Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R | Nintendo Switch Review

As fighting games continue onward their features evolve. It's a given. Such is the case of "Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R", as one might expect. Fast forward a few installments to a point just before the series' most lengthy cut off, and you will find this game being the penultimate edition of the PS2 era Guilty Gear series. An enhanced edition of an already enhanced edition. Arc System Works, along the way, had experimented with several different new features, modes, mechanics, and characters before finally settling on this culmination of the Guilty Gear fighting game experience. With the largest roster to date including some new faces such as Bridget, Robo-Ky, Order-Sol, Anji-Mito, Jam, Dizzy, A.B.A., and a few others the series returned in a much more robust form. More akin to the Guilty Gears of the modern gaming age it also included a handful of newly introduced modes including a 3v3 team elimination mode, a new iteration of M.O.M. (Medal of Millionaire), Arcade Mode, a Gallery, Survival Mode, and online PvP play. Even the mechanics included evolved in such away as to be faster, more efficiently executable, and flashier than before. Utilizing a new BURST gauge, tension gauge, and mechanics revolving around both deeply involved defenses as well as offenses along with new finishers this game set out to make it or break it for the series. It was a sight to behold back in the day, and even as a Nintendo Switch port it still, to this day, holds it's own as one of the most memorable entries in the franchise.

As with the first Guilty Gear port GGXXACPR  offers what can be best described as a trip down memory lane. One that is executed in a true-to-the-original manner. It retains it's smooth functionality, and features on newer hardware it wasn't initially built for. While in handheld mode, or docked mode playing GGXXACPR on the Switch is doable. The controls though vastly different from what a gamer would have experienced on the retro consoles such as the PS2 still allows for special attack accuracy via DPad and face button inputs as well as proper combo execution. Those looking for the best retro GG experience will find it here.

Whether you choose to play on the go in handheld mode or hooked up to your TV there are a few different ways to enjoy GGXXACPR. You can play it alone, going full-on solo, enjoying the multiple match Arcade mode, Survival mode, and M.O.M. mode, or even the 3v3 team elimination mode. You can enjoy it all with the attached or not attached joycons as well as with a wired controller or a fightstick. The later two options being more preferable if you want to take full advantage of the game's competitive value. You'll find Arcade mode comes with the usual series of roster fights done in stages with character interactions, and ending cinematic sequences. You'll also find replay value in the M.O.M. and Survival modes which are two different takes on the survival mode archetype. With M.O.M. being a high score mode with a single health bar to rely on, and coin dropping mayhem. Survival, on the other hand being the infinite fight for survival against common roster members, and the occasional shadow boss fight which can replenish health to help you set that ultimate win record. In my opinion this particular survival mode was the best in the series, and the deviation later on wasn't nearly as fun.

For those looking for multiplayer PvP options there is a 3v3 team elimination versus mode where three chosen characters must be all eliminated in order, and not in tag team fashion. Much like the KOF games. It's something that did not make the cut in Revelator/2 or Xrd SIGN. Thus it is something worth noting for those looking to experience Guilty Gear in a different way. For those in need of training the Training Mode returns as well in an even more detailed fashion with more tweakable options to make your training versus the in-game dummy more fruitful in the way of practice. The new gauges, and mechanics accounted for.

Those of you looking for extras will find that the game does feature an updated Gallery made accessible at the main slider menu in which movies, intros, art, stages, and other artistic items of interest can be viewed. Also to note is the inclusion of EX character colors. New to this particular GG experience was the option of EX character color palettes. If memory serves me well I think there's also shadow a color palettes that can be applied at the character select screen by pressing the required button/s. In the way of character design, and animation this entry in the GG series is the best visual presentation before Arc System Works went to the new cel-shaded standard. It is still a pixel built game, but more refined in the way of details. A truly impressive feat for the time it was originally released, and even so on the Nintendo Switch.

The Verdict ...

I was glad to see this port get the love, and care it so deserved. It felt good in both handheld, and docked mode. It looked as impressive as I remembered, and played equally as such. I can't really find anything to complain about. I think this version's biggest bonuses come in the highly inclusive roster which includes characters that didn't make the cut in the newer games as well as the 3v3 team elimination mode. Let me also not forget the "M.O.M." mode in it's original build. Not like the M.O.M. turned RPG of Revelator/2 and Xrd SIGN. Even Survival mode is brag worthy. In fact I wish they'd bring Survival back as it was here along with all of the missing GG characters.

With everything accounted for, and everything weighed I can confidently claim that this fighter is worth your money. More so than the original Guilty Gear. I think if you aim to buy it individually this would be a good retro entry point into Guilty Gear. If you aim to buy the collection that's not bad either. Either way do not pass this one up. It's a port done Justice (see what I did there? Justice?)!