Hamster, the company behind all (or most) of your favorite contemporary arcade ports, has revealed the release date for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One port of 1996 SNK fighter Kizuna Encounter. The latest entry in the ACA NEOGEO line will be dropping tomorrow, January 10, 2019 for a breezy price tag of $7.99.
Kizuna Encounter is the sequel to Savage Reign, and is similar in style to the fighting gameplay in Real Bout Fatal Fury. What sets it apart however is its sudden death tag-team action, which allows players to pick a team of two and swap between fighters with the press of a button. This allows skilled players to create opportunities for combo extensions, which is paired with relatively easy commands for “rush” combos. That said, there’s also risk involved as you lose the match if even one character loses all their health.
The tag system in Kizuna Encounter is a big change from Savage Reign, which was more of a Samurai Shodown-like weapons-based fighter. While Savage Reign is not yet part of the ACA NEOGEO series, you can still check it out in FU’UN Super Combo, which SNK itself released for the PS4 back in 2016. That’s an import PS2 Classic, so it doesn’t come with the same bells and whistles. It does come with both games though, so fighter completionists may be interested.
While individual ACA NEOGEO releases aren’t Digital Eclipse-style extravaganzas, they do include contemporary feature sets such as online play, difficulty settings, and arcade display settings that will make retro gaming fans feel catered to.
10 Fighting Games That Should Make a Return
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Fighting Games That Should Make a Return
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Capcom Fighting All-Stars
This is a true revival since Capcom Fighting All-Stars never actually saw the light of day. That's probably a good thing considering the planned PlayStation 2 game received a negative reception from play tests, but the core idea behind the title is a good one. It's a crossover title featuring all of Capcom's characters, and they certainly have a much deeper cast of characters now than they did in 2003. Imagine how cool it would be seeing Asura unleash his wrath on Sissel from Ghost Trick!
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Fatal Fury
While Terry Bogard has kept his hat warm by competing in The King of Fighters, Fatal Fury hasn't seen a new entry since 1999's Garou: Mark of the Wolves (which recently made its way to PS4). It's long overdue for SNK's series to return, and its two-plane battle system would help differentiate itself from other fighting games. Ideally, the series would be rebooted, and it could also have a greater emphasis on story to help it find its own niche.
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Fight Night
Electronic Arts' Fight Night series hasn't been seen since 2011's Fight Night Champion, with the studio instead focusing on mixed martial arts. That's fine and dandy, but the sweet science deserves to make a comeback on modern consoles. A new entry would likely be a visual powerhouse, and I'd love to see the game honor the late Muhammad Ali.
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Jackie Chan in Fists of Fire
Jackie Chan in Fists of Fire isn't the best game on this list. Heck, it's not even a good video game. That said, there's something special about this unbalanced game where every combo depletes half of a character's health bar. Plus, it's the only game that allows players to pick from three versions of Jackie Chan. I'd love to see the game, in all of its broken glory, get some sort of port or sequel since sometimes bad games can be the most fun to play.
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King of the Monsters
SNK did an impressive job bringing back The King of Fighters this year, so I feel like the Japanese studio should tackle another revival. In this case, it'd be the kaiju-themed King of the Monsters. There hasn't been a good Godzilla fighting game in quite some time, and this could definitely fill that void.
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PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale had some solid ideas, but a lackluster roster and some odd gameplay decisions held it back from rivaling Smash Bros.'s dominance in the platform fighting genre. A sequel could add important characters such as Crash Bandicoot and other third-party PlayStation icons, while also refining the gameplay. Sony could have a hit on their hands, they just have to learn from the first game.
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Power Stone
Capcom's 3D arena fighter Power Stone hasn't been seen in a decade, but it is still beloved by fans. A modern rendition with online play would be a blast, as the brawler's fast-paced action has held up well over the past 15 years.
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Soulcalibur
The Soul series of fighting game stands out due to its accessible gameplay, and a focus on weapons over traditional martial arts. That's exactly why its needed on current consoles, as no other game feels that niche. I'm already excited just by thinking of all of the fun guest characters Namco could bring in.
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Virtua Fighter
Virtua Fighter is Sega's premier fighting game series, and it hasn't seen a main entry since 2007. Since then the game's signature fighter Akira Yuki has appeared in all sorts of games ranging from Dead or Alive to Project X Zone, but I think it's time for the martial artist to return to his own series. Take advantage of the "virtua" aspect, and make this VR's top fighting game.
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WWF No Mercy
There hasn't been a good WWE game since WWE All-Stars in 2011, and 2K taking over the license hasn't exactly helped the quality of the games. That's why in my dream scenario, 2K would get the rights to AKI Corporation's WWF No Mercy, and update the N64 classic with the current roster. Not only would it work as a nostalgia grab, it would also be more fun than what the current product offers.
