SNK 40th Anniversary Collection sets a new standard for compilations
SNK, the Osaka-based company that's been enjoying something of a revival in the past two years, has over time become synonymous with the Neo Geo hardware and software that was such a muscular presence throughout the 90s. Understandably so, too; so many of these games remain a high watermark for 2D action and pixel art, and they've gained a cult following ever since. Metal Slug, The King of Fighters series and The Last Blade have enjoyed re-release upon re-release (I doubt there's a modern console that isn't host to a version of Metal Slug 3, and rightly so too - it's an essential text), while I myself have an MVS unit sitting proudly in the candy cabinet I call my own.
The SNK 40th Anniversary Collection, you might think, would be an excuse to wade in nostalgia and rake over old memories, a chance to sift through the differences between the seemingly infinite spins on The King of Fighters, or to dig deep into the beauty of Garou: Mark of the Wolves. It's not - and understandably so, given the countless options that exist to enjoy those games - and is instead something else entirely. This is a concise, exquisitely presented tour through SNK's pre-Neo Geo history.
Here are some 13 games taken from between 1981 and 1990 (with another 11 due as free downloadable content within a month), and I'll admit that, to an enthusiast rather than an expert like myself, a lot of these are entirely new. It makes playing through SNK 40th Anniversary Collection something of an education - not a stuffy history lesson, mind, and more like visiting an expertly curated museum exhibition, where every artefact on display is playable. This is like a boutique spin on the Barbican's 2002 Game On exhibition, but one you can carry around on your person wherever you may be.
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