Ready for some classic 2D fighting action?
Many won’t have heard of the two games included in QUByte’s Breakers Collection, but those who have will no doubt be intrigued by it. Breakers was a hit in arcades and on the Neo Geo in the 90s. Then, just a short time after, Breakers Revenge improved upon it by making some gameplay tweaks and adding an additional playable character. Now they’re bundled together for modern audiences to enjoy on a wide range of formats.
You might want to consider there being just one game here in actuality, as Breakers Revenge is very much just an updated version of Breakers rather than a true sequel. Think of the original version being a bonus curio. In any case, both games are very much rip-offs of Street Fighter 2, like most fighting games of the time. Among its small roster of fighters you’ll find Sho, who’s essentially Ryu, a Chun-Li clone named Tia, and even copycats of Dhalsim, Blanka and Zangief.
Thankfully, Breakers and Breakers Revenge play well enough to get away with it. Both games may be old now, but they still feel fluid and have fast-paced combat, focused on stringing together combos that never fail to entertain. What’s perhaps most surprising is that the visuals still impress, too, thanks to strong character and stage design, as well as eye-pleasing animations.
Setting the Breakers games apart from Street Fighter is a four-button combat system rather than six. It makes it a bit easier for newcomers to get to grips with things, with just light and strong punches and kicks on offer. But otherwise, this is familiar territory for Street Fighter and indeed general fighting game players. There are special moves and gauge-powered super moves to spice up the action, requiring quarter-circle and charged inputs, but little else beyond that due to the age of the games on offer. Still, what’s here is pulled off with such finesse that you probably won’t mind.
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Unfortunately, there’s not much here for those not interested in fighting against other human players. Both games have an Arcade mode, and you can even tackle them with teams. The AI is pretty devious though, often feeling like it’s outright cheating. That’s arcade games for you. Breakers Revenge has a basic training mode, too, but that’s about it.
On the multiplayer side, while Versus mode in both titles allows for competitive play amongst family and friends, only Breakers Revenge allows you to take the action online. Still, rollback netcode is employed to ensure you have a good experience the majority of the time. You can enable crossplay, too, which should help your chances of finding competitors.
Rounding out the package is a selection of extras. You’ll unlock gallery images as you play, and there’s also a sound test menu and an interview with the developers to give you a glimpse into the history of the series and this collection. They’ll no doubt be a boon to those who fondly remember these classics.
Breakers Collection is unlikely to make an impact on the casual fighting game crowd, as it doesn’t really offer anything unique. For devout fans of the genre, however, there’s a lot to like here, and Breakers Revenge still has the chops to provide many bouts of fighting game bliss. Thanks to its budget price, then, it’s easy to recommend Breakers Collection to anyone who remembers the series fondly or wants to delve into fighting game history.
Breakers Collection Review – GameSpew’s Score
