SNK + Atomiswave = Love, Hate, Love
Jul 6, 2006 14:28:36 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2006 14:28:36 GMT -5
This is a bit of a long post I made in another video game forum, but since it's been a bit lax lately, I figured I'd talk about it in a much livelier place:
I must say that the move to the Atomiswave hardware really seems to be paying off for SNK. I've been watching quite a few videos (mostly of KoF XI) to behold it in action, and it is just totally orgasmic. It really seems faster-paced than the Neo Geo, and the animation quality is just about as good as it can get for 2D. The initial release of KoF Neowave was certainly less than stellar, but its purpose was really more to test what can and can't be done on this brave new hardware. After that, it was smooth sailing. I can certainly say that SNK is not dead, and I am completely stoked for the following games:
Neo Geo Battle Coliseum: At first, my feelings on this project were more negative than positive. Mostly, I was put off by some of the dubious roster choices, but I soon grew used to the characters on there and came to like many of the choices, although I still do think that the Jin twins are a waste of two character slots that could have been reserved for Yamazaki from Fatal Fury or Setsuna from the Last Blade 2. Eh, can't win 'em all. At the very least, seeing Marco in action has a big grin on my face, especially with his most powerful attack having him transform into a zombie to deliver his blood laser from MS3. JOY! I must say that it looks extremely awesome in action (thanks to YouTube) and I wanna play this now!
Metal Slug 6: For the first time in the series, the characters aren't just different sprites, but they actually have different abilities. And with Ralf and Clark taking a break from KoF to fight here, it can only be a good thing. The stages themselves look oh-so-great, the enemies and bosses are as intimidating as ever, and it certainly looks like it could explode MS4 and MS5 out of the ocean! I'm not sure what the status is on branching pathways, but even if there aren't any, the game will still be a barrelful of greatness.
Samurai Shodown: Tenkaichi Kenkakuden: Huh? What's that? EVERY FREAKING CHARACTER EVER IN THE SERIES??!?? Including Earthquake, Gen-An, Sieger, Wan-Fu, Cham Cham, and Nicotine, who I haven't seen since SS2 all the way back in 1994?!?!? Ohhhhhhhhhhhh SNAP, sayeth I. Well... I guess not everyone, it doesn't have the unique characters presented in the 3D games. But oh well! The gameplay itself really looks quicker and more refined than in the past games, and it looks to outdo almost every game in the series... which could be a tall order when it comes to SS2, since I still heart its nostalgia oh-so-much. I also heard that you can't use fatalities like in SS4 and SSV Special. But aside from that, this truly could be the awesomest weapon-based fighter ever.
King of Fighters XI: It seems that all I ever do when I visit YouTube anymore is behold some truly vicious videos of KoF XI taken in a fighting tournament. I must have seen about fifteen by now, and they tell me more than words ever could. This is, bar none, the fastest KoF game to ever exist, and combos seem easier to perform... SEEM to, anyway. I'd probably still suck at inputting them. The roster looks to be the greatest in the entire series, and I thought it couldn't get any better than 2003! Although my boy Yamazaki is not present for this installment, real badass newcomer Oswald has a few attacks that are reminiscent of Yammy, and I can't wait to play as him. Billy Kane isn't here, but Duck King certainly is, and it rules to finally see him in the big KoF tournament! For the first time since 96, Leona isn't around, but with B. Jenet from Mark of the Wolves, I think the awesome fighting female scale is balanced. I also never thought I'd see Gai and Silber from Buriki One in the fold, and bigger surprised come in the form of Hayate and Jyazu from long-forgotten SNK fighter Kizuna Encounter!!! The roster is already very sizable, and with seven more characters added in the home console version (Japan only right now, unfortunately), I can only jump with much joy around everywhere.
There is only one element that could serve as a heap big problem: It is uncertain that any of these games might ever reach America on consoles. Fucking goddamn Sony of America already turned down NGBC for the PS2, which is just so fucking contemptible that I might as well change my name to just Tenga and shut out Sony completely. There are talks of NGBC being released on the XBOX 360... which doesn't make me feel any better, as I'd have to get another fucking system just for that.
Add that to the fact that we're probably years away from Atomiswave emulation, and I may never get to play these games for a damn long while.
Oh well... until then, I'll subsist on videos around the Internet. But man, it can only tide me over for so long.
