It’s been a long time coming, but Dotemu has confirmed that Metal Slug Tactics will launch on November 5, 2024 on PC, Switch, PS4/5, a?nd X??box Series X|S.

Not only that, they’ve also revealed that three Ikari Warriors characters are being added to the mix, including Clark Still, Ralph Jones, and Leona Heidern. The likelihood that any of them will land on my team is essentially nil unless I’m forced to for some reason. It’s not that I don’t like Ikari Warriors. It’s that I love Metal Slug. Though, all three characters have appeared in Metal Slug games. If you’re wondering about Leona, she was DLC for Metal Slug XX.

It’s been a bit of a protracted wait for Metal Slug Tactics. It was first announced at the 2021 Summer Games Fest. Development was quiet for a long time as the developer was working on multiple projects. Back in June, a demo of it was released, and I enjoyed it. It took a while, but it eventually clicked with me. The Metal Slug dressing feels more cosmetic, as t?he tactical gameplay is a pretty far cry fr??om the typical run-and-gun format. However, as a simple turn-based tactical strategy game, I think it works pretty well.

It does have a strong roguelite feel to it??. You make runs through regions to take on bosses, and gain permanent upgrades. The good news is that this makes the game more skill-based, and you can’t just level up your units. The bad news is that it has roguelite elements. I don’t personally hate that progression style, but it does give me a bit of pause.

Truthfully, I’d play just about anything with Fio in it, so I’m already on boa?rd, though this month has been very busy, and the beginning of next month is looking as though it will be the same. I’ll probably get to it eventually, even if it’s not right away.

Metal Slug Tactics launches on November 5, 2024. It will be released on PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbo??x Series X|S. There will be a physical edition coming later on.

The post Pull up a rocket lounger, Metal Slug Tacti?cs?? is out next month appeared first on Destructoid.

I consider Metal Slug to be one of the high-water marks in run-and-gun gami??ng. Its art style wasn’t just well-executed for its time, it’s still considered to be some of the best pixel art t??o ever grace a cathode-ray tube, while the gameplay is tight and inventive. It is a titan of arcade games.

But there were a lot of them, and they definitely weren’t made equal. While the games by the original developers were all terrific, after SNK’s bankruptcy in 2002, things started getting shaky. However, it wasn’t always bad. In fact, depending on your standards, it was never bad.

If you want to get into the series, the advice most would give is to play Metal Slug 1, X, and 3, with sometimes 2 thrown in there. But with Metal Slug Awakening and Metal Slug Tactics right around the corner, you may feel like digging deeper. If so, h??ere’s what you’re in for.

There’s one caveat I want to bring up before we dive in. There were a number of Metal Slug games released on pre-smart cell phones. There were also a few online mobile games released in other territories. Because of the vast array of these, the poor documentation of them, and the lack of accessibility (most have been delisted), I’m omitting them. Also, the pachinko machines because I wouldn’t even know h??ow to compare them.

15. Metal Slug Defense

Metal Slug Defense subscribes pretty closely to the mobile-formula tower defense genre. You build up resources, then send out units to clash with opposing units. The only real twist here is the Metal Slug graphics, but the graphic?s are where? its connection to the series ends. 

It’s not a terrible take on the formula, and you can now get it pretty cheap on PC without the freemium elements. However, I have to warn you that the genre is designed to be addicting by using frequent, incremental progress to make it difficult to quit. Player connection is generally the goal of most games, but when it’s applied to such shallow gameplay in a way that’s meant to entice you to spend money, it feels gross. Having the microtransactions reduced (slightly) on PC helps with th??e moral issues, but? not with the lack of depth.

14. Metal Slug Attack

I’d struggle to tell you what the fundamental difference between Metal Slug Defense and Metal Slug Attack is. Foundationally and in concept, they’re the same game. It’s a shallow take on t?ower defense where you try to optimize your use of resources. You send units out with the goal of breaking through the enemy troops and destroying their base.

The major change is in the framework of the games. Metal Slug Attack uses more of a gacha system. That, in itself, is a more effective way to get people to spend on microtransactions. However, with the recently released Metal Slug Attack Reloaded on PC and consoles, they once again removed the microtransactions. Gacha without microtransactions is a bit more enjoyable than what was present in Metal Slug Defense, which is why Attack slightly edges it out. However, it’s still just using devious ??methods to get your brain to squirt chemicals without providing any meaningful experience.

13. Metal Slug Touch

Metal Slug Touch is a bit of an odd title. There are only four levels and they take place entirely within vehicles. Being a smartphone game, there are only touch controls, which isn’t great for a game that requires fine movement. On the plus side, it isn’t freemium. On the downside, it’s pretty insubstantial. It somewhat resembles a Metal Slug game because of its controls and the fact that the art is lifted?? entirely from the arcade titles. However, it completely lacks in real eff??ort. 

You can’t really buy it anymore since it isn’t compatible with newer phones, so th??at’s maybe a good thing.

12. Metal Slug Advance

The Game Boy Advance seems like it would be a great platform for Metal Slug. At the time of release, Metal Slug Advance was pretty well received, but I struggle to understand why. It certainly has the look of the arcade games, but it feels like a lot of life has been sucked out. A health bar replaces the instant death of the core series, and the gameplay is just so much slower. It looks like a Metal Slug game, but it barely feels like one. I could bare?ly force myself to play it?.

11. Metal Slug 7/XX

Metal Slug 7 moved the core series to handheld, being first released on the Nintendo DS. In its initial context of being the first game to maintain the classic gameplay on a handheld platform without compromise, it’s rather admirable and was fun to see at the time. These days, it’s more difficult to see in that same positive light. Especially if you play the console version, Metal Slug XX.

You’re going to see me refer to most of the games released after SNK’s initial bankruptcy in 2001 as “bland.�Metal Slug 7/XX is the blandest of the bland. The solid gameplay is still there and it moves the action to interesting settings, but the flow of the action is just so uninteresting. It’s not awful, but when all is said and done, my final thoughts on it are, “Well, it’s Metal Slug, I guess.�/p>

10. Metal Slug 1st Mission

SNK came out swinging with its NeoGeo Pocket handheld. They worked tirelessly to get representation of all their arcade hits on the little portable in a failed attempt to get it off the ground, and Metal Slug was among them. Metal Slug 1st Mission is a valiant effort. It plays roughly like you’d expect a ga?me in the series to, but with a lot less d??etail. 

It omits the mainstay protagonists for some new ones, but many of the features from the arcade have made it in. It’s simply that, with the limitations of the platform, it can’t really capture the same flow or excitement. It’s at least more faithful to the formula than Metal Slug Advance.

9. Metal Slug 3D

I believe it is possible for Metal Slug to be adapted to a 3D shooter, but if I were to envision it, it probably wouldn’t resemble Metal Slug 3D. I’d imagine something fast, like a modern character action game with fast movement and tight controls. Metal Slug 3D is not that.

Instead, it’s a weird anthology of really short missions in tight areas. They’re slow and the aiming system doesn’t really allow for much speed. The mission design is pretty lame, and it instead leans pretty hard on upgrades to create a meaningful experience. It’s not awful, but it’s a pretty far cry? from the 2D games from which it’s based. If anything, the biggest reason to play it is the 3D gr??aphics. They’re�fine. They don’t have the charm of the 2D sprites, but at least the art team didn’t do something dumb like try and make them look realistic.

