snk
Latest
Neo Geo games to hit Virtual Console worldwide
In an interview with IGN, SNK Playmore USA President Ben Herman revealed that Neo Geo games would be available for the Wii Virtual Console in all regions sometime this summer. The games, some of which originally retailed for over $200, will be priced for download "just a little above the Super NES point" of $8 per game, Herman said. What a difference 17 years makes ...Herman didn't reveal exactly which games would be initially available, but hinted that they were "looking for games that haven't been available" through anthologies or remakes. Herman also hinted at plans to make classic SNK content available for Xbox Live and Sony's upcoming PlayStation Home service. Add in the Neo Geo games currently available on GameTap and these once hard-to-find games will soon be available around every corner.[Update: Fixed error regarding Metal Slug and King of Fighters being some of the first considered games. Thanks Cain Highwind.]Previously: Neo-Geo & MSX to join Wii VC (in Japan)[Thanks hvnlysoldr]
Doki Doki Majo Saiban gets C rating
Whew. The official Doki Doki Majo Saiban website has been updated, and it looks like SNK's troubling game isn't as troubling as it ... could be. CERO, Japan's equivalent to the ESRB, rated its content a C, which means it is appropriate for ages 15 and up. At least we know it's definitely not full-on pornography, and that following the development of this game is somewhat less like watching a train wreck in slow motion than it was when we thought it was going to get a Z rating (18 and up). The website also corroborates our idea of the story and gameplay; the player, as a high-school boy, is compelled by an "angel" called Lulu to hunt witches by staring and prodding at girls to make their hearts beat quickly; their facial expressions and the background indicate their level of tension. [Via NeoGAF]
New details on Doki Doki Majo Saiban
With new screens comes new information on Doki Doki Majo Saiban, the somewhat infamous witch-hunting game from SNK. All we can say is that either we're reading a lot more into this due to our inferior translation abilities, or we're missing something completely. We are, however, happy to announce that there are lots of non-touching screens! We've put them after the jump, along with a few gameplay details.
No 'online capabilities' for 3rd party Wii games in 2007, says SNK boss
SNK Playmore USA President Ben Herman believes that third-party Wii publishers are gonna have to wait longer than expected for an invite to Nintendo's online network. "Nintendo is still not letting Wii third-party publishers include online capabilities in their games and it doesn't look like they will during 2007," Herman told Spong.Six of the seven (Blazing Angels is out, Metroid Prime 3 still up in the air) announced Wii titles that are expected to support online multiplayer are first-party projects, suggesting that Herman's speculation might not be far from the truth; 2K's The BIGS is the only third-party title said to feature online multiplayer that should hit retail before the year is up. If BIGS is online, how did 2K manage to gain access to Nintendo's network -- and why are other publishers apparently being denied?But if BIGS is benched? Well, then it's possible Wii owners won't play a third-party online multiplayer match until 2008. That might be easier to swallow if most of us weren't still waiting for our first 'first-party' online experience.[Note: while third-party publishers and developers have yet to feature online multiplayer modes in their Wii titles, Nintendo has permitted some basic usages of the WiiConnect24 service (e.g., Elebits' level trading).][Via Wii Fanboy]
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]
SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters suddenly less exciting
We've got some bad news for the 31 folks who listed SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters as their most-wanted game. Siliconera is reporting that the AI is hopeless in the card battler, and they're not the first to take the position that the game is inherently flawed (IGN said much the same last month). The issue? The computer only blindly attacks and blocks, ignoring the more sophisticated techniques such as healing cards in play, shuffling the deck, and counter attacks. In fact, once you learn the computer's simple strategy, it becomes increasingly easy to win within a single round.The flaws with the AI beg (on hands and knees) the question of why so many games that are absolutely crying out for WiFi multiplayer don't include it. A game like this is made to play against others, and not everyone has the luxury of best-good-friends who come equipped with a DS.
Phoenix Wright cast in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters
With the steady coverage that SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters has received, as well as deserved, we cannot believe it's taken this long for us to find out that a few of the fine folk from our absolute favorite DS game, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, are to be featured in the game. So far, the only PW characters we know to be in the game are Miles Edgeworth and Mia Fey. In speaking with the game's producer, Famitsu reveals a lot on the battle system, art direction and story of the game.See also: Capcom vs. SNK Card Fighters screens and info galore SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters screenshot explosion
SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters screenshot explosion
Famitsu's website has a huge update on SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters. Featuring over 150 cards from SNK and another 150 from Capcom, the game is shaping up to be one excellent piece of fan service including such favorites as Joe Higashi and Captain Commando. Most of the game's controls are handled via the touch-screen, such as opening packs of cards and manipulating them during matches. For more artwork and screens, you would want to go here. We're crossing our fingers for a US localization, how about all of you?
