Arcades might be a thing of the past for many, but that hasn't stopped Taito and Namco from celebrating their history by re-releasing the titles that made them legends. Classic collections appearing alongside their next-gen progeny have allowed the past to live on without the need for a pocket filled with tokens, having to venture into a smoke-filled cavern illuminated only by the attract mode dancing across every screen, or wondering at the sobbing cry of someone who had shot their food instead of eating it. The venue might have changed, but as these collections have proven, many have survived the test of time.
The manual included with SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 glosses over much of the company's colorful backstory by giving you a brief taste of SNK's work on both the arcade and hardware fronts. This is a company that managed to create fighting games that held their own against the likes of Capcom while developing action shooters that blistered fingers and sprained wrists. SNK's home version of the same arcade hardware found in stand-ups, the Neo Geo, would deliver the exact experience to players who were willing to pony up the dough. The price points of the 360 and the PS3 may have made headlines today, but SNK's Neo Geo arcade system proved that players were willing to pay to bring the experience to their homes in the early '90s. Sixty dollars for a game today? Try two hundred bucks or more.