Weirdly, Metal Slug 3D never made it out of Japan. It’s strange, because most of the game is already in English. It’s sometimes said that it was never released elsewhere because of?? poor reception, but I can’t find any solid source for that information?.

8. Metal Slug 4

SNK went bankrupt in 2001, and while it was quickly resurrected as SNK Playmore, it was never the same company again. The original developers of the Metal Slug series d??isbanded, and the fourth entry was handed off to Mega Enterprise and Noise Factory. They didâ€?fine. It’sâ€?fine. 

The core gameplay is largely unchanged in Metal Slug 4, and it still feels great, but the inventiveness is gone. Mostly, the new developers built on what was already there, even recycling quite a bit from the earlier games. It feels like the groundwork is generally what makes Metal Slug 4 passable. The mechanics t?hat were already in place do a lot of heavy lifting for what is otherwise a bland experience.

What will suck most for some people is that Eri and Tarma have been replaced with Trevor and Nadia. I thought the new characters were crossovers from King of Fighters for some reason, but that appears not to be the case. That just makes the replacement more worthy of some head-scratching. I’d understand two additional ch??aracters, but repla??cing two of the main cast wasn’t a great idea.

7. Metal Slug 6

Metal Slug 6 is�fine. It’s the first mainline game to not be released on the NeoGeo MVS hardware, instead landing on Atomiswave. Thematically, it returns to the Martians. It brings the playable character count to 6 with Ralph and Clark from Ikari Warriors. At least they didn’t replace any of the mainstay characters like they did with Metal Slug 4.

It just feels bland. The titles that followed the bankruptcy of SNK all maintain the quality gameplay of the series, but they have this loose and (of course) bland feeling. And while Metal Slug 4 felt the worst, Metal Slug 6 seems to h?ighlight the gulf in quality by using higher-resolution background in a com?pletely different art style than the pixel art going on in the foreground. It’s an ugly dissonance. On the whole, it isn’t terrible, but it doesn’t redeem the post-Nazca games.

6. Metal Slug 2nd Mission

While Metal Slug 1st Mission simply felt like an attempt to get the series onto SNK’s little handheld, Metal Slug 2nd Mission expands it to something beyond just an underpowered port. The levels are more expansive with better variety, there are more slugs, better weapon control, and a branching campaign. It’s also more challenging, longer, and more fun. 1st Mission was an admirable but undernourished port of the arcade classics, but 2nd Mission is worth playing.

5. Metal Slug 5

Of the Metal Slug games that came out after SNK’s collapse, Metal Slug 5 holds up the best. It provides some extremely memorable moments, like battling a huge bomber in the sky or driving down the highway in a heavily armed jalopy. Given that Metal Slug 4 felt like it was just keeping the series in a? holding pattern following the exit of the original developers, it was a step in the right direction, even if it didn’t keep to that path.

However, there are some major drawbacks. For one thing, they added a ground slide. This is executed by holding down and jumping. This is at odds with the fact that, in every other mainline game in the series, you would hold down and jump to shoot at anything below you. This small change means you hav?e to be constantly aware of what you press wh?en attacking below you.

Aside from that, there’s some sloppiness to the whole package. Some bosses needed a bit more fine-tuning and it ends really abruptly with a battle that feels out of place. To top it off, it completely lacks the ambition of Metal Slug 3, only featuri?ng level branch??ing to a very token extent.

4. Metal Slug 3

There are a lot of people �including a few who have made lists like this one �who would put Metal Slug 3 at the top. I don’t agree, but you could safely shuffle Metal Slugs 1,2, X, and 3 and have a good time.

Metal Slug 3 is where things start to get really bizarre. While Metal Slug 2 and X brought in the Martians toward the end, the first enemies you see in 3 are giant crabs. There are missions aboard tiny submar??ines, one wher??e you face off against a zombie horde, and then�we get to the aliens.

Honestly, Metal Slug 3 would be higher on my list if it? wasn’t for the finale. It takes you into space, which sounds awesome, but it’s actually an overly-long gauntlet against the Martians. There are h??ordes of them, stuck through rather barren hallways. It gets really quarter-munchy and is so protracted that it feels at odds with its arcade origins. There’s a terrific finale, but the ending feels less exciting and more like a relief.

??Everything leading up to it is gravy. For as low as the final mission is, there are plenty of highs to help make up for it.

3. Metal Slug 2

Metal Slug 2 would also be higher on this list if it wasn’t for a few drawbacks. Chief among these, and one of the issues that led to the revamped Metal Slug X, is that there’s a lot of slowdown. When the action gets heavy, the frame rate drops ?and it can really crawl.

Even with that issue, there are still a lot of redeeming qualities. It introduces many new features to the original, including transformations that change how your character moves and attacks, and new “slugs�beyond just the tank. It’s also slightly more grounded and less over-the-top than Metal Slug X, which might be more appealing if you aren’t a fan of? the craziness that can be found in l??ater games.

It’s also the game that introduced Eri Kasamoto and Fiolina “Fio�Germi into the mix of playable characters. It also contains my favorite boss, Big Shiee, but you can get these things in Metal Slug X.

2. Metal Slug

The original Metal Slug is the game I tend to replay the most. While it’s a lot simple?r and less varied than the games that followed it, that’s part of why I enjoy it so much. It’s solid, relying less on surprises and chaotic situations. There are still plenty of those, but it’s easier to enjoy the tight gameplay without so many distractions.

At this point in the rankings, it’s hard to really describe Metal Slug without covering already-trodden ground. It introduced Marco and Tarma, most of the arsenal, the POWs, and?? the eponymous Metal Slug SV-001 tank. It established the tight controls and the transcendentally amazing pixel art that defines the series. Nazca and SNK nailed it on their first try, and everything that came afterward is just butter.

1. Metal Slug X

As alluded to when talking about Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug X is essentially an upgraded version of that game. Metal Slug 2: Turbo, if you will. While the levels are essentially the same, everything has been revamped. This includes boss and power-up placement, as well as some major art changes. Perhaps most importantly, most of the slowdown that plagued the first ?sequel has been fixed.

It’s not entirely a replacement for Metal Slug 2, but it leaves little reason to go back to it. It tends to throw the new features presented in that game directly in your face so you can’t miss them, which leads to things sometimes feeling a bit overly chaoti??c. On the other hand, the new features are awesome. The boss??es are great, the levels are varied, and everything feels terrific. 

Honestly, I’d probably put Metal Slug above this one, except for one major problem: the original Metal Slug d?oesn’t have Fio, and everything is better wi?th Fio.

The post Every Metal Slug game, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Enough Retro games to play three or four every day for a year

Retro cloud streaming platform Antstream Arcade has announced their vast collection of officially licensed retro games is coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S later this month. As part of this, Antstream says games that had previously only been playable o??n Sony or Nintendo platforms w??ill also become playable on Xbox through its service.

The extensive collection includes retro titles all the way back to the Commodore era. Through the? service, games will be playable without any sort of installation or download required. Each week more officially lic?ensed Retro titles will be added to the service.

[caption id="attachment_391655" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Antstream Arcade[/caption]

Xbox can finally join in on the Retro fun

Antstream Arcade?? is already available on PC, Mac, Linux, Android, Android TV, Firestick, Samsung TV, and via a web browser. This will be the first time the Retro collection will be available on consoles natively. Antstream CEO Steve Cottam created the service as an easy way to access games he loved growing up.

