Back when it was first released in the early ‘90s SNK’s Neo-Geo Advanced Entertainment System (or AES for short) was the undisputed Rolls Royce of video game consoles. Because the Japanese firm had decided to base the machine on the exact same specification boasted by its arcade hardware (known as the MVS), games on the AES were 100% arcade perfect – a first for the industry.
The side-effect of all this power was price. Because of the sheer amount of memory that had to go inside each cutting-edge, arcade-perfect home release, the average AES cartridge would set you back around £200 – which, at the time, could have bought you a SNES or Mega Drive console.
With this little history lesson in mind, SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 strikes us as astonishingly good value for money. Concealed within the shiny surface of this unassuming DVD disc are 16 slices of Neo-Geo gaming heritage. Back in the day such a collection would cost you somewhere in the region of £3000 – an eye-watering prospect if ever there was one.
Putting aside the issue of money for one moment, it’s clear to see why retro-enthusiasts might get a little hot under the collar about this particular release. When you have games like Metal Slug, King of Fighters ’94, Shock Troopers, Magician Lord and Last Resort all on the same disc, it practically screams ‘must buy’. To be perfectly honest, those games alone would justify a purchase for many hardcore SNK fans.
Of course not all of the games showcased here are solid gold classics; personally we’d rather the likes of King of Monsters, Sengoku and Burning Fight be left in the mists of time. However, even these games are worth a punt for at least a few minutes and their presence on the disc doesn’t detract from the other vintage gems.
The only thing that muddies the water a little is the fact that the majority of the games contained in this collection (12 out of 16) are already available on the Wii’s Virtual Console service, and Metal Slug and King of Fighters ’94 have already been released as part of the Metal Slug Anthology and King of Fighters Collection respectively. So while this is undeniably a highly appealing prospect for dedicated retro gamers, there’s a high chance that these same people will already own a fair proportion of the titles featured here.
Another bugbear is the fact that all of the releases featured here – with the exception of Metal Slug and Shock Troopers – came relatively early in the Neo-Geo’s lifespan. Therefore, they lack the punch of later games, such as the superlative Garou: Mark of the Wolves. However, SNK Playmore has already re-released this as a stand-alone game on the PS2, so expecting it to appear on a compilation at the same time is probably being a little optimistic. Still, it’s a little annoying that this collection isn’t really able to show SNK’s console at its very best.
Of course the quality – and quantity – of the games would count for nothing if the emulation was off target, but thankfully the developer has done an excellent job of porting over the original code to the Wii. Naturally the games look a little rough on modern LCD TV sets, but on the whole the high-quality hand-drawn artwork still manages to amaze even after all these years. Sadly the sound isn’t quite as impressive – it’s been a while since we slipped a few coins into an MVS arcade system but we seem to recall the aural experience being a little less crackly than this.
In terms of additional extras, things are pretty thin on the ground. The developer has attempted to introduce a goals-based medal system similar to Microsoft’s ‘Gamer score’ scheme, as seen on the Xbox 360. Finishing certain objective will unlock artwork, music and video clips – as well as move lists for the fighting games featured on the disc. This last element is unfortunate, as the knowing the moves in a fighting game is almost a requirement and having to play through other games to gain access to them feels like a punishment rather than a reward. It also means that casual gamers that haven’t played King of Fighters or Samurai Showdow before will instantly be at a disadvantage and this may put them off playing them altogether.
However, even this clumsy bonus system can’t taint the overall greatness of this collection. Even if you’re too young to remember wanting a Neo-Geo console, you’ll appreciate the old-school excellence of these titles and if you happen to have a few like-minded friends then you can be assured of weeks of multiplayer action.
Conclusion
It’s not perfect by any means but SNK Arcade Classics Vol.1 represents a solid purchase for those of you that enjoy retro gaming – providing you don’t already own the majority of the games on Virtual Console, that is. However, if you’re new to the ‘classic gaming’ scene or simply wish to know what all the fuss is about then this is a fantastic way to grab several highly-esteemed games in one go. Hopefully SNK Playmore can dig a bit deeper for Volume 2 and give us some lesser known classics.
