Short Circuit Studio is up-sizing their scope. No longer content to dwell in the realms of the Teeny Tiny, the developer has now moved up a full grade to merely Tiny. Tiny Connections (Free), that is. Its previous game, Teeny Tiny Town, was a lovely little update to a well-established older mobile game with a few wrinkles of its own. In a sense, that is also what Tiny Connections is, but it ventures further out conceptually from the games it was seemingly inspired by. And hey, it’s quite good too. I think these folks might be on to something here. What are all these connections about? Are we connecting people? Communities? Cables? Various thumb tacks on a map using red strings? I hope it isn’t the last one, but let’s have a look.

Okay, now that I’ve got you in here, I’ll get right to the point. You’re connecting water and electricity to little cities. You have a grid with different colored generators, and you need to use your limited supply of wires and pipes to connect them to all of the same-colored cities on your grid. The generators can take connections from all four cardinal directions, while cities can only be connected from one side. As time passes, more cities and generators will be added to the grid, introducing new colors and adding more complicated things to work around. Of course, you’ll also be given additional tools here and there that will hopefully help you deal with such complications. If you leave a city without its needed utilities for too long, that’s a game over. You’ll get your final score, and that’s that. Care to try again?

The base game of Tiny Connections comes with one country to play in, the United States. It includes a few different maps, and you’ll unlock those as you reach certain score thresholds. Each map varies in its land to water ratio among other things, so you need slightly different strategies for each. By purchasing a $1.99 IAP you’ll gain access to seven more maps spread across four additional countries. To round out the IAP situation here, the game has ads that you can remove with a $1.99 IAP, and there’s also a $2.99 IAP that will give you the new maps and remove ads in one go. I suspect more stages will arrive as new IAP in the future, but for now you can get everything the game has to offer for a few bucks. Or, if you want, you can just play for free on the three American maps and deal with the ads. Your call.

If you’ve been around the block a few times, the basic idea is probably sounding a little familiar here. Yes, this is rather similar to Mini Metro. Like that game, you’re having to manage what starts as a simple network of hubs, nodes, and the pieces that go between them. It gradually becomes more and more complicated, and eventually you’re just not going to be able to sort the spaghetti before the whole thing blows up in your face. Beyond the setting, the main difference here is that you’re dealing with multiple utilities, almost like if Mini Metro and Mini Motorways were smashed together. It’s a bit more strict in some ways and more lax in others. There are also some different special tools to make use of which fit the theme.

But hey, Teeny Tiny Town wasn’t the most original of affairs and I still loved it. I think what is different here is that Mini Metro isn’t quite as old as Triple Town is, and with deep apologies to Spry Fox, the presentation of Mini Metro isn’t as easily improved upon as Triple Town. Tiny Connections has a really slick presentation, and its focus on stylized realism is certainly distinct from the direction Dinosaur Polo Club chose for its games, but I really can’t say it looks and sounds better. Kind of a lateral move at best, depending on one’s tastes.

I suppose that’s the best way to describe Tiny Connections on the whole. It’s a lateral move at best from the games that it follows on from, and depending on how well you like the theme you may like it more or less. For my money, I don’t think there have been a whole ton of well-done games of this style yet, so I’m willing to give Short Circuit Studio a pass for opting to hew fairly closely to the basic idea and simply aiming to do its own take as well as it could. So that’s where I’ll leave that.

Beyond the lack of novelty, I only have some minor bones to pick with the game. The way the UI works makes it awfully easy to misplace pieces, but you can easily fix things up in those cases so it isn’t a huge deal. It’s not always immediately clear where a new problem has cropped up, particularly as things get crowded on the map. I feel like new cities occasionally pop up in places that can’t be addressed with what you have on hand, and that always feels very frustrating since all you can do is watch and wait until it busts. Relatively rare, but it does happen. Don’t waste your tunnels, friends.

I think that’s where I’ll park this one. Tiny Connections is an enjoyable, well-built spin on games like Mini Metro and Mini Motorways. Its less abstract art style and unusual premise might appeal to some players despite its mechanical familiarity, and I think it’s safe to say that if you loved any of the aforementioned titles then you’ll certainly want to give this a look as well. Since you can sample a good portion of the game for free, it’s easy to do just that. If you like what you see, you can open up the rest of the game and send those ads to Pluto for a very reasonable price. Another strong effort from this developer.

I keep thinking that I might not need to review all of these double dip ACA NEOGEO releases that are covering titles that already existed via the decade-old Dotemu versions. And who knows? Maybe I don’t. If I have something to say, however, then I’m going to go ahead and do it. Samurai Shodown II ACA NEOGEO ($3.99) is one of those cases, so let’s go ahead and take a swing at it. Naturally, TouchArcade did review Dotemu’s Samurai Shodown II back in 2013 when it first came out, but time marches on and it hits some things harder than others. This time it’s a fairly easy job of which version to recommend, at least.

Let’s get right to that, then. Despite being able to save yourself a buck by buying the old version, I give my strongest recommendation that you do not do that. Some of those old Dotemu apps are still somewhat working, but Samurai Shodown II is in very rough shape. Its external controller support is spotty, it crashes semi-regularly, the touch controls are in a sorry state due to being designed for far smaller displays, and there are some emulation glitches on top of that. Don’t buy the old version. Friends don’t let friends buy the old version. SNK really ought to remove it from the store at this point.

Alright, that’s settled. So let’s talk about Samurai Shodown II as a game, and this ACA NEOGEO version of it. When people are asked which Samurai Shodown game is their favorite, Samurai Shodown II tends to be the one that comes up most often. It has a great roster, the play mechanics are well-balanced, and it has a lot of depth without getting too caught up in gimmicky systems. In a sense, it is the original Samurai Shodown concept in its purest, most ideal form. After this installment, there were a lot of attempts to change things up that met with varying degrees of success. I have a fair bit of fondness for every game in this series, and I tend to lean towards SamSho V Special as the best one, but I think I would be most likely to recommend Samurai Shodown II to someone looking to break into the series.

Of course, we’ve got the usual issues when it comes to this mobile ACA NEOGEO version. Samurai Shodown II has a lot of very involved special moves with precise motions you’ll need to do with the stick and buttons. If you have an external controller, then that’s fine. Connect your controller and have a good time. If you’re stuck with the touch controls, however, this might be one of the most problematic NEOGEO fighters to play. It’s really hard to do the more advanced moves using the virtual stick, and unlike with the Dotemu version there are no crutches for using special moves built in. If you’re willing to spend a fair bit of time with it, you might be able to get to a point where this isn’t a huge problem, but it’s always going to be a second-class experience.

It would be less of an issue if it were easier to play against another human, because at least you would be equally disadvantaged. If you’ve read any of my ACA NEOGEO reviews before, you know the drum I am about to bang. The only way to play multiplayer in this game is to use multiple external controllers and huddle around one display. If you have the set-up for it, then it’s a fine experience. But I think that’s a big “if”. Realistically, you’re going to be battling against the challenging CPU opponent, who has no problems using its own special moves against you. Even the Bluetooth local multiplayer as seen in the Dotemu version would be a big help. It’s not that there isn’t some fun to be had here, especially for the reasonable price, but unless you’ve got the right set-up you aren’t going to be able to enjoy this game the way it’s meant to be.

