Welcome to the NEO GEO review section. Now, due to limited file space, I won't do full page reviews for every single game. Most games may have a paragraph or two, with scores and a screenshot. Just enough to let you know what I think. Also note, that it may be hard to find some of these games in arcades now, due to how old they are. But some did appear on other consoles, so if I find out they did so, I'll note it on the review. If you wish to play these games, go to Classic Gaming for downloads to hook you up. And this is not a poorly made site, this site is a part of the GameSpy Network, and is very well maintained and informative.
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Aero Fighters 2 - 1994 Video System - ShooterAero Fighters 2 is, what I assume, the sequel to Aero Fighters, which I
haven't played. But really, you don't need to familliarize yourself with the
first game to enjoy the second one. AF2 is pretty much your standard shooter
that really hasn't done anything radically different from what other shooters
in the past. Really, it's Capcom's 1942 on steroids, with some weapon upgrades
and a large attack. It's a fairly sharp looking game, although this really
could have been pulled off on the SNES (and I think it was ported over to that
system), but it's not god awful. The sound is fairly standard as well, but the
music is fairly enjoyable. I can't really gush about this game other than the
fact that it can be pretty addictive, and in the later stages, a good money
maker in arcades.
VISUALS: B- ... AUDIO: B- ... GAMEPLAY: B ... REPLAY VALUE: B OVERALL: B |
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Aero Fighters 3 - 1995 Video System - ShooterIt's a shame that the second installment of the series overshadows the next
game in the series. AF3 is too sloppy to be enjoyed on the same level as AF2.
Stages are unusually shorter, bosses are much harder and worst of all, you
lose all of your points if you continue. AF2 kept the score going, but AF3
takes it away. On top of that, no new visual upgrades have been made.
VISUALS: C+ ... AUDIO: C ... GAMEPLAY: C ... REPLAY VALUE: C OVERALL: C |
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Andro Dunos - 1995 Visco Games - ShooterAnother shooter in the Neo Geo lineup, but this is one the system could
have done without. It's not groundbreaking in anyway, and really is not that
visually impressive. The Super NES was capable of much better, with games such
as Super R-Type that look sharper than this 24-bit game. It's not an awful
piece of work, but it's not noteworthy, either.
VISUALS: C ... AUDIO: C ... GAMEPLAY: C ... REPLAY VALUE: C OVERALL: C |
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Blazing Star - 1998 Yumekobo - ShooterThis is possibly the best shooter on the Neo Geo, and is very remarkable
in terms of graphics, sound and even gameplay. While it is an arcade shooter,
Blazing Star attempts to beat console shooters such as Einhander and R-Type
Delta at their own game, and pretty much exceeds. A great multiplier system
(which seems derivitave of Einhander) really adds depth to this shooter, encouraging
players to use some great skill on getting the big points. Also, it has more
stages than Einhander or R-Type Delta, which is pretty damn good. While the
Neo Geo really can't handle 3-D graphics, Blazing Star tries very hard to break
that rule. Much in the way that may GBA games are made, the sprites in this game
have been pre-rendered to give a more polygonal effect. While it doesn't swing
around the environment like Einhander does, the 3-D effect is still pretty impressive.
The soundtrack is also very good as well, as much effort went into it. Trying
hard not to sound like an average MIDI soundtrack, Blazing Star uses quite a
bit of techno. The developers really know their way around this hardware. Seeing
how Ikaruga has been released recently for the Gamecube, there's no better time
to give Blazing Star a look, if you can find it.
VISUALS: A ... AUDIO: B+ ... GAMEPLAY: A- ... REPLAY VALUE: A- OVERALL: A- |
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Fatal Fury 2 - 1992 SNK - FightingFatal Fury 2 may have been home to some well known characters that have shown
up in other SNK fighting games, but it's really a fairly simple fighter that
really needs a change in difficulty. For some reason, I found it pretty
difficult to actually win more than one round in this game, and I can usually
do pretty good in fighting games. Also, the players feel pretty stiff, which
is kind of a let down. I would expect a fighter like this to be a tad bit
smoother. And compared to Mortal Kombat, which debuted in 1992, the design
here really falls short.