Comments 20
Art Of Fighting, Baseball Stars 2, Burning Fight, Fatal Fury, King Of The Monsters, Last Resort, Magician Lord, Metal Slug, Neo Turf Masters, Samurai Shodown, Sengoku, Shock Troopers, Super Sidekicks 3, The King Of Fighters '94, Top Hunter, and World Heroes.
It's hard to knock this list of games, but it's a little predictable. As you say most of these are already available on the Virtual Console.
I hope SNK bring us some gems for vol.2 - Viewpoint, Blazing Star and Last Blade would be some more interesting choices.
I hope the second collection will have King of the Monsters 2 and Samurai Shodown 2.
I can't wait to see SVC Chaos on a future collection.Of course that probably won't come out until Vol.5 at least, in which we'll probably be playing on a new system. It still amazes me that that game was from 2003, when the NEO GEO started in late 1989. Now that's a long life.
i think it would be better to just wait for the games to be released on Virtual Console Arcade
Koto - that is never going to happen because the Neo-Geo IS the arcade machine! The games currently on the Virtual Console are 100% arcade perfect.
Argh this is driving me mad! I've been into Game (actual store and online), GameStation (ditto for this), Play, Amazon and e-bay amongst other things and can't seem to find any sign of this, King of Fighters Orochi Saga and Samurai Shodown Anthology!
I've seen PAL reviews all over the web for these games (including this site) and they all say they were released last weekend - so why does nowhere even list them? It's like they don't exist. PLEASE point me in the right direction to somewhere I can buy all three games as I'm going mad looking for them!
Thanks (great review by the way).
@madgear
Must be a PAL thing, for I seen the Neo Geo Anthology and King of Fighters. Though, I have not seen the Samurai Shodown anthology, but with SS2 on the VC, I am content with just that.
Now, if Neo Geo Anthology 2 came out with Windjammer, Twinkle Star Sprites, and Sengoku 2 then I might pick it up, but I rather have them separate from the VC.
Classic!
I haven't bought a Wii game since this, I dunno if I'll buy one before the next SNK Arcade Collection (if there is one)
Slap Last Blade 1 or 2 on there and I'll make a purchase.
@ comment 1
thats y i bought it cause i didnt feel like buyin all of them seperate on the vc would have been more $ that way
Don't be afraid to check this compilation out. Even the games you maybe haven't heard of are fun and highly playable. I can't imagine how much a comiplation like this would cost to set up in your own home 10 years ago. It's mind blowing how things change
I bought this just for Super Sidekicks 3. An arcade up in Pitlochry used to have an arcade cabinet of it which would give you ages for your 50p - but last couple of times I've been it's been gone. It must have bit the dust
Wow I just got this in the mail yesterday for 9.99 with free shipping NEW ! Some really good games on here. Thanks for the review ! I had never played Metal Slug before and its awesome. Plus all the other great games.
Just picked this up today at my local Gamestop. Apparently I'm the 2nd person to EVER buy a copy there!
Yeah, on my LCD TV the graphics are incredibly blocky. I am sure one of these days I will hook my Wii up to an older TV set to try and experience the graphics as they were in the arcade.
I'd give this an 11.
@17 +1
Neo Turf Masters = excellent stuff.
Some kid back in elementary school had a NEO GEO and I was crazy jealous. But my TurboGrafx-16 was just fine, thank you.
Funny that the presenter (Martijn Krabbe) of the former Power Play videogame show in the Netherlands (that was broadcasted in the early 90's), also called the Neo Geo the Rolls Royce of the videogame systems.
Last Resort, Art of Fighting, Burning Fight and Fatal Fury alone make this a excellent compilation. I already had the King of Fighters and Samurai Showdown comps, so...
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