by Vinh Trieu (Administrator)
It's better late than never. So we're a few months off our target opening date, but that doesn't mean we forgot to provide our fans with important gaming news. So here we go:
ASI 2003 was considered by many to be a huge success for SNK NEOGEO USA. Not only did we cover Matrimelee, but because we're fans of many different companies, we'll share games other than ones by SNK/Playmore and/or Capcom. There was much to see and play, and we were even able to capture pictures of some of these fabulous games. So see below for pics in it's colorful glory! Enjoy!!
We're here to STAY!!!
SNK Reps roughing TRIEU up and double checking I.D.'s. Can't get any respect around here.
SNK Booth/Reps
TRIEU's TRUE Appearance
And you thought TRIEU looked bad:
darkhado...NOT in disguise
Let's start off by saying that SNK NEOGEO USA is back in full force to the arcade show arena. How was the show? Purely awesome. Arcade vendors, operators, magazine publishers alike praised SNK NG USA's return (under a different name, of course) to ASI, but more importantly, to future AAMA Shows. Because of the worldwide events, the show was some what quiet, but this wasn't the case at SNK NG USA's booth.
At SNK NG USA's booth, there were 5 cabs set up, one 33 inch showcasing Matrimelee, two 25 inch with KOF 2K2 and Matrimelee and two 19' inch mini cabs displaying Metal Slug 4 and Matrimelee. The game of the show? Naturally, Matrimelee and rightfully so.
With Noise Factory behind the programming of Matrimelee, there is a strong hint of the Rage flavor. At first glance, MM (Matrimelee) may seem like a clone of Rage, until you actually start playing the game. The first thing I notice is the frame rate. It's improved, showing more frames for each and every character, providing for better controls and smoother gameplay. Initially, the game seems to play slow, however, after multiple plays, like Rage, you seem to forget about the speed and are enveloped into the mystique and genuine fun factor in MM. The uniqueness and refreshing "new" characters make this game enjoyable and I can see that the replay value of MM is much higher than that of ROTD. From the highly detailed backgrounds, to the awesome soundtrack (there's actually a female artist singing on some stages which is super sweet!), Matrimelee is a great addition to the Neo library. As for Capcom, unfortunately, once again it seems Capcom is quiet on the arcade front. For the past few arcade shows, ASI and AMOA, Capcom, if present, would be represented by Sega (distributor of CvS2). Furthermore, with Capcom All Stars being redeveloped (not canceled as some sites have reported) running on Sony's System 246 (basically a PS2), this game will be showcased and distributed by Namco. Hopefully Capcom All Stars will make an appearance soon at a major arcade trade show in the near future. We do expect to see this game by the time AMOA 2003 rolls around, but hopefully sooner.
Other notable titles at ASI:
Tokyo Cop - This game was originally titled "Chicago Cop" but because the development of this game was around the 9/11 incident, Namco (Gaelco) chose to use Tokyo as it's theme to avoid any controversy. Namco (Gaelco) thought it would be inappropriate to walk around the streets of Chicago and have tons of camera men taking pictures during a time of insecurity and concern.
Tokyo Cop was developed by Gaelco S.A., and it is running on Gaelco's own hardware. Namco America is our sole distributor for the US, Canada and Mexico. Gaelco S.A. is a Spanish Company, based in Barcelona that develops and manufactures video games for the coin-operated industry. Latest games developed by Gaelco are ATV Track, Smashing Drive, Rolling eX.tre.me, etc..
Gamewise, the motion feedback on Tokyo Cop draws you deep into the game, as you feel every little bump and turn driving down the streets of Tokyo. Visually, this game is stunning, running on Namco's System 246 (basically PS2 hardware) at 60 fps. All I can say is, if you play this game, bring alot of quarters (or dollars, that is) because this game is one tough cookie and it's addicting as heck. At one point, we sat there for a good 30 minutes trying to complete this puppy...but with no success. Yeah, we suck.
F-Zero AC - Running on the anticipated TRIFORCE Hardware (Sega/Nintendo Project), it's F-Zero with suped up graphics. It's nothing less than spectacular visually, but the one complaint I had is the game is so fast, you're thrown off course at times. The cabinet design fit's the gameplay perfectly, as you sway left and right while racing through tubulur and gravitational tracks.
More to see!!
Talk about a nice looking piece of machinery.
What a beauty!! Er, we're talking about the cab.
After a long day's work, we must toast, Romulan style.
One last toast, my friends.
- by trieu