I’ve said all of this before in every ACA NEOGEO fighting game review I’ve done, and I assume most of you are used to it by now. I would go so far as to say you probably anticipated I would be talking about all of these points. If so, you might be the sort that has been able to get over these issues before and enjoy these fighters. You just want to know how this game in particular is. Well, it’s really good. Samurai Shodown II rules. Hamster’s emulation is fantastic. You get lots of options to tweak as you like, and if you turn the difficulty all the way down you can have some fun slicing up the CPU opponent without much pushback. There are the usual Score Attack and timed Caravan extra modes, and you can choose between the Japanese and overseas versions of the game. Online leaderboards are here if you’re looking for some competition, and I could see some people really getting into that end of things.

I think with all of these ACA NEOGEO releases, we have to weigh the benefits of the low price and ease of access against the cons of some features being restricted and the overall playability being a fair bit worse for those using touch controls. I’m personally of the mindset that even these fighters can be worth the few bucks you’ll spend just to have the occasional bout against the computer. It’s a bit of enjoyable stress release as long as you quit before you get to the frustrating boss fights. But I also think that unless you have just the right conditions, this is probably the worst way to play the game on modern platforms. Absolutely, unquestionably better than the version we already had on mobile, but if you have another means of playing Samurai Shodown II, you should take it.

That’s really where I’m at with Samurai Shodown II. I’m glad we have a better version of the game. That old app needed to be updated or trashed, and I think it would be wise if SNK did the latter. It was fine in its time, but ten years is absolute eons in mobile gaming. This ACA NEOGEO version is up to Hamster’s established level of quality, and that’s a great thing. As to the game itself, Samurai Shodown II is excellent, and perhaps one of the finest on the NEOGEO, but this isn’t an ideal way to enjoy it. That being said, if you can accept the various challenges that come with the usual ACA NEOGEO suite of options, then by all means grab your katana and get to work.

SEGA and Sports Interactive released multiple versions of Football Manager 2024 across different platforms earlier this month. While that has always been the case for the different versions of the game as the series expanded to more audiences, this year sees it arrive on even more platforms than in recent years, and even gives us an interesting situation with one version of Football Manager 2024 on Apple Arcade (Touch) with another on Netflix (Mobile). I always planned on covering the game this year, but decided to go all the way and treat this as a learning experience for myself as well as I played it on different platforms. So, I’ve been playing Football Manager 2024 on Steam Deck, Football Manager 2024 Touch on Switch and Apple Arcade, Football Manager 2024 Mobile through Netflix, and even Football Manager 2024 Console on PS5 and Xbox Game Pass. I’m going to try and help you understand which version is best for you while also covering the different versions of the game in this combined review that will be slightly different.

As someone who doesn’t really watch football, I’ve been playing almost every main release of Football Manager since 2014 or so. That might sound weird, but I never cared for the FIFA games at all, but still love Sports Interactive’s games. I ended up watching a few videos of Football Manager games from lollujo who has been one of the best resources for the series ever and have been enjoying most of the games since. Anyway, back to Football Manager 2024, it is now available on mobile exclusively through two subscription services. I didn’t play much of last year’s games barring launch week on Apple Arcade and completely skipped the main PC game. Football Manager 2024 has been even better for the most part. It feels like this is the year to come back to the game if you skipped the last few as well, and I mean that for most platforms. With next year’s game changing things up quite a bit, now was the time to check out all current versions of Football Manager 2024 and see how Sports Interactive dealt with different platform hardware restrictions and input options.

If you’re looking for a more-detailed review covering what has changed this year compared to last year’s game on different platforms, this is not that. I’m going to focus on how the current version of the game looks and feels on multiple platforms, while covering the individual versions at the end of this feature. There are a few notable features that are included in all versions of the game, with the new content and features being implemented slightly differently based on the platforms. The one feature that applies to all versions is J.League from Japan finally arriving in the game. This is also the first version of Football Manager to have Japanese language support in-game.

On launching Football Manager 2024 PC, Touch, or Console, you now have the option to play as Football Manager Original mode, Real World mode, or Your World mode. Original is if you want to play Football Manager 2024 like traditional entries. Real World is a new option if you want to get an up-to-date experience for players and clubs. This mode will have players start as they were at the start date of this Career with them moving to the new clubs like in real life on the same dates. Your World will have players, clubs, and more accurate to the start of the 23-24 season, but no real-life transfers happening after that date. This gives you more freedom than ever before for each career save.

Speaking of saves, on Apple Arcade, your older save loads normally in Football Manager 2024 Touch. On Football Manager 2024 Mobile through Netflix, older saves aren’t compatible sadly. They do load for console and PC though. Sports Interactive also said that they aim to have this working in Football Manager 2025 which is a good sign to ensure people are more invested time wise knowing things carry over with the ability to access the new features and not have to start over.

If you’ve been playing the games for many years or just want to know what is available on each platform version in Football Manager 2024, the official website has a handy comparison going into details of how much of a specific thing is included and what level of detail or speed is available for careers. Check that out here.

Having not really bothered with last year’s entry, the new features here and general polish across most platforms make Football Manager 2024 really feel like a game that has been years in the making. Whenever I play the WWE or NBA games each year, you can tell when big strides have been made in a specific year versus just adding on to prior releases in other years. I usually always recommend getting every second game in a yearly series if you aren’t someone who exclusively plays a specific game. With Football Manager most of the community is hardcore, and they play each game, but thanks to more platforms, entry points, subscriptions, and more this year, there has never been a better and easier time to sample one of SEGA’s best modern franchises.

If you’re completely new to the world of Football Manager, the games usually go in the following descending order when it comes to features and complexity: Football Manager, Football Manager Console, Football Manager Touch, and finally Football Manager Mobile. The differences, detailed above in the link, get closer usually each year on the Console and Touch side, with Mobile being the most-streamlined version with the least features. With Football Manager 2024, that holds true, but I’ve come away very impressed with the Football Manager 2024 Console version on PS5, and Football Manager 2024 Touch version on Apple Arcade this year.

Football Manager 2024 is a paid game on PC, but also available on Game Pass. Football Manager 2024 Console is available as a paid game on PS5 and Xbox, but also included in Xbox Game Pass. Football Manager 2024 Touch is a paid game on Switch, but available on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS through Apple Arcade. Football Manager 2024 Mobile is exclusively available through Netflix Games on iOS and Android. There is no standalone paid version of it.

Balancing different careers across platforms has been interesting and difficult since launch, and despite having access to the Netflix Mobile version and PC version on Steam Deck pre-release, I wanted to wait for the public versions on all platforms before properly starting to compare and experience Football Manager 2024. For the rest of this feature, I’m going to go into individual platform impressions and short reviews with a score on portable versions.

