The (new) Neo Geo Appreciation Thread

[Big Seany]

Everyone else is doing it, so why can't I?

I am now the proud owner of both the AES and MVS incarnations of SNK's legendary hardware, along with a set of games that I can honestly say are all essential to me, I won't be getting rid of them any time soon.

In my MVS cab I can choose from Blazing Star, Garou, KOF 98 & 2001, Rage of The Dragons, Shock Troopers 2, Metal Slug X or Neo Turf Masters. To be able to play those on a decent arcade cab is like, well, having the best arcade evar in my garage. Then you have the still gorgeous looking AES console, for which I have other favourites such as KOF 96 & 99, Metal Slug and the tough as old boots Art of Fighting 2.

Megadrive and SNES are both wicked consoles, but the exclusivity and prohibitively high prices of Neo stuff seemed to have kept the overall quality of the games quite high across the board. In comparison to the amount of **** that came out for those two (Captain Novolin, anyone? George Foreman Boxing? Green Dog?), there aren't that many bad Neo games, and those that are substandard are still usually half decent for a quick arcade thrill.

It is an incredible platform that I will never tire of.

Favourite game-wise? My current top 5 would run:

1) Garou - quite simply the best fighter I have ever played. You've heard it all before folks but it is a stunner. A brilliant balance of characters, amazing graphics when you think of how old the hardware is, and a magnificent fighting system. As much as I like SFIII 3rd Strike, a game that is oftenmentioned in the same breath as Garou, the gameplay on SNK's title is less intimidatory than the super quick, parry fest in 3rd Strike. If you haven't played it, believe all the hype - it plays as beautifully as it looks, especially on an arcade cab with a decent stick. if you can't get the Neo version, then well worth buying DC or PS2 version BUT you need a good arcade stick!!

2) Metal Slug 3 - an incredible game and easily the best in the series.

3) Neo Turf Masters - forget those golden tee games with the trackerball - this is the definitive arcade golf experience. So easy to pick up, and as compulsively addictive as crack cocaine flavoured Pringles.

4) King Of Fighters 96 - A controversial choice to many, and as much as I love 98 and 01, 96 is still my favourite. Such a class installment, it represented the moment KOF suddenly became reeeeaaally good.

5) Blazing Star - "BONUS! BONUS! BONUS!" - the voice that repeatedly screams at you is annoying as ****, but the wide choice of ships, lovely graphics, superb scoring system and perfect difficulty curve make this the best shooter I have played on the Neo and one of my faves ever.

Stop me before I go and write a song about SNK - share with me the love for teh Neo Geo

[Mu5]

3) Neo Turf Masters - forget those golden tee games with the trackerball - this is the definitive arcade golf experience. So easy to pick up, and as compulsively addictive as crack cocaine flavoured Pringles.

That is one of my favourite golf games of all time. Pure gaming excellence

[eastyy]

My fav in no particular order

Rage of the dragons
matrimelee
ninja masters ( a great fighting game though i do not think its that well known)
Last blade 2
Metal slug x
sengoku 3

[Plisken]

Oh, i've lost many many hours to the following:

Metal Slug 3 (the only game i actually give a **** about high scores!)
Garou MOTW (as a 2 Player Game, it's amazing)
Real Bout 2 (i love the combo system in this game. it pisses over SFA, if you ask me)
King Of Fighters 2002 (i've lost 100's of hours to this through kaillera online, now if only ignition WOULD BLOODY HURRY UP WITH THE XB LIVE PORT THANK YOU)
Art Of Fighting 2 (yes! i love the challenge, the huge sprites, and the cheesy presentation, top stuff)

[Kubrick]

Seany, You're right about the games being high quality - I'm up to 42 carts now, and reckon there's at least another 20-30 I want before I'll consider my collection finished.

Blazing Star is also my favourite shooter on the system. It eases you in gently before becoming bastard hard around stage 3 or 4, and it's all about the scoring system. Love the music in it, but in terms of graphics, Pulstar destroys it. The detail in that is incredible - even when you shoot the scenery it leaves little smouldering scorch marks. The "fire" level (the one that homages Salamander) is absolutely jaw-dropping. Plays brilliantly too - R-TYPE on steroids.

Viewpoint is another Neo fave of mine. I think the fact that it's so goddamned hard that makes it so addictive - You're determined to do better the next time you play. One day I will master it (Ho Ho!).

