We were already totally pumped about getting Cho Aniki on the European and Aussie Virtual Consoles, but our faces lit up when we saw what else was lying in store for us this morning. Metal Slug is the first Neo Geo game to appear on the download service since December 14th, but what a comeback!
From a value-for-money perspective, we'd still recommend picking up Metal Slug Anthology (especially now that it's so cheap), but it's great to see SNK's classic series represented on the VC (and this version even has Classic Controller support). Puyo Puyo 2 and TurboGrafx billiards title Break In complete this week's line-up.
Cho Aniki -- TurboGrafx-16 -- 900 Wii Points
Metal Slug -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii Points
Break In -- TurboGrafx-16 -- 700 Wii Points
Puyo Puyo 2 -- Mega Drive -- 900 Wii Points
Hop in your Slug and blast your way past the break to see all four in action!
Much to our delight, SNK's Neo Geo Stick 2 for the Wii will retain that classic black look of the original and PS2 controllers, foregoing the predictable white case that Hori opted for. Jeux France has uncovered several photos of the arcade stick, unboxed and beside its packaging, and it is gorgeous. Leaving one of these displayed on your coffee table sends a clear message to your visitors: "This guy is serious business." Just make sure not to break up that illusion by letting them see your Chewbacca bedsheets -- you don't want people to think that the business you're serious about is living like a twelve-year-old.
Back on topic, the Neo Geo Stick 2 supports both Wii games and Virtual Console titles. Retailers in Japan won't begin selling the arcade controller until April 10th, but you can preorder one now from import shop Play Asia for as cheap as $59.90. Step past the break for more photos from SNK's product page.
Posted Feb 20th 2008 5:00PM by JC Fletcher Filed under: News
At SNK's GDC demo room, the Wii versions of SNK Arcade Classics, King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga, and Samurai Shodown Anthology were available for play, and I went through a few of the games on each set, looking for controls and features, and, of course, basic performance. All of the games seemed to be running in 480i even on HDTVs, and it unfortunately showed.
Bizarrely, it's entirely possible to play any of the games with the Wiimote. The Neo Geo controller has four buttons, and so does the Wiimote. This is not recommended! The Neo Geo Stick 2 was nowhere to be found, or there would be a lot more exclamation points in this post.
The awesome news: SNK just went ahead and decided to throw KOFs '94 and fan-favorite '98 onto the collection, meaning that the set is now an almost-complete record of the 1990s' KOF games. Samurai Shodown does in fact include 1-6. The demos I had (mostly the KOFs) had significant lag, but I'm willing to believe that this will be ironed out by release. It would have to be.
The bad news, and the answer to pretty much everyone's question: SNK hasn't figured out whether this or the Virtual Console is The Way to go, meaning that they intend to give the VC games a chance to sell before releasing the collection. Because of this, the Wii version of Arcade Classics is being held until Q4. All versions (PS2, PSP, Wii) of the other collections are also scheduled for Q4.
Posted Feb 14th 2008 1:30PM by JC Fletcher Filed under: News
Not only is the fate of the SNK Arcade Classics collection no longer up in the air (yes! It is coming to Wii!), SNK went ahead and announced two more Wii compilations in an email sent out yesterday. Both Samurai Shodown Anthology and King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga will also see Wii releases, as well as versions for the PS2 and PSP.
We don't know exactly which titles will be included, but the Japanese version of the Samurai Shodown Anthology contained ShodownsI through VI, and the KOF collection included KOF's '95, '96, and '97. That means that there's overlap between the collections, since Samurai Shodown will be on both the SNK Arcade and Samurai Shodown Anthology collections.
SNK will have all three collections on display at GDC. Hopefully they'll have some Neo Geo Stick 2's with which to test the games!
As much as we adore Hori's arcade sticks, we love hardware with the words Neo Geo printed on them even more! Both Amazon.jp and Japanese retailer Rakuten have posted product pages for a Wii version of the Neo Geo Stick 2, an arcade-style, ball-top controller previously put together by SNK-Playmore and Sega Logistics for the PS2.
If it's anything like the PS2 remake of the original Neo Geo Stick (see above image), this new edition will also have non-analog L and R buttons hugging its four primary convex buttons like a set of parentheses. Hopefully, the Wii version will keep that classy black color; it would be a travesty if it didn't!
