[August] SNK / SNK Playmore

[Skull Commander]

I have went on a PS2 SNK frenzy this afternoon. First up was Fatal Fury 3. My impressions of this were that it's decent but not as good as Fatal Fury Special. It's very much in the Real Bout style, without being as good.

After that I played the fore mentioned Fatal Fury Special. For me it's the best of the non Real Bout FF games, and has something special about it. Lovely backgrounds as well.

Next up I went to the two KOF Maximum Impact games. Now, I think I'm in the minority, but I actually enjoy both these titles. At the time I played the first one quite a bit, and barring the cheaty boss at the end of single player (an unfortunate theme of a lot of SNK fighters) I think it's a decent stab at a 3D KOF.

The second title is even better with improved mechanics, more fighters and much better graphics. Both games are fast and although they are not up to the 2D titles, they are much better than anything else SNK has tried in 3D, and are a lot of fun.

[Phar]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned soccer brawl yet, or did I miss it?

2020 Baseball is an ace game

I love the older titles like Soccer Brawl and 2020 Baseball, they remind of being on holiday abroad as a kid, when we used to go to Cyprus there seemed to be an MVS cab outside almost every shop with those games along with Super Sidekicks 3, Windjammers and Street Hoop, Fatal Fury Special, great times.

Got my CDZ a few weeks back and got a few titles already like Viewpoint, Bubble Bobble, Street Hoop, Fatal Fury Special, Samurai Shodown 1,2,3 and FFRB, got a few more on the way, Magician Lord, Windjammers, Top Hunter and Burning Fight. Having proper fun times with what I've bought so far, only makes me wish I'd bought a system much earlier, might end up getting an MVS after all at this rate.

[^Katsu]

Heh Soccer Brawl is jokes. Dont you need to just do a high powered shot from your own half to guarantee a goal???

Sounds like every football game including the real one to me? Soccer Brawl is the only version of Football I can tolerate apart from one or two of the other Neo footy games Super Sidekicks 2 or similar?

Where the F*** is the Shock Troopers 2 crew!? that game!

[moonwhistle]

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.

Almost all new characters, beautiful animation, well balanced, simplifed yet deep mechanics. It was a very daring move by SNK just like 3rd Strike was for Capcom.

I'd rate them as the top 2 best fighting games ever, with Garou a little behind.

[Shoju]

woah, I guess it does have a fair few cooler characters in, but I'm not sure I prefer it to 3rd strike, its a considerably less deep and technical game, when I was playing it 2P a lot I could just mash backwards for a 22hit super just defend. Not much skill involved compared to say, a 22hit parry or whatever.

Its a great game though, I particularly like freeman

The hard part is just defend into guard cancel though. Garou has a lot of other interesting innovations of it's own - feints, evasive attacks, break moves, TOP bar etc. I also really like the dashing system, large buffering window and the meaty impact of attacks.

"Legendary men return!" That was Fatal Fury 2, and I remember the 1st time I heard that. Being already familiar with the FF cast I was really hyped to see that intro and Billy Kane as the 1st boss. Has any boss ever had a better intro and bgm than Wolfgang Krauser? 1st time I ever heard Mozart's Dies Irae.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_lxlhwXn38&feature=related#t=5m10s

[moonwhistle]

I don't get all the love for Burning Fight, it's utter ****e imo. Think about when it was released and how much it cost at the time. Then think how much worse it looks and plays than something like Streets of Rage 1 or 2. The animation is just abysmal, some of the worst I've ever seen.

[saturn-gamer]

I own Soccer Brawl too.

We used to play it for hours in the Arcade. Which is why I bought it when I finally had a Neo. Same story goes for Burning Fight, and even Ninja Combat. I love those games, nostalgia drippin all over though. Burning Fight used to do really well when friends were over, we would just 2p through it and everyone liked the game. Today's games can't really deliver on that.

My AES collection:

-SamSho1/2/3/4 JP
-FF1/2/3/Special (EU/JP/EU/EU)
-Art of Fighting 1/2 EU
-Sengoku EU
-Burning Fight JP
-Ninja Combat EU
-Ninja Commando US(Dogtag)
-Sidekicks 2 EU
-Soccer Brawl US Dogtag
-KOF99/2k JP
-World Heroes JP
-Thrash Rally EU


Sold off:

-League bowling Dogtag
-Garou US
-Sengoku 2 EU
-Spin Master EU
-Aero Fighters 2 EU
-KOF 98 JP
-Last blade JP
-World Heroes 2 JP
-Sidekicks 3 JP
-Alpha Mission 2 EU
-RB2 JP

Mostly for profit and to rebuy, which I never did. I do regret selling Sidekicks 3, I bought it for 40 euro on ebay once (traded it when I was bored of it) but when I check eBay now I'll almost faint. It became ridiculously expensive.

I still wanted to get: Top Hunter, Last Resort, Robo Army, 2020, Cyber Lip (yes, even love THAT game )

[nakamura]

The first SNK game I played was Fatal Fury Special on the SNES. I remember seeing it in a mag way back when and being desperate to play it. I finally did a few years later and being very disappointed. I hated the stiff feel of the game and the sound was terrible.

Picked up Real Bout on the PS1 in 1996/7 from blockbuster and I recall enjoying that a fair bit. I can't remember a lot about it mind, but I did enjoy it.

I went back to SNK a few years later, around 1999 with the Saturn and Neo Geo. Played more Fatal Fury which I still thought was poor as was Art of Fighting. Samurai Showdown however is excellent and has aged very well. Really like the King of Fighters games also.
Really got into SNK with KoF Dream Match 99 on the DC. I spent a long time playing that one.

[charlesr]

Can we have some youtube links for this stuff?

[Shoju]

The first SNK game I played was Fatal Fury Special on the SNES. I remember seeing it in a mag way back when and being desperate to play it. I finally did a few years later and being very disappointed. I hated the stiff feel of the game and the sound was terrible.

The music/sound were amazing in the arcade, one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a fighter. The SNES conversion badly butchered that, cut down the graphics, removed characters etc. It may have been slowed down as well.

I remember the likes of Burning Fight which I liked at the time (but probably wouldn't now) and Mutation Nation which looked fantastic in a magazine but I never got to play it.

SNK scrolling fighters:
Burning Fight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ9OpJyULiE

Mutation Nation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jknxqr7s3v8

Sengoku 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-kHuiueVZY

[eastyy]

i remember seeing top hunter and soccer brawl on the old series games world

[J0e Musashi]

Where the F*** is the Shock Troopers 2 crew!? that game!

WTF?! I'm not your friend no more. ST1>>>

[^Katsu]

WTF?! I'm not your friend no more. ST1>>>

ST1 LOL! Never played it as ST2 is clearly better in all respects.

http://www.mefeedia.com/watch/28610718

Even the MVS cart insides are heavenly

http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab250/Katsujinken_2009/ST1.jpg

http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab250/Katsujinken_2009/ST2.jpg

[buster_broon]

Has anybody mentioned windjammers

Just the most fun game I've played and still enjoy it now

My first neo game was the us release of samurai shodown and it cost me ?165 (I think) bought from dream machines 2 (now vgi) in 1993

Always loved the Neo and I still believe fatal fury special is better than MOTW

Tung Fu rues stage is still amazing

[J0e Musashi]

FFS was my first cart at £85 from Shekana. Got AOF 1 and Andro Dunos for £50 each in the January sales. First used game I got was KOF 94 for £120 from CEX.