Retro Arena: Neo Geo Mega Mix

[Arashikage]

The Shock Troopers games are probably the standout games on that list, particularly the first one. Jungle music aside it’s a pretty sweet game. NAM-1975 and Magician Lord are also great but there is seemingly a gulf between early Neo titles to the later ones. Early games seemed a little more varied compared to the proliferation of fighters later on in the Neo’s life. But I blame the timeframe for that, fighting games were the popular choice back in the mid to late 90s. You were never going to get Riding Hero 2 back in the midst of the Street Fighter 2 craze.

[Leon Retro]

But I blame the timeframe for that, fighting games were the popular choice back in the mid to late 90s.

Yeah, once SF2 appeared, everyone went crazy for fighting games. Before that era, fighting games weren't overly popular. People were more interested in action games and platformers.

Because the Neo Geo was released in 1990, developers were still catering for what was popular in the '80s. So you got action games, scrolling beat 'em ups, and something like Blue's Journey. After that, you only saw a few Neo Geo games that weren't fighters or shooters.

It's a shame really, because it would be great if the Neo Geo library was far more diverse. But the huge craze for fighting games from 1991 onwards meant that publishers/developers were firmly focused on that booming genre.

I definitely like most of the games listed though, even if some of them feel a bit basic/limited. Top Hunter and Spinmaster are two gems that have very nice graphics and feel good to play. The Shock Troopers games and Ninja Commando are also high quality run-'n-gun titles.

[Asura]

It's a shame really, because it would be great if the Neo Geo library was far more diverse. But the huge craze for fighting games from 1991 onwards meant that publishers/developers were firmly focused on that booming genre.

There was another aspect to this too; the desire for fighting games was partially driven by the actual arcade manufacturers. Fighting games are good for revenue because they get two people on a machine at once, and the aim of each of those people is to force the other player to lose and potentially pay again if they want another go.

[Leon Retro]

There was another aspect to this too; the desire for fighting games was partially driven by the actual arcade manufacturers.

Well, I think arcade game companies were just jumping on a very lucrative bandwagon. I will never forget how immensely popular fighting games were after SF2 appeared and completely reenergised the genre. Of course, fighting games being popular '2 player' experiences also helped to rake in the cash. Fighting games were an easy bet for publishers, so that's why we got so many using the capable Neo Geo tech.

It's interesting to note how the fighting game genre has stayed strong ever since 1991. Other old school genres became quite niche over time, but fighting games are still a very popular genre.

[Asura]

It's interesting to note how the fighting game genre has stayed strong ever since 1991. Other old school genres became quite niche over time, but fighting games are still a very popular genre.

You think so? Personally I feel they've had a resurgence.

I think they were huge in the 16-bit era, then games like Tekken were big in the 32-bit era, but I feel their popularity waned a bit after that. Tekken Tagand Soul Calibur were big, but I don't think there was a hit on the scale of something like the original Virtua Fighter or SFII. Street Fighter IV kinda brought it back.

I think fighting games have retained their popularity within the gamer niche; I just mean mainstream appeal here. An example (super-subjective for a moment) was that when SFIV came out, I was on the train and heard a load of football fans on the way to a match talking about whether they preferred Guile or Blanka; one of them mentioned about SFIV, and another honestly asked "what happened to SFIII? Did they ever even do one?"

[Leon Retro]

You think so? Personally I feel they've had a resurgence.

I think they were huge in the 16-bit era, then games like Tekken were big in the 32-bit era, but I feel their popularity waned a bit after that. Tekken Tagand Soul Calibur were big, but I don't think there was a hit on the scale of something like the original Virtua Fighter or SFII. Street Fighter IV kinda brought it back.

Well, I was mainly thinking about how shoot 'em ups became a very niche genre. Just look at how many shoot 'em ups were released for the PC Engine and Mega Drive compared to later machines. There was a huge decline in the popularity of the genre after the 16-bit era.

In comparison, the fighting game genre has been consistently popular since 1991 when SF2 took the genre to another level. Of course, the overall popularity of the genre may have dipped at certain points, but publishers have always embraced the genre as relevant through all generations. There has definitely been a strong resurgence in popularity since the 360/PS3 though. I'd say shoot 'em ups are still a very niche genre, despite the indie scene catering to people who still crave them.

[_SD_]

Top Hunter is a quality game; took me years to find out what it was after seeing it on GamesMaster...

Shock Troopers is one of my favourite games on the system, great shooter with a top soundtrack. I also really liked Ninja Commando when I had it on CD.

Drift Out is the only other one on the list that I’d really bother with, although I can’t play it with a stick, needs a CD controller.

[Leon Retro]

Top Hunter is a quality game; took me years to find out what it was after seeing it on GamesMaster...

I also remember it being a Neo Geo game that I really wanted to play. Shame it didn't get ported to the Saturn or PlayStation.

Shock Troopers is one of my favourite games on the system, great shooter with a top soundtrack. I also really liked Ninja Commando when I had it on CD.

Shock Troopers is much better than Ninja Commando, but I regularly go back to both. Lots of blasting action to enjoy.

although I can’t play it with a stick, needs a CD controller.

I'm not into fighting games, so I soon bought two CD pads when I got my AES. I'm definitely a fan of joypads over arcade sticks, but I do have sticks that I use now and then for that arcade feeling.