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SNK enlists Ignition to help fire Metal Slug 7 at North America
Ignition Entertainment currently co-publishes SNK Playmore's games in Europe, and they have announced today that the two will partner for the North American market as well. This new partnership has an immediate, tangible benefit for people who think awesome things are awesome: Metal Slug 7.The first game to be published in the U.S. by the two companies is the new DS-only sequel to the popular, and totally badass, run-and-gun series. Since we had yet to hear any concrete confirmation of a localized version, other than the fact that a playable demo of the Japanese game was on display at GDC (a fact that took even SNK's American staff by surprise), this announcement is more than welcome. Even in the early state it was in, Metal Slug was the real thing.%Gallery-16835%
Ignition, SNK to co-publish Metal Slug 7 in North America
Mercury Meltdown publisher Ignition Entertainment has announced that the company has inked a deal with SNK Playmore to co-publish titles in North America, the first of which will be Metal Slug 7 for the DS. The pair are not exactly strangers, having been cozy together for quite some time on the European side of the pond. Beyond Metal Slug 7, which represents the retro shooter's first outing on Nintendo's handheld, no other titles have been announced, though considering SNK's pedigree we expect the fruits of this union, whatever they are, to be decidedly 2D.
Doki Doki Website Shinpan Duo
The website for Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo is open, and it really reflects the first game's success. While the website for the original game had an intentionally low-budget look (which had the nice bonus of being low-budget), this one has navigational graphics and everything.In addition to screens (which we've seen before) you can read (Japanese or machine-translated) character bios, and listen to short audio messages from each character. There's also downloadable character art, if ... you need a fairly high-resolution image of a Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo character. You can browse all the screens and portraits in our handy gallery.Two unused buttons remain in the navigation, so we look forward to uncomfortably salacious surprises in the near future![Via Famitsu]
Watch Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo in action
If you don't mind watching your game trailers taped from a crowded store in Akihabara, you might want to check out this video of Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo (posted after the break due to its NSFW nature). Who knows, you may be especially interested in the game knowing that you can poke two different sets of girls if you buy the super expensive limited edition bundle.Of course, if all you really want to see in this video are the NSFW butt wiggling, boob jiggling, and crotch touching parts, that all starts after the 1:05 mark.
Doki Doki Limited Edition Bundle
SNK has just announced that they'll release a limited edition of Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo, along with the regular edition, on July 31st. The Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo Special Box will include a CD-ROM of promotional footage, cellphone accessories featuring angel Lulu and demon Kuro, and Nendoroid figurines of Maho Akai and a new character, Ibuka Koron (we think that's the name). The promo materials have yet to be finished, but here's a preview image of the Maho figurine.The bundle will retail for a shocking (to people not used to Japanese video game special editions) 9,240 yen ($91). Thankfully, looking at new screenshots remains free.
More risque pictures from Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo appear
Want to see some more screens and art of the girls you'll be poking in Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo? We may disapprove of your desires, being the puritanical prudes that we are, but lucky for you, we're total enablers.We're also big teases, posting a picture of this devil (named Kuro) on the front page rather than the aforementioned girls, but we're only looking out for the children. Really, think of the children!If things like close-up hentai cleavage and "accidental" bondage are considered NSFW at your job or school (which, we're assuming, they are), you may not want to click on the break until after you get home. Some of the more avid Doki Doki Majo Shinpan fans, though, might recognize some of these screens from the scans we posted earlier.
Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo innovates
Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Duo is pushing the envelope in the girl-inspecting witch-discovery genre, if these scans are any indication. The ancillary gameplay is preserved from the original title: look around a school environment, and, in action sequences. use the stylus to bat energy attacks back at antagonistic teenage witches. Of course, the most famous, pseudo-hentai gameplay element is also there: inspecting girls with the stylus in a search for emblems that reveal their status as witches.If the gameplay is exactly the same, then, how is the sequel such an improvement over its predecessor? More nudity! Touch! the post break to get an eyeful of magazine scans.
Always bet on black: Neo Geo Stick 2
Much to our delight, SNK's Neo Geo Stick 2 for the Wii will retain that classic black look of the original and PS2 controllers, foregoing the predictable white case that Hori opted for. Jeux France has uncovered several photos of the arcade stick, unboxed and beside its packaging, and it is gorgeous. Leaving one of these displayed on your coffee table sends a clear message to your visitors: "This guy is serious business." Just make sure not to break up that illusion by letting them see your Chewbacca bedsheets -- you don't want people to think that the business you're serious about is living like a twelve-year-old.Back on topic, the Neo Geo Stick 2 supports both Wii games and Virtual Console titles. Retailers in Japan won't begin selling the arcade controller until April 10th, but you can preorder one now from import shop Play Asia for as cheap as $59.90. Step past the break for more photos from SNK's product page.
