=====SB Recommends Neo Geo Games=====
{{:fig:recommended:neogeo_mini.jpg }}[[company:snk|SNK]]'s powerful-for-1990 arcade platform with a mostly identical, ridiculously expensive [[hardware:neogeo#Advanced Entertainment System|home counterpart]], and a later [[hardware:neogeo#Neo Geo CD|CD-based version]] with games that took approximately seven lunar cycles to load anything. Despite bankruptcy and the soiling of several key franchises by some hack Korean developers, the **Neo** retained official support for a staggering 14 years. Home to more fighting games than you can shake a QCF + P at.

=====Recommended=====

  ***//Blazing Star//**
    * Rudie: I love this [[genre:shooters|shooter]] until it gets god damn impossible.
    * chompers po pable: //[[game:Blazing Star]]// is fantastic, and even moreso with two players. It isn't overly long and has some of the coolest bosses this side of //[[game:Guwange]]//. 
    * Felix: Actually a really darn good tough-but-fair, gorgeous, straightforward space shooter. Doesn't get mentioned enough.

  ***//Garou: Mark of the Wolves//** (also on: DC, PS2, XBLA)
    * Sniper Honeyviper: SNK's answer to //[[game:sf3|Street Fighter III]]//, which means it's the second best fighting game of all time.
    * Firenze: On a lot of people's short list for best fighting game ever. I'd only place it below //[[game:sf3#3rd_strike|3rd Strike]]// and //[[game:sfa2|SFA2]]// for my personal favorites. It's [[company:SNK]] with a very smooth [[company:Capcom]] (a la [[game:sfa_seres|SF Alpha series]]) feel, not the usual stiffness from a SNK fighter.

  ***//Ironclad / Chotetsu Brikin'ger (JP)//** (Also on: Wii VC)
    * Sniper Honeyviper: A really weird [[genre:shooters#Horizontal Shooter|horizontal shooter]] with an [[game:r-type_series|R-Typian]] detatchable pod, set in an alternate-history 1920s eastern Europe with [[theme:mecha_games|mecha]]. The graphics could be described as an Impressionist //[[game:donkey_kong_country_series|Donkey Kong Country]]// with lots of industrial grunge. Released on the Wii's Virtual Console. 

  ***//The King of Fighters '98: The Slugfest//** (also on: PS, PS2, PSN, Wii VC, XBLA)
    * Sniper Honeyviper: The definitive //[[game:kof98|KOF]]//. I still prefer //[[game:kof97|'97]]// and //[[game:kof2000|2000]]// though.
  
  ***//The King of Fighters 2003//** (also on: PS2, Xbox)

  ***//Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle//**
    * Loki Laufeyson: One of the first tag-team fighting games. Has a secondary gimmick in that it's also a weapons fighter. Pretty great character designs, and some of the best looking stages in 90s fighting games.
    * Sniper Honeyviper: The music in the slums stage is the best grunge rock track in a videogame.

  ***//The Last Blade 2//** (also on: DC, PS2, PSN, Wii VC)
    * Rudie: I always found //[[game:samurai_shodown_series|Samurai Shodown]]// too slow for me.  This is a quicker based weapons fighter that takes place when Japan finally opened it's doors to the world(([[wp>Late Tokugawa shogunate]])).
    * Loki Laufeyson: The counter button adds both a lot of fun, and a metric ton of tension.

  ***//Last Resort//** (also on: Wii VC)
    * chompers po pable: //[[game:Last Resort]]// is a neat game, with wonderful animation and interesting boss/enemy sprites (and a neo-dark, post-moody atmosphere, and a descent soundtrack, from what I remember). It is a bit on the hard side, unless you are willing to credit-feed it. Plays like //[[game:r-type_series|R-Type]]//.

  ***//Metal Slug X//** (Also on: PS, PS2, PSP, Wii, Wii VC)
    * Rudie: //[[game:metal_slug_x|X]]// is a remixed version of //[[game:metal_slug_2|2]]// and is my favorite //[[game:metal_slug_series|Metal Slug]]//. My problem with //[[game:metal_slug_3|3]]// (popular favorite) is the enemies eventually take too much damage and it just gets too hard to stay alive.
    * Felix: Objectively it's probably the best game in the series. I have a lot of affection for the original because I can 1cc it, but this game has more varied level design and is better balanced for co-op. As Rudie said, 3 gets to be a bit much, even though it is grandiose and spectacular.

