It’s not uncommon for a company to gather their classic games together in a compilation. Nintendo gave their NESMariogames a 16-bit makeover inSuper Mario All-Starson the SNES. Namco bundled enough of their arcade games to produce 5Namco Museumvolumes for the PS1. Then the early 2000s saw a ton of collections withTaito Legends,Midway Arcade Treasures, and theSonic Mega Collectionamong others.
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They’re still around today withSonic Origins,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, and theCapcom Fighting Collection. The latter broughtDarkstalkersout of the vault alongside some hidden gems. So, it would be nice to see other companies gather their brawlers together too. Like SNK. Their bigger series have received compilations, and some of their more obscure entries have turned up as separate entries on digital storefronts. But ifSNKput together their ownFighting Collection, which underrated gems would appear on it? Here are some suggestions.
8Real Bout Fatal Fury Series
SNK is no stranger to digitally re-releasing their old games. The problem is that they tend to lose steam partway through. Fans have been able to grabFatal Fury,King of Fighters ’94, and the originalSamurai Shodowneasily and legally since the PS3/360 days. ThenFatal Fury Special,KOF ’95, andSamSho 2might turn up.KOF ’96actually turned up on PS3, butFatal Fury 3andSamSho3didn’t get a sniff until theACA Neo Geoseries.
However, while the earlyFatal Furygames can still be fun in that old school way. TheirReal Boutsuccessors have aged much better. They play much more smoothly and have some lusciously bold and colorful graphics. They could make a good backbone for a collection, likeDarkstalkersdid for theCapcom Fighting Collection. It even has a Japan-exclusive PS1 title,Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special: Dominated Mind, that could be the cherry on the cake. All together, they’d warm up the crowd for theupcomingGarou: Mark of the Wolvessequel.
7The Last Blade Series
Samurai Shodownis SNK’s premier weapons fighter. Yet they produced a successor series in 1997.The Last Bladehas players pick from a range of characters, like the Shinto priestess Akari, the Jet Li-inspired Lee Rekka, or series’ hero Kaede. Then they choose between a ‘Power’ style (build up meter for a super move) or a ‘Speed’ style (connectTekken-style hitstrings into a big attack).
Then they get a stunningly beautiful game that rivals Capcom’sStreet Fighter 3, and arguably plays better than its pre-Third Strikeentries. All while running on the old Neo Geo MVS hardware. The game gained a sequel and a Neo Geo Pocket Color title before going dormant. With its most popular character, Hibiki Takane,turning up inSamurai Shodown 2019, it’s unlikely to get a new game today. But the first two would be at home on this collection as its crown jewels.
6Aggressors Of Dark Kombat
ADK’sWorld Heroesseries is more likely to enter a collection like this. However, ADK also produced a quirkier fighter than their main series.Aggressors of Dark Kombat(get it?ADK?) was an odd combo of a beat ‘em up and fighting game. It has the life bars and one-on-one combat like the latter. Then like the former, players could sidestep and pick up weapons either throw into the stage or hidden behind objects.
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The game rewards aggressive play by restoring health with each hit. It also fills up a ‘Crazy Meter’ for a ‘Crazy Attack’. Like schoolgirl Kisarah Westfield breaking her opponent’s heart by smooching with her boyfriend. Or giant German fighter Leonhalt Domador calling in his white tiger for help. The controls are a bit odd, with weird commands and 3 buttons: punch, kick, and jump. But it has to be seen to be believed.
5Savage Reign
Weirdly enough, this post-apocalyptic brawler is set in the same timeline asFatal Fury. One of the characters, an old man called Chung Paifu, even has Terry’s cap as a childhood memento. Otherwise, the story is the standard big strong man holds a tournament to see if anyone can take him down. The game plays like an odd combo ofSamurai ShodownandFatal Fury.
Every character has a weapon, but they can also throw it at their opponent and continue bare fisted. They can also sidestep by jumping between planes. It makes for a fun throwback to SNK’s heyday, especially when paired with its tag-based sequelKizuna Encounter. Both are hard to find legally, with just a few Japan-only digital re-releases. So, it would benefit from being part of a collection.
4Waku Waku 7
Waku Waku 7is easier to find alone, being part of theACA NeoGeoseries via HAMSTER Corporation and D4 Enterprise. However, it might be more of a hard sell that way as it’s weirder than eitherAggressors of Dark KombatandSavage Reignput together. Gameplay-wise, it’s a fun little fighter, albeit with a fairly small 9 character roster (of which only 7 can be played in Arcade Mode).
But what a set of characters they are! They’re all anime parodies in search of the wish granting WakuWaku balls. The Joseph Joestar-esque Dandy-J swings his whip around in search of treasure. The unitard-clad bunny girl Arina is looking for love. Mauru is a purple version ofMy Neighbor Totoro. Then, to achieve their dreams, they have to beat a big, ball-shaped monster with a dopey grin called Fernandez.
3SNK Vs Capcom: Match Of The Millennium
While SNK and Capcom have teased a future collaboration, they actually have worked together recently. Albeit just for the digital re-release of their Neo Geo Pocket Color collabSNK Vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium. It’s essentially a mini-version ofCapcom Vs SNK, playing like an 8-bitKing of Fightersgame, but with a 2-on-2 tag option à laMarvel Vs Capcom.
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As little as it is, it may also be the best of SNK & Capcom’s clashes. It has a more varied cast than theCapcom Vs SNKgames. Their cartoony looks also offer more expressive animations. Plus, there’s an Olympics Mode where players can go through a series of mini-games featuring characters fromGhosts N’Goblins, Metal Slug, and more. Nintendo Switch and PC playersdon’t have to waitfor this hypothetical collection to become a reality to get it. It’s worth playing ASAP.
2SNK Vs Capcom: Card Fighters Clash
Still, if SNK wanted to match theCapcom Fighting Collection, then this would be their equivalent ofSuper Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo. It’s a collectible card dueling game originally released on the Neo Geo Pocket Color where players build decks with a variety of SNK and Capcom characters. While the game isn’t as in-depth asMagic: The Gathering, it’s a fun, simplified take on the genre.
Big names fromStreet Fighter, King of Fighters, Resident Evil, Metal Slug, etc., turn up, as do more obscure ones fromCyberbotsandBuriki Oneamong others. It gained a Japan-only sequel in 2001, and a less-than-stellar DS edition in 2006. Luckily, Switch owners can pick up the original game digitally. But it would be nice if it got more attention across more platforms.
1Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
If all else fails, SNK could always re-release this Arcade/PS2 gem. Once their collab deal with Capcom ended afterSVC: SNK Vs Capcom Chaos, SNK decided to have their characters fight among themselves instead. Characters fromKing of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Samurai Shodown, Last Blade, World Heroes, Aggressors of Dark Kombat, Metal Slug, Savage Reign, and more take each other on in tag battles.
The game uses the then-new Atomiswave hardware to produce a sleek-looking fighter that’s a step above its predecessor, and positively shames its rival counterpartCapcom Fighting Evolution. It has all new sprites, all new stages, and a sense of humor. It would work wonderfully as the headpiece uniting SNK’s hidden gems with their big hits in a compilation. But, if that isn’t to be, it would be great in digital storefronts. Then maybe it could get a sequel perhaps? Just saying.
