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Plattchen, King of the Monsters rated by ESRB
Plättchen: Twist 'n' Paint was the first WiiWare game announced, back in July of last year. According to the ESRB, it's (at least eligible to be) twisting 'n' painting its way to the Wii Shop any time now, having been officially rated. Also rated: King of the Monsters, SNK's totally great Neo Geo monster fighting game, which was released on Japan's Virtual Console two weeks ago. It's impossible to predict when these games will actually show up on the VC and WiiWare, but we're hoping that King of the Monsters will appear soon. It's been too long since we controlled a rock monster throwing tanks at a giant guy. Too long.
JC Fletcher06.15.2008VC 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.
Chris Greenhough06.13.2008Neo 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]
JC Fletcher06.12.2008Metal Slug 7 boxart will soon wrap copies of Metal Slug 7
The appearance of a boxart image for Metal Slug 7 means that SNK is one step closer to putting the game in boxes and shipping it out to stores in Japan (which happens on July 17!). Then, some time in the future, it'll get shipped out to the U.S. Then, shooting stuff time! Even without the portent of Metal Slug on the way, we'd be happy with this boxart, which can only be described as classic SNK -- detailed, colorful hand-painted art that would be right at home adorning the box for a $300 game. Hopefully SNK realizes it would be cheaper to keep the same awesome art for the American box, rather than replacing it with something boring.
JC Fletcher06.09.2008More Samurai Shodown on the way to XBLA
Interesting. Very interesting. When it was first revealed via the ESRB that XBLA would be seeing a version of Samurai Shodown II, it was absolutely good news. This time the ESRB revealed that the original, Samurai Shodown, will be coming to XBLA as well. Given that XBLA has seen original games and sequels released separately, this likely means that both Samurai Shodown games will get separate release, but we can certainly hope in vain for some sort of compilation and upgrade, can't we?
Terrence Stasse06.04.2008Slew 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]
David Hinkle06.04.2008VC Friday: Become a Pokemon Puzzle Master!
Despite their ubiquity, the majority of Pokémon games manage to maintain a high standard, even when they abandon the more traditional Pokémans formula. Pokémon Puzzle League, for example, is one of the best examples of a Pokémon game that isn't a Pokémon game, and is comfortably worth its 1000 Wii Point price tag.A pair of Eikichi Kawasaki-designed Neo Geo titles round off the week in Europe and Australia -- Samurai Shodown is one of the Neo Geo's best fighting games, while Burning Fight is another addition to the already oversubscribed (on the VC, at least) dude-smashing genre. Pokémon Puzzle League -- Nintendo 64 -- 1000 Wii Points Samurai Shodown -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii Points Burning Fight -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii Points Footage of all three follows the break!
Chris Greenhough05.30.2008VC Monday Madness: WiiWare and VC team up yet again
Now, this is something we can get used to. Both WiiWare titles and Virtual Console titles releasing together, side-by-side? Totally awesome, if you ask us. And, on top of it, both of Nintendo's services are hooking us all up with some solid downloads today. With it being a holiday and all, we're glad Nintendo is providing us with some stuff to do during our downtime. Virtual Console games available for download this week: City Connection (NES, 1 - 2 players, 500 Wii Points) Metal Slug (NEOGEO, 1 - 2 players, 900 Wii Points) WiiWare games available for download this week: Dr. Mario Online Rx (1 - 4 players, 1,000 Wii Points) Family Table Tennis (1 - 2 players, 500 Wii Points) As always, be sure to stop back here later for our video wrap-up of today's Virtual Console releases, as well as a review for Family Table Tennis. For those of you interested in Dr. Mario Online Rx's features, give our review a read. %Gallery-23089% %Gallery-23707%
David Hinkle05.26.2008This is what the Neo Geo Stick 2 looks like
As much as we'd love to import one of these gorgeous arcade sticks -- modeled after the original Neo Geo AES arcade stick -- $59.90, not including steep shipping fees for the 4+ lb. controller, is just too rich for our blood, especially since it's only compatible with a limited selection of Wii games. For Virtual Console games, however, this would be the business. For now, we'll just have to live through David Spreckley who bought one of these sticks from an Akihabara shop and posted photos of the unboxed product online to torment jealous gamers. Down, Down Forward, Forward + Punch past the post break for another glamour shot of the Neo Geo Stick 2.
