Rage of the Dragons NEO
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Rage of the Dragons NEO
Rage of the Dragons Neo is a peach of a game. Plucked from the Neo Geo library, it's been brought back to life with a smooth online experience and a comprehensive package stuffed with bonuses. It's not for everyone, and don't be surprised if you get beasted online initially, but for those willing to eke out the depths of its tag team strategy and combo extension methods, it's a furious, flashy, adrenaline-fuelled affair that looks great, sounds great, and plays even better.
Rage of the Dragons Neo is not only a much better game overall, but there are a stack of extra bells and whistles that make it a no-brainer.
So, where do we end up with this game? Rage of the Dragons NEO is a niche within a niche, an odd game with an odd history that appeals to an extremely specific kind of audience. That’s tough for any game, but especially a fighting game that has to compete with the likes of Street Fighter and Guilty Gear. Not having cross-platform play is an additional barrier that seems to already be making online an actual ghost town. That’s unfortunate. But if you’re interested in gaming history, fighting games, and the weird intersections thereof, Rage of the Dragons NEO is really cool. I can see it coming out in-between sets of the bigger titles, a fun side game at local tournaments, or just a cool thing for enthusiasts to satisfy their own curiosity with. The Bleem! IP is also involved somehow, making perhaps even this new version a novel relic of its own.
Rage of the Dragons feels like a solid port that stands on its own as a niche title in the tag team fighting game. One which couldn't have chosen a better time to for a re-release in the year of the genre's resurgence.
Rage of the Dragons NEO is not a bad fighting game and the port work done by QUByte Interactive couldn't be better. However, the game itself is worth checking it out just out of curiosity.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
While Rage of the Dragons NEO packs a steep learning curve, this fighter greatly rewards those that put in the effort. The team at QUByte Interactive gave plenty of love to Rage of the Dragons NEO, making it the definitive way to play this cult classic.
Rage of the Dragons is not only a great successor to what would have been a great Double Dragon fighter, but it almost plays like one of the best SNK games out there. It’s a colorful and vibrant Neo Geo game that while got a lot of love back in the day, the limited reach it had back then is over. While we are eating good for fighting games in 2024, Rage of the Dragons is a solid snack that you should certainly add to your buffet of great titles this year. With solid character designs, gorgeous pixel art, and a deep and rewarding combat system, there is a lot to like here and get lost in.
Overall, Rage of the Dragons NEO is an interesting and unique game in many ways. That said, however, the lack of content combined with the game's price makes it a hard recommendation. The characters and the gameplay are cool, but they aren’t enough to justify the value of the game. Now, if you are a fan of old NEO-GEO fighting games like King of Fighters, this game might be right up your alley. If you can find this game on sale, it’s worth checking out.