"Despite living in an age of incredible technology, I found it wasn’t easy enough t??o access the games I loved growing up and I wanted to be able to easily share scores and compete against friends,�said Cottam ?in a press release. “We believe in the preservation and accessibility of all games, the great, the impossible and the forgotten or lesser known too, I’m very proud to bring the Antstream Arcade platform to the Xbox community�

Alongside the Retro catalog, Antstream Arcade also a?llows players to enter tournaments and challenge others to duels and community battles. You'll be able to acquire achievements and connect with others and show off your accolades via your profile.

Antstream Arcade releases later this month for $29.99 per year or via lifetime access at $79.99. The price includes all future games and features added to the service. Furthermore, Anstream Arcade is hosting a live stream on July 14 to highlight new games coming to the service?? and show off what more is to come. The service will be available in Europe, the UK, the USA, Canada, and the?? Vatican City.

The post Antstream Arcade is ??coming to Xbox? with over 1300 retro games appeared first on Destructoid.

What colors are the other fingers?

Kohachi Studio has given us a teaser look at Black Finger Jet, a new run-and-gun title from former prominent Nazca developers. Nazca is the original developer behind Metal Slug, and a number of the attached names were directly involved in the development of some o??f the early titles in that series.

No real gameplay is shown in the trailer, as the game looks to be very early in development. There’s a page for it live on Steam, but even there, it just shows concept art and says that the game is still subject to change. However, both the teaser and the store page seem to heavily imply that Black Finger Jet will be lifting heavily from the team’s work on the Metal Slug series. It will include 8??-directional aiming, and the eponymous Jet vehicle transforms into various config??urations.

//youtu.be/ZIEwNh5ZLI4

Among the staff, Akio is covering art, and Meeher is the producer. Sound design is once again in the hands of Hiya! This probably all sounds unhinged, but all of those pseudonyms helped make the original Metal Slug run the games they are. Hopefully, they can pull of similar magic with Black Finger Jet.

Hea-vy Machine Gun

If you’re unfamiliar with Metal Slug, I pity you. Starting in 1996 on the Neo Geo MVS arcade, they set the highwater mark for both pixel art and run-and-gun shooters. Nazca (and the staff listed above) worked on Metal Slug 1-3, before SNK went bust and development moved to another team. That team made a valiant effort to continue the series for three more titles, and they didn’t do a bad job. However, for my money, Metal Slug 1 and X are where it’s at. Others hold Metal Slug 3 in the highest regard. Howe?ver you shake them; the?y are legendary.

Black Finger Jet is currently only announced for PC. There is no given release window, but since it seems l?ike they’re still recruiting staff, we might be waiting a while.

The post Black Finger Jet coming from former Me?tal Slug team appeared first on Destructoid.

Beginning Maneuvers

Focus Home Entertainment, which has really made moves to expand its operations in the past two years, has further bolstered its ranks with the addition of French indie developer Lekir Studio, which is now officially a pa?rt of the Focus Ho??me Entertainment portfolio.

Lekir Studios, previously responsible for 2021 fantasy title Roguelords, is currently busy beavering away at the cool-looking strategy title Metal Slug Tactics. Originally revealed during the Summer Game Fest 2021, the new title swaps out the series run 'n' gun roots for an inventive and fun-looking real-time strategy take. Lekir and collaborator Dotemu have been pretty quiet on this release since that initial reveal, but Metal Slug Tactics is expecte??d to launch sometime in ??2022 on PC and consoles.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqF0KLsaf6U

"We are happy to join the Focus Group because it is an important step for the growth of our studio,"  said Aurélien Loos, President and founder of Leikir Studio. "This acquisition validates our multi-production stra??tegy and will allow us to reach new qualitative and creative heights. This is a great recognition for the work accomplished by our teams over the past several years."

Lekir Studio is Focus Home Entertainment's fifth studio acquisition in recent memory. Previously, the publisher had also taken in German outfit Deck13, Warhammer lovers StreumOn, French developer Douze Dixièmes, and, in its biggest acquisition to date, Dotemu, which has had a hand in the development of smash hits such as Streets of Rage 4, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, Windjammers 2, and the upcoming TMNT: Shredder's Revenge.

The post Focus ??Home Entertainment acquires Metal Slug Tactics studio ??Leikir appeared first on Destructoid.

Kinda takes 'Pocket' out of the equation though

Happy Days. SNK has surprise dropped its Switch compendium Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 on PC, bringing a slew of great but hard-to-obtain handheld titles to the Steam platform. Available right now at a limited-time price of $3?2.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZTNBnlAt9c

As a quick reminder, Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 is comprised of all of the re-released titles from SNK's awesome-but-underplayed handheld, bundled together in one handy collection. Included in the package are hits Samurai Shodown! 2, King of Fighters R-2, SNK Gals�Fighters, Fatal Fury: First Contact, The Last Blade: Beyond the Destiny. Exclusive to the compilation are cutesy golf sim Big Tournament Golf, RPG Dark Arms: Beast Buster, and both Metal Slug: 1st Mission and Metal Slug: 2nd Mission.

It should be noted, however, that the brilliant SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium is NOT included in the Steam rel??ease, and has been broken out to be sold separately...

...Thanks for that.

As well as the fully-restored versions of these ace games, there's also a fun gallery featuring 3D recreations of the original game packaging, monochromatic display options, and support for local two-player co-op. This latter feature was difficult to enjoy back in 2000 when you were the only person you knew who actually owned a N?eo Geo Pocket Color console. Some of these titles are real gems, h?owever, and the fact they have been collated and archived for new audiences is a genuinely important motion for video game history. If you have the dollarydoos to spare, consider checking them out.

Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 is a?vailable now on PC for $31.99. The price will rise to $39.99 October 6.

The post Neo Geo Poc??ket Color Selection Vol. 1 no?w available on PC appeared first on Destructoid.

Bring your Rocket Lawn Chair

SNK has released a new double-pack on Nintendo Switch featuring classic Neo Geo Pocket Color titles Metal Slug: 1st Mission and its sequel Metal Slug: 2nd Mission. The two handheld favorites were available exclusively as part of the Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection? compendium, but can now be purchased together from?? the Nintendo eShop for around $15.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_KnoVou31w

Released on NGPC in 1999 and 2000 respectively, Metal Slug 1st and 2nd Mission are adorably scaled-down editions of the coin-guzzling run 'n' gun classics, and see our faithful squad of heroes (as well as some series newcomers) engage in pocket-sized warfare with the enemy on land, sea, and air. Developer Ukiyotei performed an excellent job in reducing the detailed and busy visuals of the Metal Slug series into the NGPC's dinky, 2.7-inch screen, with the two titles featuring not only the bullet-pumping action of their bigger brothers but even the epic boss battles and vehicular ??combat.

For anyone still wishing to go the full monty, the Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection is available now, and includes Samurai Shodown! 2, King of Fighters R-2, SNK Gals�Fighters, Fatal Fury: First Contact, The Last Blade: Beyond the Destiny, and the brilliant SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium. The exclusive additions Big Tournament Golf, RPG Dark Arms: Beast Buster, and both Metal Slug: 1st Mission and Metal Slug: 2nd Mission. All of which are worth checking out.