Wii's 5 different ways to Metal Slug
Call it a bonus, call it a gimmick, but we're bound to see Wii games getting packed with wacky control schemes. First up Metal Slug Anthology, promising five nontraditional schemes in addition to GameCube controller support. We suppose it'll add some replay value, but some of these just look like annoyances: "Nunchuk Control Stick" - movement and fire controlled with Nunchuk; grenades tossed by flicking Wiimote "Tilt Wii Remote" - tilts control movement; d-pad "up" to jump (no nunchuk attached) "Wii Remote" - classic controls; flick to toss grenades (no nunchuk attached) "Arcade" - hold Wiimote vertical against surface (emulates joystick); nunchuk fires and jumps (flick it for grenades) "Nunchuk Only" - Nunchuk controls all (except weapon switch and alternate attack) [Via 1UP]
SNK's game is about witch-hunting, not girl-hunting
Doki Doki Majo Saiban, a little game (which almost surely will go no further than Japan) from SNK that was shown at TGS is suddenly back in the news. Has it been released? Are there videos? Not so much. Instead, people have been busily photoshopping some very risqué images that are being passed off as official screens. Of course, that's nothing new -- and it wouldn't be surprising if they were actual screens. However, some of the outcry around this particular set of faked screens is that some of the "characters" look extremely young. A certain p-word has been bandied about in reference to the game, and we hate to see misinformation spread, particularly when it comes to branding something as being a part of the "rapist game demographic" (a horrific quote if ever there was one), so we looked into the rumors. And we'll warn you up front that some of the sites linked herein further link to images that are most vehemently NSFW. Doki Doki Majo Saiban thrusts the player into the role of an intrepid young man hunting witches who appear human but are not. How can you tell the difference? By touching them. Seems innocent enough off the top, but the game is designed in a rather mature anime style. Now, this is common in Japanese media, and there's an entire genre of games (eroge) that, to non-Japanese audiences, might seem a little ... unusual. That's par for the course – what is anathema in America is acceptable in Europe and common in Japan, and vice versa, switch it around, etc. Sex and violence are handled differently in different countries and cultures. Doki Doki Majo Saiban is a Japanese game, and many Japanese gamers enjoy eroge. Until someone starts talking about releasing it elsewhere, who are we to impose our cultural sensibilities and sensitivities on it?
Metal Slug blasts its way onto XBLA
1UP is reporting that Metal Slug is heading to Xbox Live Arcade. In an interesting twist, there were no big announcements on the subject. 1UP simply noticed a blurb about the game in a pamphlet they received at TGS. Supposedly, the game to be released will be the original Metal Slug and not one of its many sequels. No release date has been given, but 2007 seems to be a fair guess at this point. We have two words for you SNK: online co-op. Make it happen.[Via Joystiq]360 at the Tokyo Game Show:TGS Marketplace content, 9/22Lost Planet and Viva Piñata videoMicrosoft TGS briefing video now availableToday's Marketplace content, 9/21DOAX2 video makes us feel naughtyLost Odyssey intro video
Metal Slug rolling onto XBLA
1UP reports of an SNK Playmore pamphlet circulating the halls of Tokyo Game Show, advertising Metal Slug for Xbox Live Arcade. Allegedly, the text translates to "the original," suggesting that Metal Slug 1 will arrive on Microsoft's download service. But when?Aside from the XBLA pipeline being jammed full of pending titles, Metal Slug also has its unofficial successor, Alien Hominid, to contend with. With Hominid well ahead of Metal Slug in the queue, and (hopefully) a more dedicated effort from Microsoft to diversify XBLA content as the service evolves, SNK's classic could fall by the wayside. We predict a late 2007 rollout.
Metal Slug to feature "blood, blood and more blood"
Now that Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins has come and gone, it seems like I need a new lethally difficult 2D game to pine over. As previously revealed, the Metal Slug Collection will feature six Metal Slug games. IGN UK recently got some hands-on time with the game, and squealed in delight to see "blood, blood and more blood," as in the original Japanese release. (I wonder what the ESRB will have to say about that...) Although the game looks stunning on the PSP screen, the writer had a few concerns with the game. Firstly, it will be very short, considering how each game in the series clocks in at about an hour long. Although SNK is adding extras, they're limited to just concept art. Also, the load times seem unnecessarily long as of now (considering how this game isn't too technically advanced, the load times should be non-existant). Finally, the menu designs seem just slapped on together sloppily. Hopefully, SNK will fix these issues before the game releases in September.
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.
Oops! SNK steers clear of the PS3 'til 2009
Expensive, risk, risky, pricey, expensive, risk... we've heard all of this nonsense before! SNK, you are crazy. Yet, wise. SNK's marketing manager Yoshihito Koyama has gone on record with Kotaku saying, "My first impression is that it's expensive ... the PlayStation 3 is a risk." We can't blame SNK for being cautious -- they're not a very large firm and developing for the PS3 may indeed be a very dangerous risk.However, SNK is eager to embrace the Nintendo Wii. They wish to use the Wiimote to incorporate a new dimension of play into their planned Metal Slug Anthology release. Also of note is that SNK still plans to release some games on the PS2, such as King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2. Fighting games get such long titles! Anyway, SNK is waiting until 2009 to get cracking on the PS3. By then, development costs may decrease, more hardware in more homes (making for more software sales) and of course, the ulterior motive: making sure the PS3 doesn't crash and burn. We certainly hope that's not the case. Since the PS3 can neither drive nor fly.
Capcom Vs. SNK Cardfighters screens and info galore
The kind and generous folk at Famitsu have extended some wonderful coverage for the upcoming Capcom Vs. SNK Cardfighters DS (upcoming for the Japanese, unconfirmed for us) to the effect of posting a plethora of screenshots and art from the game. The gameplay will rely heavily on the use of the stylus, allowing players to select and play cards a lot faster than without, which on the whole should help the game retain a fluid play style. The piece also goes on to explain that friends can trade cards wirelessly or even battle for a card from the opposition, which they would place on the betting block prior to the start of the battle.So, who's ass do I have to murder kiss to get this game to come stateside?
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."
Metal Slug announced for Nintendo Wii
SNK has pledged its support for Wii, announcing Metal Slug Anthology for the next-gen console — marking the umpteenth time the series has been ported to a new platform. The publisher has promised to include the "complete Metal Slug arcade collection," plus unspecified bonus content. Ben Herman, President of SNK, also stated that the Wii controller would be used in a "new and unique way," but stopped short of detailing the particulars of this gameplay enhancement.SNK also announced SNK vs Capcom Card Fighters for the DS.[Via news release]