Football Manager 2024 Console impressions

While I dipped my toes into Football Manager 2024 Console last year through Xbox Game Pass, I was more interested in the PS5 version this year to see if the game had any PS5-specific features. Having now played all versions of Football Manager 2024, Football Manager 2024 Console feels like an upgrade over Football Manager 2024 Touch, but not at par with Football Manager 2024 (PC) yet in its complexity and features. There is some silver lining though. Having tested Football Manager 2024 Console on my TV and my monitor on PS5, the interface is very good for a controller.

Visually, it looks great and the load times are super fast. In fact, Football Manager 2024 Console on PS5 seems to load faster than all other versions of the game I have access to including the PC version on an SSD. It unfortunately does not have any DualSense features, but does have PS5 Activity Card support. You can press into the left stick to bring up a virtual cursor option which is good to have for some menus. Speaking of controls, SEGA really needs to partner with Sony and Microsoft to officially sell the controllers they use for promotion here.

Football Manager 2024 Console on PS5 isn’t perfect, but I think the team has nailed the experience of bringing as much of Football Manager 2024 to console as possible while keeping things more complex yet accessible on a controller. This is a big step above Football Manager 2024 Touch for sure. I just dislike the fact that this is a full-priced game and there are multiple consumable microtransactions included. This might sound like the old man yelling at cloud meme, but it does feel bad seeing these purchases available when you have Football Manager 2024 Touch on a subscription without any added purchases.

Football Manager 2024 Touch Apple Arcade Review

This is the version I was most excited to check out. When it arrived as an update to Football Manager 2023 Touch, I started playing a new save and also loaded an old save to see if that works. I focused on playing this version with touch controls on my iPhone 15 Pro and iPad Pro, but also tried it with my Razer Kishi V2 on iPhone 14 Plus. Football Manager 2024 Touch on Apple Arcade played on my iPad Pro is my favorite version of Football Manager 2024 for sure. I cover the Nintendo Switch version of Football Manager 2024 Touch later on in this feature.

I didn’t have this one early, so came into Football Manager 2024 Touch on Apple Arcade and Switch after playing the PC version and Football Manager 2024 Console for a good amount of time. There are cutbacks compared to those versions, but I’m impressed with the state of Football Manager 2024 Touch on iPad Pro. Going over to the iPhone version, I was curious to see how the UI scaled since that was touted as one major improvement this year. While it is much better, Football Manager 2024 Touch still feels very much like a game perfect on iPad.

Football Manager 2024 Touch on Apple Arcade supports touch controls and controllers. I used my Razer Kishi V2 on an iPhone 14 Plus to test out the controller interface and stuck to touch controls on my iPad Pro. I also tried touch controls on my iPhone 15 Pro. The team has done a great job here with the interface and load times. On the visual and performance side, Football Manager 2024 Touch runs and looks great on modern devices with fast loading.

I’m curious to see how Sports Interactive and SEGA handle updates to this version because Football Manager 2023 Touch got updates adding things like a boost to bank balance, one-time only Dream Transfer item, and more. Since this is on Apple Arcade, there are no microtransactions either.

If you do have Apple Arcade, Football Manager 2024 Touch is worth your time. I’m impressed with the improvements to the iPhone version as well this year. The added features and the ability to Load your save from the old version (as this is an update over FM23 Touch) make Football Manager 2024 even better. Not only is Football Manager 2024 on modern iOS and iPadOS devices drastically better than the Switch version, but this is the version of the game I will spend the most time in for sure. Easily the best portable platform to play Football Manager 2024 on.

Football Manager 2024 Touch Apple Arcade Review Score: 4.5/5

Football Manager 2024 Touch Switch Review

Football Manager Touch on Switch has been my goto version of the game because I enjoyed dipping in and out of it as a break from other longer JRPGs or games I was covering. Football Manager 2024 Touch on Nintendo Switch retains everything the Apple Arcade version has, but it sees cutbacks to visuals, performance, and has much longer load times.

On the control side, you can use touch controls in handheld mode, but it isn’t as responsive as the Apple Arcade version. The match engine also doesn’t look close to how it does on my iPad Pro or iPhone 15 Pro as expected. As of this writing, there is no mention of paid DLC like the PS5 and Xbox versions of Football Manager 2024 Console either, and there is no mention of the in-game editor being added.

I’d only recommend Football Manager 2024 Touch on Switch if you want to own a version of the game and don’t want to be tied to a subscription. The downgrades in all areas are too much to recommend this over the Apple Arcade version if you have that option on a modern iOS or iPadOS device.

Football Manager 2024 Touch Switch Review Score: 3.5/5

Football Manager 2024 Mobile Review

Football Manager 2024 Mobile is the most curious of the bunch this year, because it takes a paid game that has microtransactions, and brings it to Netflix Games on iOS and Android. In fact, this new Netflix version of Football Manager 2024 even includes the in-game editor, something available as paid DLC in prior versions, and something not included in Football Manager 2024 Touch. As with other games only available on mobile through Netflix, I try and think of whether this one is worth subscribing to Netflix for. Football Manager 2024 Mobile is literally not available without Netflix. Football Manager 2024 Touch is on Switch as well.

Football Manager 2024 Mobile still uses the 2D match engine unlike the other versions of the game. It does, however have the fastest and most-streamlined game flow. When it comes to other downgrades, it supports about half the playable nations and a bit over half the playable leagues compared to Football Manager 2024 Touch. It does include Challenge mode, which is something I’m surprised isn’t on PC yet, but is in other versions.

I don’t think this is the game worth subscribing to Netflix for. A lot of other ports are good to play if you subscribe for a month or so, but Football Manager 2024 is a long term game. We don’t even know if Football Manager 2025 will be on Netflix or on mobile, so I can’t even speculate whether saves will carry over. Right now, this is a great value add for existing Netflix subscribers.

If you own an iOS or iPadOS device, I’d only recommend Football Manager 2024 Mobile if you do not have or will not subscribe to Apple Arcade. It is more streamlined and a great intro to Football Manager 2024, but isn’t representative of the full game like the other versions are. I hope Football Manager Mobile gets closer to Touch next year, or that we eventually get to a point where the same game is scaled differently across platforms. Football Manager 2024 Mobile is only worth your time if you already have a Netflix subscription. If you don’t, focus on playing the other versions of the game.

Football Manager 2024 Mobile Review Score: 3.5/5

Football Manager 2024 Steam Deck Review

Since Football Manager 2023 was Steam Deck Verified, I had high expectations of Football Manager 2024 on Steam Deck. It doesn’t have a rating from Valve yet, but I am impressed and disappointed with Football Manager 2024 on Steam Deck right now. It brings the full PC experience to a portable and handles things well, but the controls are not ideal. Even with the official layout right now, it doesn’t feel remotely as nice as the console or Touch versions of Football Manager 2024.

