SNK is back?!

[Stevens]

I think this deserves its own thread.

How does SNK follow up their 40th Anniversary Collection and a new Samurai Shodown?

How about new Neo Geo hardware and a new console Metal Slug.

https://www.google.com/search?q=snk+neo ... ve&ssui=on

I for one think this is exciting news.

[Xyga]

Well they've got the licences so they better keep using them, people were satisfied with the Mini and Heroines, so why not more gimmicky emulation toys and art/code copy-paste ?
There's a mobile game coming along that MS apparently.
Branded emu toys and gacha are good easy profit.

Sorry if this sounds overly negative, but I don't know what people expect, realistically.

[JBC]

Well, these titles have to be exclusive or it won't succeed. I can't imagine them taking the risk of not publishing a new Metal Slug on eShop & PSN but with no draw they'll only attract the pre-existing SNK crowd. I hope it does well but it will need to establish itself as a distinct platform in order to compete, if that's the plan. If I were them I would put it out there as something wildly different in much the same way that Switch & PS4 are distinct from each other, and for that you need exclusives.

Trouble is, if they go the "We're a modern 2D powerhouse!" route they'll still have a monster of an enemy in Nintendo. People buy those retro-themed eShop games like crazy. Maybe they have some new tech gimmick in mind, but I can't imagine that's the case.

[KAI]

Give me ports of the HNG64 games or GTFO SNK.

[Despatche]

SNK never left. In fact, the SNK of now has less in common with the SNK of old than SNK Playmore did...

I'm pretty sure this new Neo Geo is just gonna be another "mini" thing. Even the new SNK doesn't have the money to do a serious new console, and Exa-Arcadia beat them to whatever arcade attempt they could do.

[bigbadboaz]

Yeah, I can't imagine what this new hardware is going to be. But they're setting high expectations throwing "Neo Geo 2 and 3" around.

All I want is a new Last Blade to follow up this SamSho.

[Sumez]

they're setting high expectations throwing "Neo Geo 2 and 3" around.

Or just brandishing Engrish

[MintyTheCat]

Hard to say but clearly people will and have paid thus far for pricey emu hardware. I quite like the Mini. I like the many options that we have to play NG games these days.

Going back to niche and exclusive could work but it's a fair amount of work too. What's easy: keep releasing emulated games and sometimes emulated platform hardware. I think that the NeoGeoX was a bit of a mistake - the screen wasn't very good. The screen for the Mini is pretty good.

They've set themselves some high standards really: would any one be happy seeing a new MS game that wasn't graphically on the same level of quality as MS3? Even today MS3 really stands out.

We shall have to see but I'm not holding my breathe for something life-changing

[xxx1993]

They've set themselves some high standards really: would any one be happy seeing a new MS game that wasn't graphically on the same level of quality as MS3?

I would. Honestly, I've been waiting for Metal Slug to make a comeback after nine years.

[MintyTheCat]

They've set themselves some high standards really: would any one be happy seeing a new MS game that wasn't graphically on the same level of quality as MS3?

I would. Honestly, I've been waiting for Metal Slug to make a comeback after nine years.

I think you've misunderstood me - my point is that for SNK to release a new, decnet 2D MS it would have to not be a rehash of older games and would have to approach or even surpass the level of quality of MS3 - otherwise, what's the point? MS3 was developed during a time whereby SNK was looking at bankrupcy and many people thought that it could be the last SNK game for the NeoGeo and so we ended up with a sort of 'swan song'.

I hope that they don't throw out 2D artwork as many of use love it - me included It's a bit like black and white, hand drawn comic art - yes, it's old-school and dated but it's sort of 'classical' too and I love it.

[Sumez]

I'd be excited for a new Metal Slug, but if I had to be honest, I couldn't tell you how many they have already made. I lost track after MS5, and they've just kept coming out since.

[drauch]

They haven't made a new one for 10 years though? Unless I'm missing a slew of mobile games that I assume are awful.

[stryc9]

my point is that for SNK to release a new, decnet 2D MS it would have to not be a rehash of older games and would have to approach or even surpass the level of quality of MS3 - otherwise, what's the point? MS3 was developed during a time whereby SNK was looking at bankrupcy and many people thought that it could be the last SNK game for the NeoGeo and so we ended up with a sort of 'swan song'.

I hope that they don't throw out 2D artwork as many of use love it - me included It's a bit like black and white, hand drawn comic art - yes, it's old-school and dated but it's sort of 'classical' too and I love it.

I think SNK proved themselves capable with KOF XIII. It might have taken fifteen years and an abortive beta-quality release in the form of XII, but they did finally manage to deliver a solid new KOF with amazing 2D sprites (stylistic choices nonwithstanding) and beautifully animated backgrounds.

Now admittedly Metal Slug is on another level again compared to the Neo KOF series in terms of animations, peaking with 3 (the man-eating plants and acid-vomiting snails look amazing upon disintegration!) I'm pretty confident there won't be a 2D sidescrolling action game that will ever match MS3 in terms of sheer animated visual panache, but if a new Metal slug is to be commissioned then realistically a technique similar to what Arc System Works achieved with the new Guilty Gears would be the cost effective - and hopefully series fan-pleasing route.