I must say that the move to the Atomiswave hardware really seems to be paying off for SNK. I've been watching quite a few videos (mostly of KoF XI) to behold it in action, and it is just totally orgasmic. It really seems faster-paced than the Neo Geo, and the animation quality is just about as good as it can get for 2D. The initial release of KoF Neowave was certainly less than stellar, but its purpose was really more to test what can and can't be done on this brave new hardware. After that, it was smooth sailing. I can certainly say that SNK is not dead, and I am completely stoked for the following games:
Neo Geo Battle Coliseum: At first, my feelings on this project were more negative than positive. Mostly, I was put off by some of the dubious roster choices, but I soon grew used to the characters on there and came to like many of the choices, although I still do think that the Jin twins are a waste of two character slots that could have been reserved for Yamazaki from Fatal Fury or Setsuna from the Last Blade 2. Eh, can't win 'em all. At the very least, seeing Marco in action has a big grin on my face, especially with his most powerful attack having him transform into a zombie to deliver his blood laser from MS3. JOY! I must say that it looks extremely awesome in action (thanks to YouTube) and I wanna play this now!
Metal Slug 6: For the first time in the series, the characters aren't just different sprites, but they actually have different abilities. And with Ralf and Clark taking a break from KoF to fight here, it can only be a good thing. The stages themselves look oh-so-great, the enemies and bosses are as intimidating as ever, and it certainly looks like it could explode MS4 and MS5 out of the ocean! I'm not sure what the status is on branching pathways, but even if there aren't any, the game will still be a barrelful of greatness.
Samurai Shodown: Tenkaichi Kenkakuden: Huh? What's that? EVERY FREAKING CHARACTER EVER IN THE SERIES??!?? Including Earthquake, Gen-An, Sieger, Wan-Fu, Cham Cham, and Nicotine, who I haven't seen since SS2 all the way back in 1994?!?!? Ohhhhhhhhhhhh SNAP, sayeth I. Well... I guess not everyone, it doesn't have the unique characters presented in the 3D games. But oh well! The gameplay itself really looks quicker and more refined than in the past games, and it looks to outdo almost every game in the series... which could be a tall order when it comes to SS2, since I still heart its nostalgia oh-so-much. I also heard that you can't use fatalities like in SS4 and SSV Special. But aside from that, this truly could be the awesomest weapon-based fighter ever.
King of Fighters XI: It seems that all I ever do when I visit YouTube anymore is behold some truly vicious videos of KoF XI taken in a fighting tournament. I must have seen about fifteen by now, and they tell me more than words ever could. This is, bar none, the fastest KoF game to ever exist, and combos seem easier to perform... SEEM to, anyway. I'd probably still suck at inputting them. The roster looks to be the greatest in the entire series, and I thought it couldn't get any better than 2003! Although my boy Yamazaki is not present for this installment, real badass newcomer Oswald has a few attacks that are reminiscent of Yammy, and I can't wait to play as him. Billy Kane isn't here, but Duck King certainly is, and it rules to finally see him in the big KoF tournament! For the first time since 96, Leona isn't around, but with B. Jenet from Mark of the Wolves, I think the awesome fighting female scale is balanced. I also never thought I'd see Gai and Silber from Buriki One in the fold, and bigger surprised come in the form of Hayate and Jyazu from long-forgotten SNK fighter Kizuna Encounter!!! The roster is already very sizable, and with seven more characters added in the home console version (Japan only right now, unfortunately), I can only jump with much joy around everywhere.
There is only one element that could serve as a heap big problem: It is uncertain that any of these games might ever reach America on consoles. Fucking goddamn Sony of America already turned down NGBC for the PS2, which is just so fucking contemptible that I might as well change my name to just Tenga and shut out Sony completely. There are talks of NGBC being released on the XBOX 360... which doesn't make me feel any better, as I'd have to get another fucking system just for that.
Add that to the fact that we're probably years away from Atomiswave emulation, and I may never get to play these games for a damn long while.
Oh well... until then, I'll subsist on videos around the Internet. But man, it can only tide me over for so long.
I was disappointed that they didn't use the opportunity to redraw any of the sprites. On the PS2 ports of KoF XI and NGBC, you can muck with the filtering, but they still look kinda ugly no matter what. 
