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SNK Arcade Classics: Vol. 1

(2008, Video Games - Arcade Games, Rated T, Play it on: Nintendo Wii)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 12.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Remake of classic arcades with stylized violence.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 12–14

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Most games on this collection are based around memorization of patterns and routines.
 

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Most games rely on weapons and violence to resolve conflicts.
  • Violence:

    Gunplay, swordplay, grenades, and lots of explosions – all shows in pixilated graphics as only the 1990s could produce.
  • Sex:

    Some female characters wear skimpy clothing in some, but not all, games.
  • Language:

    Some use of "damn" and references to killing human enemies.
  • Consumerism:

    Remake of older commerical arcade games.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Few titles feature alcohol references, and drunk characters.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of SNK Arcade Classics: Vol. 1 was written by Jeff Paramchuk

Parents need to know that SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1 is loaded with 16 classic arcade titles from the 1990s and features all the stylized violence and action that went along with that era. But the violence in these games is far less graphic than current games and generally involves enemies disappearing or sinking into the ground when defeated. There are some references to alcohol and a few drunken characters. Kids will hear some mild swearing and see some female characters in skimpy outfits.Some of the titles in this compilation are also available on the Virtual Console the Wii offers, but at a steeper premium.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about what arcade used to be like and what made arcades so much different than playing at home. They can discuss the reason why arcade games seem to have a very high difficulty level compared to console games, and why sports titles in arcades were time limited. They can also discuss what games may be like in another 15 years, and will the games that occupy so much time now be just as entertaining then?
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More on SNK Arcade Classics: Vol. 1

What’s the Story?

SNK ARCADE CLASSICS VOL 1 is exactly what the name describes; a collection of old SNK arcade games that were played on the then highly powered NEO GEO arcade system. For the time, the NEO GEO was the leader in great looking titles, and SNK was behind a lot of the more entertaining titles – some of which are featured on this collection. With gems like Baseball Stars 2, Metal Slug, and Magician Lord, the collection covers a wide selection of titles with side-scrolling fighters like Fatal Fury, beat-'em-ups like Art of Fighting and King of Fighters '94, and run 'n' gun titles like Metal Slug and Shock Troopers.

The title is organized through a main menu, with the games appearing in alphabetical order and represented on the main title screen as they originally appeared in arcades. Along with this is some basic information on the type of game, the number of players that can play, the year it was released, and a list of the medals you can unlock by playing the game. Each of the 16 titles has multiple challenges to meet, ranging from finishing the game with a particular character or playing a full game of baseball. Oddly enough, unlocking a challenge from one game may open up move lists or artwork from other titles in the game. While this is a good way to encourage playing all the titles, it seems strange to have to play a game of soccer to unlock the move list for a fighting game. Close

Is It Any Good?

The emulation of the titles is actually very well done on the Wii; yes there were some graphical glitches and slowdown of the onscreen action, but compared to the PS2 version of this title the Wii takes the lead in ability to remake older games. Each title in the collection can be controlled with one of many controller options, but due to sometimes complicated control scheme, a classic controller is a very highly recommended accessory for playing this game, as the buttons on the Wii remote itself can be tough to get to in the heat of battle.

While parents may remember these titles from the days of throwing quarters into a machine endlessly, the novelty factor does wear thin fairly quickly, and younger gamers who were weaned on games of today may tire even faster. Close

Publisher’s Details

Released on 07/29/2008, price $29.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: T (for Violence, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Alcohol Reference)

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it 3.0

    A look back to the neo geo

    WARNING:this game is mostly JAPANEISE!!! so no bad languge. If you can take a game like Super Smash Bros. ..then you can take this game.Blood here and there,(but normaly turns into sweat or is a deep purple color),no gore,but vilonce.To me...eh...still a T game.

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