GDC08: SNK shows off some PSP fighter anthologies
We already know 2008 is going to be the year for new fighting games, both 2D and 3D. What we didn't quite expect was the huge display over at the SNK area of classic fighters and their respective compilations also getting a 2008 release. The video details some of the PS2 anthologies, but also goes into some of the PSP versions. If you're a fan of fighting games, new or old, this is your year. Embrace it, buy it roses, but keep it at arms length or it will say you're suffocating it and it needs some time to itself. Then the year will never, ever come back.[Thanks, LeadTester!]
DS Daily: Super Vehicle NDS
One of the most significant discoveries for the DS at GDC this year was Metal Slug 7, a completely unexpected and delightful surprise to walk into. For a brief moment, all of the rushing around, missed meals, long lines, thick crowds and general weariness gave way to a beautiful, blissful reverie of, well, shooting and knifing dudes.Early screenshots were less-than-promising (we've got the same screenshots in our gallery now, in a more flattering resolution), but we can now confirm that, like every recent game, it just looks better in motion. It doesn't look as totally beautiful as the Neo-Geo or Atomiswave games, but this is every bit a real Metal Slug sequel. Did you have faith in Metal Slug 7, or were the disappointing screenshots and SNK silence enough to put you off? Did you believe that a non-arcade, non-Neo Metal Slug could be any good? Did the amazing Contra 4 help?%Gallery-16835%
GDC08: King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match headed to PS2
While I was at SNK's demo checking out various compilations and Metal Slug 7, I also saw a remade version of King of Fighters '98 called Ultimate Match. Like Metal Slug 7, this was a surprise. Ultimate Match is a remake of the popular KOF '98 with cleaned-up graphics and ten added characters. Since '98 is a "dream match" game (meaning it discarded the series' storyline in favor of just putting a bunch of characters in the game), it already had a huge roster, but it's been upped to 64 characters. Unfortunately I wasn't able to stare at the character selection screen long enough to get who was new!The original King of Fighters '98 is already coming to the PS2 (and PSP and Wii) on the King of Fighters: Orochi Saga collection, but in case you really like the game -- which most fans of the series do -- this is the version to get. It does include the original in addition to the remake. This is expected to release in Q4 of this year.
GDC08: Surprise Metal Slug 7 appearance!
Expecting a room full of Neo Geo collections, I walked into SNK's demo room and found ... a room full of Neo Geo collections. But! In the back of the room, sitting unassumingly on a table, was Metal Slug 7! It was such a surprise that not even the SNK PR people there knew it would be there until this morning. It's fresh. First off, I'll say that the jaggy, messy-looking screenshots released before do not reflect the (not even) final game. In fact, the game looks great, with all of Metal Slug's signature animations intact. The game is controlled with d-pad and buttons (I didn't even think to mess with the stylus) with a progress map on the lower screen. There are six selectable characters: Marco, Eri, Ralf, Clark, Fio, and Tarma. Each comes with a different default weapon; Marco's, for example, was a lightning gun. The levels are rife with bearded hostages, as is the custom for this series, and lots of enemies to be shot and knifed.Unfortunately, I can't provide detailed impressions of multiple levels, because despite my best efforts I died early on in each level. I kept trying, though. There seems to be a mission mode that divides the game into shorter missions; however, since all the interface was in Japanese, I can't be sure. Again, not dying frequently would have helped here.
GDC08: A collection of SNK collections
At SNK's GDC demo room, the Wii versions of SNK Arcade Classics, King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga, and Samurai Shodown Anthology were available for play, and I went through a few of the games on each set, looking for controls and features, and, of course, basic performance. All of the games seemed to be running in 480i even on HDTVs, and it unfortunately showed. Bizarrely, it's entirely possible to play any of the games with the Wiimote. The Neo Geo controller has four buttons, and so does the Wiimote. This is not recommended! The Neo Geo Stick 2 was nowhere to be found, or there would be a lot more exclamation points in this post.The awesome news: SNK just went ahead and decided to throw KOFs '94 and fan-favorite '98 onto the collection, meaning that the set is now an almost-complete record of the 1990s' KOF games. Samurai Shodown does in fact include 1-6. The demos I had (mostly the KOFs) had significant lag, but I'm willing to believe that this will be ironed out by release. It would have to be. The bad news, and the answer to pretty much everyone's question: SNK hasn't figured out whether this or the Virtual Console is The Way to go, meaning that they intend to give the VC games a chance to sell before releasing the collection. Because of this, the Wii version of Arcade Classics is being held until Q4. All versions (PS2, PSP, Wii) of the other collections are also scheduled for Q4.