Eric Caoili05.20.2008Behind the emulator: NeoDS developer interviewed
We thought that creating a Neo Geo emulator on the DS was a pretty noteworthy achievement. GameSetWatch contributor Alistair Wallis agreed, and he sought out the developer of NeoDS, Ben Ingram, for an interview. Ingram goes into enough detail about the development of a homebrew emulation program, and assigning functions of the Neo Geo's processors to the DS's, that, well, we pretty much lost him right away. But if you do know anything at all about computing, this is really interesting. It's really interesting anyway, just to see what kind of stuff a homebrew developer has to think about when creating a new DS application.
JC Fletcher05.18.2008Potential release dates for arcade classics and real classics
Gamefly's "Coming Soon" list has once again been updated, revealing titles and release dates that are probably true and definitely noteworthy. We've been waiting since GDC for an official release date for the Wii version of SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1, since SNK told us at the show that it had been pushed into Q4. The press release from SNK about the PS2 and PSP versions mentions that Arcade Classics is expected in October. Gamefly now says it's coming July 30th, which is in a much sooner Q! We're inclined to go with SNK's word, but release dates change!If you envy the WiiWare Yakuman Mahjongg game, you may be interested in Crave's Solitaire & Mahjong, which is apparently coming out on September 19th. It's on a disc, but it is at least (kind of) announced for U.S. release.
JC Fletcher05.18.2008Metal Slug 7 trailer introduces new Super Vehicles
Now, for some less ... awkward SNK news: this trailer for Metal Slug 7 is so not about harassing schoolgirls that you could probably be seen looking at it. You may even be able to bring yourself to buy this game in a store, without a disguise on.There's enough content in the trailer to motivate us to make such a non-incognito purchase, as well. The animation looks wonderful, at least as far as we can tell from YouTube, and there are at least two awesome new vehicles: the Slug Truck, a mine cart thing, and Slug Giganto, a giant robot! Even minor features like the prisoner database sound great.%Gallery-16835% [Via NeoGAF]
JC Fletcher05.16.2008Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo's limited-edition stuff
A few weeks ago, we saw concept art of the promotional stuff SNK's using to try to trick Japanese otaku into dropping $91 for the "Special Box" edition of Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo, including two Nendoroid figurines. Now pictures of the real materials are online to look at, in case you would like to see what people are going to be waiting nervously in front of Akihabara electronics stores for.In addition to the Maho Akai and Seika Koron figurines and Lulu and Kuro phone strap, the set comes with a guidebook to the students in the game's schools, and a color-changing card that allows you to rub the image of a sweater off of a picture of Haori Kureha. And shame. Shame is in the box.
JC Fletcher05.16.2008More new characters to bother in Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo
New screens of SNK's awkward adventure sequel Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo have revealed three new characters: another angel who will compel Akuji to annoy and prod girls in his ongoing witch hunt, and ... another girl, no doubt to be annoyed and prodded. Also some guy!The bespectacled angel Senome comes from the same angel world as Lulu and the demonic-looking Kuro, and keeps up on the latest angel-world news via "Angelnet." Which sounds rather like SNK is portraying her as an angel Internet nerd. Cute! Seiji is a school friend of Akuji's who is, for some reason, unpopular. Also he may be a girl, because we can't tell sometimes.The (obvious) girl, Himeki, is a self-styled reporter who carries a camera around to document everything she sees. She becomes interested in the reports of supernatural activity on campus, though something tells us she will soon wish she had not investigated it.
JC Fletcher05.12.2008Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo forgoes nipples
Since Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo is risqué in its essence, we're not surprised that the boxart would also be rather ... bold. The blue bar that wraps its way around the cover lets perusers of the box see through the girls' clothes, hence the assaulted looks on their faces.The girl on the left used quick reflexes to cover herself up, while the girl on the right only had a sliver of indecency exposed. The girl in the middle, though? Not so lucky -- not even because her breasts were displayed for gaming consumers to see, but because she has no nipples. Maybe she's related to the guys in Duel Love? Or, maybe that's how you go about proving she's a witch.In all seriousness, we don't expect SNK to put nipples on the front of the box. Maybe they should have gone with a different design, though, so that the girls wouldn't look like ... well, freaks. Still, we know most guys aren't too picky when it comes to this kind of thing, and will enjoy the opportunity to stylus-poke the ladies of the game nonetheless. Oh, and the little pointing hand in the bottom right says "touch," lest your forget your task.