A solid, ambitious, and misunderstood console, it's great ?to see this catalog of releases mad?e available once again.

The post NGPC Metal Slug title?s now available to download on Nintendo Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

The squad is back in business

The Metal Slug series is going tactical. During today's Summer Game Fest 2021 Kick-off Live event, Dotemu and developer Leikir Studio revealed Metal Slug Tactics, a new take on Metal Slug.

Made in partnership with SNK, the game will feature Marco, Eri, Fio, and Tarma as they fight through battles in a new way. There's classic Metal Slug?? weapons, but also skill trees and perks to build up your cast of characters.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqF0KLsaf6U

Missions will build levels from combinations of hand-crafted tiles in order to keep things fresh between each battle, so there are some roguelite elements in the mix. But old Metal Slug fans are proba?bly happy tha?t the sprites are maintaining their classic visuals.

Honestly, I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner. Metal Slug was where I'd go to burn my last few quarters at the arcade, and seeing it in tactical glory? I'm definitely down. No release date has been announced just yet, though there is a Steam page live right now.

The post Metal Slug Tactics lo??oks like a match made in grid-b??ased heaven appeared first on Destructoid.

Pocket Rocket

SNK has released the first gameplay footage taken from "Metal Slug Code: J," the in-development? mobile project currently on the workbenches at Tencent's TiMi Studi?os. The still-unnamed (and undated) run 'n' gun adventure is in the works for iOS and Android devices.

Metal Slug Code: J will be the 17th entry in SNK chaotic, arcade action franchise (a number which includes multiple spin-offs and remakes). Much like SNK's own King of Fighters series has in recent years, Code: J will be foregoing the classic (and expensive/time-consuming) pixelated visuals of its predecessors, pr??esenting this newest bout of bombastic action via 3D? models engaged in 2.5D gameplay.

It can't be denied that Metal Slug Code: J is going to some lengths to capture the look, pacing, and gameplay of the legendary Neo Geo series — and it does actually looks quite authentic. For me personally, however, the 3D visuals provide an aesthetic I just don't associate with the Metal Slug brand. It currently looks a little too "clean" for my taste, lacking the hard grit and oil-stained grime of its pixelated iterations, but it's fun to see the P.O.W.s, mummies, aliens, and other series' trademarks — alon??gside some ??fun-looking boss characters.

The post SNK releases first gameplay video for mobile title ?Metal Slug Code: J appeared first on Destructoid.

No matter how farfetched

Cblogs of 4/17 to 4/23/2021

-Egg&Brewsterjr gives thanks for the fan translation of Marvelous: Mohitotsu no Takarajima.

-BRAV0 F1VE reviews indie game Narita Boy.

-Gamingnerd looks back at the history of the Metal Slug franchise on its 25th anniversary.

-Lord Spencer writes a report about?? 11 games as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.

-Dinoracha reviews Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Switch.

-Gamingnerd looks back at the history of the Wonder Boy franchise on its 35th anniversary.

-Lord Spencer updates his PS1 REVIEWS List where you can suggest games for him ?to review.

-Mr. Knives share his thoughts on the Dread X Collection of bit-sized games.

-Osc updates us?? on the progress of their hobbyist game.

-ABowlOfCereal continues the discussion on balancing Guardian Heroes.

-ChronoLynxx opens another TGIF open community forum thread.

A smaller run of blogs this week, but all of them are aces! Thanks to Lord Spencer for providing us with the recap. And if you'd like to be part of next week's front page roundup, then head on over to the Cblogs and spill your opinion?s. We're looking forward to hearing from you!

The post What video games would you love to see localized? appeared first on Destructoid.

Pocket-sized Rawkit Lawnchair

I'm goin??g to cover this news even though they didn't include Leona in the promotional shot?. Harumph.

SNK has released Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 on Nintendo Switch. The retro compilation is now available to download from the Nintendo eShop for around $40, which is less ?than these titles would cost you if you pi??cked them up today in their original form.

The compilation brings together great titles from SNK excellent but ill-fated handheld from the early '00s. Included in the package are the previously released Samurai Shodown! 2, King of Fighters R-2, SNK Gals' Fighters, Fatal Fury: First Contact, The Last Blade: Beyond the Destiny, and the brilliant SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium. New to this compilation are cutesy golf sim Big Tournament Golf, RPG Dark Arms: Beast Buster, and both Metal Slug: 1st Mission and Metal Slug: 2nd Mission.

Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 includes 3D models of each game's original packaging and cartridge, and players also have the option of displaying the Neo Geo Pocket titles with their original monochromatic visuals. I'm very happy to see all of these games archived for future generati??ons, given the increasing rarity of some of the releases.

While the NGPC console was most certainly under-played and under-purchased at launch, it's heartening to see these great games return for some deserved time in the spotlight. Good stuff.

The post Neo Geo Pocke?t Color Selection Vol.1 out no??w on Switch, includes Metal Slug titles appeared first on Destructoid.

No Memory Card slot though...

UNICO, in association with SNK, has revealed the MVSX Home Arcade, a tabletop arcade unit that recalls SNK's glory days in? the 1990s coin-op scene. Stylised like a classic MVS cabinet, the MVSX Home Arcade comes pre-loaded with 50 classic SNK/Neo-Geo ti??tles.

The MVSX Home Arcade stands 25 inches high and 15.4 inches wide and features two-player controls, stereo speakers, and a 17-inch LCD screen -  running in classic 4:3 format and at a resolution of 1280 x 1024. Pre-loaded with the staples of the SNK catalogue, the MVSX includes multiple titles from the King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Samurai Shodown, Last Blade, Sengoku, World Heroes, and Metal Slug franchises, alon?g with several sporting classics. All of the included games can be played in MVS or AES mode, and screen filters can be applied for that traditional a?rcade scanlines effect.

Now for the damages. The MVSX Home Arcade will launch worldwide in October/November 2020 priced at around $450 USD. For an additional $50, customers will receive an extended base unit, transforming the MVSX into a mini five-foot arcade cabinet. Pre-orders are expected to open in September. It should also be clarified that the MVSX is an emulation unit, and as such is not compatible with actual MVS carts.

For more information on the MVSX Home Arcade, as well as a full list of included titles, visit the official website. As an old-school, dyed-in-the-wool SNK head. I think this looks like a cool de?vice, provided the emulation software holds up. Also, as it's releasing in next-gen season, it's definitely out of my budget. Rega?rdless, that's a fantastic list of games.

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Incendiary

SNK has partnered with Tencent subsidiary TiMi Studios to create a new entry in the legendary Metal Slug series. Currently running with the temporary title of Metal Slug Code: J, this latest entry in the run 'n' ??gun franchise is now in development for iOS ??and Android devices.

A teaser trailer, which you can check out below, depicts recognisable Metal Slug gameplay, albeit with 3D-modelled characters, rather than the series' traditional 2D sprites. The action itself seems snug though, with frantic eight-way gun-play, explosive vehicles, and swarms of enemy soldiers being disintegrated. We also see Metal Slug roster regulars Marco, Fio, ?Tarma and Eri - although the latter appears to have gone through a bit of a Hollywood redesign.

"Metal Slug has such an amazing history of great action and gameplay so we're proud to bring this to mobile gamers around the world," said SNK's Yasuyuki Oda in a press release. "We're happy to work closely with such a strong developer as TiMi Studios on this latest Metal Slug title."

