Publisher: SNK
Developer: SNK
Release Date: March 17, 2021
Price: $39.99
Where to buy: Here
Introductions are in order:
Where to begin: the Neo Geo Pocket in itself was a device in which had a fantastic set of games, featuring impressive monochrome graphics on its 256X256 screen. The NGP never sold as well as it could have. Lasting only about from 1998 to 1999 in Japan, and the European market. It reached the US shores in the form of the Neo Geo Pocket Color. It too had a short life span from 1999 to 2001, concluding in the Japanese shores. The system itself featured cartridges about the same size of the Gameboy Advance’s own cart. Out of the gate with the Neo Geo Pocket Color, contrast it sold an impressive 14 games out of the gate. Which was mentioned as a record for a launched system.
For this article, I am going to give my thoughts on each game featured in this nice bundle. As well as give a big thank you to SNK for providing us a copy of this to place around with it. Let us begin!
Big Tournament Golf
First, we will go in order with Big Tournament Golf. Usually, I can gel with most golf games. They are pretty simple to get into unless they are Nintendo’s Actual NES Golf game, that one I could not get along with. This one on the other hand is a delight! The cheerful chippy music looming all over my eardrums as I make power shots and aim towards the hole keeps me at ease. Earning Those much-needed Birdies. I actually implore those who enjoy a good arcade-style golf game to give this one a swing.
Dark Arms
Dark Arms is one of those lost to the tides of times cult classic that is hidden behind the genre it’s a part of. It blends the dark horror-like tones with a sort of sub-leveled Zelda-like Action RPG elements into what you would call a heck of a classic. Dark Arms is personally one of my favorite games on the handheld when I first snagged my platinum model. It has a nice length of playtime, and to my discovery, the actual selection Vol.1 includes a nice auto-save feature so if you back out of a game, and go to the menu, you can go back to the game where ever you were originally.
Fatal Fury First Contact
Fatal Fury First Contact is one of those smooth transitions to the handheld, which feels natural. The move sets are toned down, but also pack a lot of flavor. It packs in over eleven different characters to choose from, with Mai, down to Terry Bogart~. You are not getting a crisp 60 FPS but plays quick enough to keep up with the adorable chibi action. If you’re a fan of fighter games, this collection absolutely delivers.
SNK GALS’ FIGHTERS
Picture a well-structured fighting game, featuring all of the rough and tough ladies SNK’s fighting games have to offer, then you guess it you would have SNK Gals’ Fighters. All the way from start to finish like the other fighting games on this list the move-sets are simplified, but also very smooth to handle. You are given a nice selection of fighters to choose from. All featuring their flashy moves with their satisfying combos.
King of Fighters R-2
Another one of the pretty awesome fighters on the handheld. Featuring a decent spread of the large cast of King of Fighters, you are given your usual 3 person teams, where you play up to 3 rounds until all characters are eliminated on either side. Featuring more laid-back combos like the Neo Geo Pocket fighting games are known for.
THE LAST BLADE: Beyond the Destiny
Similar to Samurai Shodown! 2, featuring over eight main characters, with seven unlock-able characters through progression. The character selection has your usual spread of husbandos and waifus. Each with their own signatures and styles. The roster is plentiful. Overall a pretty great game!
METAL SLUG 1ST MISSION
As it is told, this one is unique next to 2nd mission. Both never before released on Switch. Both handle a little different than their elder brother arcade port where it is not one-hit kills, instead, you are given a small health pool, and if you do die, it’s a game over, with a nine-life bank to go off of. It’s a little fairer than its arcade ports and pretty damn fun! I personally own the legit cart of this game, and it’s pretty well worn in the hours I spent with it. Along with Dark Arms. It handles pretty smoothly and its frame-rates and color pallet is impressive on the 256×256 screen. You play as “Hero” who looks a lot like Macro (but isn’t). There are over 17 missions, all branching, and with every play-through, you would not be able to complete them all in one go. Opening the idea to replay-ability. The game plays smoother than its counterpart for this collection 2nd Mission.
