The ultimate Limited Edition celebrating Samurai Shodown’s newest release!
Hello and welcome to another unboxing from Honey’s Anime! Today, we’ll be checking out SNK’s NEOGEO mini Samurai Shodown Limited Edition set that recently came out. SNK has been in the retro scene for years now and they continue to bring joy to us gamers who are fans and purist at heart with the early days and their efforts to keep the gaming industry intact by releasing these wonderful classic games in a small-sized arcade we can enjoy at home or out and about! SNK started the home arcade scene in 1990 and suffered a loss in 2001. The founder of SNK, Eikichi Kawasaki, then founded SNK Playmore which acquired all the intellectual properties from SNK, thus, beginning the new trend of gaming entertainment. Later on, they dropped the “Playmore” name and went back to its roots with just SNK after a full recovery from financial issues. Headquartered in Osaka, Japan, SNK CORPORATION (SNK) develops, publishes, and distributes interactive entertainment software in Japan, North America, Europe, and Asia. SNK is one of the largest privately held interactive entertainment content providers in the world.
Known for such franchises as The King of Fighters, METAL SLUG, and SAMURAI SHODOWN, SNK continues to be an industry leader by focusing on its rich arcade history. More information on SNK CORPORATION can be found at https://www.snk-corp.co.jp/us/. Regardless, SNK is there to make sure we get to experience the best of gaming in the most nostalgic way possible.
Info:
- Product Name: NEOGEO mini
- Number of Titles: 40
- Screen Size: 3.5 inches
- Dimensions: W108mmxD135mmxH162mm
- Weight: 390g
- Accessories: 2 Controllers, 1 HDMI cable, 1 USB-C to USB cable, one anti-slip cushion, one collectible character card, and character stickers.
About NEOGEO mini Samurai Shodown Limited Edition
What we’ll be checking out is the new mini Samurai Shodown Limited Edition arcade mini which is to celebrate the release of the new Samurai Shodown title that was recently launched. The NEOGEO mini Samurai Shodown Limited Edition will have three translucent variations: Haohmaru (White), Nakoruru (Red)—this is the one we have—, and Ukyo Tachibana (Blue). Each color for the arcade mini is limited to 20,000 units and they went on sale July 24, 2019.
On the Outside
The Outside of the box is a wonderful yet simple design that will feature one of the 3 characters paired with each color. As aforementioned, Nakoruru was our character for the red version of the NEOGEO mini. You can appreciate the wonderful character print on the box so like we said, make sure you get the one you really want! There is a clear display so you can clearly and visibly see the 2 controllers and the mini arcade itself. The cables are neatly tucked away out of sight but know they are there.
On the Inside
When you purchase the NEOGEO mini Samurai Shodown, it will include two controllers, one HDMI cable, one USB to USB-C power cable, one anti-slip cushion—which honestly, looks like an old-school silicon sticker you’d place on your window from back in the day, but that in no way indicates our age...—, one collectable character card, and character stickers.
The Experience
The NEOGEO mini is based on the design of the arcade cabinet which has a 3.5-inch display screen built right into it. The mini arcade fits in the palm of your hand so you can enjoy some of the titles that don’t require you to use both hands. The NEOGEO mini also has several connections for enjoyment, as there are 3 ways you can play this mini arcade system. First, you can play as is with the built-in joystick and button layout on the mini arcade using the 3.5-inch display. You can also simply plug in one of the two controllers that come with the set and still use the 3.5-inch display screen, or you can use the HDMI port to connect the mini arcade to your TV for the ultimate experience! The NEOGEO mini also has a built-in speaker for gameplay sound and it also includes an AUX headphone jack for more immersion.
The next cool feature is that with the character stickers it comes with, you can dress up your arcade mini to have a special image banner just above the display screen like the full-scale arcades! Each color version of the NEOGEO mini has exclusive banners you can use so make sure you get the one you want! Another really cool feature is that the NEOGEO mini has a save function in which you can save your progress as you play by pressing the Start and Settings buttons at the same time during the game through the Settings screen. There are four slots to save so save what you care about the most!
NEOGEO The Legacy Lives On
Now, let’s talk about the games you will have preloaded in the NEOGEO mini! The games included with this wonderful limited edition set are as follows:
- Aggressors of Dark Kombat
- Alpha Mission II
- Art of Fighting
- Blazing Star
- Blue’s Journey
- Burning Fight
- Cyber-Lip
- Fatal Fury: King of Fighters
- Fatal Fury 2
- Garou: Mark of the Wolves
- The King of Fighters ’97
- The King of Fighters ’98
- The King of Fighters ’99
- King of the Monsters 2
- Kizuna Encounter
- The Last Blade 2
- League Bowling
- Magician Lord
- Metal Slug
- Metal Slug 2
- Metal Slug 3
- Ninja Commando
- Ninja Master’s
- Real Bout Fatal Fury Special
- Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers
- Robo Army
- Samurai Shodown
- Samurai Shodown II
- Samurai Shodown III: Blades of Blood
- Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa’s Revenge
- Samurai Shodown V
- Samurai Shodown V Special
- Sengoku 3
- Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad
- Soccer Brawl
- Super Sidekicks
- Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy
- Top Player’s Golf
- Twinkle Star Sprites
- World Heroes Perfect
*Unfortunately, This console does not include the new 2019 SAMURAI SHODOWN title. Furthermore, all games included are the Japanese versions.*
There is an international version of this arcade mini that White, Black, and Blue, and it will have 14 different games compared to the Samurai Shodown Limited Edition set. There is an image below which shows the games available for it.
Honey’s Final Verdict
The NEOGEO mini is everything we hoped for and then some. The save function is definitely a huge plus as saving your progress is pretty important. We love that not only can you play via the arcade mini itself, but you can also link it to your TV via HDMI for the ultimate retro gaming experience. The UI for the NEOGEO is friendly and you will get to enjoy many of the games included in their original Japanese dialogue or English dialouge with the simple visit to the settings section. The gameplay for the games, whichever one you decide to dive into first, shows the beautiful retro designs that we all grew up to love and remember. Well, now we can relive it and the first game we went into was Metal Slug! It felt like you were back at the old arcade playing it for the first time, again.
Connections are easy to manage and the mini arcade does have a power On and Off switch button that you press down and it has a lovely NEOGEO mini logo right on it. The power supply is USB-C to USB so you can plug it into anything with a USB port for power. It doesn’t take up much energy so you can game for a few hours if you wanted. This means the NEOGEO mini is mobile and you can play anywhere, basically. With its beautiful design, we know retro gamers and purists alike, will definitely want to get one of these! The NEOGEO mini is retailed at $139 and you can check out their website here: https://www.snk-corp.co.jp/us/neogeomini/.
Are you a fan of SNK? Let us know what you think about this new arcade mini or if you just want to share some of your fondest memories, sound off in the comment section below!
Author: Alfonso "Fonzy" Ortiz
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