SNK Gals Fighters is a fighting game presented by SNK but developed by smaller studio Yumekobo (now defunct). It is their only fighting game, yet surprisingly, they seem to have created a good mixture of skill-based gameplay and pick-up-and-play in their very first attempt. The game uses some content from other pocket fighters produced by SNK, and some new content too, such as the end game boss and altered special moves.
The story of the game is vague. There is a talisman called the K' Talisman, and it can grant any wish, kind of like the Dragon's Balls. A tournament held for only female fighters begins, and each combatant is fighting with the hopes of winning the talisman from tournament leader Miss X (who is actually King of Fighters' Iori Yagami in a dress). It's the silliest SNK fighting game I've played.
The goal, as in most fighting games, is to bring your opponent's life gauge down to zero. There is also the Gal Gauge, which builds up when receiving or dealing damage. Once filled, you can use it to power a special move. The controls are simple, with only four directions and two buttons, the combinations are easy enough to figure out. The game can be learned, or you can play it by button mashing, as it supports both methods of play. Special moves are the quarter-circle affair used in traditional fighting games, so it is not difficult to wrap your head around performing them. There are also bonus moves, exclusive to each character, that have effects such as quick healing or stronger moves.
They missed a trick not outright calling this Queen of Fighters.
The Neo Geo Pocket Color is capable of displaying many colors on screen, which has been used to provide the backgrounds with greater detail, leaving the character sprites a simple, three color design. In doing so, not only does it result in excellent looking backgrounds, it also makes seeing the characters much easier as they stand out clearly. Each character has a screen image displayed when talking and a selection of quotes. Upon defeating a character with a special move, their life literally flashes before their eyes with highly detailed illustrations in the background of the stage. I really like this feature a lot, because it makes winning with a special move even more satisfying.
The sound design is also pleasant. The music is decent, and the sound effects are simple and fit the overall game style snugly. My only complaint is that because the Neo Geo Pocket Color as a system tends to experience slowdown on most games; the music doesn't always stay at a constant speed, but this is true of almost all titles on the system.
Besides a few unlockable characters, and items to make the game easier, there is little to do or obtain once the game is beaten. As such, it has little replay value. This is a shame, because I feel the mechanics of the game are very good, and it could easily do with extra content to pad it out further. My personal favorite of the pocket fighters released for Neo Geo handhelds, SNK Gals Fighters is accessible and immediately enjoyable to anyone who likes fighting games, whether they seek a challenge or just like smashing buttons.
