Fatal Fury
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SNK is making its first new Fatal Fury game in 23 years
SNK has revealed that it's working on its first Fatal Fury game in more than 20 years.
Neo Geo retro stick console includes 'King of Fighters,' 'Samurai Shodown'
SNK has detailed the full 20-game lineup for its Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro, and it's mixed news for fans of the classic platform. The retro console and controller hybrid will focus on the best-known brawlers with six The King of Fighters games ('95 through 2002), four Samurai Shodown titles (II through V Special) and three Fatal Fury releases (Special, 3 and Garou: Mark of the Wolves) in addition to several others. It's not a complete release, but fans of classic fighters should be happy. You can read the full list below.
Fatal Fury, Samurai Showdown pachislot machines headed for Japan
It's probably pretty rough for SNK Playmore fans to see the "Fatal Fury" and "Samurai Showdown" names in the same sentence as "pachislot," a type of Japanese slot machine. Neither of the classic fighting series have seen a fresh installment since the '90s; ports and anthology collections are the most recent ways to get doses of the 2D fighters. Nevertheless, SNK Playmore has licensed both properties for pachislot games called Fatal Fury PREMIUM and Samurai Spirits: Kengou. These machines come with extravagant trailers, which sort of help us imagine what modern installments of either fighter would look like. Fatal Fury and Samurai Showdown fans can probably find support from the Breath of Fire or Star Ocean communities, which haven't been getting the announcements they've been hoping for either. But hey, at least overall interest for these series wasn't measured with sales of a port like Darkstalkers Resurrection. [Image: SNK Playmore]
Neo Geo X hacked to run Unibios, unofficial game ROMS
After witnessing the fall of the DS, DSi, 3DS and PlayStation Vita, it's no surprise to hear that the Neo Geo X has succumbed to the talents of the homebrew community, but it is a little shocking how easy the handheld was to conquer. Upon cracking the device open, enthusiasts were surprised to find no copy protection to speak of -- just a lightly glued MicroSD card. The folks on the Neo Geo forum wasted no time experimenting, and soon found that the handheld's Bios and game ROMs can be successfully swapped for new games or custom loaders. Substitute files need to retain the name of the file they replace, and swapped games remain mislabeled in the Neo Geo X menu, but the trick has already allowed some users to install the popular AES Unibios. The community hopes that the discovery will eventually allow them to tweak the handheld's TV-out resolution and enable manual switching between AES / MVS game modes. It's hardly a "hack," considering the SD card is completely unprotected, but it's a good start. Check out the source link below to peer at the device's insides, or just to watch the community in action.
Neo Geo X goes official, celebrates Grandpa's 20th anniversary
We've already seen the device in the real world, but now it's confirmed -- this portable Neo Geo is legit and heading to both the US and Europe. Blaze is crafting the retro gaming handheld with SNK's blessing and 20 baked-in titles confirmed, including Metal Slug, King of Fighters '94 and -- yes -- King of the Monsters. It'll tie into the Neo Geo's 20th birthday and the manufacturer promises that the new device will deliver the same arcade thrills "in a more affordable manner," although there's still no pricing specifics. Check the press release below for the full game selection and expect a release some time in Q2.
SNK's new Neo Geo: 20 retro classics in one modern handheld
We rubbed our eyes a little when they first landed on this fine looking specimen, just to make sure they weren't deceiving us. But no, this really does appear to be a new handheld Neo Geo. We've seen SNK make inspired controllers, bring its catalog to other platforms and even make handhelds before, but nothing like this. The iPhone-esque body and 4.3 inch screen house a D-pad, shoulder and front buttons while hiding 2GB of storage inside -- pre-loaded with 20 classic titles (yes Fatal Fury and League Bowling included, and all in English). There's also an SD slot which we really really hope is for more games, as well as an AV output for some good old big-screen action. Famicon Plaza claims it's a licensed product not yet in full production, so there's no whiff of availability just now. When it does finally land, we hope it's not at a 2012 equivalent of grandad's $600+ price tag.
Dimps expanding into original IPs for mobile and social platforms
Takashi Nishiyama has been in the game for about as long as "the game" has existed. Responsible for Moon Patrol, Street Fighter, Fatal Fury, the Neo Geo and more Sonic games than you can shake a stick at, Nishiyama's design portfolio spans 30 years and includes some of the most fundamental design philosophies that still serve as a foundation for many genres to this day. His company, Dimps, has made a name for itself developing titles for other publishers' IPs; Dragon Ball Z, Sonic the Hedgehog, Street Fighter, etc. After nearly twelve years of development-for-hire work, however, Dimps is looking to branch out and create its own original IPs, according to statements made by Nishiyama during an interview with 1UP. "I feel that it's time that we need to create our own social and browser IPs," Nishiyama said. "We're going to start with things that have more manageable budgets, like social and browser games. I believe that's more realistic." Nishiyama sees mobile platforms as a lower-risk entry platform for a new IP, as compared with the astronomical costs associated with console game development. His company must be cautious, however, because creating original IPs will position Dimps as competition to publishers, rather than a developmental ally: "As soon as we announce that we're creating original IP, we become their competitor. So we need to approach it carefully and be sensitive to the politics involved."
