SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1

For anyone over the age of 20, this is a bit of a treat. Compilations of old arcade games are hardly anything new, but SNK’s Neo Geo efforts were so expensive back in the 90s that some governments actually stockpiled them instead of gold. Mercifully, though, the global hyper-coloured 90s have been and gone, and we can smugly play 16 SNK masterpieces for just over a pound each. Sometimes economic change is a good thing.

Actually, ‘masterpieces’ is a little bit of a stretch. Out of the 16 games that appear on SNK Arcade Classics Volume One, only half of them are actually worth playing. The likes of Sengoku and Magician Lord have limited appeal at best, with the limit being that they both have funny names. An honour that can also be bestowed upon Neo Turf Masters, surely the best-monikered golf game ever made, but certainly not the best-designed.

So, it’s up to the true classics to hold this compilation up, and they do a great job. Samurai Showdown, King Of Fighters ‘94 and Metal Slug are as outstanding today as they were on release. The 16-bit era often conjures up images of basic colour palettes and simple graphics, but these are memories weighted by the SNES and Mega Drive, because Neo Geo games look absolutely superb. The detail and animation of Samurai Showdown, for example, is as good as most 2D games released today, and they gleam from the PSP’s screen.

All the games have such a satisfying, chunky quality to them. Super Sidekicks 3, the ISS-aping football game, lacks when it comes to speed and precision, but it exudes footballing passion in its brilliantly melodramatic animation. It’s all so bold and bright and likeable.

Unfortunately, SNK’s collection doesn’t have the variety or overall quality to match up with, say, a Namco equivalent. Most of the games on here are fighters, and with cumbersome 2-player support (who really ever plays PSP wi-fi games?), there’s only so long you can play through them on your own.

Also, the loading times are, quite frankly, unacceptable. Handheld games shouldn’t take over 40 seconds to load, especially when they’re 15 years old. Arcade classic collections should be immediate and accessible, just like the technology they’re based on. Waiting around while the PSP whirrs and buzzes for nearly a minute is thoroughly miserable. Especially if you’ve loaded up Magician Lord.

Still, there are a few real gems in here, and for those who’ve never experienced the SNK style of 2D fighters, this is a pretty good place to start. They’re absolutely comparable in quality to anything Capcom had to offer back in the 90’s, and it’s fascinating to see how King Of Fighters, for example, has gone on to influence all manner of one-on-one scrappers.

One last thing - if you do take a trip back in time and delve into SNK Classics, please check out Baseball Stars 2. If all sports games had this much character and style, the world would be a happier place indeed. You just can’t beat the idiosyncrasy of classic Japanese design. And for that reason alone, SNK Classics Arcade Collection volume 1 is a worthy addition to the PSP catalogue. Just don’t play Magician Lord. You owe it to yourself not to.