The KOFXII video shows a return to 2D roots
We would never have expected 2008 to be the year of the fighter. Just off the top of our heads, we've got Tekken 6, Soul Calibur IV, BlazeBlue, Battle Fantasia, Street Fighter IV, and King of Fighters XII on their way. That's an amazing lineup not just for console gamers, but for those who go to tournaments to show off their skill -- this is unprecedented. Many of these games are brand new or with greatly tuned mechanics. The above video of the King of Fighters XII video shows you what to expect here -- the key note is their return to 2D high-res sprites. Good for SNK. Of course, we'd love a higher quality video, but for now, this will do.
SNK Arcade Classics confirmed for Wii plus more!
Not only is the fate of the SNK Arcade Classics collection no longer up in the air (yes! It is coming to Wii!), SNK went ahead and announced two more Wii compilations in an email sent out yesterday. Both Samurai Shodown Anthology and King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga will also see Wii releases, as well as versions for the PS2 and PSP.We don't know exactly which titles will be included, but the Japanese version of the Samurai Shodown Anthology contained Shodowns I through VI, and the KOF collection included KOF's '95, '96, and '97. That means that there's overlap between the collections, since Samurai Shodown will be on both the SNK Arcade and Samurai Shodown Anthology collections.SNK will have all three collections on display at GDC. Hopefully they'll have some Neo Geo Stick 2's with which to test the games!
King of Fighters XII at AOU 2008
Some of you might remember our post about King of Fighters XII coming to the PS3 in 2009. That seems like a long time from now, but don't worry old school fighting fans -- 2008 won't be going down without a little SNK love. The SNK-Capcom website tells fans that the AOU 2008 expo in Tokyo's Makuhari Messe convention center will feature King of Fighters XII in video format. Not much else is know about what will be shown at AOU, but we do know that KoF XII will use a whole new game engine and rehashed old character sprites will be a thing of the past. The game is expected to come out first in the arcades by June/July 2008, running on the Taito Type X². A PS3 port (and possibly an Xbox 360 port) will follow in 2009.
Neo Geo Stick 2 coming to Wii, Hori Fighting Stick forgotten
As much as we adore Hori's arcade sticks, we love hardware with the words Neo Geo printed on them even more! Both Amazon.jp and Japanese retailer Rakuten have posted product pages for a Wii version of the Neo Geo Stick 2, an arcade-style, ball-top controller previously put together by SNK-Playmore and Sega Logistics for the PS2. If it's anything like the PS2 remake of the original Neo Geo Stick (see above image), this new edition will also have non-analog L and R buttons hugging its four primary convex buttons like a set of parentheses. Hopefully, the Wii version will keep that classy black color; it would be a travesty if it didn't!The Neo Geo Stick 2 is scheduled to arrive in Japan this April 10th, selling for ¥5,040 (approximately $47). According to Rakuten, the controller will support both Wii games and Virtual Console titles. With this announced, a Wii release for SNK Arcade Classics seems like a sure thing![Via Arcade Renaissance]
Watch the SNK Arcade Classics!
SNK loves reviving their old games. And what better platform to put them on than the PSP? Arcade Classics promises to bring a huge variety of SNK games, revered and obscure. With so many games to choose from, there should be something to fancy everyone's tastes.
Doki Doki Majo Shinpan manga is just like you'd imagine
Good to see that the official Doki Doki Majo Shinpan manga, which has been collected into trade paperback form, stays true to the series' hallmarks. It is in fact a manga about a guy compelled by an angel-thing to go poke girls until they reveal themselves as witches. It's significantly more unsettling in the manga, because, while it lacks the agency of the games (you're watching girls get poked instead of taking part), the ways in which these poor girls get messed with falls outside of the limitations of the game. One girl is stuck in a gigantic spider web, for example, and another has her Neo Geo Pocket knocked out of her hands by her own breasts when Lulu the "angel" begins harrassing her.The poor Neo Geo Pocket. [Via Kotaku]
SNK bringing yet another classic compilation
Everything old is new again, especially if you're SNK, whose primary business appears to be regurgitating their classics, as opposed to making anything new. Yet another retro compilation is hitting the PSP, months after the release of the Metal Slug collection.SNK's next effort will feature 16 different titles, and will appear on both the PS2 and PSP some time during the first half of this year (but probably not tomorrow). Titled SNK Arcade Classics: Volume 1, this collection will include many forgotten 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. 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 join the random potpourri of games in this anthology. Finally, Metal Slug (available for the umpteenth time) and Magician Lord also head to the handheld.Volume 1 suggests that other compilations are planned for the future, ensuring that SNK won't really have to make anything new for a long time.