If you play Football Manager 2024 on PC or macOS and also own a Steam Deck, this is a great additional way to experience the full depth of Football Manager 2024, but I won’t recommend it as your only version of the game until the controls are improved. If you, like me, are used to using the trackpads and dealing with PC-specific games on Steam Deck like I do with Victoria 3, you will get used to the controls here. Sports Interactive is close to making the Steam Deck my favorite way to experience Football Manager, but until then, it remains a modern iPad.

Football Manager 2024 on Steam Deck is a very disappointing experience when it comes to controls. I was hoping the game would have proper controller support, but it does not feel great to play on Steam Deck without a mouse (or using the trackpads). The interface doesn’t scale down too well on the smaller screen either. Don’t get me wrong, Football Manager 2024 PC is a fantastic version of the game, and one of the best we’ve seen from the game in years, but I do not recommend playing it on Steam Deck without big control and interface caveats. It runs very well and the match engine looks great, but I hope future patches can bring in proper controller support and an interface that actually scales down better for the platform.

Football Manager 2024 Steam Deck Review Score: 4/5

Hopefully this new format helps you decide which version of Football Manager 2024 you should get or try if you have access to multiple game subscription services or platforms. I am glad I ended up playing the game on almost all platforms this year, because it showed me how Sports Interactive can scale its complexities, features, and visuals across devices. Next year sounds very exciting, but this year’s games are better than ever before, at least for Touch, Console, and PC. I just hope we see more optimization on Switch, improvements for Steam Deck, and Mobile seeing an overhaul for Football Manager 2025.

All the way back in August of 2012, Dotemu and SNK released an iOS version of the NEOGEO classic Metal Slug 3. For its time, it was about as good of a port as you could ask for, hampered only by the difficulty of playing such a precise game with virtual controls. But time marches on, and like the other NEOGEO games developed by Dotemu, that version of the game hasn’t seen any significant updates in almost a decade. I’ll go into why that’s a problem, but suffice it to say I can see why Hamster and SNK have decided to release an ACA NEOGEO version of Metal Slug 3 ($3.99) for iOS. What are the differences? Venture in and we’ll have some talkies.

I’ll go into my usual rigmarole soon, but I want to deal with the elephant in the room first. The old version of Metal Slug 3 is still on the App Store and it’s a buck cheaper than this one. Why shouldn’t you buy it? Certainly, it has a couple of features that aren’t found in this new one, in particular support for multi-device multiplayer via Bluetooth. It’s a bit difficult to play the mobile ACA NEOGEO games with other players, and that does make a difference for a game like Metal Slug 3. There’s also the Mission Mode feature that allows you to jump to any level you’ve previously reached. It’s a handy feature in a game as long as this, especially given the branching paths that characterize this installment.

But friends, take heed: very old iOS games that haven’t been given regular care come with some serious drawbacks, and Metal Slug 3 is no exception. The biggest issue comes from the virtual controls. The buttons in the old version were the right size for the displays of the era, but eleven years later things have seriously changed. The virtual buttons are now absolutely tiny and barely useable. The stick in particular is a real pain. The old version sported compatibility with the iCade, which was about as much as you could have hoped for at the time. That’s… not so useful now, and its support for modern external controllers is a bit spotty. Metal Slug 3 with touch controls was always dicey, but the ravages of time have made that old version extremely awkward to play in the current year. I wouldn’t recommend it, even if the extra buck might get you a delicious Snickers bar. Well, probably half of one these days.

Okay, that’s out of the way now. Don’t buy that old version. SNK should pull it off the store, frankly. This new ACA NEOGEO version has all the usual features. You can tweak a bunch of options, use some properly-sized touch controls, play with an external controller, use save states, compete on the leaderboards in a few different modes, and use as many continues as your little heart desires. And your little heart will desire many, because this game is a coin-guzzling pig. I think my singular greatest gaming accomplishment was finishing this game with one credit back in 2006. It took me a year of near-daily practice. It just keeps going. Unlimited continues! You’ll want them.

This whole review feels like I’m backing out of a tricky parking spot. So, let’s talk Metal Slug 3. This is my favorite Metal Slug game. Some others prefer one of the first few games, and I can respect that. A few prefer one of the games after this, and I’m not sure how to feel about that. Enjoy, I guess? This was the last game in the series developed by the original team, and in a lot of ways it feels like the developers knew this was the grand finale. It’s a massive game, perhaps too large for some. The last stage is almost as long as some entire games. Most of the stages have branching paths, and often more than one. Each leads to a completely different area, often with unique backgrounds, enemies, and bosses. This is disgusting excess, and I absolutely love it.

The usual four heroes are here, and you can choose whoever you like. It doesn’t matter much. There are tons of different weapons, lots of vehicles to commandeer, and fun transformations in some of the stages and branches. Metal Slug 3 is constantly throwing new things at you, so the run-and-gun action stays exciting from start to finish. This game came out in the year 2000, when things were pretty grim for this genre and 2D games as a whole. Metal Slug 3 had to keep the fires burning, and it brought enough firewood for all. If you haven’t played it before and have any love for the genre at all, you really should.

But is this version the way you should play it? If you have an external controller, that’s an easy choice. Yes, this is a fantastic version. It runs the way it should, and the suite of options fills things out nicely. The only downside is that you can’t play multiplayer unless you have a couple of external controllers and don’t mind crowding around a single display. As a single-player experience, it’s as good as any other option. Connect your controller, drop the necessary four bucks, and have a lovely day going through it all.

If you don’t have an external controller, it’s harder to recommend. This is a very intensive game and it requires a lot of precise movement if you want to avoid dying several hundred times. I’m a fairly deft hand with touch controls, but even for me this is a bit tough to deal with. Can you still have sixteen quarters’ worth of enjoyment? Sure. You’ll die a ton, but you have as many credits as you need. It’s a hefty enough game that you’ll get your value out of it even if you’re just touring it by throwing dead bodies at the bosses. But if you want to play it seriously, I don’t think the touch controls are going to do it for most.

If you’ve never played Metal Slug 3 before, this isn’t a terrible way to dive into it. Throw in an external controller and you’ll have a grand time. It’s also easily worth the upgrade over the old, now sadly outdated Dotemu version. This is one of the crown jewels of the NEOGEO, and I’m glad we have a fresh version on mobile. It’s a poor fit for touch controls, but the game itself is so good that it’s worth putting up with it to see everything it has to offer. Not every SNK mobile game is worth the double-dip, but I think Metal Slug 3 is.

Having largely exhausted the supply of NEOGEO games that hadn’t been ported to mobile before, Hamster has been moving in re-doing some of the games that were previously brought over by Dotemu. It makes sense, as SNK’s less comprehensive initiative with Dotemu mainly focused on the biggest hits from its catalog. They were good versions for their time, but that time was more than a decade ago. Such banner titles deserve the ACA NEOGEO treatment as much as any games, and what it really comes down to for us as players is if they are worth the few bucks to “upgrade”. This time, we’re looking at Blazing Star, arguably the finest shoot-em-up on the NEOGEO hardware. It’s the one with the voice that says “BONUS!” constantly. Let’s see how it stacks up, shall we?

