News – Former SNK Developers Reveal Retro Fighter Unholy Night

2016 has seen something of a resurgence for retro gaming, and not only is this true when it comes to gaming fans, but it’s also true for those who make games. From Indie developers, all the way through to famous retro developers such as Keiji Inafune, Koji Igarashi, and even the return of SNK, it seems even developers want to take us back to the past. So given this, would it surprise you to learn that 2016 has one more retro gaming announcement left in it?

In fact, talking of SNK, this latest announcement actually has a lot to do with the heights of SNK’s success in the days of the Neo Geo. You see, it turns out that a group of former SNK employees have just begun work on a brand new retro beat-em-up (what else could it be?), one entitled Unholy Night: The Darkness Hour. This time however it is being developed for the Super Nintendo.

According to the team though, this homebrew title will push the Super Nintendo to its absolute limits, and will even require a 32MB cartridge to run. This is all being done in an attempt to close in on the arcade perfect quality of Neo Geo titles such as King of Fighters. A fact that shouldn’t come as a shock given that they all worked on this legendary fighter.

What’s more, gamers can also expect the gameplay to take much of its inspiration from SNK’s genre defining fighters, with complex combos, special moves, and even a weapon here or there. The game itself will feature six playable characters, all of which will be presented in the iconic anime inspired aesthetic. An art style which still today remains synonymous with 90s Japanese beat-em-ups, especially the likes of Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters.

Character Select Screen for Unholy Night
Character Select Screen for Unholy Night

Unholy Night’s announcement at RETRO.HK Game Expo 2016 earlier in the month is just another nice way to top off 2016. Rumours currently point to a February 2017 release, although no further details are currently available. Either way though it looks like we won’t have too long to wait for Unholy Night, just another reason for retro fans to be positive for 2017.

Sophia Aubrey Drake

A lifelong gamer with a fanatical love of all things Nintendo and Japan. So much so that she's written a thesis on one and lived in the other. Currently on a quest to catch every last Pokémon. Follow me on twitter via @DivaXChill or @RingsandCoins.

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