Japanese publisher and porting studio Hamster Corporation announced that a slate of classic Neo Geo games will be ported to the PlayStation 4 by the end of 2016 as part of its Arcade Archives series.
Hamster’s release lineup will continue into 2017 with the launch of upcoming games like Neo Turf Masters and Nam-1975.
Released in 1990, SNK’s Neo Geo platform sought to bridge the gap between arcades and home console gaming. The same 16-bit hardware powered Neo Geo consoles and arcade units, enabling fully featured home console ports of state-of-the-art arcade games throughout the 1990s.
The advanced technology came at a cost, however, as Neo Geo console games were originally priced at $200 each. Hamster’s Arcade Archives releases are available digitally at $8 a pop, marking a significant saving over what SNK die-hards paid for original Neo Geo cartridges back in the day.
Hamster Corporation revealed that SNK’s tag-team fighting game The King of Fighters ’94 will be the first Neo Geo game to join its Arcade Archives lineup on October 27. Fellow Neo Geo classics Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, World Heroes, Alpha Mission II, and Metal Slug will be available for download via the PlayStation Network by the end of 2016.
“Hamster will continue to work closely with SNK Playmore to not only choose games in the most famous franchises but also to shed light on some cult classics and hidden gems,” Hamster Corporation director Taeko Muto said. “Stay tuned for more on the [Arcade Archives] Neo Geo line-up!”
Hamster’s Arcade Archives series delivers PlayStation 4 versions of classic coin-operated arcade games via software emulation. Previous Arcade Archives series releases for the PS4 include Bubble Bobble, Double Dragon, and Contra, among many others.
