For many gamers, the 1990s were the heyday of the one-on-one fighting game, with arcade classics such asStreet Fighter 2andMortal Kombatruling the roost in arcades around the world. One such game that unfortunately never made it to release wasPrimal Rage 2, but thankfully the game has been resurrected from the dead courtesy of a newly-available playable build.
This build comes courtesy of a specifically-designed version of the arcade machine emulator MAME, namedMAME4RAGE2and built by YouTube userGruntzilla94. This design of MAME works only with the cancelledPrimal Rage 2, but its singular purpose serves to allow arcade and fighting game fans a chance to see what they missed out on with the cancellation of the title.
As it turns out, this emulated version of the game is actually not all that bad to play. Although there are still some signs that the title was still a work-in-progress, and a fair few bugs to navigate, the core design and gameplay is still there for all to see. Those interested in checking outPrimal Rage 2can have a look at the video below, courtesy of YouTuber owlnomynous.
For the uninitiated, the originalPrimal Ragewas an arcade title that caught the eyes of gamers through its stop-motion characters and violent gameplay. The game was eventually ported to several home systems with mixed results, butPrimal Rageholds a place in the heart of many gamers who remember the era well.
It’s interesting to see the direction thatAtariwas going in with this sequel, as it does deviate a little from the core gameplay of the originalPrimal Rage. For starters, players now choose a human character to fight as, who then has the ability to change into one of the series' trademark monsters - a mechanic which was implemented very successfully byBloody Roarjust a few years later.
Unfortunately,Primal Rage 2would never truly have a chance to shine. The game was cancelled by Atari late in its development cycle, and in the end there were only rare rumors and whispers of the game’s board making it into a couple ofarcadeshere and there. Thankfully, interested parties are now able to have a look at exactly what the gaming world missed, courtesy of this emulated version of the title.