TiMi Studios' general manager Winco Qin returned the compliment, stating "Metal Slug is one of the great arcade franchises and a perfect fit for mobil?e play. Our team has been focused on a faithful recreation of the game's classic shoot 'em up style, easil??y accessible for players that’s fun for new and existing fans of the genre."

Metal Slug Code: J is currently in development fo??r iOS and Android devices.

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It's unclear if the series' gorgeous pixel art will return

It's easy to be skeptical of a new entry in the Metal Slug series, and I am??, but ??I'm also clinging onto hope.

There's a mobile title in production at Tencent, but we're not talking about that – we're here for the upcoming console-bound Metal Slug. Details about the project are still sparse following a report last year, and we haven't seen the art style (pixels, please!), but SNK is now targeting a 2020 release.

To b?e clear, this console game is a traditional side-scrolling shooter. It at least has that going for it.

The run-and-gun genre is in capable hands in the indie gaming scene, but at the same time, I'd love for Metal Slug to have a ??modern-day resurgence.?? I light up whenever I see one of the arcade cabinets.

If they're abl??e to reca?pture the intricate pixel art and animation, are you down for this game?

New Metal Slug Console and Mobile Games Take Aim at a 2020 Releas??e [Siliconera] [Image credit]

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Investor meet brings interesting tidbits

Veteran developer/publisher SNK held an investor report in Seoul earlier today. According to a report by Ruliweb - translated courtesy of Twitter user @gatoray_kof - there is not only a new entry in the Metal Slug series currently in development, but there is also a "Neo Geo V??ersion 2 and 3" on the books.

The Metal Slug title is an all-new release, not linked with the mobile game currently in developm?ent at mobile giants Tencent. This title is being built for a mainstream console release sometime in the future. There are currently little to no details on the Neo Geo Version 2/3, other than to say it is semi open-platform, and has come about thanks to the pleasing response to the Neo Geo Mini. Details are very scarce, so take all of t?his with a grain of salt for now.

Also noted in the meeting was that 2018's cutesy fighter SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy succeeded in shifting around 300,000 copies to date. Going forward, SNK aims to release two major games a year from 2020 onward. What with the promising looking Samurai Shodown already on the horizon, hopefully the long-time developer can see ?something of a renaissance in the coming years.

SNK meeting reveals new Metal Slug and Neo Geo Versions 2/3 [Ruliweb/gatory_kof]

On Apr 16, SNK Investor Relations 2019 has been celebr??ated.

- NeoGeo Conso?le version 2, 3 is being planned, (Semi open platformed, but not relat??ed NeoGeoMini)

- SNK Heriones is sold 300,000 copies

- Metal Slug new title for console is being developed.//t.co/LqGPYuHEhl

— Gatoray (@gatoray_kof) April 16, 2019

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The Ikari Warriors are along for the ride

SNK has announced that run 'n' gun shooter sequel Metal Slug XX is now available on PC via the Steam platform. This title is one in a long line of releases for the classic arca??de series, which features a?? small group of brazen mercenaries laying waste to armies of soldiers, zombies and even extra-terrestrial beings.

Metal Slug XX is a re-release of the 2009 Sony PSP title, which itself is a remake of Metal Slug 7, the fir?st game in the series not to see an arcade release. It features all of the chaotic and explosive action expected from the franchise, along with new rideable death-bringers such as the Slug Truck, ??Slug Armor and the Slug Gigant.

Joining playable regulars Marco, Eri, Fio and Tarma are The Ikari Warriors, crossover guests from SNK's own King of Fighters series. Ralf and Clark are present and correct, as is Best Fighting Game Girl Leona Heidern, who is no longer a DLC character. Leona can utilise her cla?ssic "Moon Slasher" attack to take out ??enemies and block incoming fire.

Metal Slug XX, already available o??n PS4 and ?Xbox One via backwards compatibility, can now be purchased on PC. You can check out a new trailer for the Steam edition below.

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Mission. One. Start.

Another chaotic, cathartic shooter from SNK's Metal Slug series returns to modern platforms this week, as retro-enthusiasts Hamster release Metal Slug 5 on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Originally launching in arcades in 2003, Metal Slug 5 was one of the final carts produced for the home Neo Geo platform. It also found its way to Xbox and the PS2 via publishers Playmore. One of the more creative of the series, this fifth outing for Eri and co?. ditches that reused assets of its previous entry to create new environments, ene?mies and vehicles.

Across a series of rapid-fire stages, players will take their chosen mercs across land, sea and air, utilising new Slugs such as Spider Slug, the Slug Gunner and the amusing Car Slug, a dinky compact car with a mounted heavy gun. As expected, there are veterans to be rescued, weapons to be collected and giant bosses to battle. A tough little title, Metal Slug 5 is one of my favourite entries in the series.

Metal Slug 5 is available now on PS4 in Japan and Xbox One and Nintendo Switch worldwide, priced at arou??nd? $8.

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But it's not without its missteps

I don't know what's going on with the Neo Geo Mini. Shortly after I got my hands on one, SNK announced that an upgraded Holiday version of the hardware would be going up for pre-order in the coming days. That's not a good sign. I have to guess that the initial SKU failed to sell as well as SNK had expected, leaving them scrambling to rework the units they already produced into a more marketable package. Their apparent lack of confidence in their product leaves me pessimistic?? about this weird little machine's future. 

It's a shame too, because this is by far my favorite plug-and-play mini console to date, at least? in terms of its library. I bought the NES and SNES Classics day one, and I love them to "bits", but there's no denying that nearly all the games on each system are outdated. That's the point of the nostalgia-powered novelty collections thou?gh, right? To take a trip in your mind back in time? 

If so, then that's probably why the Neo Geo Mini isn't selling. These are not the games that many grew up loving. These are the games that most of us could only afford to play for ten minutes a week at the local arcade, before going home and sinking hours into The Legend of Zelda or Sonic the Hedgehog. That said. there are several games on the console that stand up to the best that 2018 has to offer in their respective genres. Garou: Mark of the Wolves looks and plays better than 99% of today's fighting games. Metal Slug 3 is still the best looking 2D run-and-gun action game I've ever played. There are also plenty of quality games on here that I'd never heard of before. For instance, if you told me that Ninja Masters was as all new indie fi??ghter, and not a Neo Geo title from the '90's, not only would I have believed you, but I would have been more than happy to pay $15 for it.

That's why, despite my love of Jumping Flash and Super Puzzle Fighter, the N??eo Geo Mini beats out the PS1 Classic for me this holiday season. It's also why I am more optimistic than ever that Nintendo will skip the N64 when it rolls out its next Classic console, and will instead jump straight to the Game Boy family of systems. I've already taken my Neo Geo Mini on the go with me a few times, and I'm sure people would love to do the same with a similarly versatile handheld/home console pre-load?ed with games from Nintendo pre-DS portable generation. The Neo Geo Mini has issues, but its definitely worth looking into once Black Friday rolls around. 

The Setup 

The Neo Geo Mini is a better handheld than it is a home console. I have fairly large hands, but I've had no problems with the stick and buttons on the console itself. The screen is also bright and clear. The console doesn't take batteries, and instead runs off of a USB port, similar to most cell phones. I've played it running off my car's cigarette lighter USB adapter, a mobile cell phone battery, and hooked up to my laptop on the train, and as of yet I've had no problem with power supplies, or pulling off special moves in KoF 2002 while on the move.