Neo Geo games coming to PSN with online play
Nine months after the ESRB listed Neo Geo games for PS3 and PSP, publisher SNK Playmore has announced plans for a "Neo Geo Station" on PlayStation Network. Starting December 21, games from the Neo Geo's library will be released on PSN in both PS3 and PSP versions, costing $8.99 and $6.99 each, respectively. The pricing on the PS3 versions is equivalent to the cost of buying Neo Geo games on the Wii Virtual Console. Unlike the Virtual Console releases, these aren't just emulated versions of the originals. SNK has added features like online co-op and versus play on PS3 (and Ad-Hoc Party support on PSP), along with other unspecified enhancements. Check after the break for all ten games hitting PS3 on December 21, and the two PSP games arriving at the same time. The other eight are scheduled to arrive on PSP sometime in January.
NeoGeo classics coming to PS3 and PSP, ESRB reveals
It looks like the PlayStation "Virtual Console" is expanding beyond PSone and TurboGrafx-16 games. Siliconera spotted updates to a number of classic NeoGeo titles, including Metal Slug, The King of Fighters '94 and Fatal Fury. All of these titles have been re-rated to include the PS3 and PSP. Other NeoGeo games to appear on the ESRB database include Alpha Mission II and Baseball Stars 2. Like the listings above, these games also support both the PS3 and PSP. Hopefully, these downloadable NeoGeo games will feature the same functionality as PSone classics, specifically the ability to download to both the PS3 and PSP for no additional charge.
VC in Brief: Fatal Fury Special (Neo Geo)
The Virtual Console is back off its one week long hiatus. Even though things are kinda overshadowed by a certain other release today, we've still got a new game to play. The latest episode of VC in Brief above checks out Fatal Fury Special, an improved version of Fatal Fury 2 with more playable characters and gameplay tweaks. Check it out above! Fatal Fury Special (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points) Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer these videos as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks like that.
NintendoWare Weekly: Mega Man 10, Fatal Fury Special
[Capcom] Mega Man 10 is up today on the Wii Shop, offering a new 8-bit-style test of your memory, patience, and pure twitch ability. This time, however, it's got easy mode! Imagine being able to tell all your friends you completed Mega Man 10 -- without resorting to the total lie you told about completing Mega Man 9. See all the new Virtual Console, WiiWare, and DSiWare games after the break.
Garou: Mark of the Wolves marks XBLA next week
SNK Playmore has announced that Garou: Mark of the Wolves is headed to Xbox Live Arcade next week on June 24. Those unfamiliar with the fighting game may remember it as Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves, the title given to the North American Dreamcast release. You might not remember that either, as it was released during the console's dying days.Whether or not you've heard of it, you should keep an eye on the XBLA release, as the game was reviewed very well in its day. The XBLA version also includes online play, a nice plus. Garou: Mark of the Wolves will be priced at 800 ($10).%Gallery-66348%
SNK beats down Virtual Console with Fatal Fury 2
With Neo Geo games popping up virtually on the Wii, not to mention in more compilations than we can count without taking off our socks and shoes, we've begun looking at the cartridges gathering dust on our shelf and wondering if selling all that plasma to pay for SNK's console back in the early 90s was worth it after all. That said, if you didn't get your fill with Samurai Shodown earlier this month, perhaps this week will scratch your itch. • Fatal Fury 2 (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points): Today's release gives us yet another title in our Neo Geo collection to throw up on eBay. This second installment in SNK's 2D fighting game series lifts the original's pitiful three-character roster to eight, and when first released in arcades in 1992, it also marked a welcome, if obvious attempt to ride on the back on Capcom's Street Fighter 2 hadoken-embroidered coattails.
VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 6/30/08
With only one title available for download this week, we were quick to dive in and check it out. You can see some gameplay clips above and head past the break for the text and image show that we usually tuck past there.
