If we know SNK today as a video game publisher, the Japanese firm offered its own machine a little over 30 years ago. Back to the catalog of this retro console.
Also called Neo-Geo Advanced Entertainment System or “AES”, the SNK console was released in 1990 in front of the behemoths that were the Sega Megadrive as well as the Super Nintendo. The Neo-Geo had however strong arguments such as its power identical to that of the SNK arcade terminals, giving a much more impressive rendering than on the other consoles of its time. However, it sold far less than its competitors. Getting your hands on the machine and getting games asked, at the time, to put a much higher price than at Sega or Nintendo. The Neo-Geo offered a whole bunch of interesting titles, often identical to the versions that came out in the arcades.
Blazing Star
Shoot’em up fans, Blazing Star is a very good title of the genre. Released in 1998 and made by Japanese developers Yumekobo, this is the sequel to another good game of its kind released on Neo-Geo called Pulstar. Against the background of alien invasion and the creation of organic weapons, we embody one of the six playable characters aboard their respective ship. Each of them offers different weapons that must be mastered to complete the challenging levels. These are visually successful, as are the bosses that accompany each chapter. Blazing Star is available today on all current consoles and PC.
Garou: Mark of the Wolves
It is often considered one of the best fighting games in history, Garou: Mark of the Wolves is the last episode of the Fatal Fury license released in early 2000 on Neo-Geo. The title takes place 10 years after the previous episode, when Terry Bogard as well as the new protagonist Rock Howard will both take part in a new tournament. The game offers fifteen playable characters, the majority of which are original, as well as new mechanics that bring a good dose of depth. The title is available today on all current consoles and on PC.
Last Resort
The console being very close to the arcade, there are logically many titles of genres that flourished in the rooms. Here is another shoot’em up that marked the Neo-Geo toy library. Last Resort is a starship shooter with some original mechanics. Our vehicle is followed by a drone capable of firing and which responds to our movements. This is oriented in the opposite direction to the direction taken, which makes our movements particularly important. The concept is confusing but the idea is very effective once the mechanics have been mastered. Last Resort is also available on all current consoles.
Metal Slug 3
It was during the year 2000 that SNK released its Metal Slug 3, a new sequel to the cult license. This is of course an excellent run & gun game, a fairly tough game where you have to cross levels filled with enemies to defeat with different weapons and vehicles. The title keeps the formula installed in the previous episodes while bringing many new features, it also keeps the care given to its visuals and animations. Metal Slug 3 arrived late, 10 years after the console’s release, which is a testament to the longevity it has shown. The title is available today on current consoles and on PC.
Samurai Shodown
If fighting games mainly offer characters keen on martial arts, SNK sought to stand out from the competition by offering Samurai Shodown, one of the first titles to offer a different universe and stabbing combat for the genre. . The 1993 title has very demanding gameplay and short, intense clashes. Taking place in medieval Japan, this first episode has just over a dozen colorful characters. This first game is available in the “Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection” collection on all current platforms.
Shock Troopers
In 1997 landed a certain Shock Troopers, a run & gun which also marked the catalog of the console. We owe this title to a now extinct Japanese development studio by the name of Saurus. Playable in two-player cooperation, we control several characters with distinct abilities and weapons who face an army of terrorists who have a drug to create super-soldiers. The title is played with a camera placed in height, and displays characters and very detailed decorations. Shock Troopers is also available on all current consoles.
Super Sidekicks
Football has also had its own titles on Neo-Geo, thanks in particular to SNK’s Super Sidekicks series. The first episode released in 1993 is a fairly classic football game for the time, putting different national teams into competition. The title is of course playable for two and the gameplay allows you to control the players of our team closest to the ball. The exercise is successful, the arcade gameplay is easy to learn and offers good sensations very quickly. Super Sidekicks is available today on all current consoles.
The King of Fighters ’98: The Slugfest
Among the major SNK series, The King of Fighters is perhaps the best known, and if many episodes of the license have followed one another on Neo-Geo, the 1998 edition has particularly marked the spirits. This episode does not contain a scenario, the developers preferred to focus on its rather impressive content. To play, you have to compose a team of three characters from nearly 40 fighters, a rich selection that allows you to vary your approaches to the different game modes. The 98 edition has since been reissued and is available on all current consoles and on PC.
The Last Blade
As Samurai Shodown ditched Neo-Geo and went 3D in 1997, the console was left without any stabbing games. SNK will then realize another license to occupy this place. The Last Blade is a game also inspired by Japan from another era that allows you to take control of about fifteen characters with varied abilities. The title offers gameplay different from its predecessor, magnificent 2D and a richer scenario than usual in a fighting game. Just like many games on this list, The Last Blade is available on current consoles and PC.
Windjammers
Here is a title that we have heard a lot about recently, Windjammers was originally released in 1994 and developed by Data East. This is a game of versus where two characters face each other who must throw a frisbee at each other and send it into the opponent’s cages. This clear concept gives gameplay that is both technical and easy to learn. If the title did not appeal too much at the time, a real competitive scene has developed in recent years. Windjammers was released in a remastered version in 2017 on Playstation 4, as well as on Switch in 2018. The title was entitled to a brand new sequel at the start of 2022.
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