Retro throwdown

This renaissance of bringing back obscure games from the past to modern consoles is one of my favorite things about modern gaming. Breakers was a lesser-known fighting game from the Neo-Geo era that spanned two games and was developed by Visco Corporation. The developer was founded in 1982 and released a sizable collection of games across NES to Arcade for nearly 20 years. Breakers came out in the mid-to-late 90s right around the fervor of Capcom’s landmark fighting game, which is likely why it was lost in the mix. Revisiting it now it stands out as one of the better attempts to unseat the monster known as Street Fighter.

The two games included in this collection are Breakers and Breakers Revenge released originally in 1996 and 1998 respectively. Both games saw release on the Neo Geo as well as the Neo Geo CD for the original title. On the surface they look and feel like proper clones of the Street Fighter series with similar characters and gorgeous sprite work. Once I started peeling the layers back though the Neo Geo era portions stood out even more. The game has sneaky depth and mechanics that make it stand out above the pack. This feels like a game from the Neo Geo era in all the right ways.

MSRP: $19.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $19.99

For starters the sprites are large and vibrant. Characters may look and sound familiar at first glance, but once you see the animations and artwork things change. The animation is so detailed and gives each character their own personality outside of just their design. Move sets are familiar to anyone who has played a game of this type, but it is the way they move and feel that sets them apart from the competition. The game also runs flawlessly in this collection and the controls are spot-on.

What sets this game apart from others though is its depth and mechanics. The game is just so satisfying to play. Every time I booted it up to check out a new character I was enthralled at the design. Combo strings feel great. There are some mechanics here that were ahead of their time such as aerial super moves, air-grabs, dash cancels, and hop backs. The game just oozes with depth at every corner. If you are casual though the main combo strings are simple and super satisfying. Fighting games live and die on their ability to draw in casual players and keep dedicated ones intrigued. Breakers achieves both of these without fail.

If there is one thing that keeps this from being perfect though it is the difficulty ceiling. The arcade mode in both games ramps up the challenge with each new foe, but even on the easiest setting it can get super hard, super fast. The combatants quickly step up their game and the final boss is one of the hardest I have ever faced. The game is brutal but not unfair, just expect to have to insert many virtual quarters to reach the end of arcade mode.

This package is truly one for the ages. While it contains both games, the work put into both is outstanding. The first game was the stepping stone while the second feels like a standard arcade upgrade with new mechanics, a new character, and plenty of balance changes. It is neat to have both to see the progression. The developers didn’t stop there though. The standard filters and options are here alongside a massive gallery of artwork to unlock, training modes to master the characters, and online leaderboards to compare skills.

In addition to all of these things there is also online play complete with rollback netcode and it works great. The matches I got into before launch all felt nearly local at times. The game also features crossplay so players on Xbox can match with those on Switch and of course all the other consoles the game is available on. This is a prime example of how to bring back a game. These additions are very welcome and set this collection head and shoulders above so many others that fail to understand the importance of these features.

The Breakers Collection is a lesson in how to bring back games and do it right. The addition of online cross play and a bevy of special features really round out this package. The fact that these games are also of incredible quality doesn’t hurt either. If Street Fighter had not been the juggernaut it was, I feel like this series might still be going. They are really fun to play even with the steep difficulty and anyone who enjoys fighting games owes it to themselves to snag this collection. It is available everywhere and cross play just sweetens the pot.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Crossplay between all platforms
  • Rollback netcode
  • Feels great to play
Bad
  • AI difficulty is frustrating
8
Great
Written by
Ken is the Editor-in-Chief of this hole in the wall and he loves to troll for the fun of it. He also enjoys long walks through Arkham Asylum and the cool air of Shadow Moses Island. His turn-ons include Mortal Kombat, Metal Gear Solid and StarCraft.