METAL SLUG 2ND MISSION
One of the drawbacks from one to two is the slowdowns. Sadly with the impressive visuals comes general lag. Which is a shame. Outside of that comment, the game plays a lot more responsive, side of the bog downs from time to time. The game itself pushing the emulated hardware to its limits. As it was an intensive game, to begin with. The cut-scenes are top-notch, the nice choice between the two characters is also a nice welcomed edition for those who like a choice. Both characters have their respective routes to choose from. As well as the missions of the game doubled including a nifty time attack element here and there. In general, there are over 3 characters to play, your first batch being Gimbet, Red Eye, then one being unlock-able (Tequila).
SAMURAI SHODOWN! 2
An all-time fighting classic down to pocket-sized! Well, a classic next to Final Fury, and King of Fighters. Of course. Featuring over seventeen characters in total, you also get included; a collection mode. A sort of collectible card game, to which at the time people could trade to one another special cards for special attacks or passives/abilities in form of:
Power Up – Increased the damage done by the player’s attacks.
Defense Up – Decreased the damage taken when the player is hit.
Special Move – Enabled the player to do a special move that was not otherwise available.
Power Up Special – Made a particular existing special move do more damage, usually accompanied by additional animations.
Adding a nice little depth to the sort-of gacha system. As well as adds a social aspect to the game for trading.
SNK VS. CAPCOM: THE MATCH OF THE MILLENNIUM
Featuring a dauntingly large roster of both SNK + Capcom characters. From the likes of Street Fighter, Art of Fighting, and so forth. This all-star cast reaches over thirteen characters per company roster. You are also treated with a storied rival format for each side, like With Ryu and Kyo being rivals. This goes even down to the boss’s roster with M. Bison and Geese. It’s all that nice touch of subtle detail that makes this the best game from the fighting genre featured on this collection alone. All well animated and presented, with tons of franchises showcased, even if unknown to the player other than seeing avatars at the character selection screen.
The olympic mode is also crammed into the games card, which is quite impressive. Which is just a bunch of fun little mini-games.
Its overall value, to the quarter
Addressing the collection down to the volume of games you receive really is in question here. While the whole package has a solid start of games to choose from, including the combo placement of the two Metal Slug games in this bundle. For myself, the price is a little high. I am all for big bundles of games if a lot is offered. While the $39.99 is about the value of a third-party Switch/3DS game brand new, the opinion of myself I would have suggested maybe $29.99. The price per game if you were going to mention or wonder is 3.99 per game on the 39.99 divided by ten.
As a collector myself, I too understand half of the games online now are going for crazy high prices as it is; when the games were not as expensive to obtain. So then it rounds back to would you personally pay $39.99 for ten, or 39.99 for one? If you can undercut the eBay flippers who lack a soul(who apparently do not care they do what they do), then it’s a little more appealing to fans who want a nice digital collection. Otherwise, if this does not feel like a problem for the common consumer then who am I to say.
General feedback
The collection itself is feature-packed. Quirky concepts like the many Neo Geo Pocket handheld shells. From the Color, New Color variants. down to the Monochrome console shells. Also if the game is compatible in Monochrome mode.
One of the features hopefully could have been on the selection of games was a manual save. Being able to do the pause command (Select+B), then using a save slot to save anytime during the game. Many collections like this for other console platforms have this sort of thing set up. Sure you can pop out of the game and go to the main menu and it’s about the same. However, I like to be able to save at a certain spot, then be able to load back into it if need be.
The game selection for Volume 1 is pretty solid. Next time, I would like to see a few extra games within the bundles if offered at the same price. As they release more of the games I would love to personally see unique games like: Biomotor Unitron, Rockman Battle & Fighters (an awesome boss rush style game), Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams, or even Evolution Eternal Dungeons popping up would rule!
If any of the games seem interesting, or all of them look to be up your alley be sure to grab the collection!
