If there's one genre with which SNK can be relied upon to deliver consistently, it's the versus fighter. The Neo Geo is practically awash with them, each jockeying for position in what, even by 1994, was a crowded marketplace.
To SNK's credit, Savage Reign is another fine example of the genre. The game boasts a roster of colourful characters with various fighting styles, impressive sprite artwork, plus combos and multiple different special moves to master. There's an emphasis on using your character's weapon in conjunction with more customary punches and kicks, which allows players to employ additional strategies with which to encounter their opponent. The character dialogue screens which precede each bout feature sassy exchanges between the various tournaments, which is a nice touch.
Unfortunately, with franchises such as Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting and Samurai Shodown already established by this point, Savage Reign struggles somewhat to forge its own identity. There isn't really anything here which similar games of this period don't do equally as well, if not better. This might be reflected in the fact the game received only one sequel (Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle) in 1996.
Ultimately, I guess Savage Reign is a victim of SNK's own success - it's an accomplished game, but when the bar has already been set so high, making a splash becomes increasingly difficult. Even so, if you enjoy fighting games, this another fine example, one which I recommend checking out for yourselves.
Developer: SNK Publisher: SNK Year of Release: 1995
Set 3 years after the events of the first game, Earth has been invaded by an
alien menace. Three surviving monsters from the original game now face off
against this new threat, ironically becoming the saviours of a planet they had
pretty much destroyed by themselves.
It's pretty hard to find a game on the Neo Geo which disappoints visually, and
King of the Monsters 2 is no exception. Thanks to its striking art style and
roster of kooky Kaijou combatants, this was always going to be a game to turn
heads.
Thematically, KOTM 2 doesn't stray too far from the template set out by its
predecessor, although this is closer in design to a sideways scrolling beat
'em up than its prequel. Your chosen monster must fight to the death against
an increasingly absurd series of alien warriors, all whilst fending off Earth
defence forces none-too-pleased at having two super-sized gladiators tussling
in the middle of downtown.
The thrill of two giant monsters battling each other across beautifully
realised pixel art cityscapes, ripping up and stabbing each other with
skyscrapers while leaving little but smoking craters in their wake is
undeniable. Those opening moments of KOTM2 are the best in the game bar none,
but it's all downhill from there.
The first signs of trouble come when tackling the game's many boss monsters.
The initial thrill of grappling with your opponent and tossing them around
gives way to puzzlement, as you'll suddenly find it impossible to win these
clinches. There's really no way to influence the outcome - the game is
programmed to throw the player a bone by allowing the first two grapples to go
your way, provided you don't fall asleep at the controls. From there on out,
your opponent will toss you around with impunity; dying will reset this, but
since this would be costing you money on the real arcade machine, it's
unlikely that you'd want to try this strategy. What follows is a laborious
process of chipping away at your foe's health with a series of punches, claw
swipes and special moves, all of which inflict relatively little damage.
This is largely bearable during the first couple of levels, thanks to the
beautifully drawn cities, but these are a distant memory by stage 3, and all
you're really left with is a series of increasingly protracted boss battles.
The amount of time and effort required to best these creatures grow
exponentially -- the Sea Slug fight being the worst of these -- and becomes
just plain tiresome. The real kicker comes during the final level, where the
player must fight all 6 bosses again in quick succession, before tackling the
seventh and final boss. Considering the game is effectively a boss rush to
begin with, this just feels rather cheap.
I really wanted to like King of the Monsters 2, and I still do, at least to
some extent. The artwork and general design of the characters is truly superb,
and it's easily one of the most recognisable games on the system. If only the
designers had opted to make the combat more interesting and the bosses less
tanky, this would have been a real classic.