As I’ve already said, Dotemu’s Blazing Star ($0.99) was a fine version for its time and place. Playing NEOGEO games on your iPhone or iPad in 2012 was pretty cool, and they ran well enough. Most flaws were well-hidden by the small displays most players were rolling with. In the case of Blazing Star, it was a game a lot of people slept on back in the day. It felt for many like they had found a hidden treasure, and shooting games work better with touch devices than most classic genres. In case you didn’t like the touch controls, the game also featured iCade support that was expanded out to external controllers as those began to propagate. You were given limited continues, but the mission mode allowed you to start the game from any stage you had previously reached. A nice compromise.

With all that said, its last major update was a very long time ago. Dotemu and SNK have done minor updates to keep it running on new versions of iOS, but the app is showing its age badly in a lot of ways. The emulation isn’t working properly, for instance. The second stage is a flickery mess due to some graphical issues, and that’s not the only bit that isn’t working the way it ideally should. It probably goes without saying, but Hamster’s Blazing Star ($3.99) runs flawlessly, like all of the developer’s other ACA NEOGEO games. It also features the usual extras and options we’ve come to expect from the line, and in the case of this game things like the time Caravan Mode, Score Attack, and corresponding online leaderboards make a big difference in how replayable the game is. I think the touch controls work a little better in Dotemu’s version thanks to some mobile-specific settings, but in all other regards Hamster’s take is superior. Sometimes by a lot.

If you’re new to Blazing Star and trying to decide which version to buy, the low price on the Dotemu version might be tempting. A buck isn’t much to throw down. Neither is four bucks, but three extra dollars in your pocket isn’t nothing. Still, I strongly encourage you to choose the ACA NEOGEO version. It’s highly likely that it will be the version SNK maintains going forward, and those emulation issues are big enough that even if they were both kept around I would still send you towards the Hamster version. The additional options are a nice bonus, and you won’t have to worry about whether or not your external controller will work. You also get unlimited credits, so you can feed your way all the way through if you’re into doing that.

I’ll also say that those who already own and enjoyed the previous version of Blazing Star will want to pick this one at their nearest convenience. Again, I don’t want it to seem like I’m belittling the work done by Dotemu. But eleven years is a long, long time. That it took this long for a new version to outclass the old one speaks to its quality, but outclass it this does. What’s four more dollars to keep on enjoying such a great shoot-em-up? The added modes and options even allow you to appreciate the game from new angles. It’s worth it.

All that and I’ve barely talked about Blazing Star itself. The NEOGEO wasn’t exactly home to the finest array of shoot-em-ups, since the genre was in a bit of a weird place during much of its life. Still, it had a few excellent ones. Some would say that Blazing Star is the best of the bunch, and I would count myself in that group. Particularly if we narrow the focus to horizontally-scrolling shooters. It’s visually pleasing, the action is challenging but manageable, the power-up system is easy to understand, and the bosses are pretty wild. The voices can be a little too much at times, but it also lends the game a bit of quirky charm that certainly helps it stick in the memory. A very agreeable game, one that is fun to learn and even more satisfying to compete on leaderboards with.

Like other shoot-em-ups, it plays fairly well even if you’re relying on touch controls. If you want to play it closer to the way it was intended, you can’t go wrong with using an external controller of some type, but it’s a fine enough experience to whip out of your pocket for a few minutes while you’re waiting for whatever thing life is making you wait for. The save state support in this ACA NEOGEO release means you can always stop and pick up later, too. Really, short of tracking down a cabinet or AES console, this is as good a way as any other to play this fine shooter.

While Blazing Star is yet another double-dip for SNK on mobile, I firmly believe this is one that is easily worth taking them up on. Newcomers should splurge and throw the extra few bucks to pick this up over the old version, and those who own that one are advised to grab this for the many advantages it offers. This is a great game that plays very well on mobile, and it’s nice to see it looking all nice and shiny for the current year. Unless you hate shooters for some reason, I can’t recommend Blazing Star enough.

Well it happened again. I’m reviewing a game that Jared picked as our Game of the Week. I’d like to believe this is because we see the quality in specific games, but it is also because we both enjoy writing about great games on mobile. That’s where Kingdom Eighties ($4.99), the newest standalone entry in the Kingdom series from Raw Fury comes into the picture. It debuted on PC a few months ago, and finally made its way to mobile and consoles last week. While I’ve enjoyed prior games, the Kingdom Eighties setting had me very interested. Having now played it across iPhone, iPad, Switch, and Steam Deck for this iOS review, I love most aspects of Kingdom Eighties, but it might leave some longtime fans a bit disappointed for one aspect.

Unlike prior games in the series, Kingdom Eighties is a standalone singleplayer expansion that actually has a notable story. When Jared mentioned Stranger Things, he hit the nail on the head. In a lot of ways, Kingdom Eighties feels like a Stranger Things game, but it isn’t, and it is still excellent if you’re after a polished tower defense and building hybrid like the prior games in the series. If you never clicked with those, this isn’t going to change your mind, as it builds on the base (no pun intended) of prior games and plays very similarly.

In Kingdom Eighties, you basically move on a 2D plane, collect coins, explore, interact with NPCs, and build by investing said coins at specific locations or points of interest. You eventually unlock all sorts of wild things to help you against the greed in the different chapters and locations of the campaign. While I feel like these games are very much “learn from experience”, the tutorial does a good job of getting you up to speed with the basics of the game flow.

The narrative or campaign in Kingdom Eighties has you playing a camp counselor recruiting people to build or defend as you face off against the Greed. As this is a Kingdom game, you cannot afford to lose your crown or it is game over. The story here isn’t just some dialogue like a visual novel, but there are actual retro-style animated cut-scenes. Depending on the difficulty you choose, expect to get through Kingdom Eighties in about 6 or 7 hours with the survival mode unlocking after the campaign.

Kingdom Eighties nails its aesthetic and music for the 80s setting, and I love both aspects of the game a lot. The only thing I’d have changed is maybe adding some music from The Midnight, but that’s more of a want than a need for me. I love the reflections in the water, the subtle animations while riding the bike, and the VHS effect on the cut-scenes. I’m all for developers pulling out of left field things like the 80s setting here in their games. This obviously isn’t meant to be the next full Kingdom game, but as a standalone expansion, it is so good.

The lack of co-op might be a dealbreaker for many given the focus it had in Kingdom Two Crowns. I know many folks who loved that aspect of Kingdom Two Crowns, and keep playing that even today. Kingdom Eighties isn’t going to replace that, but it does do things a bit differently with its story and setting. The lower asking price compared to the main games definitely helps as well.

On mobile, I played Kingdom Eighties on my iPhone 11, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPad Pro (2020). I tested progress syncing between the iPhone 11, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPad Pro with no issues. The game runs mostly fine, but I noticed some of the similar scrolling issues the Kingdom games have also present here to varying degrees depending on the device. Barring that, they have controller support or touchscreen controls that both are implemented well. On iPhone 15 Pro, performance was great, but that scrolling issue was still present to some degree, though not as bad as on Switch and older iOS devices.