The optional control pads (sold separately) aren't nearly as nice. The control stick is loose and the button??s are loud and clicky. They aren't impossible to get used to, but its strange that they are such a downgrade from the stick built into the console itself.

In some misguided attempt to replicate the arcade experience, all the gam?es are programmed to have a set amount of tokens for both players, You can tone down the difficulty ,or increase the amount of default lives you have for most of the games, but your starting token count never changes.

These are not arcade original roms though. Most have been altered for the home market to let you save then restart from whatever stage you last made it to. You can also open up the emulator's menu and activate save states. It's a pret?ty weird system that is cumbersome and confusing at first, but that's easy to forget once you acclimate.

The emulator also ha??s some real bare-bones features, like the ability to turn on pixel smoothing and stretching. It's extremely small-time stuff, and for the most part, will make each game look different or worse, but never better. With the correct aspect ratio and smoothing off, the games look about as good as they do on the Switch or PS4, at least to me. I haven't had my eyes checked this year, so maybe I'm missing something, but pressed my face up right up to the screen to look for artifacting, and my 41-year-old eyes didn't detect any. So that's good news. The bad news is, the only extras here are a couple of stickers. No in-menu history section, no bonuses, nothing but a instruction booklet for the hardware itself. 

The Games

There are 40 games on the Neo Geo Mini. The console costs about $110, so you're getting each one for less than $3, about $5 less than what they might go for on digital storefronts, assuming they are available anywhere else at all. They fall under the genres of fighters, wrestling games, run and gun, shmups, beat 'em ups, sports games and unnerving Tetris knock offs. There's actually only one of these here, but it's worth mentionin??g for how ba?d it made me feel. 

The range of quality here is pretty enormous. Some of these games are a sincere waste of time unless you go in strictly to marvel at how much gaming has changed over the past 20 years. Others are games that I sincerely believe are some of the best ever made. I'?ll break them up into three categories (Oddballs, Mid-tier and Classics)? and do my best to describe them for you. 

The Oddballs 

Blue's Journey, one of the oldest games in the bunch, is relic from a bygone era, not unlike a cigarette commercial starring The Flintstones. It has a decidedly launch era TurboGrafx-16 feel to it, with overly detailed backgrounds and very small characters. They don't make them like this anymore for a reason. It's generally messy, but in a sort of "manic toddler eating a $1 box of sugar cookies" sort of way. 

Robo Army is so bad that it's funny, but not that funny. The opening cinematic is completely bananas, promising unhinged Sci-Fi violence on whole other level, but when you finally get control of your character, things slow down quickly. It's a beat 'em up where you play as a cyborg that can randomly turn into a car, as you blow up other cyborgs, giant dogs that turn out to be cyborgs, and angry cars. I?t's clunky and sad, but those with a morbid curiosity for what people used to be willing to play for $.25 microtransactions might find it interesting in a scientific sort of way.  

Mutation Nation starts off feeling similarly janky, but after a few minutes, you'll see that a lot of the animation here is pretty solid. Charge moves lie at the core of the game's combat system, which is novel for the genre, and the Akira-meets-Cronenberg ch?aracter designs are surprising, sometimes genuinely distur?bing.

Ghost Pilots is a top down WW2 shmup that was probably trying to leech off the popularity of 1942 and 1943. It's totally fine??, but nothing to write home about.

Crossed Swords is another beat 'em up, but this one plays from a Punch-Out!!/Pato Box perspective. It's more polished looking that Robo Army, and the RPG elements add some depth, but the combat ??is a total me?ss. That's bad news for a game that's about, uh, combat.

Puzzled is the Tetris-knock off I brought up at the top. It really makes me appreciate all the little quality-of-life improvements that are found in recent Tetris games like Tetris Effect and Puyo Puyo Tetris. All you can do is move, rotate and?? drop you paces, so even the most basic of advancements like?? the T-spin is out of the picture. The game has a campaign mode and different stages, based around trying to free pixies who are trapped under some blocks? I don't know guys, video games just sort of do their own thing sometimes. 

The Mid-Tiers

Magician Lord is one of the first games I ever blew $20 on at an arcade in order to see it to the end. Playing it now is not that great. In many ways it feels like Castlevania with larger characte?rs, but the controls are just as stiff, making it hard to keep your giant hitbox out of the way of enemy attacks. It's got a cool transformation gimmick though (you can turn into a dragon, a ninja, or even Poseidon for some reason) and one heck of a creepy womb level. 

Kizuna Encounter is a fighting game that probably started of in development as a two-player beat 'em up. Two of the games ten playable characters are beautifully animated, while the rest are serviceable but unimpressive in their appearances. What's really interesting about the game is it's tag team system. Unlike in recent tag fighters like Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite, you have to get close to your partner before you can tag them in. They don't automatically jump in when the character you're using is out of health either, adding an interesting layer of strategy to the otherwise standard Street Fighter II-style fighter. 

Ninja Masters feels like it was supposed to be the first entry in a series that would work as the Ninja equivalent to Samurai Showdown. They clearly didn't have a lot of RAM to work with for their ambitions, as the characters are relatively small, but it has some really smartly executed animations. If I were game designer and one of my students wanted to learn how to make realistic, non-pandering breast physics for their game, I'd probably point them to towards Ninja Masters. The whole thing culminating in battle with good old Nobunaga, which is a lot of fun for fans of magic?al Japanese history g??ames like myself.

Sengoku 3 is another ninja game, a beat 'em up this time, one that's gotten a lot of praise from retro enthusiasts over the years. I'm not 100% sure why. It's got good art and a varied cast of characters, but nothing about it really stands out about it. Maybe I'm just unfairly comparing it to the Capcom Dungeon and Dragons games without realizing it. 

Blazing Star (sequel to Pulstar) is a pretty good shmup that works on a upgrade system that extends the length and strength of your charge shot meter. Picking up power ups doesn't always make your basic shot better, but it does give you?? the potential to fire off huge paylo??ads of neon energy if you play your cards right. Other than that, a standard sci-fi anime shmup.

Last Resort is more up my alley, with a novel take on R-Type's bit system and even greater attention to detail to make the world you destroy feel lived in. The open levels takes place in a city under siege by giant robots, featuring little civilians driving - or even running ?- away from the carnage in a futile attempt to survive. It's adorable and sad in a way that few modern shmups bother going for anym??ore. 

Shock Troopers and its sequel are Ikari Warriors-likes with an added evasive maneuver (a roll or a jump) to get you away from bullets, though it has a fair amount of a cooldown so you can't spam it. The animation is better in the second one, but some of the backgrounds and characters have a weird pre-rendered look that can be a bit of a turn off, whereas the first one has more consistent art direction overall. Still, bot??h are fun enough if you're in the mood for some hard boiled co-op arcade action. 

King of Monsters, King of Monsters 2 and 3 Count Bout, are all wrestling games that are a nice alternative for people who want to beat up their friends without having to worry about too much depth getting the the way of the immediate violence. The King of Monsters games are based around Kaiju films, which adds an extra layer of charm if you're a fan of the classic rubber suit Toho movies of old. 

