SNK revolutionized arcade machines with the Neo Geo Multi Video System which allowed arcade owners to use a single cabinet for multiple, interchangeable games. This allowed those who owned arcade machines to have not only multiple games, but also have new games without having to purchase entirely new cabinets.
In the same year, SNK also released the Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System (AES) which had very large cartridges that were essentially arcade boards as they provided an arcade-perfect experience at home, something that was up to that point entirely impossible when it was released in 1990. To commemorate Neo Geo’s first home console, here are the 10 best games available for the system.
10 NAM-1975
The gallery shooter is a genre that, in its almost 30 years of existence, has seen very little love. There is the fantastic Wild Guns-esque game created by Natsume and recently remastered or the Sin and Punishment series from Treasure. But, aside from those, there are very few notable titles in the genre.
However, NAM-1975 is a great gallery shooter, set in, you guessed it, Vietnam in 1975. You play as a soldier with the ability to dodge and even pass through some bullets by simply doing a little roll.
9 Pulstar
Pulstar is one of the many great shoot ‘em up games for the Neo Geo. Pulstar’s gameplay is similar to Irem’s R-Type series due to the options your ship has and the level design which makes sense as Aicom, the company behind Pulstar is comprised of former Irem employees.
Like most of the Neo Geo’s best games, Pulstar has been ported over to many different consoles including the PC, Neo Geo CD, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Pulstar was followed up by Blazing Star in 1998 which also seen a widespread release.
8 Shock Troopers
Shock Troopers is an overhead run and gun that lets you pick from one of three different characters, all of which have different weapons and abilities. There are two modes in the game, Lonely Wolf and Team Battle.
Lonely wolf has you using one character with more life while Team Battle allows you to switch between all three characters on the fly, letting you utilize all of their abilities. Shock Troopers was followed up by Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad, which had similar gameplay to the original game but offered more characters to choose from.
7 Cyber-Lip
Cyber-Lip is a run and gun shooter similar to the Contra or Metal Slug series. Cyber Lip takes place in the far off year of 2016. The government has begun developing space colonies on account of the overpopulation of earth.
Some of Cyber Lips' levels have beams that you can hang from, which is a great way to get the jump on the enemy and create some depth in the game. As with many other run and gun games, you make your way through six levels, occasional picking up power-ups and taking out enemies until you reach the boss.
6 Crossed Swords
Crossed Swords is an incredibly unique game that has you sword-fighting knights. The game is played from a third-person perspective, with the camera directly behind your back. To alleviate your character’s sprite getting in the way, your character is represented in wireframe, similar to how to original Punch-Out arcade game played.
To progress in Crossed Swords, you must time your sword wings perfectly and defend before you plan to strike. You wield both a sword and a shield that can guard either the upper part or lower part of your body as well as the ability to strafe.
5 Twinkle Star Sprites
Twinkle Star Sprites is a puzzle game mixed with a shoot ‘em up which creates a very unique experience, and ADK, the developer of the last Neo Geo game. Each stage against another opponent who has their own puzzle board. The better you do on your side of the board, the more havoc you will cause for your opponent.
Twinkle Star Sprites saw a release for the Sega Saturn and an enhanced port for the Sega Dreamcast and Playstation 2, and it later saw a release on Steam and Good Old Games.
4 Magician Lord
Magician Lord was a launch title for the Neo Geo AES and was even a pack-in for some versions of the system. The game plays similarly to Capcom’s Ghost n’ Goblins series, as it is a platformer with some light run and gun elements. The main object of the game is to recover the eight mystical books that were taken by Gal Agiese.
Throughout the game, you will come across orbs that will transform the magical into one of the different forms, all with different abilities and attacks. There is the Dragon Warrior, Waterman Poseidon, Shinobi, Samurai, and Raijin.
3 Waku Waku 7
Waku Waku 7 is a colorful one-on-one fighting with seven different characters, all with vastly different personalities, move sets, and fighting styles. As with most Neo Geo AES games, the sprite work is phenomenal with highly detailed backgrounds, characters, and specials.
Each character in the game is a parody of other fighting games or manga characters. Waku Waku 7 was ported over to the Sega Saturn and later ported over to other consoles like the Playstation 2, Playstation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in compilation packs.
2 Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Garou: Mark of the Wolves is the ninth and final entry in the Fatal Fury series before SNK focused entirely on The King of Fighters. Unlike previous entries in the Fatal Frame series, Garou: Mark of the Wolves combat takes place on a single plane as opposed to the two or more planes seen in other games.
Some of the systems added in this game were later used in the Capcom vs SNK games. Considered one of the greatest fighting games of all time, Garou: Mark of the Wolves is still played heavily in the fighting game community.
1 Metal Slug 3
The Metal Slug series is a staple in SNK’s library of amazing games. You play as a soldier infiltrating enemy bases and saving prisoners of war and taking out everyone in your path.
The Metal Slug games play similar to the Contra games as you run and gun through a variety of levels with some of the greatest sprite work to ever exist. Metal Slug 3 is notable for having both zombie and mummy transformations, which will temporarily change the appearance of your character and their move set when breathed on by the correlating monster.