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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]
Castlevania II, Samurai Ghost, Magician Lord scare up Wii VC
With Halloween just around the dark and eerily-lit corner, Nintendo has released its latest batch of classic console offerings for the Wii's Virtual Console Monday smorgasbord, including Konami's strange but nonetheless fantastic action RPG hybrid Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, which to this day still has many of us humming its tunes while lathering up in the shower. But for the sake of argument let's assume you are not the sort of person who likes thwarting the undead with a thorny whip -- perhaps you'll enjoy what else this week has to offer: Castlevania II Simon's Quest (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): The gem of this latest batch, Simon's Quest reminds us that not only is it a horrible night to have a curse, but also that that shifty riverman has a thing for Dracula's heart. Samurai Ghost (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): If you can't beat'em, join'em seems to be the motif in Namco's 1992 side scroller, as Samurai Ghost has you floating about as the undead ronin Kagekiyo on a quest for revenge and, we assume, candy. Magician Lord (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points): The latest Neo Geo release to crop up on the Virtual Console, Magician Lord is also one of the most fondly remembered among the pricey platform's library, and we're all too eager to rejoin the shape shifiting Elta, the last of the magician lords, on his quest to throw down with the nefarious Gul-Agieze.
Neo Geo games finally coming to the Virtual Console (in Japan)
This is something we've been looking forward to for a long time. World Heroes, Magician Lord, and Fatal Fury will be released at some time in September, at a cost of 900 Wii Points each. Well, we haven't been so much looking forward to World Heroes, and the Fatal Fury collection just came out on PS2 for $15. But, as usual, we're looking to the future! We're thinking about the time when we're able to download Mark of the Wolves and play it with our Hori Fighting Stick. We're also looking forward to whatever comes out that we haven't played.September's not going to be all Neo Geo games. Check out what's on the way to the Japanese download service after the break. You'll be really jealous.