3 Count Bout plays it more straight faced, but it's definitely very "videogamey", as are Foot Ball Frenzy, Super Sidekicks and Top Players Golf, the other three sports games found in this collection. Technical limitations permitted them for going for any??thing that approaching "realism", but the sprite-based graphics have a loving, hand crafted feel to them, and the respective designs of each game play like cartoonish approximations of the source material. 

World Heroes 2 Perfect has a special place in my heart, as its has both the most superhuman fake Bruce Lee in the history of gaming and a psychic monk based on Rasputin, Russia's famous love machine, but I have to admit that it's not as deep, original, or well crafted as most of the other fighting games here. Still, it's the best World Heroes game of them all, so if you were ever curious about what the Battleborn equivalent of '90's 2D fighters was like, then you're in luck. &n??bsp;

The Classics

A lot has already been written about the Metal Slug, Samurai Shodown, and King of Fighters families of games, so I probably won't go on and on about them here. Like I said at the top, I think Metal Slug 3 is one of the best looking games ever made. Metal Slug X/2 and the original game in the series come close behind it. Metal Slug 4 and 5 are notably less visually impressive than the games that came before them, with little in the way of new enemies other than bosses. So you can stop after 3 if you want, but if you don't, go into the next t?wo with ?lowered expectations. 

There are only three Samurai Shodown games here, and they stand out as some of the most extreme iterations of the franchise. Sam Sho 2 is is essentially the first game but with more characters. Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa's Revenge retains the new and improved sprites and Slash/Burt systems from Samurai Shodown III while (you guessed it) adding more characters. Samurai Shodown V Special is essentially an apology for Samurai Shodown V, bringing together characters from every? chapter of the series for one last hurrah.

The King of Fighters games are a little more difficult to break down, as they work as a giant crossover of various SNK franchises. Technically, Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury Special (an enhanced version of Fatal Fury 2) work as their prequels. They are both dated compared to the games that followed, but they have significance. Fatal Fury Special is the first game to officially start the shared SNK fighting game universe with it's hidden battle against Ryo from Art of Fighting. Real Bout Fatal Fury is also on this collection. I almost put it on the o??ddities list, as its weird, three-plane fighti?ng system is pretty strange. In the end though, I threw it here with the classics because it's definitely a significant part of the evolution of fighting games. 

From there were have King of Fighters '95. '97, '98, 2000, and 2002. The offer a nice overview of how the franchise evolved during the height of popularity enjoyed by fighting games in the late 90's into the early 2000's. From a visual perspective though, they largely pale compared to The Last Blade 2 and Garou: Mark of the Wolves.?? For my money, they are the two most beautiful SNK fighting games of that er?a, or any era for that matter.

_{[These impressions are based on a retail build of the hardware provided by the publisher.]}

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Deck the Halls

In one of today's we?irdest bits of news, SNK has ?revealed the existence of a limited edition "Christmas" model of their nostalgia console, the Neo Geo Mini, which launched worldwide mere weeks ago.

This yuletide console is decorated in festive colours, such as red and gold, and features festive decorative stickers and even has the words "Merry Christmas" printed on it, so you can have fond memories of December when you're playing it in April. Packaged with the main unit are two themed controllers, along with afor??ementioned stickers, a?? slip-mat, HDMI lead, and some screen protectors.

The Neo Geo Mini Christmas has also seen a shake-up in its game catalogue. Some titles have been removed, while others have been added, for a grand total of 48 games, eight more than either the Neo Geo Mini or the Neo Geo Mini International. You ??can check out the full list of titles in the gallery below.

Pre-orders for the Neo Geo Mini Christmas are expected to open worldwi?de "in the coming days".

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Are you taking the trip back?

[Update: Various European retailers have gone live with Neo Geo Mini pre-orders today. The price is around £130 for the main unit, wit?h searate controllers retailing for around £25. The stated release date is October 29. U.S. sites are expected to be open pre-orders on September 12.]

Online UK retailer Funstock Retro has announced tha??t th?ey will be opening pre-orders for the International Edition of the Neo Geo Mini retro console tomorrow, September 10.

Pre-orders are be?ing taken on a "first come, first served" basis, although the retailer has not actually disclosed a price for the throwback device, which was first revealed in May of this year, before launching in Japan in July. It's worth noting the Japanese edition retailed for around ¥11,500, or roughly $100 USD.

The Neo Geo Mini contains 40 classic Neo Geo games, which can be played on the built-in 3.5 inch screen, or hooked up to a TV set via HDMi. The International edition of the console features different artwork and games to its Japanese brethren, as well as delightfully '90s box art. You can find the full list of titles for both editions right here.

Neo Geo M??ini pre-o?rders opening Monday September 10 [FunstockRetro]

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Run 'n' Gun arcade classic available now

Everyone enjoys Metal Slug, right? I don't think I've met anyone who doesn't. The simple, cool and addictive shooters are great time-killers and perfect for casual two-player action. Today you can find out for yourself, as Hamster have re-released Metal Slug 4 on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Originally launching in arcades and on the Neo Geo platform back in 2002, Metal Slug 4? was produced during SNK's bankruptcy, before their eventual rebirth as SNK Playmore. Nevertheless it contains the frenzied platforming action expected from the series as players take Marco, Fio, or newcomers Nadia and Trevor through a series of stages in order to find the source of a dangerous cyber-virus (It's the early 2000's, so "cyber").

New features include the ability to ??transform into monkeys for more agility at the cost of firepower. Speaking of firepow??er, players can now dual-wield the Heavy Machine-Gun for crowd-clearing mayhem. New Slugs include the Metal Crow, The Crawler, and former enemy vehicle, The Bradley.

Metal Slug 4 is available to download now on PS4 in Japan and Xbox One and Nintendo Sw??itch worldwide, priced at around $8.

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Retro console launches next month

SNK have finally revealed a Japanese release date and retail price for their cutesy arc?ade unit, the Neo Geo Mini, which will be arriving on store shelves in surprisingly short order.

Speaking in a press statement on their official website, SNK announced that the portable device will launch July 24 in its native Japan, at a cost of ¥11,500, which is a little over $100 USD. The Neo Geo Mini includes 40 classic SNK titles, although the games featured differ slightly from those featured in the Western version of the console.

No date was announced for the Neo Geo Mini's worldwide debut, but at least now we have a rough price-tag estimate to work worth. No doubt we will be seeing the console in our neck of the woods before long. Pre-orders for the Japanese model are now open at various online outlets.

Neo Geo Mini gets price and Japanese release date [Official]

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Still no lockdown on date or price

Amongst the hustle and bustle of this E3 weekend, legendary developer SNK released a video online to talk a little more about their upcoming retro-device, the Neo Geo Mini. The console will launch?? in Japan this Summer, and worldwide a l??ittle later. Surprisingly, no specific date, or a price, was announced.

Hosted by the legitimately named Max Powers, who may or may not be taking the piss, the 13-minute video shone a spotlight on the? portable arcade unit, which features a 3.5 inch screen, HDMI support, USB connectivity and ports for external control pads, which are in the style of the mid-'90s Neo Geo CD console and come in black or white.

More intriguing was the reveal that the previously announced dual versions of the unit will come pre-loaded with differing games. The International version, for example, features a huge selection of Metal Slug titles, while the Japanese edition will feature all the Neo Geo-based King of Fighters games. This might be a sticking point for fans, who probably feel that they will have to pick up both u?nits in order to get the complete 100 M??eg Shock! experience.