Candace Savino05.09.2008VC Friday: Cho Aniki and the return of the Neo Geo
We were already totally pumped about getting Cho Aniki on the European and Aussie Virtual Consoles, but our faces lit up when we saw what else was lying in store for us this morning. Metal Slug is the first Neo Geo game to appear on the download service since December 14th, but what a comeback!From a value-for-money perspective, we'd still recommend picking up Metal Slug Anthology (especially now that it's so cheap), but it's great to see SNK's classic series represented on the VC (and this version even has Classic Controller support). Puyo Puyo 2 and TurboGrafx billiards title Break In complete this week's line-up. Cho Aniki -- TurboGrafx-16 -- 900 Wii Points Metal Slug -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii Points Break In -- TurboGrafx-16 -- 700 Wii Points Puyo Puyo 2 -- Mega Drive -- 900 Wii Points Hop in your Slug and blast your way past the break to see all four in action!
Chris Greenhough05.09.2008Neo Geo Pocket Color almost had Game Boy compatibility
A third-party project was underway during the Neo Geo Pocket Color's short (but beautiful) life to add Game Boy and Game Boy Color functionality to SNK's handheld. Ganksoft Entertainment began by working on a software emulator capable of running GB/GBC software on the NGPC. The project was cancelled before the emulator was finished, due to SNK's dramatic exit from the console market. The screenshot shows roughly what state the emulator was in. Of course, with no software, the hardware never came to fruition either.Would the system's history have been different if it could run its major competitor's games via an obscure, unlicensed peripheral? The Dreamcast says no. [Via Insert Credit]
JC Fletcher05.07.2008Metal Slug blasting up Japan this July
SNK Playmore has slapped a Japanese release date on one of our most eagerly awaited games of the year. Metal Slug 7 will launch there on July 22nd, meaning North America and Europe will probably be left hanging on until later this year.We've no problem with waiting whatsoever, especially since we tried the game ourselves and loved every second. And hey, it's not as though our wallets/unicorn-branded purses will be getting much of a breather in the meantime. Take your sweet time, SNK!%Gallery-16835%[Via Go Nintendo]
Chris Greenhough05.02.2008Neo Geo emulator turns the DS into an Advanced Entertainment System
Even though it's totally old now and its games are ported everywhere, the Neo Geo still seems like a special, vaguely magical system -- probably because of the price. It doesn't seem like the DS should be powerful enough to run its games, but homebrewer Ben Ingram has proven that it is possible with NeoDS, a Neo Geo AES/MVS emulator.Full sound emulation and (most importantly) multiplayer have yet to be implemented, but according to DCEmu, "Games like WindJammers, Metal Slug and Fatal Fury work either perfect or near perfect." Soon you'll be able to compare Metal Slug 7 to its predecessors on the same screen! If you own them, that is. Don't be a pirate. [Via DCEmu; thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
JC Fletcher04.30.2008Doki Doki Rabbit Shinpan 2 Duo
The first Doki Doki Majo Shinpan game, in addition to hiding witch emblems on young girls' bodies, also featured a hundred instances of a "Reverse Panda" character. Finding these in the game's environments unlocked extra material. This aspect of the game didn't get discussed much, because despite the endangered status of the giant panda, the Reverse Panda is nowhere near as controversial as the rest of the game.It's back in Doki Doki Majo Shinpan 2 Duo, and this time it's joined by Usamaru, a rabbit in a kimono. It's nice to talk about this game in non-skeezy terms for once.Oh, SNK also revealed two more girls: a shy student and a maid. There are also new screens of the battle mode, in which you fight these girls. The battle mode seems to have been expanded and altered, with multiple abilities to choose from.%Gallery-20329%
JC Fletcher04.21.2008