Posted by SignOfZeta on May 25, 2016 at 14:52:42 EST in reply to Last Blade 2 is out on PS4 and Vita. Bit of a mixed bag--the PS4 version, at least; apparently the Vita version is less problematic. Most importantly, you can play Last Blade 2 in razor-sharp, pixel-perfect definition (I saw complaints of pixel "ghosting" in the PS4 version, but I did not see these--maybe it has to do with other graphic option settings, I dunno), with smooth controls and in-game move lists. However, in the PS4 version there is an occasional crash on the burning house stage, and the heat waver graphic effect is missing (related?). The developer is aware of the crash and hopefully SNK will pony up for a patch. Until they do, you might want to hold off on the PS4 version. The online matchmaking is just about as rudimentary as possible--you can't even filter by ping!--but if you do somehow find someone with a low ping, I hear it works well; I played someone with ~130-150 ms ping, which is rather high these days, and it was a little stuttery, but playable. The fancy interface is obtrusive and confusing at times: an overlay pops over and pauses gameplay when you happen to have done something to unlock a bonus gallery picture, and move list instructions aren't always organized or clear. Elaborate interface aside, the port is otherwise pretty bare-bones: no arranged soundtrack (jeez), no in-depth emulator options such as save states, no helpful interface touches such as making EX Mode available from the get go (you have to enter the old arcade code from the controller), and while playing online, the players' network names do not appear onscreen. And unfortunately, quality control was not what it should have been: there's the burning house stage missing effect and crash on PS4, I came across at least one not-even-a-spell-checker-would-have-missed-this typo in the movelists, and nowhere does it tell you that you have to press the touchpad to continue a game or to taunt--and unlike the other in-game controls, you can't remap that one, so if your controller doesn't have a touchpad, you won't be doing either of those things. There's a discussion in NEOGAF with more on the technical issues (although I don't regard still having the old Engrish game text translation as an issue, same with not having several other fancy screen filtering options; and I guess not having the Arranged soundtrack isn't technically an issue, but it is really disappointing); link to that inside. All in all, I hope they keep porting more of the SNK classics, and I'll keep buying the ones I've always liked because it's nice to have perfectly sharp versions of them, but I prefer the perfect-emulation approach their PS3 NeoGeoStation series took over this rather more elaborate let's-make-it-look-like-a-modern-PSN-game approach Code Mystics is taking on these ports--and I certainly hope their quality control improves, although that seems unlikely (hopefully they at least patch crash bugs eventually...). Speaking of PS3, if you've gone through the rigamarole of making a Japanese PSN account and getting gift codes from Play-Asia or wherever to fund it, check out "Dark Awake," a port of a 2004 low-res 2D 3-on-3 fighting game (named "Chaos Breakers" in the arcade) with Samurai Shodown-style controls from Eolith, of KOF 2001/2002 infamy: a pre-rendered, WoW fantasy look, but lots of animation, magic items, and all-around insanity--and though I'm sure massively imbalanced, plays surprisingly well. Video inside. Also while there you can download the PS2 Classics version of pretty much all of SNK's mostly excellent PS2 releases for 1000 or 1200 Yen each--including their combo port of LB1&2 (no in-game move lists or modern online in that, but does have Arranged soundtrack option). from Paleface.
So it's like nearly every other Neo port made since the days of the SNES, shitty. Meanwhile this complete ROM set I downloaded is literally flawless. Why do you keep doing this again? You have a computer, right? And I know you have a USB stick. I guess it's your particular hobby, like how some people buy every version of Outrun just too see how each one sucks in its own way compared to the orginal.
n/t
Follow Ups:
