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It’s hard to argue about much when you’re getting 16 SNK titles in one compilation. The only thing that can go wrong is game selection and emulation, and while SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 does have some trouble with both, this is undoubtedly a fine compilation.

If you’re looking into this set, then the games are what matters. Vol. 1 offers a wide array of titles from the early and late Geo eras. The best of the lot includes a number of titles almost too numerous to mention.

Needless to say, you’ll be spending a lot of time with Samurai Shodown, King of Fighters 94, Baseball Stars 2, Neo Turf Masters, Shock Troopers, Metal Slug, Magician Lord, and Last Resort. All of those are true SNK classics, and worthy for any portable console fan.

On the other hand, SNK also chose to toss a few clunkers in here. Dull beat-em-ups Burning Fight and Sengoku are lost causes. Better choices would have been Sengoku 3 (a huge improvement) and Mutation Nation. The original Fatal Fury is bland, King of the Monsters is a button masher galore (although a mild curiosity), Art of Fighting was the worst of the three game series, and Super Sidekicks is a fast-paced soccer game that’s wholly forgettable.

That said, the number of high quality titles far outweigh the negative, and nostalgia may help carry some of the lesser games into the added value category. Emulation on all games is handled nicely, with a few hiccups. Extensive loading is evident, even during the game. Shock Troopers is especially frustrating. Some sound effects either don’t play, or come in late in King of Fighters 94. These are minor problems, but purists will be put off.

Each game comes with a number of achievements per se. Performing certain tasks unlocks move lists, music, and artwork. There are no extra games to unlock, so performing the toughest tasks is purely one for the dedicated gamer. Multi-player is included, although sadly it’s only local. Putting these games online would have made this an easy buy, especially since it’s double the price of its PlayStation 2 counterpart.

Standard options exist for each game, including difficulty, screen size, and control options. Given the button configuration on the PSP, this does lead to a few problems in terms of accuracy. Samurai Shodown has been turned into a six-button fighter instead of a four button one, purely because the button layout doesn’t allow for the usual set-up of a Neo Geo pad/arcade cabinet. Also, it’s annoying to be forced to save all changes to a memory card every time for those to go into effect.

Portability ends up being the selling point here, and likely why the price has doubled. If taking these games on the road is worth it, then you’ll be on the receiving end of a fine collection of retro titles worthy of your time. Otherwise, there’s no reason to play this on the PSP as opposed to its PlayStation 2 counterpart.