The Neo Geo Stick 2 is scheduled to arrive in Japan this April 10th, selling for ¥5,040 (approximately $47). According to Rakuten, the controller will support both Wii games and Virtual Console titles. With this announced, a Wii release for SNK Arcade Classics seems like a sure thing!
SNK Playmore sent a press release out announcing the lineup for their SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1 collection for PS2 and PSP. There's no mention of a Wii version, but a Wii version is listed in the game's ESRB rating, and it was discussed at TGS. We hope it's not a mistake, because we love old games, and this lineup is totally hot.
We kind of suspect that this isn't actually coming to the Wii, because of the 16 games on the disc, 7 are alreadyavailableasVirtual Consoledownloads. Metal Slug, of course, is also available on its own disc. We have no issue with redundancy, but we doubt SNK would give people the option of either paying $9 per game or (judging by recent disc releases) between $15 and $30 for a whole load of games.
In terms of stuff that isn't on the Wii, the disc includes things like Shock Troopers and Samurai Shodown. Check after the break for the full, awesome list. Just imagine how much this collection would have cost in new Neo Geo cartridge form.
Well now, if it isn't the first video wrap-up of the new year! Rock! And, we're glad to be kicking off another year of gaming with two quality titles in StarTropics and King of Fighters '94. So, without further delay, hit up the video above and head past the break for some more.
Oh, and sorry for sounding kind of prepubescent. I have no idea why my voice was so high there ...
Today is a big day for the Virtual Console here at Wii Fanboy as Star Tropics makes itself available for download later on today. It's a title that one of our own has been looking forward to for quite some time. And, the title backing it up isn't so bad, as it's the first entry in the long-running King of Fighters series, King of Fighters '94.
This week's titles are:.
Star Tropics (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
The King of Fighters '94 (NeoGeo, 1 - 2 players, 900 Wii Points)
Be sure to stop back later for our video wrap-up of the day's offerings.
So, it's the final week of 2007 and what do we have to show for it? Frickin' Bubble Bobble is what we have got! It's enough for us, hopefully it'll be enough for you. But, on the other hand, the two titles available that don't have a bubble or a bobble in their name aren't that bad, either.
Metal Slug Anthology just came out in Japan. Yesterday. It's a collection of emulated games, from a company that has always taken a unique approach to translation (basically SNK's games are in Engrish in either territory), and which were originally released in Japan. We have to wonder what held up the release for so long, besides the (completely necessary) addition of Classic Controller support.
Possibly attempting to make up for the massive wait, SNK is bundling early purchases of Metal Slug Complete with jewel-case calendars featuring character art from the company's games. If only SNK had popped open one of those calendars and realized that it's not 2006 anymore, they might have released the game in a timely manner.
As predicted, the arrival of December the 10th on your calendar coincides with the release of Pokemon Snap on the Virtual Console. Of course, you all know about the added feature to the Virtual Console edition of the N64 game by now. Well, hopefully this opens up a whole new world of possible improvements to other Virtual Console games in the future.
Today's Virtual Console releases are:
Pokémon Snap (Nintendo 64, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
With the day of the week being Monday and all, some new Virtual Console games have hit our digital doorstep. And, as you can imagine, we were anxious to download and play them. And play them we did. So, be sure to hit up the video above and head past the break afterward for some more of our coverage.
Oh, how we love Mondays. Our wallets, however, have a whole different idea regarding the start of the work week. And, this week, our wallets hate us that much more as the titles on offer cost their fair share of dough. Lucky for us, and for you all, this week's available titles are more good than bad.
Another week, another Virtual Console update. And, with this week's update, we've got three new titles to check out. The obvious high-profile game here is Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, which you all likely remember (whether you enjoyed it or not). That doesn't mean we should forget about the other two games, though.
We don't often show off Virtual Console videos in our weekly spotlight, since they get a video spotlight of their very own, but we just couldn't resist this footage from the Neo Geo's Magician Lord, which was released today for European gamers. The video offers a good, long look at the gameplay, controls, and music, and it comes complete with a warm feeling of nostalgia. In other words, it's a perfect way to kick off the weekend.
Not only is the fate of the 
