SNK's only Neo Geo shogi game is out now on Switch and PS4

Hamster Corporation has released a gameplay showcase for the ACA Neo Geo version of Master of Syougi, an SNK arcade title that recently launched on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. The digital port brings traditional Japanese chess to modern platforms as part of the long-running Arcade Archives series.

The 1995 release is an outlier in the SNK catalog. It is the only authentic shogi title ever released for the Neo Geo system. In a library dominated by fighting games, beat-'em-ups, and run-and-gun shooters, a quiet board game was an anomaly.

Two ways to play

The port includes two distinct game modes. Players can choose between standard shogi or the simplified hasami shogi variant. Hasami shogi is a simpler game played on the same board where the goal is to capture opponent pieces by flanking them. This mode is much easier to pick up if you are intimidated by the complex piece promotions and movement rules of standard shogi.

Hamster included adjustable settings that display beginner guides for anyone new to the centuries-old board game. You can also set up handicaps by dropping pieces to balance matches between players of different skill levels. Shogi has a steep learning curve, so these options make the arcade port far more approachable for newcomers.

The original arcade presentation remains intact. Opponent character portraits sit next to the active board and react as the match progresses. When a player wins, the localized text declares the victory alongside a statistics screen decorated with bright autumn leaves.

The arcade history

Master of Syougi (known as Shogi no Tatsujin in Japan) was originally developed by ADK and distributed in arcades by SNK. ADK was responsible for several other Neo Geo staples. They built the World Heroes fighting game series and the top-down shooter Twinkle Star Sprites.

The Neo Geo MVS arcade cabinets were designed to hold multiple games at once. Arcade operators usually filled these slots with high-energy games that drew crowds and ate quarters quickly. Placing a slow, methodical board game next to fast-paced action titles like Metal Slug or Samurai Shodown was an odd choice. That placement likely contributed to its low distribution.

The home console versions for the Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD were notoriously low-print releases. SNK reportedly received very few orders for the AES cartridges at the time. The company later revived the franchise for the monochrome Neo Geo Pocket in 1998. A Neo Geo Pocket Color version followed in 1999.

Because the original AES cartridges are rare and expensive today, digital re-releases are the only practical way to play the game on a television. The ACA Neo Geo version bypasses the aftermarket entirely for just a few dollars.

Modern options

Like other Hamster releases, Master of Syougi comes with modern quality-of-life additions. Players can adjust the game difficulty and filter the visual output to mimic old CRT arcade monitors. The port also connects to online leaderboards for global high-score tracking. In an arcade board game, your score is typically tied to how fast you can defeat your opponent and how many matches you can win consecutively before the timer runs out.

The options menu and digital manual are available in English, Japanese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. However, the in-game text and voice lines remain in their original Japanese format.

The game costs $7.99 and is available directly through the PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop.

If you want a break from getting destroyed in King of Fighters, getting destroyed in a quiet game of shogi is a solid alternative. Just be prepared to learn the piece movements through trial and error if you cannot read Japanese.