Savage Reign | |
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Developer(s) | SNK |
Publisher(s) | SNK |
Producer(s) | Eikichi Kawasaki Takashi Nishiyama |
Designer(s) | H. Hamachi Mitsuzo I. Yasuaki Uenoyama |
Programmer(s) | Jaron Magi2 |
Artist(s) | Ahokamen Boke Econo Daisuke March Kaji |
Composer(s) | Yasuhiro Naka Yoshihiko Kitamura |
Series | Fū'un |
Platform(s) | |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Fighting |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Arcade system | Neo Geo MVS |
Savage Reign[a] is 1995 weapon-based versus fighting game released by SNK for their Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It was ported to the Neo Geo CD, as well as for the PlayStation 2 along with its sequel Kizuna Encounter in Japan only (as part of the Fūun Super Combo). This compilation was re-released in the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 4 in December 2016.[1]
Savage Reign is set in the first half of the 21st century in the fictional city of South Town (the same city used in the Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting series), which has now been upgraded and renamed as "Jipang City". A mysterious legendary fighter known only as "King Leo"[citation needed] has risen up from the shadows of secrecy and issued a challenge on television for the strongest of fighters to battle against him in a tournament, dubbed the "Battle of the Beast God", with the promises of wealth and fame beyond imagination. Nine fighters have come to take part in this tournament, each with their own sole purpose and reason for battling against King Leo[citation needed].
The game, much like Samurai Shodown before it, places heavy emphasis on the user's weapon. However, Savage Reign has a few particular elements that make it stand out from its predecessor:
Publication | Score |
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AllGame | (Neo Geo) ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Next Generation | (Neo Geo) ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Consoles + | (Neo Geo CD) 93%[4] |
The Electric Playground | (Neo Geo CD) 9 / 10[5] |
Hobby Consolas | (Neo Geo CD) 94 / 100[6] |
Joypad | (Neo Geo) 85%[7] |
MAN!AC | (Neo Geo) 74%[8] |
Maximum | (Neo Geo CD) ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Mega Fun | (Neo Geo CD) 82%[10] |
Micromanía | (Neo Geo CD) 84 / 100[11] |
Player One | (Neo Geo) 60%[12] |
Super Game Power | (Neo Geo) 4.5 / 5.0[13] |
Superjuegos | (Neo Geo CD) 92 / 100[14] |
Última Generación | (Neo Geo CD) 72 / 100[15] |
Video Games | (Neo Geo CD) 78%[16] |
VideoGames | (Neo Geo) 7 / 10[17] |
In Japan, Game Machine listed Savage Reign on their 1 June 1995 issue as being the seventh most-successful arcade game of the month, outperforming titles such as Baku Baku Animal and Cyberbots.[18]
Reviewing the Neo Geo home version, GamePro summarized, "Savage Reign is one of those impressive fighting games that's likely to disappear soon after it surfaces. It looks great and the sound is dynamite, but in the end it falls short because it lacks an identity to separate it from the multitude of fighting games already out there."[19] The same GamePro critic reviewed the Neo Geo CD version with similar remarks, and noted that compared to the Neo Geo version "the three-button simultaneous attacks are more difficult to execute because the buttons are stacked on top of each other."[20]
Next Generation reviewed the Neo-Geo version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "The only innovative facet in Savage Reign is the upper level perch that shows up in each location in the form of a loft, rooftop, or just a cable to hang by. If you just can't get enough of these games, here's another."[3]
Maximum gave the Neo Geo CD version four out of five stars, commenting that "Let there be no doubt, everything from the coin-op has been packed into the CD version making it a very attractive break from the more conventional Fatal Fury/King of Fighters activities, but with all the fighting action you'd expect from an SNK title."[9]