SNK has announced the western release of SNK Gals’ Fighters as part of the 30th anniversary of the NEOGEO. The console was initially launched in April 1990. SNK Gals’ Fighters was initially released on the NEOGEO Pocket Color in January 2000 but has been re-released on the Nintendo Switch. The announcement was made on social media that players in North America can now immediately buy and play the game.
SNK Gals’ Fighters is a lighthearted take on fighting series. In the game, female fighters from previous SNK games join together in a fierce competition to see who will be crowned the “Queen of Fighters.” The comedy story was created to make players keep coming back to replay the game as all of the included fighters in the title.
The characters may seem familiar to fighting game fans. The characters in the game are all from SNK’s various fighting franchises, such as Fatal Fury and Samurai Shodown. The spites are cuter “chibi” versions of the characters.
The title contains a roster of 11 fighters, including three hidden characters. One of them will look awfully familiar, according to SNK. Characters include Mai Shiranui from Fatal Fury, Nakoruru of Samurai Shodown, and Akari Ichijou from The Last Blade.
SNK Gals’ Fighters includes a Training Mode so players can train their skills before taking on the main game. For those who want to fight against a friend, up to two players can fight in Tabletop or Handheld mode.
The new game uses a type of “virtual console” skin because the 2000 game doesn’t have the right resolution to fill the entire screen. Players can use various skins for the Pocket Color. The buttons on the screen aren’t just for appearances. They can be used in games, but many may prefer the more tactile controls on the Switch console. Players can choose to pinch and zoom the game screen to make it bigger as well to remove the Pocket Color border.
Up to two players can enjoy the fighting game together. The game is a digital download of 113 MB and only available in English or Japanese.
SNK Gals’ Fighters was the spiritual successor to SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy, which was released in September 2018 for PC, PlayStation 4, and the Nintendo Switch. The newer title has a much larger roster.
Earlier in April, there was a hint that the game would soon launch on the Switch. The Korean Game Rating and Administration Committee released its official rating for the game, which meant SNK Gals’ Fighters was likely coming soon.
SNK Gals’ Fighters is available now on the Nintendo Switch eShop.
