Game: "Neo Geo Battle Coliseum"

Console: PlayStation 2 (also playable on PlayStation 3)

Developer/publisher: SNK/Playmore

Genre: Fighting

Number of players: Two

Rated: Teen, for suggestive themes, violence, animated blood

The premise: The greatest fighters of Neo Geo/SNK games ("The King of Fighters," "Samurai Showdown," "Fatal Fury, Garou: Mark of the Wolves," "Art of Fighting," "The Last Blade," "World Heroes" and "Metal Slug") take on each other and eventually take on King Leo and his goons.

Game play: Two opponents rush at each other from opposite sides of the screen. There are no options other than blocking and offense, no sidesteps, no ringouts. The game helps you out with move lists and when you die or pass a level, helpful options (life bonuses and timer) are available.

THE GOOD/BAD:

Bad: It would have been nice to have the option of unlimited time and more members on your team: You have only two, but the computer seems to have more. Then again, when has SNK not made a fighting game a little difficult?

Some Japanese games never make it to the U.S., so some characters and their styles will be unfamiliar to American gamers. Instead of just diving into the game, you have to hunt and peck for familiar characters.

Good: Whenever you have multiple-person fighting games, it means a hodgepodge of different fighting styles. It also means utilizing different techniques to subdue your foes. This is a welcome alternative to button-mashing, in which you use the same techniques to beat your opponents the same way every time.

As always, at the end of the game there is a boss who will make you want to pull out your hair. No matter how good you think you are, there is someone who will just smash you repeatedly. This makes beating the game all the more sweeter.

Tips: Use the practice room to try out your more complicated moves. To get the remaining characters, you must join in the survival mode. In your tag team, at least one person should know all the moves; that way, if you're losing, you can tag that person in to help. Also, try selecting Terry the first time out, even if you don't know his special moves. He is balanced, so his punches and kicks will be helpful.

My take: With the exception of load times, the game plays very well. The fights are smooth, and the characters tag in and out seamlessly. The 2-D characters don't look pale in comparison to the 3-D backgrounds. Controls respond when they need to and moves will come out when needed.

I can't get enough of fighting games, and one as challenging as this was worth playing my PS2 again. As for the characters, these may not be the most popular, but it was nice to see a character from "Metal Slug," of all places.

Jeffrey Davis, of Honolulu, is a video-game enthusiast.