thirty years!
(image from Newsbreak)

On the other hand, the new play mechanic that forces you to win back health you've depleted with special moves is aggravating. Generally it's not a safe bet when the screen gets congested, because someone will inevitably stab you in the back as you're trying to refill that bar. Also, the playable characters are either too fragile (Cherry, Blaze) or too damn slow. I understand why a bruiser like Floyd- basically a hybrid of Max Thunder and the widely disliked Dr. Zan- would need to be shifted down into first gear, but Axel too? I guess the last twenty five years weren't kind to his joints. On top of that, boss battles are a little drawn out and tedious, at least if you're playing alone. Estel in particular is the worst, constantly countering your attacks with overhead kicks and raining hellfire down on you after she's lost a little health.

Aside from these issues, Streets of Rage 4 looks and feels like where the series should be after a twenty five year hibernation. Maybe we shouldn't have had to wait that long for a sequel, but then again, maybe it was for the best, considering the game that almost became Streets of Rage 4.