You have the option to select several different borders, all based on actual NGPC hardware.

Bringing Fatal Fury: First Contact to the Switch will undoubtedly allow the game to be seen in a new light, in more ways than one. Sure, many gamers will finally get the chance to experience this fun fighter for the first time, but now they don’t have to worry about finding a light source to see the screen, an issue the Neo Geo Pocket Color had. The pixel visuals look great on both the Switch screen and on a large screen when the Switch is docked. I’m still blown away by just how well the characters in this game are animated, even for a 1999 handheld game. To get the best out of the visuals, be sure to turn off the screen filter setting that can be changed in the on-screen options menu by hitting the – button. I found that when the screen filter was turned on, the setting seemed to mute the game’s colorful visuals. The option to zoom the game to fill the screen’s vertical aspect ratio is also available, which was my preferred way to play the game. Fatal Fury: First Contact also features great music, and it, along with the game’s sounds, seem to be accurately reproduced from the original Neo Geo Pocket Color hardware.

The in-game screen filter is turned on by default.

Turning off the screen filter helps brighten the game and make the visuals pop.

For those of you who have played a Fatal Fury/Real Bout title, you will feel right at home as many Fatal Fury favorites are featured, including Mai Shiranui, Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, and Billy Kane. While it’s been years since I’ve played First Contact, my memories of the input commands from other Fatal Fury games allowed me to pull off special moves to trounce my foes. Even though my Nintendo Switch Controller doesn’t have the clicky stick that I loved on the Neo Geo Pocket Color, it still had no problems launching several Power Wave shots into my opponent. 

Joe’s low kick stops Mai from introducing him to his biggest fan.

My favorite feature of the Switch release of Fatal Fury: First Contact is that you can quickly launch a two-player mode that pits you and a friend against each other. While this feature was available in the original game, it required using a Neo Geo Pocket Link Cable, something I did not have readily available back in 1999.

The backgrounds are cute and the fighters are furious.

SNK fans that love Fatal Fury and other Neo Geo fighters need to pick this game up, but newcomers shouldn’t be afraid to step in to experience their first real bout of Fatal Fury action. Hopefully, SNK continues to highlight more great titles from the Neo Geo Pocket library in the future.

Fatal Fury: First Contact features 8 fighters to choose from.

Fatal Fury: First Contact is available now to download from the Nintendo Switch eShop.

Link: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/fatal-fury-first-contact-switch/

The post Fatal Fury: First Contact Review appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

The biggest nugget of information revealed is that yes, this stick will serve dual purposes. It can be plugged into a Neo Geo Mini as predicted, but as a bonus, it will also include a PC mode where it will act as a USB controller. The stick even includes a storage bin on its bottom to hold a 2m cable – Vectrex style!

But if you plug it via HDMI into a TV, it acts as a self-contained console where a selection of SNK classics will be ready to play. I’m sure most will be buying the stick for these, but the USB modes sure are a cool feature to throw in regardless. Anyway, the game list:

The King of Fighters ’95
The King of Fighters ’97
The King of Fighters ’98
The King of Fighters ’99
The King of Fighters 2000
The King of Fighters 2002
Fatal Fury Special
Fatal Fury 3
Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Samurai Shodown II
Samurai Shodown III
Samurai Shodown IV
Samurai Shodown V Special
Art of Fighting
World Heroes 2
World Heroes 2 Jet
World Heroes Perfect
Ninja Master’s
The Last Blade 2
Kizuna Encounter

I held back on making a joke about King of Fighters likely taking up half of the library in the last article, but I guess SNK read my mind. Otherwise, there are numerous other SNK series staples like Fatal Fury, World Heroes and, of course, four Samurai Shodown games.

There a few more tidbits of knowledge to note. I’m sure a few gamers out there will be glad to know that the button layout is completely customisable. And as an added bonus, the ball-top is easily user-replaceable. Overall, the stick is 430mm wide and 214mm deep.

Two sticks can also be connected for two-player action, although the press release doesn’t mention if that Neo Geo CD “inspired” controller can be used as a secondary. Let’s hope it can be. There are also display settings included which are basically becoming standard on retro throwback devices like this. These include scanlines and the like – if you’re into that sort of thing.

It is nice to know all of this, knowledge is power – but ultimately, we still don’t have a release day (and importantly) a price. SNK has confirmed a worldwide release, however.

The post Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro Details Released appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.