SNK Arcade Classics: Vol. 1 includes 16 classic arcade games from the NEO GEO arcade cabinet. The menus even serve as an ode to the red and white striped cabinet, along with a loading screen that corresponds to the unique multi-colored arcade controls. The games included here are Art of Fighting, Baseball Stars 2, Burning Fight, Fatal Fury, King of the Monsters, Last Resort, Magician Lord, Metal Slug, Neo Turf Masters, Samurai Shodown, Sengoku, Shock Troopers, Super Sidekicks 3, The King of Fighters '94, Top Hunter, and World Heroes.

There are some surprises here in the graphics department, for example Baseball Stars 2 features large animated characters and constant movement on the screen. Playing this game is almost as fun as watching it. The trend continues in Neo Turf Masters, a golf game, though it's a bit more toned down during the actual game. Shock Troopers is a game that shows attention to the satisfying details, much like Metal Slug, though it's not as well known. The satisfying stuff of course means people running around when lit on fire, the intricate animation for things like pulling out knives, and individual victory poses for each character. SNK had a knack for putting in visual elements that you'd savor as you play.

The music and sound may show their age a bit more than the graphics. Nothing was particularly bad, but much of the background music was quite repetitive. For games that were usually played among the din of noise in the arcades, this wasn't such a drawback. Magician Lord is one game that stands out with its repetitive background track, but chances are you'll be a bit too absorbed in the game to notice. Shock Troopers again impressed me with an original rock-styled soundtrack that mixed a bit of urban sound to it and even used voice in some tracks. I can't say anything really stands out in the general sound department: explosions, kicks, and yells all sound like they come from a videogame. But generally, things have held up well for their age.

There is a lot of fun packed into SNK Arcade Classics: Vol. 1. Given that the games were usually packed into the one candy-striped NEO GEO cabinet in the arcade, many people passed them by or missed an opportunity to play a particular game while it was loaded into the machine. Just because you've never heard of many of these games, doesn't mean you won't have a good time with them, even after all this time.

A big surprise for me was Baseball Stars 2. I'm not into sports games as a general rule, but this game was loaded with so much humor and silliness, I couldn't help but get into it. Large animated portraits of the pitcher and batter show the individual personalities of each player. Perhaps it's a simple thing, but it's everything's so big, colorful and lively that you can't help but want to see more. You can also see that these baseball pros can't live a minute without chewing on something, and let's just assume it's a mean bubble gum habit. Other things like the batter starting a fight with the pitcher if he gets hit, and players arguing with the umpire when they're called out just add to the fun. Oh, and this is all layered on top of a pretty good baseball game.

Most games have the option of playing cooperatively or at least simultaneously, adding to the enjoyment value when you have a friend available to jump in. One of the most fun competitive games here is King of the Monsters, a game where you play as giant monsters that battle it out in the city, a la so many Japanese monster shows. Of course, few games have an odder setup than Fatal Fury. When the second player joins in, they help the first player fight the enemy character. But when they are victorious, they then have to fight each other to the death. It must have meant a lot of bang for your quarter back in the day, but now it just seems odd.

One problem here is that each game is fairly short, and designed for quick, quarter-eating plays. There are medals you can earn for achieving certain set goals, however, and this ups the replay value a bit.

SNK Arcade Classics: Vol. 1 has a wide range of difficulty levels among the games in its collection. One of the hardest is without a doubt Magician Lord. Your character seems clumsily large for the things he tries to accomplish: dodging multiple, tiny bullets and fighting swift, poisonous-to-the-touch enemies. The game is not above dropping you down shafts that contain spikes in random places, making you count on luck to get out without a scratch. Even with never-ending continues, it's hard to make it very far in this game.

Most of the other games are less taxing and more rewarding for your effort. There's a learning curve to every game, but the controls are often only one to two buttons. The sports games don't really run on continues for you to progress, so they're a little easier to just sit back and enjoy.

Some games in SNK Arcade Classics: Vol. 1 can be frustrating due to the controls, but for the most part, things are simple and easy. Magician Lord deserves another mention for its very precise and demanding controls, but it's no more broken than any other 2D platformer from the era. Shock Troopers can be tricky as well, with its eight way firing. It can be tricky to fire in one direction and move in another because the movement is all mapped to the D-pad. But it's not a show-stopper, and its something you can get used to. Metal Slug is one game here with excellent balance and controls that are just complex enough to be a challenge, but still remain fun. Though the tank controls always seemed a bit awkward, it's serves to balance out the boost in firepower you obtain from it. The fighting games in this collection like The King of Fighters '94 and Samurai Shodown are all pretty much the first iteration in their respective series, so don't expect the complex controls and speed of a modern fighter here.

You can easily find something for everyone here. It helps if you're an SNK fan, but the fun here is universal. Some of the games here were the best time you could find in an arcade back in the day, and they've held up pretty well. Pretty much every genre of arcade game from the time is represented here, from side-scrolling shoot-em-ups (look up shmups) to classic fighters. This is at least worth a try for newcomers, and easy to recommend for SNK fans.