My ideal (read unrealistic) outcome is to design the new game in the same way KOF XIII was, since the gritty hand-touched up graphics in that game would lend itself well to Metal Slug's rugged appraisal. It would seem like a waste to throw away everything learnt from that project even if it was deemed too time consuming/expensive to produce. Unfortunately a Metal Slug game would probably need twice as many assets - and that's being conservative - to even get near the Neo Slug's visual dynamism.

Certainly a high bar they set themselves with that series of games.

[xxx1993]

I honestly can't stand MS3, though. It's the hardest of the Metal Slug games, not to mention how long the finale is.

[Despatche]

It's pretty phenomenal so many rate Metal Slug 3 so highly. Most who actually play the MS games seriously will put it near or at the bottom of the list, for good reason. The last thing we need is another MS like that, the absolute last thing.

[BryanM]

Up until the boss fight with the first aliens it's great. I give Contra a lot of shit for the snoozefest that is fixed threat lines, but the extremely low difficulty of Metal Slug 2 does make it a lot less tense to play.

This new $200 controller SNK is talking about is a little extraneous though.

[bigbadboaz]

What $200 controller?

So you guys saying MS3 is overrated: which entries do serious MSers actually rate?

[JBC]

Well, I really like the original. If it's not that then I play one of the later entries since I'm not as familiar with them, even though I have played through them all. They sort of just disappear from my memory after a short while.

All Metal Slugs are good, some just aren't as good as others. Imo 3 has too many annoyances. 2 is great, but I can never decide between original 2 or X.

[BryanM]

What $200 controller?

Just my guess for the best realistic case, something similar to the X. If they actually had the SoC and flash drive inside the joypad itself, it could be much cheaper than that.

We all know there's going to be zero exclusive games, and without the classic stick what do they have?

[No_not_like_Quake]

I wouldn't mind a new MS reboot in the style of the first one. Probably my favorite run n' gun. The pacing was just right. Maybe add some nods to 2/X. Stay away from the absurdity of 3. Someone mentioned the modern Guilty Gears graphical style of cost effective 3D behaving like 2D. That could work as a compromise.

[MintyTheCat]

I agree, stryc9.

It's open to discussion but fI was referring more over to the standard of the graphics and sprite work with MS3 being the pinnacle.

I don't like MS4 and have hardly played 5 and any after that.

MS was a real success story for the NG and I still love playing it.

[gameoverDude]

I wouldn't mind a new MS reboot in the style of the first one. Probably my favorite run n' gun. The pacing was just right. Maybe add some nods to 2/X. Stay away from the absurdity of 3. Someone mentioned the modern Guilty Gears graphical style of cost effective 3D behaving like 2D. That could work as a compromise.

I'm with you. Let's not have any more zombies, which were my least favorite part of MS3. A couple new Slug types would be fine.

[MintyTheCat]

I wouldn't mind a new MS reboot in the style of the first one. Probably my favorite run n' gun. The pacing was just right. Maybe add some nods to 2/X. Stay away from the absurdity of 3. Someone mentioned the modern Guilty Gears graphical style of cost effective 3D behaving like 2D. That could work as a compromise.

I'm with you. Let's not have any more zombies, which were my least favorite part of MS3. A couple new Slug types would be fine.

I love the zombies and the theme of the zombie level and that sound track - nice.

[Sumez]

I don't mind the idea of zombies in a MS game. But maybe they shouldn't be bullet sponges.

[Marc]

It's pretty phenomenal so many rate Metal Slug 3 so highly. Most who actually play the MS games seriously will put it near or at the bottom of the list, for good reason. The last thing we need is another MS like that, the absolute last thing.

God, I couldn't agree more. It was just so poorly paced that even when you 'got good' at it, it constantly killed any sense of momentum. The first was a joyous fast-paced romp, I found 3 a tedious unrelenting slog. I remember trying to convince myself that it wasn't that bad, as I'd forked out around £200.00 for the home cart, but even after that amount I knew deep down I'd rather be playing the original on Saturn.

[MintyTheCat]

It's pretty phenomenal so many rate Metal Slug 3 so highly. Most who actually play the MS games seriously will put it near or at the bottom of the list, for good reason. The last thing we need is another MS like that, the absolute last thing.

God, I couldn't agree more. It was just so poorly paced that even when you 'got good' at it, it constantly killed any sense of momentum. The first was a joyous fast-paced romp, I found 3 a tedious unrelenting slog. I remember trying to convince myself that it wasn't that bad, as I'd forked out around £200.00 for the home cart, but even after that amount I knew deep down I'd rather be playing the original on Saturn.

I tend to play MSX the most but my favourite level of them all thus far is China Town.
I liek MS1X23 and wasn't keen on MS4. I can play MS games pretty mcuh any time though.