The Neo Geo had so many great games in a variety of genres, including sports games. Games like Neo Turf Masters are well known, and Soccer Brawl has a fanbase, but there is another sports game that doesn’t seem to get as much attention. That game is Power Spikes II, an action volleyball game that was unlike anything before or even since for that matter. Rather than being a simple volleyball game, Power Spikes II involved cyborgs in the future playing a much more intense version of the game.
Power Spikes II, while slower than Soccer Brawl, is still an intense action sports game that offers an experience you cannot get elsewhere. There is a variety of modes as with any action sports game on the Neo Geo, but it feels more refined in this game unlike others. The different modes help change things up but the fact is that the game feels so unlike anything else and has a sense of freshness to it that a changeup is not really needed all that much in the game. The, the changeups in gameplay are welcome though, but I truly enjoyed what I played in a single mode and didn’t feel any sense of feeling bored quickly. Playing with others was a blast, as is often the case with these game and I had no issues getting others interested,.
The only fault I had with the game, is that the animation was not as good as Soccer Brawl but otherwise I don’t have much to complain about. I do not know why this game is not as well known as other Neo Geo classics, and is another title I would love to see revived in some form today. With games like Windjammers getting revived, I think this is also a game that with some minor refinements, would be a great fit as a modern game. Playing this on the Nintendo Switch was a great experience, and the emulation was simply perfect. This is the creativity in gaming that we need more of today.