Since I had access to the Switch version and bought Kingdom Eighties on Steam to play on Steam Deck as well, I was curious how it scaled. The Steam version is Steam Deck Verified, and it had the least amount of performance issues across the platforms I played it on barring iPhone 15 Pro. The Switch version while decent, has quite a bit of frame pacing issues in some parts, but it isn’t game breaking. I see no reason to recommend Kingdom Eighties on any platform other than iOS from the ones I own, since you get the full experience here at less than half the asking price of consoles and PC and with a conversion that runs much better than the Switch version. The Switch version also lacks touchscreen support.

Having now played Kingdom Eighties with its latest updates on iOS, Switch, and Steam Deck, it absolutely delivered in its promise of being a story-based expansion to the world of Kingdom. I was interested thanks to the setting, but the team nailed almost everything about this across its aesthetic, music, and story. The lack of co-op will no doubt be disappointing for some though, and I wish it ran without the few scrolling issues I encountered. Barring that, I have no issues recommending Kingdom Eighties at its current asking price. I hope the team builds on this setting for a future mainline game though.

When Apple usually shows off a few games for its new iPhone models during phone events, they are either older mobile games or new bespoke ones. For the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, Apple surprised us with the reveal of Capcom’s upcoming ports of Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village (Free) in addition to Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding Director’s Cut and Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage. The first of these four AAA ports to iOS and iPadOS is Resident Evil Village, out now. Both Jared and myself have been playing Resident Evil Village on iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro respectively for this review. I also have played a bit of it on my friend’s M1 iPad, but the focus of this review will be the iPhone 15 Pro version.

Resident Evil Village has been available since 2021 on consoles and PC platforms, and I’ve played it on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Steam Deck. I ended up liking the game more than Resident Evil 7, but found it was a lot better with the DLC and updates that arrived post-launch. Capcom has pushed out one major update already fixing a crash on specific devices, and I also wanted to try out the public build of the game more. I bought the in-game unlock and all DLC available to make sure it works fine.

On launching Resident Evil Village, you are prompted to download about 7.92GB, and then can view the options like DLC and the full game unlock if you don’t want to just sample the game for free. In terms of DLC, the Winters’ Expansion, full game unlock, and the Extra Content Shop All Access Voucher are available. These are similar to the main PC and console version DLC. Before getting into a new game, I’d recommend going into the options and customizing the touch controls. While I’m not too pleased with how Resident Evil Village controls purely on touch, Capcom has done a good job with the customization options for the on-screen controls as shown in the screenshot below.

Beyond controls, I was surprised to find a full graphics options menu in Resident Evil Village on iPhone 15 Pro. This is like the PC version where it shows you how much graphics memory is being used as you adjust various settings. This menu also lets you enable Apple’s MetalFX upscaling, change the screen resolution, frame rate target (with support for frame rates above 60fps), and the other options found in the PC version of Resident Evil Village. I didn’t pay much attention to the pre-release coverage for Resident Evil Village on iPhone 15 Pro and iPad M1, but I am impressed with how it looks and runs after some tweaking so far on iPhone 15 Pro. It does however run better on iPad M1 than iPhone 15 Pro.

The load times and visuals are great after tweaking, and it even loads quicker than the Xbox Series X version. When comparing Resident Evil Village on iPhone 15 Pro with the Steam Deck version, the latter is definitely comfier unless you have a controller like the Backbone One or something for your iPhone 15 Pro. Load times are a lot better on iPhone 15 Pro though. I hope a future update for Resident Evil Village on Apple silicon eventually gets full DualSense feature support for triggers and haptic feedback like the PS5 version, because I love how Capcom uses that in its PS5 releases. Right now, it only displays Xbox button prompts which is disappointing.

After spending more time with Resident Evil Village post-launch, I remain convinced that the best version of the game is with the DLC included. This is sold as the Gold Edition on consoles and PC, and on iOS requires the base game and the Winters’ Expansion. This expansion adds in the third person mode, Shadows of Rose expansion which is as good as when I first played it on PS5. It feels wild that this is all running natively on an iPhone, but here we are. I didn’t spend too much time with it on iPad, but I was impressed with it using an external Xbox controller.

I hope Capcom can work on improving the touch controls for the game in future updates. Developers like Feral Interactive have been bringing console games to mobile with optimized touch interfaces while also providing great controller support. While they are the gold standard, this is a good first step for Capcom with its AAA games on iPhone and iPad.

In its current state, I absolutely recommend getting Resident Evil Village on iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max if you have a controller like the Backbone One USB-C edition or use an external bluetooth controller and play on iPad. The touchscreen interface even with its customization options is not good. Capcom has done a fantastic job so far in bringing this AAA survival horror experience to Apple platforms, and I hope we see more RE Engine games make their way in the future after Resident Evil 4 Remake releases next month. Resident Evil Village is a free download with an in app purchase to unlock the full game, so I definitely recommend downloading it if you have a supported device to see how good the conversion is. Right now, it is a great start for Capcom on modern iOS devices, but I hope we see more optimized ports in the future.

Check out the official website for Capcom’s new Apple silicon ports here. Resident Evil Village releases on October 30th for iOS and iPadOS with pre-orders available here.

Resident Evil Village iPhone 15 Pro Review Score: 4/5

Update: Added review score after testing the game on iPhone 15 Pro after its first major update and also impressions from the M1 iPad Pro version.

You know that Vince McMahon reaction meme? That is almost how I reacted when I saw the email notification for grapefrukt games’ subpar pool ($4.99). You see, I love golf games, pool mini-games, and games by grapefrukt like rymdkapsel, so having all three of those together felt like a game that was literally made for me. About 15 minutes after I started playing subpar pool, I bought it on Steam and gifted it to a friend. It is that good. In fact, I like it so much, I almost did this entire review in lowercase, just like grapefrukt intended.

So what is subpar pool? It is a blend of pool, mini golf, procedurally generated levels, different kinds of balls, gorgeous visuals, superb sound design, and more. You start off with subpar pool feeling like a pleasing pool and golf hybrid, but slowly start to see the genius unfold. Not only is this one of the most well-designed games I’ve played in 2023, it might actually have surpassed rymdkapsel for me from grapefrukt, which I’m shocked to even think about.

After a few rounds, you start unlocking different modifiers through cards. These let you augment your runs to try and complete more challenges and progress. You can pick and choose cards based on what you’ve unlocked, but things can get difficult very quickly. There are multiple areas and ball types you can mix and match as well, but the humor and gorgeous visuals are constants. The different ball types in particular dramatically change how things go in a run. If you somehow fail to pocket every ball in a stage, the game hilariously starts moving into a scary or anxious state where your ball starts sweating and such. Any ball you miss pocketing becomes a black color ball that remains for the next table.

subpar pool’s game flow and structure combine to be very addictive, but the controls were a big surprise. You see, I initially was puzzled at the lack of the slingshot-style control for aiming the ball as we see in most golf or pool mini-games. It turns out, the level design, screen size on mobile, and general structure made it so that the slingshot control scheme wouldn’t work. Instead you have the ability to place the ball, drag to aim, and then double tap to shoot. The touch controls on both iOS and Switch feel great, but there is full controller support on mobile if you prefer that. I used my Kishi V2 and it played great, just like it does on Switch with Joy-Cons.