VISUALS: C+ ... AUDIO: C ... GAMEPLAY: C ... REPLAY VALUE: C- OVERALL: C |
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Last Blade - 1997 SNK - FightingLast Blade is a very good looking game, probably second to Blazing Star
(or third, if Last Blade 2 looks even better), and is a fairly classy affair.
Lsst Blade is a game that is designed with some grace and elegance, which
nowadays is something many fighters can use. The animations are very smooth,
the backdrops are well detailed, and the game moves at a fairly good rate.
The sound, while minimal at times, is pretty good as well. Some voices can
be annoying, but on the whole, it's a good package. The fighting design is
well done as well. Some fighters have weapons at their disposal, while some
may not. There is also an option for a powerful Power attack or a devestating
speed attack. While Last Blade doesn't really go beyond the simple design of
a traditional brawler, it's still pretty good nonetheless.
VISUALS: A- ... AUDIO: B+ ... GAMEPLAY: B ... REPLAY VALUE: B- OVERALL: B+ |
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Magical Drop 2 - 1994 Data East - PuzzleMagical Drop 2 seems like a puzle game that we may have been familliar
with before, e.g. Columns. But really, MG2 has nothing to do with Columns,
or any other puzzler that has come around. Instead of dropping pieces, you thrown
them up in the air. And to eliminate pieces, you need at least three of the same
color vertically for a match. If more of that color hang around your match, those
will be eliminated as well. As you can imagine, chains and combos can also
be accomplished as well. While the graphics aren't paticularly stunning, the
gameplay can be downright addictive. This would be a great game to bring over
to the GBA.
VISUALS: B- ... AUDIO: B ... GAMEPLAY: B+ ... REPLAY VALUE: B+ OVERALL: B |
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Money Puzzle Exchanger - 1996 FACE - PuzzleMPE may be one of the more origninal puzzle game to surface in a post-Tetris
world. At first glance, MPE may look like Magical Drop 2, especially in the
way that objects are thrown upwards, instead of going down. But MPE has more
complexity to it's design. You need to "exchange" one type of currency for another,
until you reach the last type of currency. 5-1 coins will turn into a 5 coin,
2-5 coins will give you a 10 coin, 5-10 coins will give you a 50 coin, 2-50
coins will give you a 100 coin, 5-100 coins will give you a 500 coin, and put
2 of the 500 coins to eliminate them off the board. While it would sound like you
would end up with too many coins, exchanging them, especially in chains, can
really clear up the board. Strategy plays a big part to your success in this
game. At first, it can be overwhelming, but after a couple of tries, it becomes
pretty easy and very addictive. The graphics are very colorful, but also pretty
simple, and the sound is fairly average. Still, MPE is an addictive game, and
another game I would like to see ported over to the GBA.
VISUALS: B ... AUDIO: B- ... GAMEPLAY: B+ ... REPLAY VALUE: B+ OVERALL: B |
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Neo Driftout - 1996 Visco Games - RacingNeo Driftout is an impressive game if Ridge Racer, Daytona USA, Sega Rally
or Cruisn USA had never been released. In 1996, we had much more advanced
racing games than this. Come to think of it, I think San Fransico Rush debuted
in 1996. So really, why waste time on an inferior game like this. Sure, it
has a few licensed cars, and for a Neo Geo game, it does look nice, but
there's really not much depth. To think that this game can reall compete with
other, more powerful arcade racers was a foolish thought on Visco Game's part.
Perhaps if it came out a year or two after Thrash Rally, then there's an exception.
But why would you want to play an isometric racing game when you can go 3D?
VISUALS: B ... AUDIO: B- ... GAMEPLAY: B- ... REPLAY VALUE: C OVERALL: C+ |
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All video game titles, box art, logos and design are copyrights of their respective companies. All reviews are written by Shaun McCracken, unless otherwise stated. All reviews are property of 92530i and Shaun McCracken (unless stated) and may not be reproduced, transferred, copied, transmitted or altered in anyway without permission. All reviews written by Shaun McCracken are copyrighted. (C) 1999-2003 92530i, Shaun McCracken.