You can check out the p?resentation, and the game listings for each version of the console, below.

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SNK will unveil their little bundle of joy

During the festivities of the E3 pre-show press conferences, Japanese publisher SNK will host a live stream for their recently announced retro device, the Neo Geo Mini.

Titled "The Legacy Lives On", information about the stream itself is pretty thin, although many are expecti?ng the long-time arcade developer to showcase the Neo Geo Mini in action, as well as announce a price and a street date for the portable unit, that comes with a 3,5 inch screen, HDMI suppor?t, and pre-loaded with 40 classic Neo Geo titles.

If you want to check out the stream yourself, then you should tune into the official SNK YouTube channel on Saturday, June 9, at 19:00 PT / 22:00 ET. This will be 11:00 on Sunday, June 10 in local Japanese time. So there's one more stream to add to the b?ursting-at-the-seams timetable.

Neo Geo Mini online presentation [YouTube]

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Prepare your Rocket Lawn Chair

SNK have announced that their classic ballistic shooter, Metal Slug XX, will arrive on PS4 t?his week, a new trailer was also released to celebrate the return of the Sony PSP hit.

The PS4 release will feature two player co-op via SharePlay, a list of 30 trophies, and a selection of visual filters in order to recreate the effect of an arcade cab or even an old-school CRT television sets. For those who prefer their action unfilter??ed, this new release has been remastered to glorious 4K, a first for the series.

Best of all, King of Fighters veteran and Greatest Video Game Girl of All Time, Leona Heidern, is unlocked and ready to select from the off. Along with fellow Ikari Warriors Ralf and Clark, this gives you a total of seven?? badass characters to choose from. The PS4 release also retains the Mission Mode from the original, where players can take on over 70 challenges.

Metal Slug XX will be available to download on PS4 on May 29, pric?ed around $20.

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The Future is June

SNK have announced that, sometime early next month, the developer will hold an online presentation to physically reveal the Neo Geo Mini console to the world, after it's initial announcement just last week.

The company are currently receiving questions from fans up until May 2??8 on their Twitter, and will answer some of the queries submitted during the reveal. Although there are no specific details on what the presentation will entail, it is likely that we'll get a release date and, hopefully, a price for the quirky little device.

The Neo Geo Mini launches later this year worldwide. It c??ontains 40 SNK arcade classics, a 3.5 inch LCD screen, HDMI connectivity to monitors and USB ports for further controllers, which are rumoured to be based on the ?Neo Geo CD's gamepad design.

In early June, 2018, we will hold NEOGEO mini Online Presentation!
The latest news of NEOGEO mini will be revealed.
We would like to hear what you would like to ask us about our NEOGEO mini.
Please leave your comment on this post by May 28th(JST)! #SNK #SNK40th #NEOGEOmini pic.twitter.com/7h802bgB5p

— SNK GLOBAL (@SNKPofficial) May 18, 2018

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The Future is Now, Then and Forever

SNK have revealed details on their upcoming retro device, the Neo Geo Mini. As expected, it is indeed the console that was leaked just before the weekend and replicates ??the MVS cabinets that filled many an arcade room in t?he '90s.

The unit stands a little over six inches tall and five inches wide. The control panel features a classic joystick and ABCD button layout (a??lthough the buttons are stacked, rather than aligned). You can play all?? of its built-in classic games on the Mini's 3.5 inch LCD screen, or you can connect the device to a TV through HDMI.

There are USB ports with which to con?nect external controllers which, according the rumours last week, are designed in the style of the Neo Geo CD pads of yesteryear. The Mini also houses a headphone jack. There wil??l be two variations of the Neo Geo Mini, to reflect the differing MVS cabinet designs in Japan and overseas.

Although SNK have not yet revealed an official list of the 40 games housed within the dinky unit, these too may have been already revealed, including obvious titles such as Samurai Shodown II, King of Fighters '98, Metal Slug, Real Bout 2: The Newcomers and Garou: Mark of the Wolves.

SNK are yet to an??nounce a date or price for the Neo? Geo Mini.

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'Neo Geo Classic', surely?

Long time developer/publisher SNK are celebrating 40 years in the business this yea??r. The  former arcade giant has teased that they will be releasing new hardware as a thank you to gamers for decades of faithful fandom.

Although there is no images, nor a name for the new hardware, it is expected to feature a selection of Neo Geo classics from their huge back catalogue. In their official statement, SNK referenced franchises such as The King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown and Metal Slug, some of which will surely see inclusion on the Neo Geo Classic upcoming console.

Re-releasing their old games has proved incredibly profitable for SNK, particularly in recent years. The classic titles put out by Hamster on modern platforms, particularly the Nintendo Switch releases, have done wonders to bolster SNK's coffers. The company also recently announced a compilation, coming soon to the Nintendo console.

We will, of course, keep you informed on this intr?iguing new device as info becomes available.

今年、SNKブランドは40周年を迎えます。『KOF』『餓狼伝説』『サムスピ』『メタスラ』など、SNKの作品を支持して頂いているファンの皆様への感謝の気持ちを込め、NEOGEOの人気タイトルを収録した新しいゲーム機が登場します！ご期待ください。The Future is Now! #SNK #SNK40th #NEOGEO #ネオジオ pic.twitter.com/zxXK5QQ8D2

— SNK JAPAN (@SNKPofficial_jp) April 19, 2018

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Hev-eee Machine Gun

At PAX East this weekend, SNK announced that their 2009 PSP shooter, Metal Slug XX, will be making its le??ad-slingi??ng way to the PS4 sometime this Summer.

Metal Slug XX is a revamped version of Nintendo DS title, Metal Slug 7. XX was tweaked in its transition to the PSP, including new sounds, crisper visuals and new enemies, training missions and hidden secrets. It also included online co-op. Best of all, for a buck, you were able to add King of Fighters veteran and? Best Girl of All Time, Leona Heidern, to the roster of selectable characters.

Metal Slug XX was later re-released on the Xbox 360, it is also playable on Xbox One ??via backwards compatibility. The PS4 release will arrive sometime this Summer. You can check out the trailer for the Xbox 360 release below.

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Crab People

Hamster are bringing another classic SNK arcade to modern-day platforms. As part of the ongoing ACA Neo Geo range, today sees the release of platform shooter Metal Slug 3 for the PS4 and Xbox One.

Originally launched in arcades in 2000, before being ported to almost every home console under the sun (including PS4, oddly, making this a re-release), Metal Slug 3 is one of the? most well-remembered of the frantic run 'n' gun series. Taking a deviation from its military roots, this edition of the series features undead monsters, intergalactic beings, Ark of the Covenant-esque spirits and, yes, crab people.

The game also introduced branching pathways to t??he series, and is well remembered for its comedic mechanics which turned the player into a zombie soldier, or a portly ball should they c??ollect too much food. The four selectable characters can ride into battle atop a range of new Slugs, including Drill Slug, Slug Mariner and the amusing animal hybrids: Elephant Slug and Ostrich Slug.

Given it's low cost, it may be worth pulling the trigger on this arcade classic. Metal Slug 3 is available for download today on PS4 an??d Xbox One, priced at $7.

_{The trailer below is for the game's previous release.}

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