The game still looks cool and it gotta be a real JAM to get through if you know your combos from memory and/or especially if you can play it with someone else as skilled as you.

If you don't though, you are going to get whacked by the AI, as the usual fighter knowledge doesn't transfer here as it requires using the whole KI-unique combo system to deal big damage. Managed to scrap through with a bunch of small combos with Jago but it took me an hour.

I still wonder why it didn't get released for PCs like they did in the Xbox One when KI3 got ported, but eh. Prob ain't replaying this due to the difficulty and time sink if you aren't a KI diehard to get through this game, but at least I can write this one off as done.

Had written about my full first impressions and post-game impressions somewhere else back when I started and finished this game...

https://peakd.com/hive-140217/@acstriker/hitting-it-big-with-my-first-bomb-rush-cyberfunk-experience-engesp

https://peakd.com/hive-140217/@acstriker/bomb-rush-cyberfunk-my-reviewone-story-later-engesp

...But in a nutshell, it was fun while it lasted, notcieably improved quite a handful of things from JSR and JSRF :)

All cups in Expert difficulty [and only Expert diff to save time lol] + Rick Wheeler's story mode including both final missions.

I also cleared Jody and Jack's so far, while I have to go get Falcon's extra final mission, but putting aside that, the other stories, and ignoring Zero Test at the moment because all of my playtime with the game so far was on a phone...that's quite a handful of stuff done.

Can be shorter or longer depending of how used you already are or get with the controls [especially if you can do like me and just blitz through the Expert cups since, while you get harder tracks, the completions still count for the Standard diff anyways].

It ain't as speed cracked as Climax, which is undoubtedly designed to one up this game in that aspect, but at least the Platinum cup brings a proper challenge due to the SNES tracks being tough on the latter half...and having no continues to spare in that specific cup for some reason.

Had chroniclesd my first impressions and winning run of this game once again in another site:

https://peakd.com/hive-140217/@acstriker/neo-contra-pure-2000s-top-down-action-with-the-manliest-super-soldiers-engesp

https://peakd.com/hive-140217/@acstriker/learning-to-love-neo-contra-the-surprise-revenge-engesp

But the summary is that despite the intimidating first run, it is possible to catch on this game's pace and tricks after a few attempts, specially if you have the right weapons at hand, such as the Type-E set which I got from my first B-rank playthrough in co-op, and used to repeat Stages 2 to 4 repeatedly to get an S or A-rank in them in order to unlock the final two stages and finish the whole game with an A-rank.

Bombastic, fun, can take some time to get used to the lack of twin-stick controls, but otherwise it is a pretty cool game that I would recommend checking out.

It would be cool if this game could run at 60fps like the original SEGA RALLY 3 and had some extra maps like the home versions of SEGA RALLY 2...but other than that, this is a mighty good little arcade racer to give a shot at if you got the means to do so. The Classic mode is neat and so is having a time attack mode added to this version, but the main challenge will be at the Championship mode and surviving it.

I recommend to just let go of the accel briefly to try doing drifts with medium and 90° turns, and only use brakes for hairpins, but that might vary if you aren't using anything other than the Subaru which I did on my first run...where I somehow managed to get a succesful Championship run, down to winning at Lakeside.

2.5/5 because it still has Spikeout's gameplay and the SEGA vibes, new characters are cool, music has some bangers, but..

From the 5th stage onwards, you are going to absolutely get dogpiled by AI. You're essentially always fighting 1v3 against other players, but from there its where things get nasty: Try to focus on one guy and you'll get tackled by one or two more.

I spent too much time in Stage 6 and 7 just to complete those because of how common it was to get jumped, and even with the strat I saw in some videos that relied in using Lv2 Charge Attack > Throw [which is actually a strat in Spikeout too...except at least there you can stun enemies and bosses occasionally for a bit of time- here since its all player-like enemies, they quickly shake off it], it still takes a while.

Haven't beat Stage 8 yet, and I probably won't touch this in a while again due to that. Left on Shelved because I'm stupid and might come back to it but only because I saved a state at that stage to return whenever I feel like it.

Bearing Arcade mode in LV8 diff was sure an experience. 44 minutes later but I did it with Yugo.

Kinda funny how the AI is SOMETIMES easily susceptible to throwing strings that can be evaded and punished with funny PPP string...but gotta admit that I only looked up properly how to Evade when Gado walling the life out of me in Stage 6 due to his attacks blockstun giving me little room for punishing until I started getting the hang of evades.

That aside, Bloody Roar is always pretty cool yah

First playthrough after years done- Tukikage had me lose several times but at least I got to beat him. The Bamsham fight will have to wait until I either somehow manage to survive Tukikage and everyone before him without losing once...or I accept using savestates to at least try that fight once.

AND HOURS LATER I GOT A GOOD RUN, FOUGHT BAMSHAM, LOST 10 TIMES, WON AT THE 11TH, AND THEN HAD TO FIGHT IT AGAIN ON MY TITLE DEFENSE...AAAAND SURRVIIIIVEEEEEDDDD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdrYej7IsqI

Baller game, very baller looking for the console it is one and very snappy to play- might be my favorite out of all the Punch-Out like games so far only because I haven't played the Wii game yet.