It feels prefer it was just some weeks in the past once I reviewed Sengoku 2 ($3.99) and expressed my hopes that we’d not have to attend one other 12 months for Sengoku 3 ($3.99) to reach on cellular. Wait, it was just some weeks in the past. Nicely, that’s enjoyable. The essential factor isn’t how we obtained right here, nevertheless. It solely issues that we did get right here, and we obtained right here fairly quick. That is the best beat-em-up on the NEOGEO and a spotlight of the console’s remaining years.
Regardless of many makes an attempt, the NEOGEO was by no means fairly capable of ship a beat-em-up on the extent of efforts from the likes of Capcom and Konami whereas the style was nonetheless considerably sizzling. It made a couple of good stabs, however honestly as soon as SNK caught the combating recreation style by the tail it merely made extra sense to focus efforts there. I’m undecided what possessed SNK to wish to create one other one in 2001, however I suppose it was an odd time for the corporate on the entire. The corporate had been acquired by pachinko firm Aruze the 12 months earlier than, had shut down its American places of work not lengthy after, and was about to run into one of many more odd bankruptcies and resurrections you will discover within the online game enterprise.
Amidst all of this chaos, recreation manufacturing marched on. SNK, such because it was, was working with a lot of builders to proceed producing video games for the NEOGEO {hardware}. Considered one of its newer companions was Noise Manufacturing unit, a neighborhood developer based by ex-Atlus members who had labored on video games like Princess Crown. Its debut title, Gaia Crusaders, was a beat-em-up. Maybe that’s the explanation why SNK ended up having the developer work on an additional follow-up to the one NEOGEO brawler that managed to develop into a sequence: Sengoku.
It had been eight years because the 1993 launch of Sengoku 2, and the entire enterprise had modified dramatically. Individuals weren’t taking part in Tremendous NES and SEGA Genesis video games at dwelling; they have been taking part in PlayStation 2 video games. The arcades weren’t all about Mortal Kombat II and Tremendous Road Fighter II anymore. Certainly, they have been barely alive in any respect outdoors of Japan. As for the beat-em-up style, it was a digital corpse at this level. To the extent that it did exist, it was principally by way of ill-fated efforts at bringing polygonal graphics to the style. It was into this local weather that Sengoku 3 arrived, and it’s little marvel that it principally ended up flying below the radar in consequence. Its dwelling model offered in such low numbers that it fetches a pair thousand {dollars} within the collectors’ market as of late.
A real disgrace it’s. Sengoku 3 is definitely the very best beat-em-up on the NEOGEO. It’s additionally a uncommon instance of its period, a time when video games within the style actually needed to be slick and have a powerful hook to catch any consideration in any respect. By this stage even Capcom was getting extraordinarily experimental with its makes an attempt. Sengoku 3‘s pitch wasn’t too wild. 4 preliminary characters to select from, as slick of a presentation because the NEOGEO might muster, some pretty concerned combos, a couple of combating game-style particular strikes, recruitable boss characters, and the power to select up quite a lot of projectiles and toss them at your foes. The sport even had the audacity to ditch the character summoning from the primary two video games. Certainly, it’s virtually a totally clear break from the earlier video games in all however title.
Maybe the most important enhancements come within the basic really feel of taking part in the sport, although. NEOGEO brawlers all the time felt just a little odd when in comparison with the extra widespread titles within the style. Generally it was the leaping. Different occasions it was the best way hits landed on enemies. Sengoku 3 doesn’t really feel bizarre to play. Fairly the other. It’s as easy as the very best within the style, and its extensive number of assault choices imply you’re by no means missing in new methods to strive in your foes. Hits land in a satisfying approach, and the general motion of your character feels proper. You are able to do honest-to-goodness combos with juggles that go up into the double-digits of hits when you get good on the recreation.
So sure, Sengoku 3 is a spectacular effort. The very best in its style on the {hardware} by some measure, one of many finer video games on the system full-stop, and a beat-em-up the system can lastly put up in opposition to its opponents with satisfaction. It performs very well with contact controls, and you may all the time make use of an exterior controller should you want. As ordinary, you’ll want exterior controllers to benefit from the recreation’s multiplayer options on this ACA NEOGEO kind, however it’s lots of enjoyable to play even should you’re going solo. The standard big selection of choices are current right here together with the now-standard additional modes Hamster packs into each ACA NEOGEO cellular launch. It’s a great way to play the sport, and is a good alternative for followers of this style who wish to crack some heads on their cellular system.
Sengoku 3 was just a little late to the social gathering on the NEOGEO, however I’m glad it’s right here in a considerably extra well timed vogue for the ACA NEOGEO line-up. This is among the shining jewels of SNK’s long-lived console, and it performs nice on cellular whether or not you’re utilizing contact controls or a controller. My gripes are the same old ones about not with the ability to play multiplayer on-line and the shortage of AES choices, however these are minor in comparison with the optimistic points of this recreation. You received’t discover many higher methods to ship a beat-down in your system of alternative.
