SNK GALS’ FIGHTERS Review for Nintendo Switch

SNK Gals’ Fighters, a 2-D fighting game originally for the Neo Geo Color, has recently been released for the Nintendo Switch to celebrate the Neo Geo’s 30^th anniversary. It features an all-female roster from King of Fighters.

Those familiar with the original King of Fighter games can easily find a character who suits their needs, as SNK Gals’ Fighters brandishes a diverse cast of fighters who can appeal to many playstyles. If you want an honest character with decent fundamentals in terms of zoning, whiff punishes, and approach tools, then you will enjoy using characters like Mai.  Alternatively, you could always just play whoever you think looks the coolest, like the ninja, Shiki.

The cast is assembled to participate in the global Queen of Fighters tournament.  Instead of fighting for money, the girls fight for a magical talisman which grants its owner a single wish, and the title Queen of Fighters. In the spirit of cartoonish fun, most of the characters wish for simple things, such as undoing a bad haircut, or getting rid of a toothache. The game itself exists outside of KOF’S canon, so no matter what happens, the girls’ character arcs can remain intact. 

I ran my first playthrough with Leona, who plays very much like Guile from Street Fighter with strong, defensive options. Instead of Sonic Boom, she uses a grenades (or silly cartoon bombs with faces painted on) and can call in air strikes to wall her opponents out.

SNK Gals’ Fighters has crazy smooth movement, allowing you to either quickly close to take advantage after winning a game of footsies, or disengage in case your opponent is starting to pop-off. This, as well as the Gal Gauge mechanic, which charges up your super as you deal damage and block attacks, incentivized me to be smart with my approaches. Mindlessly spamming a fireball gives your opponent the chance to charge up their gal gauge, as well as the chance to dash in and punish.

If you find that you are struggling in the game, either because a certain character is just your kryptonite, or because the difficulty curve gets a little steep, you can also utilize items to sway the battle in your favor. Items are collected through battles and apply modifiers to your next match, such as you getting start the match with a full gal gauge, or forcing your opponent to start the match with reduced life. I found that the “hairpin” was useful against Miss X, the final boss, because his super attacks hit like a truck and are hard to avoid.

While items are useful, nothing ever beats hard practice. There is a training mode available where you can work out each character’s techniques. You can alter the CPU’s settings so you can check whether certain moves are safe on block, which can lead to combos, and practice the timing of your counter attacks. I for one spent a healthy amount of time in training with Leona, as I needed to learn how to time the inputs for her attacks.

SNK Gals’ Fighters is an excellent retro port of a fighting game. The controls translate well to the Nintendo Switch, making it easy for a pair of friends to pick up and play. I for one have always believed it mandatory for every household to have a retro fighting game, and this game is a welcome addition to Switch store. I give SNK Gals’ Fighters an 8/10.

Check Out the SNK Gal’s Fighters Video:

SNK GALS’ FIGHTERS is available now for $7.99 on the Nintendo Switch via Nintendo eShop.

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