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Daily iPhone App: Metal Slug X is a faithful, though flawed recreation
SNK's slowly been releasing all of its great old Metal Slug games from the Neo Geo library, and just recently, it worked its way up to Metal Slug X, which I think is the fourth iteration of the series? It's hard to keep track -- there's like 20 of them out there in history. At any rate, if you've ever played a Metal Slug game before, you know what to expect here: You control a soldier that runs on a constantly moving 2D battlefield, firing away at enemies and dodging all sorts of colorful incoming fire. The Metal Slug games are known for their high-quality 2D animation, and this game is no different at all -- the sprites are extremely complicated, well-designed, and while the action gets frenetic, it's extremely well-drawn and produced. This is actually an updated version of the game on iOS, with new bosses, new weapons, full Game Center integration and even multiplayer over Bluetooth. Unfortunately, even with those additions, Apple's iOS devices still aren't really the ideal way to play a game like this, as the onscreen controls are less than extremely precise, and putting your fingers on the virtual buttons tends to block out the action. Not to mention that these games tend to be fairly hard, and using virtual controls makes them even harder. But if you're going for this one already, you're probably a Metal Slug fan, so you'll know the drill. Metal Slug X is available now for US$3.99 as a universal version. If you've never tried the series and want to see what it's like, I'd say wait for a sale, as SNK regularly drops the prices on these as well.
Doki Doki Majo Shinpan artwork rips
For those who place little value in the chase, that exhilarating, flirtatious period when nothing is guaranteed, actually playing through Doki Doki Majo Shinpan is secondary to groping its adolescent witches. Rather than have you labor through the text-heavy release's dialogue and plot setup, Stage Clear has posted artwork wrested from the Japanese game, enabling you to skip the journey and get right to your depraved destination. While none of the shots are scandalous enough to land you a ten-year stay in a federal prison, we wouldn't say that they're safe for work viewing either. The wiccan nymphets are depicted in poses that would leave Humbert Humbert dizzy with delight ("the king crying for joy, the trumpets blaring, the nurse drunk"), their faces reacting to the taps and strokes of an unseen stylus. Scurry shamefully past the post break for a couple of those images.
Fan-made project makes Card Fighters awesome again
What's an SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighter fanboy to do? Previews and reviews for the NGPC classic's DS revival haven't been kind, calling out its flawed AI and monotonous story mode. The title's lack of online support is upsetting enough, but it doesn't even allow for download play with local matches, dropping your chances of finding another person to play against to a multiple of zero.ASCIIMATTER's Card Fighter's Project brings the series back to its original mechanics and adds a whole new realm of accessibility that you just can't get from a video game. Dueling with a friend will be as easy as printing out the project's mocked up set of cards and reading the posted rules. Each card is fashioned after its NGPC counterpart, mirroring SvC: Card Fighters' Clash's super deformed artwork. There are still a great deal of cards left to be converted, and ASCIIMATTER predicts that he won't be able to finish all of them until late Summer. Unlike SNK Playmore's DS release, however, we expect the Card Fighter Project's completion to actually be worth the wait.[Via Insert Credit]
SNK bringing Art of Fighting Anthology to Wii?
Our network of crow spies have reported to us that the mountain pass is blocked, enemy troops are amassing at our eastern border, and Art of Fighting Anthology for the Wii has been spotted on the ESRB's list of future releases. Eager to learn more about any possible wartime advantages, we've consigned a scout to gather more information on SNK's 2D fighter.The Art of Fighting Anthology collects the entire Neo Geo trilogy of releases (Art of Fighting, Art of Fighting 2, and The Path of the Warrior: Art of Fighting 3). 33-characters strong, the anthology will feature series hallmarks like spirit gauges, desperation attacks, and a graphical-scaling camera system. It hasn't been revealed yet how the Wii's unique controls will be used, but we hope it won't turn out to be a debacle like Metal Slug Anthology's implementation.With hints of a Wii port accompanying Art of Fighting Anthology's PS2 and PSP releases, could this also mean that SNK's Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 1 might have a version for our fair console too? And how long will it be until we see some Neo Geo games like Garou: Mark of the Wolves and Neo Turf Masters on Nintendo's Shopping Channel? Jump past the post break for a showcase of super moves from Art of Fighting 2. [Via Siliconera]
SNK president talks about Neo-Geo and online games [Update 1]
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Nintendo_not_letting_publishers_add_online_functionality_to_games'; Ben Herman, who runs SNK Playmore USA, is almost as excited about Neo-Geo games on the Virtual Console as we are. In a recent interview, he discussed SNK's VC plans and Nintendo's operation of the system in general.According to Herman, who, of course, can't give details, SNK expects to release "a certain limited number of titles per month," which is enough to have us cheering, because that's a lot more than the N64 is getting. It's also a much brisker release schedule than the Neo-Geo ever had. The best news, in our opinion? Herman is interested in the Virtual Console as a means of releasing lesser-known and niche games. SNK isn't sure yet whether the Neo-Geo games on the VC will be the AES home versions or the MVS arcade cartridges. We had no idea there was a difference! Of course, there has to be bad news, and it's kind of big: Herman says that Nintendo is not letting publishers add online functionality to games, VC or retail, and probably will continue this restriction throughout 2007.Herman goes on to talk about Nintendo's console library, saying that Nintendo has all of the code for third-party NES and SNES games and needs only permission to release them. Which means Konami officially has no excuse for the fact that we haven't played Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse on the Wii yet. Konami, you're on notice![Update: added the sad, sad news about online games.]
Metal Slug's slippery release
What is up with SNK??? Metal Slug Anthology was supposed to come out last year, and ever since, it's been constantly pushed back. We said it was coming out in February, and now it appears it's been delayed ... again. amazon.com shows a March release, which has us questioning: how hard is it to port over decades-old games? SNK gets a big "boo" for their constant release date shuffling.Send your complaint e-mails to: info @ snkplaymoreusa.com[Via IGN]
Metal Slug Anthology to release for the Wii
An email erupted from the SNK Playmore USA offices earlier today in which one of the company's most popular franchises, Metal Slug, was announced to be on track for a release on the console. As sad as it is that this title will not be a brand-new one, the realization that it is a complete arcade compilation should turn that frown upside down. SNK Playmore did not comment in the press release to what effect we could see extra features integrated, but Ben Herman, President of SNK Playmore USA, did say "The Wii controller will be used in a new and unique way that enhances the gameplay. Our fans have demanded that we support Nintendo platforms. Let the celebration begin."
