[August] SNK / SNK Playmore

[kernow]

Yeah, I played the TX2 version at insert coin 09 and walked away after about 5mins, dull as dishwater. All their 3D efforts have been pretty meh. I've just given away a brand new boxed hyper 64 motherboard and samurai shodown 64: warriors rage, I wanted to play it for years to at least see what it was like, but its so slow, clunky and the 3D is horribly dated being 12yrs old, that after a couple of hours I just wanted the space the behemoth took up back.

The MVS games will forever be classics though, some pinnacles of the 2D gaming era. Some of the older titles such as Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury have dated incredibly, but titles such as Fatal Fury Special, Samurai Shodown 2, Last Blade 1/2, Metal Slug 1,2,X,3, KOF98,99 etc will always be amazing games with a distinct look and feel about them. Some of the SNK stuff is so stylish too.

[Brad]

Only Samurai Shodown I played was on 3DO. I remember thinking it was awesome.

[kernow]

Yeah 3DO port was fantastic actually, so was SSF2X on it, I bought one for those two games alone.

[Skull Commander]

I rate the 3DO Samurai Shodown highly. It's a fantastic version and the feel is spot on. I enjoy all the 2D installments, but the second stands out for me. I remember playing it in the arcade on release and enjoying it, and was over the moon when I got it for the AES.

[kernow]

I played the original in the arcades as a teen, but it wasn't until I came to university and met another geek in 1998 I found out there was even a sequel to SS1, I remember being amazed at the time that the home system/MVS was still actually getting game releases. Think I picked one up the next year with SS2 and four other common games.

[teddymeow]

I got 'into' SNK stuff with my Dreamcast and have all the KOF games that were released on that. Also Last Blade 2 and Garou

Metal Slug is too awesome and I thought 7 on DS as pretty cool!

Fondest SNK memory has to be the arcade version of Neo Turf Masters. Playing that with my Dad when I was 8 whilst on a family holiday on the Isle of Wight. He beat me at it and then kicked my ass at SF2!!

[charlesr]

So why has Playmore been so lazy? Is it different devs?

[KusoGaki]

I have been playing Samurai Shodown Sen recently and while it's not totally awful, it's mediocre at best. The graphics are diabolical and it doesn't even play much like a Samurai Shodown game, instead playing out like a retarded version of Soul Calibur with a touch of Bushido Blade.

It just shows how low Playmore can take the brand

Problem with SNKP today is they've lost most of the top guys after the bankruptcy, (Hiroshi Matsumoto, Takashi Nishiyama, Shinkiro, etc) doesnt really seem like they've ever really recovered from that.

Seems like their company may be alot smaller than it used to be as well, i remember 3 years into the development of XII they were still looking for pixel artists...And it ended up coming out unfinished...

It's a shame really, considering they released loads of fighting games during the 90s and now only really just KOF is still worth playing.

Things seem to be picking up though this past year. Neo Geo Battle Colliseum was released on XBLA with decent netcode, Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting was not too bad, KOFXIII (minus the bugs) looks really decent and looking forward to KOF02UM coming out some time this year (hopefully) on XBLA.

Love Neo Geo though regardless, taken over the SNES as my favourtie console.

[Kongster]

Hiroshi Matsumoto and Takashi Nishiyama used to work at Capcom before joining SNK. They both work at DIMPS now along with a quite few other ex-SNK staff.

[Shoju]

Been a fan of theirs ever since Fatal Fury. Fatal Fury 2 in particular was one of my favourite arcade games of the early 90's even more so than SF2 at the time. I always really liked their style and hope they can become a successful company again.

[J0e Musashi]

They'll never be good again. Ever.

It's not even about the fighters for me anymore. If I can get Street Hoop, Neo Drift Out, Fatal Fury Special and Shock Troopers via the PSN I'll be a happy man.

MOTW can do one too. RB2 is easily the best Fatal Fury game of the series IMO.

[kernow]

They both work at DIMPS now along with a quite few other ex-SNK staff.

Who basically developed SF4, kindof. I think one of the SF1 guys went on to develop AOF also.

[KusoGaki]

Who basically developed SF4, kindof. I think one of the SF1 guys went on to develop AOF also.

Same two guys lol.

[Kongster]

Indeed lol.

Shinkiro is over at Capcom while we're at it

[BigDeadFreak]

MOTW can do one too. RB2 is easily the best Fatal Fury game of the series IMO.

Couldn't agree more. MOTW just looks so dark and boring. RB2 is bright, colourful and just what arcade games are all about. Don't get the MOTW hype at all.