Fatal Fury
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VC Friday: Hello there, Neo Geo
Nintendo of Europe isn't wasting any time -- when they tell you the Neo Geo is coming, they mean it. The first Neo Geo title, Fatal Fury, debuted today on the VC, along with four other games. That's quite a haul! We expect there are some wallets that are hurting today after the bevy of releases. Fatal Fury -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii points Golden Axe 3 -- Sega Mega Drive -- 800 Wii points Landstalker -- Sega Mega Drive -- 800 Wii points Streets of Rage 3 -- Sega Mega Drive -- 800 Wii points Super Thunder Blade -- Sega Mega Drive -- 800 Wii points
More Japanese VC updates: Fatal Fury, Thursday bonuses
Fatal Fury was released on the Japanese Virtual Console yesterday-- the release wasn't shown at the time we were writing the VC Tuesday update, so we missed it. We thought we'd give it a mention because it's the first Neo Geo game on the Virtual Console! In addition to stuff that already came out that we didn't get to write about, Japan gets some bonus VC material tomorrow of the highest caliber. Super Metroid and Sin and Punishment are being released tomorrow, both of which should make up nicely for Super Thunder Blade.Say, now that PAL regions have their Hanabi Festival and Japan has surprise Thursday games, you know what would be great? Some VC bonus stuff in America.[Thanks for pointing out Fatal Fury, Almadi!]
First American Neo Geo VC releases: fighters only
SNK Playmore USA sent out a press release informing us that three Neo Geo games will be available on the U.S. Virtual Console at some unspecified future date. Two of the three, Fatal Fury and World Heroes, are also slated to be among the first three Japanese Neo Geo titles on the Virtual Console. The third game, however, is not Magician Lord as it is in Japan, but Art of Fighting.Of course, most SNK fans are fighting game fans, so it does make some sense to swap out the side-scrolling action game for another of the Neo's classic fighters; however, we kind of enjoy variety. We are also a little disappointed that two of the available games can be found on inexpensive anthology discs on another system (we're also disappointed that VC Art of Fighting pretty much kills the possibility of a Wii release of its Anthology). Why not something like Waku Waku 7, that isn't currently available on a collection disc? Or how about a non-fighting game?Don't mistake our lack of enthusiasm for these particular games for lack of appreciation of Neo Geo VC games. We will totally be dropping multiples of 900 Wii Points for Neo Geo games, and doing so with big smiles. Just not these three games.
Neo Geo launch on the VC delayed in Japan
If you like to follow Japan's Virtual Console releases, you may have noticed a severe lack of Fatal Fury in that list of games. As today was supposed to be the day the Wii's Virtual Console was to receive Neo Geo titles in Japan, many are wondering just what the deal is. And, with the complete lack of news from Nintendo or SNK regarding the matter, many are wondering if the launch of a new system will even be going down this week at all.Any of our Japanese readers finding this news particularly upsetting?
Virtually Overlooked Week: JC's picks
Virtually Overlooked has taken over Wii Fanboy! All this week, members of the staff will be outlining their personal picks for future Virtual Console releases.Everyone can guess how my childhood was spent, since I talk about old games constantly. So, instead of relating a nostalgic anecdote for you, I'm going to use this intro space to tell you about the last week or so.When I'm not personally advancing the cause of random old games on next-generation consoles, I'm a full-time grad student at the University of North Texas, working on a master's degree in library science. From last Thursday until yesterday, I was in the midst of my capstone-- a seven-day marathon paper-writing session meant to be the final test of my suitability as a librarian. My wife and I were also preparing to move from Texas to Washington, which happened this Saturday. Add my regular coursework and job responsibilities to that, and, as you can imagine, I've been a complete wreck. My Fanboy colleagues are probably rolling their eyes right now as I complain again about my workload, but I feel like it was a pretty significant experience, one I hope never to repeat.I am now safely ensconced in a Washingtonian apartment, and I turned in my last essay in the early hours of Thursday morning. Getting a chance to write about a bunch of old games is like a vacation. I've been looking forward to this all week.Since this is a VO special week, I'm taking the opportunity to talk about more mainstream games than I usually cover. So there's a better chance that you guys have played this stuff, and we can all share in some retro-euphoria.
PSP to learn Art of Fighting
VGGEN is reporting that the Art of Fighting Anthology that was originally set for PS2 is also coming to PSP and Wii. This continues this console release combination that has been so popular recently. For those who don't know about the Art of Fighting franchise, it was SNK's 2nd fighting series after Fatal Fury. There were only three Art of Fighting games ever created, but characters from the series did appear in other SNK fighting titles. I am personally more interested in this anthology on PSP since there aren't a wealth of 2D fighters yet on my favorite portable. Will you be picking up Art of Fighting Anthology, or is it too old for your tastes? No release was given for the PSP version of Art of Fighting Anthology. The PS2 version is out in May though, so hopefully we don't have to wait too long. [Via DCEmu]
SNK Playmore unleashes the Fury on XBLA
As if Xbox Live Arcade wasn't already a menagerie of two-dimensional creatures, Gamespot reports that it's about to become home to fighting wolves and geese. Using less obscures references, SNK Playmore has revealed that one of their titles to be shown at this year's Tokyo Game Show is none other than Fatal Fury Special (Garau Densetsu Special in Japan) for the Xbox 360. Terry Bogard and his punching pals join Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, which was released several weeks ago to brisk sales. It's wonderful to see 2D fighting games making the rounds on our fancy, next-gen consoles (especially, you know, good ones), and with enough player interest, it may even spur on the creation of some brand new entries in the genre. For now, however, SNK Playmore is sticking with the classics -- the rest of their TGS lineup is comprised of The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match, Garou Densetsu Battle Archives 2 (both for PS2) and Metal Slug Complete for PSP.
SFII is lame, Fatal Fury hits Live Arcade
New technology seems to have rekindled old rivalries. No doubt burned by the success of Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting on Xbox Live Arcade, SNK is bringing Fatal Fury Special to the service as well. It's like arcades in the 1990s all over again. Who will win, Capcom or SNK? Maybe someday they'll put SNK characters and Capcom characters in the same game. That would be kuh-razy. Expect more information during the Tokyo Game Show next month. In the meantime, rest assured that there's one thing Street Fighter will never have, and that's Mai.[Thanks, Lorul2]
SNK to wait until 2009 to develop for PS3
According to Yoshihito Koyama, overseas marketing manager of SNK (King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Metal Slug), is hesitant to support the PlayStation 3 from day one. Koyama gives his perspective to Kotaku's Brian Ashcraft: "My first impression is that it's expensive. The PlayStation 2 is good enough. It's small and cheap. For us, for manufacturers, we have to invest in a new system, and the PlayStation 3 is a risk. There won't be enough consoles at launch. Few consoles mean few software sales. We need to wait three or four years. Maybe 2009-2010 is a good time to release a game for the PS3." SNK is still supporting the PlayStation 2, whose titles are backwards compatible on the PS3, and the PSP. The Metal Slug anthology coming to the PSP will probably arrive for $39 or $49, according to Koyama's statements. The Nintendo Wii's Metal Slug anthology will have the same graphics as the PSP version, and is expected to arrive at launch, although Koyama admits he isn't sure when that is. His best guess is "sometime in the middle of November, just before Thanksgiving." Atari also recently revealed that they would be holding off until 2007 to release a PlayStation 3 title.[via PS3 Fanboy; thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