  ***//Metal Slug 3//** (Also on: PS2, Wii VC, Xbox, XBLA)
    * Brandon and Tim: **YOU'RE GOD DAMN RIGHT //[[game:metal_slug_3|METAL SLUG 3]]//.**
    * spectralsound: The final stage has to be seen to be believed. It's longer than most entire games and about as insane as that sounds. [[company:treasure|Treasure]] can only dream of such madness.

  ***//Metal Slug 4 and 5//** (Also on: PS2, Xbox)
    * Rudie: Metal Slug again and again and again.
    * Sniper Honeyviper: Don't bother with //[[game:metal_slug_4|4]]//, it's basically an officially licensed doujin game with a depressing amount of recycled assets. //[[game:metal_slug_5|5]]// has some major problems, but the headbangin' soundtrack and Slug mecha make up for it.

  ***//Money Idol Exchanger//** (also on: JP PS, PSN)

  ***//Neo Turf Masters//** (also on: Wii VC)
    * Rudie: Fantastic Arcade Golf!
    * Firenze: The best [[genre_golf_games|golf video game]] ever made. And I hate golf. Might be tough to find, but it's fantastic.

  ***//Pulstar//**
    *T.: I'm one of like three people whose favorite sort of [[genre:shooters|STG]] are brutally difficult [[genre:shooters#Horizontal Shooter|hori]] memorizers, so this is an obvious favorite. It helps that unlike //[[game:Rayxanber 2]]// or //[[game:Rezon]]// it's absurdly gorgeous. Time it took to beat (playing a few credits daily): a bit over 2 months.
    * Felix: It's an R-Type knockoff, but an impressive one if you like slower-paced shooters.

  ***//Sengoku//** (also on: SFC, SMCD, Wii VC) - [[http://www.largeprimenumbers.com/news.php?nid=247|Large Prime Numbers review]]

  ***//Shock Troopers//** (also on: PSN, Wii VC)
    * Felix: Basically top-down Metal Slug. Not as replayable but a lot of fun to slog through once with a reasonably competent buddy.

  ***//Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy//** (also on: PS2, PSP, Wii, Wii VC)
    * The Blueberry Hill: Really fun arcade scroller. Players attack with stretchy arms (like //[[game:Ristar]]//), and can hop between two planes.
    * Shapermc: My favorite platforming game on the system. It has a bit more depth than it should, and the difficulty is pretty much perfect for attempting to one credit the game. It has a //[[game:Gunstar Heroes]]// feel in a few places as well. 

  ***//Twinkle Star Sprites//** (also on: DC, PS2, Saturn, Wii VC)
    * Rudie: A versus puzzle/shooter.  Playing it once sets your mind on fire, and immediately makes you hardcore.
    * The Blueberry Hill: I prefer the Saturn version, for its extra modes, but any is more than fine. It's wonderful, frantic, wonderful, and wonderful.
    * spectralsound: direct transcript of my thoughts during my first playthrough of this: "holy fuck, i can't even tell what's going on! jesus, i just died! this is awesome!"
    * Felix: Wonderful, totally unique versus classic. 

  ***//[[game:windjammers|Windjammers / Flying Power Disc]] (JP)//** (also on: Wii VC)
    * The Blueberry Hill: Basically, it's a //[[game:Pong]]// update. With the significant changes being the ability to catch the disc, multiple characters with differing strengths, and interesting shot options (like the ability to bend shots). It's a highly satisfying, speedy, and nuanced multiplayer game. And one of the system's best. It's also supported by [[software:GGPO]]!
    * Felix: It's lacking a tiny little bit of depth or something to be a classic, but it is a lot of fun for being updated Pong.

=====See Also=====

  *[[wp>Neo_Geo_CD|Neo Geo CD Wikipedia Article]]
  *[[http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?t=1786|I now join the Neo-Geo club (Recommend me games!)]] - forum thread.