AoF is Alive Again!

User Rating: 8.7 | Ryuuko no Ken: Ten-Chi-Jin (NeoGeo Online Collection Vol. 4) PS2
For those who are fortunate enough to remember the Art of Fighting series and it's start in 1992 (during the Neo-Geo's heyday), they should definitely appreciate this title. For those who are either too young to remember or are just simply curious about the fighting game genre (in all it's glory before 3-D ruined 2-D's dominance), this title provides a vital look into the glorious past of one of the premier fighting game series ever made.

Art of Fighting (or AOF) Anthology is truly a great value in so many ways.
Although you can't beat $19.99, I'm not just talking about the price. You get a taste of all three titles in nearly complete splendor. If you have the misfortune of owning the crappy Takara Super Nintendo or Genesis versions from back in the day (such as myself), this will make up for all of the pain and suffering you had to endure while playing those travesties. If you have the luxury (also such as myself) of owning these titles for either the Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System (or AES Cartridge) and Neo Geo CD system, you will find that this compilation is a nice blend of both. While memories of the horrendous load times from the Neo Geo CD versions of the 3 titles may be etched in your mind, that is essentially a non-factor in this package. Each game loads instantly like their Arcade and AES counterparts. Rounds start quickly and their is virtually no loading time between fights. Also, if you enjoy the arranged music from the CD versions of (AOF2 & AOF3) , you will be pleased to find that the arranged soundtracks can be selected from the outset. In addition, arranged tracks have been produced for the original AOF . The original Neo Geo CD version of AOF did not have arranged music (although I personally prefer the Normal AES music that was featured in that title). If you are a AOF purist, the AES music for each title is already set by default.

My only gripe is that I noticed that the Japanese and English voice overs (from the Arcade, Neo Geo AES, and Neo Geo CD) were missing from the opening and various cut scenes between battles in the original AOF. That kind of sucks if you're longing to hear the announcer say "Ryo Sakazaki" when the opening demo starts. Other than that, the compilation is perfect.

I highly recommend that 2-D fighting aficionados pick up this title, even if you already own the games on other systems. It is a great addition to any collection. At it's $19.99 price point, there is no excuse for not grabbing this compilation. Can't wait for the Fatal Fury Anthology!