Along with Garou: Mark Of The Wolves, my favourite fighting games on the Neo are Last Blade / Last Blade 2. I find these more enjoyable than ANY of the KOFs or Samurai Spirits games. As good as they are, that's just how it is. Good shout on Ninja Master's, eastyy, that's another great game.

The pinnacle of NeoGeo gaming for me though, is the Metal Slug series. THOSE are what I bought the system for. Even the so-called turds are brilliant games. It has to be said though that 1, 2, X & 3 reign supreme.

[Big Seany]

The speech in Art of Fighting 2 is a scream as well. When the boxer chap wails "I'm number ONE!" like a spazza it just folds me every time. And who could forget some of the superb Jap to English translations!

"Violent fighting to come again."
"Again, legendary men return"

Also - am not forgetting Last Blade series in my original post - I recieved Last Blade today from the postie so will give it a good old battering tonight and report back tomorrow. I have played LB2 but apprently the first one is better for some reason.

Like my man Kubrick, Metal Slug is the one game series I couldn't live without - in fact I was quoted as saying that in GamesTM I believe.

[eastyy]

Oh yeh real bout fatal fury is a class game shame they changed the combo system in the special and real bout 2 versions..

art of fighting 3 i thought was pretty good.

Actually going to get a mvs at some point for matrimelee /rage of the dragons/sengoku 3/ninja masters and real bout 2 i doubt they will recieve a conversion anytime

Last blade 2 i thought was better.I think the original did not have a EX mode
(you select between two modes for your character power and speed A secret ex mode in lb2 was possible which was the power and speed combined unfortunetly you take a lot more damage)

Wish they would hurry up with the last blade double pack for the ps2 almost two months late from its previous launch date

[muse hunter]

oh yes the AES great console, unfortunately i sold mine last month, even though i am always tempted to buy one back again, those sexy cases the quality games that i enjoyed such as kabuki klash and mark of the wolves . However i have to keep reminding myself why i sold it in the fisrt place and that is that its too damn expensive, i've got other machines to buy games for as well as other hobbies. Anyway i am currently saving for a cab so i can go the more affordable mvs route, hopefully i'll get one before the end of the year so hopefully ill be enjoying neo geo action again soon but this time with less pain in my wallet

[wheelaa]

Breakers too. Perhaps the most readily accessible fighter to one not weaned on neo from the off, and great fun too. Just needs a few more characters though.

Disagree with Seany on slug 3 though. 1, 2 and X are far far superior. 3 just goes on too long, and the last boss is a travesty to the series.

[eastyy]

My problem with the metal slug series is that after mslug x it all just became to familiar

[kernow]

metal slug is the best slug, I could tell you why but it'd take hours

3 is nice, and all. too


yeah, the neo's nice, over 60 of its games are the worst games in history though, then theres the masterpieces, which are near worth the value they command on NGH.

just sold my "AES" system, heh, because I have a cab in the kitchen and a mvs board with supergun in the lounge, no real need for the system anymore as the other two are completely interchangeable.

buy my carts, ! I have 8 "AES" games left but no system, heh.

[Big Seany]

Disagree with Seany on slug 3 though. 1, 2 and X are far far superior. 3 just goes on too long, and the last boss is a travesty to the series.

Hmm - the more I think about it, the more I prefer X. The subtle way the aliens are introduced, the superb difficulty curve - as you say 3 does go on, and some parts of it are actually impossible without using about 20 credits. The zombie level is particularly tiresome, due to the number of hits required to take the bastards out.

X it is then - consider my opinion owned !!

[kernow]

take the zombies out with grenades or turn into one and puke over them

http://www.stalemeat.net/ms3/

heres something I made 2 years ago when I still owned MS3

[nightstalker100]

Tempted to take the plunge into the world of neo geo via the mvs route. Favourite games to appear on the format:

Last Blade 2 - best fighter on the console, perhaps on any console
Garou - second best fighter on the neo
Samsho 4 - shallow compared to Last Blade but a great cast
SVC Chaos - yeah yeah i know, an average game but i digged the way the capcom cast was drawn and loved the pre match chat
Legend of Success Joe - just kidding

[wheelaa]

SVC Chaos - yeah yeah i know, an average game but i digged the way the capcom cast was drawn and loved the pre match chat

Yay, another SVC Fan. I dig your reasons too, capcom characters snk style, OMFG