Just a few months in the past, SNK and Hamster launched Savage Reign within the ACA NEOGEO cellular line. In my evaluate, I gave it a little bit of a drubbing as a result of its slap-dash mechanics, poor thematic consistency, and normal lack of any actual distinguishing options in SNK’s ocean of nice preventing video games. It was much less about it being a nasty fighter, because it wasn’t, however extra about it feeling redundant within the face of the style’s first main increase interval. It by some means received a sequel within the following yr, which exhibits you simply how a lot cash there was in one-on-one arcade fighters on the time. You wouldn’t be capable to inform by the title, thoughts you. Kizuna Encounter ($3.99) is the follow-up to Savage Reign, nevertheless it doesn’t appear to need to promote that truth. How a lot can change in only a yr and a half, although? Let’s discover out.
So, to begin with, let’s discuss concerning the roster. It largely retains the identical characters, nevertheless it retires Carol the dodgeball woman and that one child with the defend. Of their place we get Rosa, a cool woman with a katana, and Kim, who wields a employees and has some mad Tae Kwon Do abilities. He could or will not be associated to the Kim we all know and love from extra well-known SNK fighters. We even have a brand new remaining boss who is sort of a bit cooler than the earlier one. The remainder of the bunch are basically the identical, nevertheless it’s spectacular how swapping out a few the odder fighters for a pair of extra grounded ones helps the roster really feel extra constant total. The backgrounds have additionally been reined in, with extra thematically acceptable venues that really really feel like they’re from the identical setting.
The mechanics have seen some heavy adjustments. The multi-plane preventing that served because the closest factor to a gimmick Savage Reign had has been tossed out fully. It’s totally gone. The straightforward ranged weapon assault mapped to A + B can be gone, nixed in favor of extra typical instructions and particular strikes. One button makes use of your weapon, one button punches, and one button kicks. As to that fourth button, that’s the place Kizuna Encounter will get fascinating. You see, that fourth button permits you to tag in your associate character.
Let me hit you with a few launch dates. Kizuna Encounter, launched in arcades worldwide by SNK on September twentieth, 1996. X-Males vs. Road Fighter, launched in arcades in Japan by Capcom on September twenty fifth, 1996. Each of those video games launched a function that will turn into very fashionable within the style in a rush: tag workforce matches. Certain, the concept of getting the participant select a workforce of fighters was well-established by this level, most famously in SNK’s King of Fighters sequence. However in these video games, every character took their flip preventing. You couldn’t swap your characters on the fly mid-round. In Kizuna Encounter and X-Males vs. Road Fighter, you’ll be able to. Verify these dates. Kizuna did it first.
Kizuna Encounter additionally makes use of its tag system in a really fascinating method. You possibly can tag between your characters everytime you like, however you need to be in your tag zone. It’s mainly the realm the place you start every spherical. Should you’re exterior of that zone, you’ll be able to’t tag in your associate. Additional spice comes from the truth that if both of your fighters has their life bar diminished, the struggle is over. No, the opposite character gained’t soar in and proceed the struggle. So you’ve gotten two full life bars to work with, however you need to juggle them to get probably the most out of them. Then again, for those who can dominate your opponent and maintain them away from their tag zone, you solely have one life bar to whittle down. This… is a really intriguing hook. Wow, the sequel to Savage Reign has a stable hook!
I ponder if the builders understood on the time how ubiquitous this mechanic would turn into, albeit with just a few tweaks? In all probability not. However right here we’re, wanting again virtually thirty years later, and this sport feels fairly darned good to play. That the tag zone factor didn’t catch on serves to present this sport a definite taste that helps it rise above quite a lot of its contemporaries. No, it doesn’t have Wolverine in it. I’ll admit that could be a notable drawback versus the opposite tag-team fighter that got here out that week. However whenever you examine it to Savage Reign, it’s frankly unimaginable how a lot of a glow-up Kizuna Encounter is.
As a cherry on prime of all of this for cellular gamers, that is truly somewhat pleasant to play in single participant. The CPU isn’t too nasty, at the least till you get to the final boss, so you’ll be able to get pleasure from giving them a thrashing with the assorted characters when you’ve gotten a spare minute or two. That is vital as a result of as regular you might be in all probability not going to have the proper set-up to get pleasure from this cellular model in multiplayer. You’ll want exterior controllers and a few kind of technique of displaying the sport for each gamers. You recognize, except you need to snuggle up round your iPhone display. So sure, you’ll in all probability be flying solo and taking up the CPU opponents.
Time for the remainder of the standard feedback. As talked about, you should use an exterior controller and it’s undoubtedly the best way to play. Hook up your Spine or Kishi and also you’ll be whipping out these particular strikes no downside. The contact controls are a bit tougher to take care of, however Kizuna Encounter isn’t a sport that depends closely on fancy chains of strikes or combos, so there are worse selections. The same old further modes are right here, together with all the gameplay, video, and management choices we’ve seen within the different ACA NEOGEO releases. The Rating Assault and Caravan modes are an alright match right here, permitting you to jostle on the leaderboards if sufficient different gamers present as much as the get together.
With all the standard provisos about ACA NEOGEO cellular variations of preventing video games in thoughts, I sort of dig Kizuna Encounter. I feel you’re higher off having fun with it on a platform the place you’ll be able to indulge within the multiplayer mode, however taking it for what it’s, I can consider worse methods to blow a couple of dollars on a cellular sport. It’s a type of NEOGEO video games that I feel lots of people missed, and I might say that it holds up somewhat nicely for a sport of its classic due to that pleasant tag workforce function. Should you don’t thoughts being basically locked to single-player in a one-on-one fighter, give Kizuna Encounter a glance.
