Breakers Collection review (PS5)

With the Breakers Collection, QUByte has released what’s arguably their highest profile classic thus far. It’s out now for all consoles and PCs, and we’re reviewing the PlayStation 5 version.

If you enjoy classic 2D fighting games, you’re no doubt familiar with the reputation that the NeoGeo has. And while a lot of its classics have been ported over to later systems (quite a few can be played on the PS4 and even the Vita), Breakers is a bit of a hidden gem among the catalogue. First developed by Visco Corporation for Japanese arcades in the mid-90s, it later received a home port that was exclusive to the NeoGeo. Released in the later stages of the famous console’s lifecycle it never quite got the following and audience it deserved, so it’s great that QUByte’s fixing that here.

Included in this collection is Breakers as well as its sequel, Breakers Revenge – which is really more of the Street Fighter II Turbo to Street Fighter II variety as it mostly features a rebalanced roster with some new content added in. And as most of NeoGeo’s fighters, this one features large sprites and colorful and detailed backdrops. You’ll notice that the aforementioned Street Fighter II’s a source of inspiration as well (both visually and in terms of controls), though the game’s roster of characters feel refreshing when you consider how many games of this type were being released at the time. Our favorite’s probably an undead Egyptian priest/sorcerer, though you’ll get Ken/Ryu vibes from at least one other character as well.

With eight fighters, the roster is relatively small by modern standards, but this also means you’ll be able to get comfortable with most of the characters pretty quickly. And if you feel like practicing some of the special moves, then a useful on-screen guide can help with that as well. The list of handy features doesn’t end there though – QUByte’s done a great job in adding a suite of online functionality, including lobbies and ranked play. Content-wise, there’s an art gallery with museum-style drawings and documents about the original, so it’s nice to see they went well beyond simply porting over the game.

Breakers and Breakers Revenge certainly didn’t shake up the genre when it was so saturated in the era they were released in, but they’re accessible and a fun example of the genre that many haven’t had a chance to play yet. With a quality port full of extra features and content, this is a great time to finally do so.

Score: 7.1/10