The main attraction this round is of course the ability to duke it out with your favorite franchises a la SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom or the more relatable example of a Smash Bros. game. Some of the games which you can expect to see characters from include Metal Slug, King of Fighters, World Heroes, The Art of Fighting, Samurai Showdown, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, and more. Really, it is something else to see Margo team up with Kyo and fight to the death (although come on of course they'd win, right). The point is, while this is obviously the game's attraction, it's the fighting engine that's got to have staying power. Let's face it, fans will most likely pick up NGBC in order to test drive all the characters, unlock the remaining five, and then shelf the game for a while until they need another hit. That's where the gameplay's got to hold up on its end of the deal.

The game follows a 2-vs-2 tag-team format, where players select a duo to pair up and muscle through either the arcade, tag-team, or survival modes which the game offers. There's not much else outside of these three except for the versus mode which undoubtedly will see some playtime. Arcade mode is the traditional fighting fare where you must climb a ladder of matches until you eventually get to the game's boss, who usually doesn't play as fairly as other computer opponents would lead you to believe. If either character in your team dies during one of these matches, you've been KO'ed, which adds a bit of strategy by keeping you on your toes about which character to juggle in and out.

One interesting note is that if you do begin to suffer from the game's difficulty due to either sucking or not being able to master a certain match, you'll find that upon restarting the match you have the option to receive aid in the form of extra health on your end, or a handicap on the opponent's, etc. This is handy for newcomers to an SNK game where difficulty can spike like a high school prom's punch.

Tag-team mode is basically the same as Arcade, except that now you die as a team, meaning that you're not out until both of your characters die. I personally favored this mode over the Arcade one due to growing up with tag matches being based on both characters having been beaten instead of just one, which is traditionally how a tag-based fighter is handled. Finally, the survival mode tops off single-player fare as it's just a matter of how many matches you can lock down until you die, putting you back at square one. It's a mode for die-hard fans wishing to master the fighting system, or masochists who just sort of like that kind of futile thing.

The game plays like any SNK fighter, with special moves, elaborate combos, and of course including a double-teaming assault on the opposition which most tag fighters feature. The fighting engine and controls aren't wildly different from what you'd expect from a 2D fighting game, but it's not as though anyone was asking for a reinvention of the genre. The game is a nostalgia-based brawler laid out on staple controls, making it a solid fighter that doesn't become anything special outside of its character selection. In fact, it suffers just a bit more as the recent King of Fighters XI trumps it in modes and content, not exactly sharing the limelight with NGBC.

Additionally, the graphics aren't as spectacular as Neo Geo games of old were once known for. By no means are the sprites lackluster, but they simply lack the detail and fluid animation which other titles of the genre shine at (Guilty Gear, Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom). If high production on a fanservice game like NGBC isn't on the top of your list, then this shouldn't mean a thing when considering a purchase, which is exactly what this game is worth as long as you know what you're buying. Be aware that while it may pay tribute to hours spent in arcades or even at home with the Neo Geo console, finally appreciating the time spent with the Neo Geo franchises, it's hardly going to leave a big impression on fighting fans. This is not despite the great challenge it can conjure up for players, but simple because the game feels as though it was taken out of the oven just a tad too early. A little more thought into this one could have made it something great to be remembered by, while all it manages to do is help you remember your past a bit and then feel okay with moving on.