![]() This is one of the better-known titles to Western gamers as it received a conversion for 16-bit home computers. The mechanic is similar to Taito's better-known Slap Fight, which was released the following year.īeast Busters (1989): an amusingly gory op on rails shooter - think Operation Wolf with zombies. This adds a layer of strategy as each must be dispatched using the appropriate weaponry. What this translates to is booting and bashing baddies across fairly conventional environments such as the literally-named World of ForestĪlpha mission (1985): a fun but tough vertical shooter, in which you face off against ground and air-based adversaries. Many don't quite stand the test of time compared to some of their better-known peers, but there’re still lots to enjoy from SNK:Īthena (1986): a Ghosts n’ Goblins inspired platform game, unlike the Capcom title our hero (inexplicably) starts in her pants and levels up into a suit of armour as you progress through levels (loosely) informed by Greek mythology. There is something in this selection of 24 games for everyone, including (lots of) shooters, plus brawlers and platformers. SNK was always going to be in safe hands. More recently, we can thank it for the Mega Man Legacy Collection, Blizzard Arcade Collection, the TMNT Cowabunga Collection, and many more.ĭigital Eclipse is up there with M2 as amongst the best in the business when it comes to giving retro games a second breath of life. It has a long heritage that stretches back to the mid-1990s when it released the Arcade's Greatest Hits collections taking in publishers like Midway, Atari and Williams. The collection comes from Digital Eclipse, a developer that specialises in video game preservation. The rest were a voyage of discovery - and that’s what makes this trawl so enticing. I, personally, have fond memories of Prehistoric Isle from an arcade cabinet I encountered on a childhood holiday. Prisoners of War was well-received on NES, as was the widely ported Ikari Warriors. There are some recognisable games on the SNK 40th Anniversary collection - P.O.W. Alternatively, you can still pick up the Neo Geo Mini micro console, which has a generous selection of the better-known hits bundled in. However, most of these games are readily available as digital downloads across the major platforms. This means none of the popular later franchises are included - no King of Fighters, Metal Slug, King of the Monsters, Fatal Fury etc. This 1990 cut-off excludes any games released for the Neo Geo, SNK's powerhouse cartridge-based arcade system/(very) high end home games console. Fairly or not, SNK never got the recognition of its peers, like Sega and Konami, during that period. Inevitably I was drawn to the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection - a compilation of deep cuts covering 1979 – 1990 available for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Switch. and that's not to mention the micro consoles! That said, I am starting to wonder if I'm just a bit of a mug? I've reinvested in Sega Mega Drive and Capcom titles across physical and digital collections over three generations now. Even as these collections have entered their fourth decade, my instinct for a bargain still exists. These ‘greatest hits’ packages have survived to the present day, but now tend to focus on retro games. Even better were compilations from the likes of Ocean or US Gold, which made premium titles like Outrun and Chase HQ much more affordable. The more realistic alternatives were £1.99 - £2.99 budget games on cassette from publishers like Codemasters or Mastertronic. Paying £30 - £40 for a cartridge in the '80s/ early '90s simply wasn't an option for most kids. This was out of necessity, not choice of course. As a Brit, I grew up with home computers rather than consoles.
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