An often overlooked game with RB2 and RB1 being in the mix, there are very very few matches you will find on youtube of this gem of a game. While it is before RB2, it was cut after RB1!
While no longer do you have Ring Outs, the walls still have a strategic value in that once broken your opponent is temporarily dizzy! This game also was the first to introduce Nightmare Geese. The game overall is so well balanced you could argue 90% of the cast is in A Class (There truly is no "Mid Tier" in this game). Also this if you are a Mai Shiranui fan, this game has the best version of Mai you can find in any game! (Yes even FFS or RB1 this is the complete Mai in this game!)
Also then you have the infamous "Line Shift Argument" where it seems people that haven't played the game ENOUGH argue that the Line Shift attacks are too strong in this game and thats what doomed it. Line Shifts aren't soo strong in this game where they don't have a corner. I recall people saying you can just sit in one plane with Billy and only tap a few buttons and win! It's not that simple unless you are facing a braindead opponent!!!
US Tier List:
God Tier and Banned:
Nightmare Geese
S+ Class:
Billy/EX, Sokaku, Duck King
S- Class:
Mai, Krauser, Kim, Yamazaki, Joe, Terry, Andy/EX, EX Blue Mary
A+ Class:
Blue Mary, Franco Bash, Lawrence Blood
A- Class:
Hon Fu, Chonrei, Chonshu, Bob Wilson
Low Tier:
Tung Fu Rue/EX, Cheng Sinzan
I have challenged myself to provide matches in this game on my youtube channel since there are so few to be found:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CizBPM7bzDYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9UVRACJAy0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcBvCWJRUyMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRle_RaTenAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHEc-p90kiQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNksAkG78mghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSP6iEiBiq8These are older matches of course with the main problem being that I cannot use my newer recording software to direct feed the Real Bout Collection or Fatal Fury Special, it simply does not like it. So for future casuals like with Shin SSV on PS2, I have to record it with a camera.
I think it's time for a RBS Revival!!!As far as the tops in the USA in this game (that remain left lol), I'd say they are (w/mains I think):
-Myself (Mai MASTAH, Duck King, Krauser, EX Blue Mary, EX Andy/Andy, Laurence Blood, Sokaku, Billy)
-Deadly Rave Neo (Duck King)
-ShinBlanka (EX Tung Fu Rue)
Those are the ones that I know of and whether they still play it is anyone's guess. I still play it and have been all this time!