VC Friday: Back on form
If you think we've already forgiven Nintendo for totally neglecting the PAL Virtual Console last week, you can think again, sunshine. Nope, Ninty is officially in our bad books, and no amount of sweet talk, flowers, weekends away, or singing telegrams can let the company out of the doghouse right now. Frankly, we've never felt so unwan -- eh, what's that you say? Five games? Two of which prominently feature ninjas? Oh, go on then. Alex Kidd in Miracle World -- Master System -- 500 Wii Points Fatal Fury 2 -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii Points Ninja Combat -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii Points Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance -- Commodore 64 -- 500 Wii Points * Nebulus -- Commodore 64 -- 500 Wii Points * * Unavailable in Oz, we're afraid, but look at the bright side: footage of all five games is past the break! Actually, we're not sure how that's meant to console you, or how those two facts are even related. Ridiculous, really.
Neo Geo VC games to be redundant in Europe as well
Happy times are ahead for European gamers who bristle at the thought of spending 900 Wii Points each on Neo Geo games. Ignition Entertainment has just announced plans to release the SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 disc in Europe. The PSP and PS2 versions are expected in August, with the Wii release some time later.If the mockup boxart seen here turns out to be what is really used, Europe is getting a way better package than we are in the U.S. Of course, it'll probably be more expensive, but still cheaper than buying the available games on the VC (all 11 of which are on this disc). There's still the matter of emulation quality -- hopefully this collection will get the ports right.[Via press release]
Slew of SNK titles, along with Dig Dug, get rated by ESRB
Fans of SNK and the Virtual Console, you'll be happy you're reading this post today. A couple of titles, Fatal Fury 2 and Art of Fighting 2 both popped up on the ESRB website with Wii listings, as well as Samurai Shodown and Samurai Shodown 2. Not only that, but classic title Dig Dug also popped up. Now that's what we need! Some new, non-shooter titles on the Virtual Console are a welcome addition to the Wii's catalog.[Via Codename Revolution]
GDC08: SNK shows off some PSP fighter anthologies
We already know 2008 is going to be the year for new fighting games, both 2D and 3D. What we didn't quite expect was the huge display over at the SNK area of classic fighters and their respective compilations also getting a 2008 release. The video details some of the PS2 anthologies, but also goes into some of the PSP versions. If you're a fan of fighting games, new or old, this is your year. Embrace it, buy it roses, but keep it at arms length or it will say you're suffocating it and it needs some time to itself. Then the year will never, ever come back.[Thanks, LeadTester!]
SNK bringing yet another classic compilation
Everything old is new again, especially if you're SNK, whose primary business appears to be regurgitating their classics, as opposed to making anything new. Yet another retro compilation is hitting the PSP, months after the release of the Metal Slug collection.SNK's next effort will feature 16 different titles, and will appear on both the PS2 and PSP some time during the first half of this year (but probably not tomorrow). Titled SNK Arcade Classics: Volume 1, this collection will include many forgotten fighters, such as the first World Heroes, Art of Fighting, and Samurai Shodown titles, as well as Fatal Fury, King of the Monsters, and King of Fighters '94. Action titles like Top Hunter, Last Resort, Shock Troopers, Sengoku, and Burning Fight, as well as sports entries Baseball Stars 2, Neo Turf Masters, and Super Sidekicks 3 join the random potpourri of games in this anthology. Finally, Metal Slug (available for the umpteenth time) and Magician Lord also head to the handheld.Volume 1 suggests that other compilations are planned for the future, ensuring that SNK won't really have to make anything new for a long time.
SNK revisits well, returns with 16-game compilation for PS2, PSP
We honestly believe that when it comes to SNK, they believe that nostalgia is job one. Why else would the company continue to keep one foot rooted in the past by re-releasing countless compilations of old releases in lieu of anything truly new? Not that there is anything wrong with that. The company has forgotten more about making fun games than most newcomers will ever know, polygons or not. On that note, SNK's latest trip back in time comes care of an impressive collection of 16 different SNK faves, which skirt across the surface of the company's storied history like flat stone. Set for release for both the PlayStation 2 and PSP sometime during the first half of this year, the not-so-creatively dubbed SNK Arcade Classics: Volume 1 will include a bevy of early-gen fighters, such as the first World Heroes, Art of Fighting, and Samurai Shodown titles, as well as Fatal Fury, King of the Monsters, and King of Fighters '94. Beyond fighting games, however, SNK has put together a rather eclectic mix from other genres, with action titles like Top Hunter, Last Resort, Shock Troopers, Sengoku, and Burning Fight, as well as sports entries Baseball Stars 2, Neo Turf Masters, and Super Sidekicks 3. And of course, where would any SNK tribute be without the original Metal Slug and Magician Lord? Nowhere, that's where, so it's a good thing it includes those as well. Not a bad salvo for the first volume, which has us already wondering what games should make the cut for what we hope will be a second collection soon to follow. What SNK greats would you like to see make a return?[Via press release]