In terms of accessibility, you can reduce shaking, toggle haptics, enable a left handed mode, and even unlock everything. These are all available in the options menu at any time. You can also reset progress if you’d like. I’m not sure if this is by design, but I couldn’t get my progress to sync across iPhone and iPad. I verified this in a few other games where it did work, so I’m not sure if subpar pool doesn’t support iCloud saves, or that it was just bugged. I hope this can be resolved or clarified in the future.

Visually, I’m not sure how subpar pool managed to pull off a blend of cozy designs for the balls, subtle yet whimsical animations, and some superb patterns for the environments around the actual stages. This is all complemented by stunning typography and iconography throughout. subpar pool feels like a game Apple would’ve funded on Apple Arcade a few years ago. Thankfully, it is a premium purchase and available on Switch and Steam as well as mobile from day one.

While a lot of the music in subpar pool is very chilled out, I ended up liking all the tracks used a lot. I even left the game idling on Switch docked to listen to the music while writing this review. Barring the music, the sound effects are just lovely. The sounds accompanied by different animations and changes based on how close you are to a game over are also worth highlighting. The team thought of *everything* here.

subpar pool also excels in how it dangles unlocks and challenges making you feel like you’re always close to the next major part of the game. Getting a game over in subpar pool never feels bad. Working towards more unlocks remains fun, and each run feels different.

The only part of subpar pool that might not work for some folks, is in its structure with how you mix and match to try new runs. I adore the freedom to tweak my playstyle and runs here, but those who prefer a more guided experience might not like it. If you aren’t a fan of golf or pool mechanics at all, this might not be for you. I love all of that, so subpar pool is one of my favorite games of 2023, and I feel like I’ve said that a lot recently, but 2023 remains a crazy good year for game releases on all platforms.

Subpar Pool is out on iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, and Steam right now. I’ve played it on iPhone 11, iPhone 14 Plus, iPad Pro (2020 11″), Nintendo Switch docked, Nintendo Switch handheld, and Steam Deck. I like the game a lot, but it definitely shines on Switch in handheld and on iOS. Both offer touch and controller support, and run the game very well. If you aren’t sure where to buy it, I would get subpar pool on iOS above other platforms. The one more run style gameplay, amazing portrait and landscape support, lovely use of haptics, and gorgeous visuals on modern screens makes it really feel at home on iOS and iPadOS devices.

If you enjoy mini-golf, pool, and have liked grapefrukt games’ past releases, this should be the easiest purchase you make all year. Even if you’ve never played a game by the developer, subpar pool is the perfect entry point into an amazing catalog of lovely games. I would like some sort of an in-game glossary for specific terms though, because a few challenges seem a bit vague requiring trial and error.

I’ve wondered if and when this would happen, but now the day has come. For those who haven’t followed the state of SNK on mobile over the years, the Arcade Archives aren’t the first time the former arcade giant has reissued its classics on iOS. Around a decade ago, it did several releases with Dotemu. Each one was hand-tailored to an extent and as such there were only a handful of titles released. Mainly the big hits. That of course included one of the more popular entries in the King of Fighters series, The King of Fighters ’98 ($2.99). Hamster has up until now intentionally been steering clear of those titles, but we finally have our first overlap with KOF ’98 ($3.99). So how does the new compared with the old? Let’s find out!

I actually wrote the TouchArcade review for The King of Fighters ’98 (Dotemu version) nine years ago. I’m going to borrow a bit from myself to introduce the game before we start making comparisons. Shaun of 2014, take it away!

“The King of Fighters ’98 represents the first “Dream Match” installment of the series, where the story is set aside so that old and new characters can appear alongside each other, even if they’re dead or it doesn’t fit the plot. As such, with a few notable exceptions, this game has every character from King of Fighters ’94 through King of Fighters ’97, rounding out the roster to an impressive 38 characters. If that’s not enough for you, nine of the characters even have alternate versions that reflect an earlier incarnation. What makes that number of characters even more impressive is how well-balanced the game is. While some characters, like Iori or Kyo, definitely outshine others, such as Andy or Billy, the gap between the best and the worst is smaller than just about any other fighting game with such a large list of playables.

As usual for the series, you pick a team of three characters and fight it out against other teams of three. This installment was from the era where you couldn’t tag in and out freely, instead choosing the order in which your fighters will appear. If you finish off your opponent, your character’s health will get restored a little and the next fresh opponent will face you in the next round. Eliminate the whole opposing team and you win. KOF ’98 carries forward the Advanced and Extra modes from KOF ’97, offering different styles of building and using your super meter. Aside from the roster changes and balancing, the gameplay isn’t much different from the previous year’s version, but that’s pretty typical for a fighting game sequel. There’s no story, and the boss this time around is Omega Rugal, an SNK boss if there ever was one.”

Alright, that seems adequate. Odds are good that if you’re reading this, you probably already have a decent idea of what The King of Fighters ’98 is. You might even own that previous version. So let’s get to the proper meat and see how Hamster’s KOF ’98 fares against Dotemu’s The King of Fighters ’98. First, I will say that the emulation quality is excellent on both. Once you’re in the game and playing, there’s very little to distinguish the two. The sound is a bit better on Hamster’s version to my ear, but only a bit. Dotemu’s version skips the attract mode and title screen, so Hamster’s version does offer a more authentic arcade experience. Both versions support external controllers, and that is the recommended way to play.

That will bring us to the first major difference: the touch controls. Dotemu’s version is customized to an extent, with context-specific touch buttons, an SP button for easy activation of special moves, and a choice between the standard four button layout or six buttons with some button combos. You can adjust the size and opacity of these controls, but since this is a fairly old app even the maximum size is a bit on the small side. You can’t move them around, either. Hamster’s version uses the same stock touch controls seen in its other Arcade Archives releases. There are no special buttons or combo buttons here, but you can move around the existing virtual buttons, chance their opacity and size, adjust the diagonal sensitivity, and even choose whether the input on the stick will be digital or analog. I’m not going to lie: Dotemu’s SP button makes it easier to bust out moves with touch controls, but Hamster wins in every other regard.

Indeed, broadly speaking, Hamster gets the win in options. Hamster’s version allows you to tweak a few specific gameplay settings where Dotemu’s just allows you change the difficulty level. Hamster allows you to fully remap controls; Dotemu’s does not. In terms of video settings, Hamster allows you to change the screen layout and orientation, turn the wallpaper on or off, whether you want to display “off-screen” graphics (things that the bezel of most displays would have hidden back in the day, and gives you a wild degree of customizability in terms of applying filters to the visuals. Dotemu lets you choose whether you want a smoothing filter on or off, and if you want scanlines. Hamster offers sound setting options; Dotemu does not. You can make a save state and resume later in Hamster’s version, but in Dotemu’s you have to start over every time. Hamster is the clear winner here.

