While most fighting games on the Neo Geo were of the standard format, the Last Blade franchise eschewed the norm in favor of weapons-based versus fighting. The second in the series features several improvements over its predecessor, including an EX mode, which combines speed and power. It features an overarching narrative played out in extended cutscenes, making it more cinematic than most of the era’s fighting games. It also compromises balance between characters for more varied play, so players would have to lean into a character’s strengths to overcome their opponent. The Last Blade 2 was a fantastic fighter, though it’s not well known outside of Neo Geo enthusiasts despite being released on various systems over the years.
9) The King of Fighters ’98
Image courtesy of SNK
The fifth game in the King of Fighters series is often cited as the best, as The King of Fighters ‘98 offers significant improvements over its four predecessors. The game dumped the storyline of previous titles, focusing instead on “dream matches” as a so-called “special edition” of the series. In the game, the player creates a team of three fighters to compete in the King of Fighters tournament, then fights their way through to the boss, Rugal Bernstein. That character died in The King of Fighters ‘95, but because there was no story, nobody complained. Characters have alternate versions with classic moves, and there are two fighting styles to choose from. KOF ‘98 is the franchise’s best entry and one of the best fighting games of the era.
8) Far East of Eden: Kabuki Klash
Image courtesy of SNK
Tengai Makyo is an RPG released only in Japan, and Far East of Eden: Kabuki Klash is a spin-off and the only title released outside the country. That’s how it came to players in North America who enjoyed the excellent fighting game. It plays similarly to The Last Blade games, but includes power-ups and some seriously epic moves. Characters can wield weapons against one another, which can be lost and picked up again, and the game features a compelling story. It’s unfortunate that Far East of Eden: Kabuki Klash was a one-off, because it’s truly an excellent addition to the genre on the system, which isn’t well known today.
7) Blazing Star
Image courtesy of SNK
Taking a brief step out of fighting games, we find Blazing Star, a scrolling shooter that is a sequel to another game we’ll get to shortly. Players can operate different ships, each with their own characteristics, and the game, while challenging, isn’t as hard as its predecessor. It does feature better graphics and superior boss designs, though it came and went without much fanfare. When Blazing Star was re-released on smartphones and various consoles in recent years, it gained renewed attention. It has once again been praised for its style and how much fun it is to play. As a result, Blazing Star continues to entertain decades after its initial release.
6) Art of Fighting
Image courtesy of SNK
While there are multiple games in the Art of Fighting series, the first is arguably the best. It was released in 1992 and later ported to various systems after debuting on the Neo Geo. The game follows two fighters, Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia, both of whom are on a mission to fight crime in South Town to find Ryo’s missing sister. Like other fighters, it features a bunch of special moves and even stronger Desperation Moves, adding a strategic element to their use in a fight. The Art of Fighting’s story is a big part of what makes it special. Still, beyond that, it’s a fantastic fighter, adding several gameplay elements that became common to the genre, including screen scaling, taunts, dashes, and more.
5) Metal Slug 3
Image courtesy of SNK
There are several Metal Slug games in the franchise, all of which are excellent run-and-gun titles. Still, many gamers consider Metal Slug 3 to be the superior entry. It features improved graphics and sound over its predecessors, and also includes numerous upgrades and features that weren’t present in the first two games. These include new vehicles and weapons, as well as the branching path system that became a staple of the franchise. It was incredibly popular upon release, but that hasn’t waned, thanks to the game being ported to modern consoles numerous times since its introduction in 2000.
4) Bust-A-Move
Image courtesy of Taito
Whether you know it as Puzzle Bobble or by its original title, Bust-A-Move, there’s no denying that it’s one of the best tile-matching games of the 1990s. The game is based on the 1986 arcade game Bubble Bobble, taking characters and themes to create Bust-A-Move’s look, and it’s a relatively simple game. Players can take on a computer or human opponent and match colored bubbles to make them pop and disappear. Doing so moves the ever-encroaching line of bubbles higher, prolonging play. In two-player mode, removing bubbles creates unexpected obstacles on the opponent’s screen, complicating their gameplay. It’s an entertaining game in and of itself, but it’s even better when played against someone.
3) Pulstar
Image courtesy of SNK
Pulstar is the prequel to Blazing Star, and it features the same style of gameplay, based primarily on the mechanics of the R-Type series. Gameplay involves moving horizontally across stages, destroying countless enemies, until reaching a boss battle. It’s a bullet hell of epic proportions, so the difficulty level is scaled up considerably. It’s also the first Neo Geo game to use 3D pre-rendered visuals, and has long been a favorite of the system’s fans. The difficulty of Pulstar was the primary reason for developing the sequel, which made it less challenging, though many prefer the Neo Geo’s OG scrolling shooter over its successor.
2) Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Image courtesy of SNK
For most players with a passing familiarity with the Neo Geo and its franchises, the Fatal Fury series stands out. That’s not surprising, as the Fatal Fury games are among the best the genre had to offer throughout the 1990s, which is saying something given that Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat shared the same marketplace. Fatal Fury: King of Fighters is the series’ first, as well as the first fighting game released on the Neo Geo, but the best entry is easily Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Every aspect of previous games is improved upon, and it’s a complete redesign of the franchise. While everyone has their favorites, most agree that the last one released on the Neo Geo is the best.
1) Samurai Showdown II
Image courtesy of SNK
Picking the top game for the Neo Geo wasn’t easy, but in the end, we landed on Samurai Showdown II, a weapons-based fighting game that is the second entry in the franchise. While the first is superior to most fighting games, Samurai Showdown II breaks the mold, built from the ground up with improvements over its predecessor, making it one of the greatest fighting games of all time. It features excellent control, special moves, characters, and more. It’s the first game to introduce an offensive blocking mechanic later seen in Street Fighter III and most fighting games that followed. In the end, there was only one title that could be crowned king of the Neo Geo, and it’s easily Samurai Showdown II.
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