SNK 40th Anniversary Collection

The SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is an impressive museum exhibit of forgotten games that don't all hold up today.

A portion of SNK's pre-Neo Geo library is given the archaeological treatment in the diverse and educational SNK 40th Anniversary Collection.

SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is essential for game historians and recommended for anyone that wants to experience some old-school charm without the annoying difficulty gates. The titles themselves are hit and miss, but the good outweighs the bad by a healthy amount.

This is how retro compilations should be done. Although the emulation has a few little hiccups along the way and single Joy-Con multiplayer is sadly missing, the overall package here is wonderfully presented. Rather than just slapping a rudimentary menu over a bunch of old ROMs, it's clear there's been a lot of effort made here to catalogue an often forgotten period in one of Japan's most important game developers. As with all compilations there are a few misses, but the quality is generally high, and the supporting museum mode is an absolute treasure trove for retro enthusiasts.

Overall, SNK 40th Anniversary Collection has titles that old school arcade gamers are sure to appreciate and also does an impressive job of diving deep into the company’s four-decade history. However, this may be even more of a niche collection than the Capcom Beat’em Up Bundle, which could work against it in the end..

SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is an interesting package, but even with the upcoming titles to be added, I have to question its value. Luckily, this is not a full price package, but even then many gamers will doubt the value proposition, quite rightly. I'm not saying don't buy the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection, but whether you'll keep playing the game after a few multiplayer sessions with friends is questionable indeed.

SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is a great example of how a retro collection should be assembled.

The SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is an essential title for retro enthusiasts. It may be very heavy on shooters, but most of the shooters here are decent. Meanwhile, the other genres represented have compelling entries of their own, but Street Smart can be seen more of as a curiosity rather than something you'd actually want to play constantly. It is the Museum mode, however, that makes this collection shine, as there is a ton of content here for retro historians. Anyone who likes retro games should absolutely own this title.

All in all, the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is a fine way to experience SNK's humble beginnings. The included games cover a wide variety of genres, and even the worst of them have one or two admirable qualities. There are no complaints at all when it comes to features. Both region-select and console versions are accounted for, and the museum is loaded with bonus materials. Hopefully the dual-stick control issue is eventually sorted out, as it's the only stain on this otherwise impeccable set.

Overall, SNK 40th Anniversary Collection was a great experience. As much as I wasn’t born at the time these games were released, I still found them to be very fun to play