SNK Game Reviews
Review Spin Master (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Not masterful, but still pretty good
With probably about half of the Neo Geo's library of games consisting of fighting games, it's always nice to see another platformer for the system released on VC. In Spin Master, you take control of either Johnny or Tom as you try to recover five pieces of a lost treasure map and rescue Johnny's girlfriend. It's...
Review Samurai Shodown III (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
A new spin on the popular fighting series
It's no secret that the Samurai Shodown series played a huge role in vaulting SNK up to the big boy fighting game table. And as popular as the original release was, it was the sequel that would set the standard by which all future titles of the franchise would be judged. Samurai Shodown III would mark the...
Review Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Fatal Fury Extra Special
With the release of Fatal Fury Special, Neo Geo fighting fans were treated to a rather significant upgrade from the previous release of Fatal Fury 2. Not content to rest on its laurels, SNK decided to give the standard series one last hurrah with this fourth and final instalment. And while long-time fans will appreciate the...
Review The King of Fighters '95 (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
For those who like having their asses handed to them
After having some solid success in arcades with the inaugural game in the series The King of Fighters '94, SNK wanted to try to address some of the complaints players had with the game in the sequel. Two of the biggest complaints were the inability to customise your own team lineups and the...
Review Fatal Fury Special (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Is it really all that special?
There's no question that Fatal Fury 2 was quite a step up in quality from the original, but it seems SNK still wasn't completely satisfied with the game and decided to release an upgrade in the form of Fatal Fury Special. Rather than start from scratch, they basically took Fatal Fury 2, added in the ability to play as...
Review Samurai Shodown Anthology (Wii)
Victoly!
You certainly can’t accuse SNK Playmore of ignoring its past. Recently we’ve been blessed with the retro-themed duo of King of Fighters Collection and SNK Arcade Classics, and the Japanese veteran is now following up with yet another compilation of top-notch vintage action. Samurai Shodown Anthology contains six slices of weapon-based...
Review SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 (Wii)
One of the arcade world's most respected brands touches down on Wii with a 16-hit combo of a collection
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...
Review King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga (Wii)
Five legendary fighting games for the price of one - surely too good to be true?
Born out of the union of two of SNK’s notable coin-op series – Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting - King of Fighters has always had to live in the shadow of the illustrious Street Fighter franchise here in the west; although it has a cult following, it’s never been...
Europe has had to endure a painful wait for the seventh entry in SNK's epic 2D blaster franchise - but has it been worth it?
As you may already be aware, we’re massive fans of SNK’s Metal Slug series. The Wii Anthology went down a storm in the Nintendo Life office and when we became aware of plans for a seventh instalment we became very animated...
Review Samurai Shodown II (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
First released in 1994, this fighting game follows 15 samurai in their individual quests.
Let's face it, the majority of SNKs existence is based around their unrelenting quest to come up with a fighting game for their system that could stand toe-to-toe with Capcom's immensely popular Street Fighter II arcade game. Samurai Shodown has the unique...
Review Neo Turf Masters (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Golf in Neo Geo style.
There are basically two good golf games available for the Neo Geo. Top Player's Golf was released in 1990 and is a solid and playable golf game in and of itself, but Neo Turf Masters, which was released 6 years later, is clearly a much more refined and enjoyable golfing experience. The game features some very playable game...
Review Art of Fighting 2 (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Garcia is back
The original Art of Fighting may not have threatened Street Fighter II in terms of gameplay but it certainly turned a few heads and stole some of the trade away from Capcom’s seminal 2D fighter. This second game takes the core concept of the first title and gently refines several aspects to create a far more enjoyable (but sadly...
Review Ninja Commando (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Ikari Warriors with ninjas - awesome!
Ninja Commando is often confused for Ninja Combat or even its sequel, but in fact, it's neither. Ninja Commando is basically an overheard run 'n gun game that feels a lot like the arcade classic Ikari Warriors at times, although it doesn't quite have the same level of playability. While the game is an earlier...
Review King of the Monsters (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Monster mash
King of the Monsters is one of those titles that, despite being a very mediocre game overall, enjoys a fairly strong following around the gaming community. The game takes the classic "giant monster stomping through cities" made famous in the King Kong and Godzilla movies, and somehow builds a one-on-one fighting game around it. But...
Review Fatal Fury 2 (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Street Fighter 2 it ain't
Although the original Fatal Fury was undoubtedly one of the best challengers to square up to Capcom’s Street Fighter 2, many would argue that SNK’s franchise didn’t really get into its stride until the sequel was released. Improving on the first title in practically every way possible, Fatal Fury 2 was one of the...
Review Burning Fight (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
A poor mans Final Fight
In the early days of the Neo-Geo SNK tried its hardest to cover all of the potential money-making bases of arcade and home console gaming. Fatal Fury catered to the one-on-one fighting crowd, NAM 1975 was an Operation Wolf clone with a difference, and Burning Fight clearly looked towards Capcom’s Final Fight for...
Review Samurai Shodown (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
VICTOLY!
SNK became something of a fighting game factory in the early ‘90s, releasing titles like Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury to capitalize on public interest in the genre that had been kick started by a certain 2D fighting title from Cacpom. However, Samurai Showdown (or Samurai Spirits, as it was known in Japan) marked a real change of pace...
Review Metal Slug (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Overthrow General Morden and win back the stolen weapon!
This game might be a bit redundant - seven of the games in the Metal Slug series were already released on the Wii in collective form as Metal Slug Anthology. However, none of the games on that disc allow for classic controller use, so if you desperately want to use it, then you have no choice...
Review Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Take on the role of either Roddy or Cathy, bounty hunters in this side-scrolling action game set far in the future when humans have colonized space.
I'm sure many have played at least one game in SNK's awesome shoot 'em up franchise, Metal Slug. But did you know that SNK also created a game that's similar, yet at the same time quite different? They...
Review Baseball Stars 2 (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Lace up your cleats and step onto the diamond with the pros of Baseball Stars 2.
Are you getting sick of all the sub-par sports games on VC (excluding Kirby's Dream Course, Punch-Out!! and, to some, Ice Hockey)? Yeah? Well, here's Baseball Stars 2 - a game breaks every rule in the book and delivers a completely crazy experience filled to the top...
Review The King of Fighters '94 (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Fatal Fury x Art of Fighting.
Although SNK's Fatal Fury and Samurai Shodown franchises placed the company on the map as far as 2D fighting games were concerned, it wasn't until the release of the first King of Fighters game SNK could go toe-to-toe with Capcom's Street Fighter – and win. For the uninitiated, KOF involves picking a team of three...
Review Art of Fighting (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Art of the deal
What with this, Samurai Showdown, Fatal Fury and World Heroes, the Virtual Console is certainly going to have its fair share of one-on-one fighters! Art of Fighting was another attempt by SNK to usurp Capcom’s Street Fighter 2 from the position of ‘best 2D fighter’ back in the early ‘90s. Again, SNK have shamelessly stolen...
Review Fatal Fury (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
SNK's answer to Street Fighter II
When you consider the sheer volume of one-on-one fighters produced by SNK over the past decade or so it's amazing to think that 1991's Fatal Fury was the first time they'd attempted such a game since the company's inception in 1978. Produced to compete with Capcom's legendary Street Fighter II, SNK's game was very...
Review Metal Slug Anthology (Wii)
Wooden Snail. Concrete Spider. Papier Maché Butterfly. Metal Slug. One of these is the moniker of a near-legendary platform-action series that is celebrating a glorious decade in the spotlight. The others are nonsense names made up merely to justify this rather pointless opening paragraph. Can you guess which is which?
Give your average next...