The extras are where things get a little messier. Hamster offers its usual selection. You can pick between the Japanese and International versions in standard mode, and the standard Score Attack and timed Caravan modes are here. Each mode has its own online leaderboard to compete on. Multiplayer is available, but only on the same device using multiple external controllers. Over on Dotemu’s side, you have a standard single-player mode using the International version of the game, a training mode that gives you a CPU dummy to beat up on, and support for multiplayer via local wireless. That last feature is a welcome one, as I personally feel it’s easier to set up matches with another person that way. Neither one supports online multiplayer, unfortunately. I’d give Dotemu the edge here, though it’s not a dramatic win.

The last difference is the price. This new version costs a dollar more than Dotemu’s old one. It’s just a dollar, but it’s still a dollar. That will get you at least a couple of slices of bread these days. Looking at the overall picture, which version is best is going to depend on your situation. The small virtual controls on Dotemu’s version really hurt its value if you’re not playing with an external controller. The training mode and more convenient multiplayer are great extras, and the game runs just as well. Hamster’s standard Arcade Archives features certainly give you more to play around with, but things like the Caravan mode aren’t as well-suited to fighters as they are to, say, shoot-em-ups. Multiplayer is pretty awkward to get going here, too.

If you already own the Dotemu version of The King of Fighters ’98, this new version doesn’t make a very compelling case for itself. If you don’t have either of them and are trying to choose, it’s a hard call. This one costs more and has more options and extras, but the Dotemu one has a couple of nice features you won’t find in this Arcade Archives release. I’d probably recommend this new one simply because it has a lower chance of being deprecated, but I think it’s otherwise a hard call. KOF ’98 is a great game that, like other arcade fighters, isn’t necessarily the best fit for mobile. It was dicey to recommend once, and I’m not sure I can muster much enthusiasm for a second dip.

I reviewed the ACA NEOGEO version of Baseball Stars Professional a while back and had some folks disagreeing with my assessment of the game. I can respect people who like it, but it’s never been a game I thought was terribly good and the effective loss of multiplayer on mobile didn’t do it any favors. So how about Baseball Stars 2 ($3.99)? Well, I can tell you right away that I like this game a lot better than the previous title in their original forms, so we’re already off on a better foot. But how much better? Let’s find out.

Baseball Stars 2 released a couple of years after Baseball Stars Professional, which was among the launch titles for the NEOGEO hardware. SNK had clearly learned a lot of lessons in those two years, some of them the hard way. Truth be told, some of the team members from Baseball Stars Professional had already shown some improvements with 1991’s Super Baseball 2020, so it wasn’t just a straight jump from the first Baseball Stars on NEOGEO to this second one. Some of the improvements come from being more comfortable with the hardware, knowing when and where to use things like scaling in service of the game rather than simply to try to wow people with graphical tricks. Some of it was down to some of the team members stepping up to bat for a baseball game for the third time in as many years. I also think the sheer pace at which SNK was churning out games, a necessary pace for a hardware manufacturer in its position, led to a lot of iterative progress in terms of quality.

I’m not saying that SNK in 1992 had everything on the ball, but it was a smarter company with a clearer focus and more experience in delivering punchy arcade hits that pleased the crowds. And indeed, I think that’s what Baseball Stars 2 is. There aren’t a ton of truly great arcade baseball games. Even companies like Midway or Konami couldn’t quite get a proper handle on it the way they did with other sports. SNK pulled it off with Baseball Stars 2. It’s a terrific arcade game, with great graphics and sound, snappy gameplay, and just the right amount of over-the-top silliness to make it feel like a spectacle.

It’s a ton of fun against another human player, but you can also have a rather decent time going up against the CPU. That’s a good thing, because as usual unless you have some extra controllers and a display to crowd around, you won’t be playing multiplayer here. That leaves you with a fifteen-game pennant race against the computer, plus the usual extra modes Hamster puts in the ACA NEOGEO releases, complete with leaderboards. The CPU is still a bit of a rude boy here, as this is still an SNK game. Rubber banding is in full effect, so woe be it to you if you get too far ahead in a game. Still, it’s more manageable here than it was in Professional because it’s a more level playing field.

Specifically, the fielding in this game is a lot better than it was in Professional. The scaling and zooming doesn’t obstruct your view in the same way, so it’s a lot easier to do what you need to. You can also choose automatic fielding if you don’t want to deal with that end of things, but I think the game is lot more enjoyable if you have full control of things. You can beat that silly computer! You have all the coins in the world to buy giant bats with! That fifteen game sprint to the championship offers a fairly meaty challenge for an arcade sports game, and the chase is worth the few bucks you’ll pay for Baseball Stars 2.

Just keep in mind that this is an arcade baseball game. You won’t get anything even remotely resembling sim elements here. No team management, no roster editing, nothing. You step up, you play baseball, you go home. Enjoy the extremely colorful and well-detailed graphics, marvel at all the funny animations, laugh at the repetitive yet charming commentary, and… I don’t know, goggle? Let’s say goggle at the crisp sound effects. I’ll give SNK this: even when the games didn’t play the best they could, they usually looked and sounded fantastic. That was harder and harder to pull off on the NEOGEO hardware as the years passed, but SNK knew how to make that hardware sing. Anyway, this is the best looking baseball game on NEOGEO. Yes, out of all three of them.

Baseball Stars 2 plays a bit better with a controller if you have access to one. The Backbone or Kishi will work a treat, but use your weapon of choice. It was originally designed around physical controls, after all. But the virtual buttons get the job done here quite well thanks to the nature of baseball. It almost helps a little with fielding since it’s less likely you’ll be tilting in any directions when the camera cuts away, ensuring you won’t be marching your little fielder in the wrong direction for a second. These kinds of pick and play sports games usually fare well with touch controls, so I suppose it isn’t a surprise they work well here.

I’ve already gone over the usual ACA NEOGEO bits, but as a quick recap. You can use an external controller. You can only play multiplayer via a single device using extra external controllers, and you both have to look off the same screen. No online or local wireless multiplayer. You can play the Japanese or international version of the game, and there is a score attack and timed Caravan mode available. Each of these modes has its own online leaderboard that will probably have about ten people on it. Good luck and godspeed. You have access to a number of options, including gameplay tweaks and graphical options. You can save your progress whenever and load it later, at least in the main modes. The emulation is top-notch, like having the arcade machine in the palm of your hand. You’re a real hot dog!

If you were waiting for the best NEOGEO baseball game to arrive in the ACA NEOGEO mobile line, congratulations! The wait is over, Baseball Stars 2 is here. This is a very fun arcade baseball game that still holds up really well and has survived the transition to mobile intact. There’s no easy access to multiplayer, and I’m always going to harp on that in these reviews, but otherwise it’s really hard to find much to complain about with this particular release.