Something for all hardcore SNK fans.

[Rhindle The Red]

I've been doing a full inventory on all my games lately (from scratch), and just got up to my Neo Geo Pocket games.

 

Now, I'm anal enough to divide my games into "Neo Geo Pocket" and "Neo Geo Pocket Color" games, so I was checking to see which ones were compatible with my B&W Neo Geo Pocket.

 

Most that aren't compatible, like SNK Gals Fighters for instance, simply have a message that says it won't play on a B&W system. SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millenium, on the other hand, shows a series of sad-faced SNK & Capcom characters with Neo Geo Pockets, lamenting their inability to play the game.

 

When I got to my most recent NGPC acquisition, The King of Fighters: Battle de Paradise, I got quite a surprise: A HIDDEN GAME!

 

When you put the "Battle de Paradise" cart into an original B&W Neo Geo Pocket, a screen of Japanese text comes up. Wait, and a row of three dots slowly appears, followed by a final Japanese character. Press the "A" button and the game starts with a screen that reads

PLAY YO*SA*KU GAME

PRESS A BUTTON

*SHINNIHON KIKAKU*

 

("Shinnihon Kikaku" is one way to write SNK's full, original name. The other is "Shin Nihon Kikaku".)

 

It's a strange little game that appears to be a version of SNK's first arcade title Yosaku, circa 1978. The Yosaku shown at the KLOV has some similarities, but a closer version is the one below from a game called kikori no YOSAKU for the "Cassette Vision."

 

The game involves chopping down trees, while fighting off boars and avoiding snakes and bird droppings.

 

All in all, a neat discovery. It fully justifies my owning the otherwise redundant Neo Geo Pocket.

 

So, does anyone else know anything about this Yosaku game?

[liquid_sky]

sounds BAD ASS. did you try asking over at the neo-geo.com forums? I never knew it existed until now