The Neo Geo was less a home console and more an expensive way to bring the arcade experience into your home. Which meant it wasn’t a console a lot of us played, other than in arcades, plugging in multiple quarters to win.
Because the Neo Geo is so based around that sort of experience, it won’t surprise you that many of the games feature replay value as a result of successive runs as opposed to extensive quest lines.
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This list focuses on several amazing Neo Geo games that offer great replay value, with a range of genres represented, including some that you might not expect. That includes shoot ’em ups, platformers, fighting games, and even a rare puzzle game experience. Without further ado, let’s all head back to the arcade with this colorful list!
10 Real Bout Fatal Fury
So Long, Geese!
|
Platform |
Neo Geo CD |
|---|---|
|
Publisher |
SNK |
|
Genre |
Fighting Game |
|
Release Date |
February 23, 1996 |
While this list is primarily focused on games that were released stateside on the Neo Geo, Real Bout Fatal Fury first got released in Japan on the Neo Geo CD. Later on, though, it found itself in various collections on different consoles worldwide, which is why we’re still including it on this list.
Real Bout Fatal Fury differentiated itself from other games in the series by introducing simplified attack buttons (3 instead of 4), a Power Gauge that fills up as you deal or take damage, and stage ring outs. It also featured a great roster of characters, including Duck King, Billy Kane, Terry Bogard, and villains like Geese Howard.
This is a highly replayable fighting game with really attractive graphics and visual effects. Those who really spend a lot of time with the fighter will find it lasts at least 4 hours, if not more when playing with friends.
9 Neo Turf Masters
A Hole in One
|
Platform |
Neo Geo systems, Arcades |
|---|---|
|
Publisher |
SNK |
|
Genre |
Sports |
|
Release Date |
January 29, 1996 |
Generally speaking, I don’t associate Arcade games with sports, but Neo Turf Masters was a hell of a good time, both in Arcades and on Neo Geo systems. Interestingly, it was originally made by Nazca, the company responsible for Metal Slug, before it got absorbed by SNK.
You can choose between single-player Stroke Play or two-player Match, and head onto the digital green. The action was spread across four fictional golf courses located in the US, Japan, Australia, and Germany, and the game itself also included six distinct players with various specialties.
You’ll use a click of a button to determine the power of each shot, as well as the height. That meant it was pretty easy to pick up and play, and easily provided up to 4 and a half hours of gameplay.
8 Andro Dunos
Yellow Cherry & Red Fox
One genre that I always loved in Arcades was the Shmup, or shoot ’em up. The bright flashing lights and bombastic sound effects made the experience that much more exciting, forcing me to plug in more and more quarters when I inevitably exploded.
Andro Dunos was an amazing example of the genre, featuring two different ships to play as and 8 levels to blast your way through. Most exciting was that, aside from the single-player mode, there was even a cooperative mode, which wasn’t all that common when Andro Dunos was released.
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Best of all, you can press a button to alternate between four different weapons, though doing so reduces the power level of your current weapon back to the baseline. As for the story, it’s just a generic unknown alien race invading Earth, but I don’t think many of us played these games for the story. Get ready to spend upwards of 5 hours in this sci-fi shoot ’em up adventure.
7 Samurai Shodown
Draw Your Blade!
Though there are plenty of fighting games out there, Samurai Shodown was one of the first to feature different weapons. The first game took place in the late 1700s, featuring fictional characters and monsters alike.
The use of weapons meant that Samurai Shodown was a lot more fast-paced than some competitors, and combined with the gorgeous visuals and catchy music, also meant it was a long-lasting series for fighting game enthusiasts.
This is one of those series that is constantly associated with SNK and Neo Geo, even to this very day. Though not the most complex fighter ever, it’s still one you can easily lose 5 or more hours playing.
6 Magician Lord
Recover the Magical Tomes!
|
Platform |
Neo Geo systems, Arcades |
|---|---|
|
Publisher |
SNK |
|
Genre |
Platformer |
|
Release Date |
July 1, 1991 (Neo Geo AES) |
Magician Lord was sort of like the love child of Ghosts ‘n Goblins and Altered Beast. Though the story was about recovering stolen magical tomes, the gameplay was a mix of platforming and shapeshifting.
Though not as challenging as those games, Magician Lord featured eight expansive levels. Some of them were pure platforming action, while others were mazes you had to navigate. Spending too much time wandering resulted in an invincible monster hounding you until it killed you, or you made it to the end.
While you could play Magician Lord in Arcades or on a home console, the latter was better, since it featured handy checkpoints. All told, you’ll probably spend around 6 hours on this magical adventure.
5 Windjammers
We Jammin’
It’s pretty rare for a game to spawn a sequel several decades later, but that’s exactly what Windjammers did. The original was released in the late ’90s, and Windjammers 2 sprang to life in the 2020s. The reason for that is simple — the original game was an iconic sports experience.
Each of the game’s six playable characters had their own stats and playstyle, but no matter who you chose, you’d be flinging discs across the arena. Yes, it’s a lot like air hockey, just more stylish and exciting.
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Though simple, the game was just nuanced enough to keep things fresh, especially using special moves to really devastate your opponent. Get ready to throw discs like a champ as you spend around 9 hours playing Windjammers.
4 The King of Fighters 2002
3 vs 3 Arcade Combat
|
Platform |
Arcades |
|---|---|
|
Publisher |
SNK |
|
Genre |
Fighting Game |
|
Release Date |
October 10, 2002 |
The King of Fighters 2002 was pretty exclusive to Arcades for a time, though thankfully, it was eventually ported to other consoles, which is why we’re including it on this list. Because, put simply, it’s an outstanding fighting game experience.
Not only does The King of Fighters 2002 feature 3 v 3 combat, but it also has pretty complex mechanics. Each member of your team can hold up to one level more of Power Gauge, starting with 3 and ending with 5. What you do with those varies from doing a counterattack or evasion technique to unleashing a Super Move.
Perhaps the most key element in the game is MAX Activation, during which your stats are wildly boosted for a short period of time, and you can cancel any attack into another. Combine that with a massive roster of fighters, and you’ll be spending 10 hours or more in this deep Arcade experience.
3 Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Fatal Fury Reimagined
-
- Released
- November 26, 1999
- ESRB
- Teen // Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Publisher(s)
- SNK, Agetec, Inc., Hamster Corporation
- Sequel(s)
- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- Franchise
- Fatal Fury
- Number of Players
- 1-2
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- PC Release Date
- December 7, 2016
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- May 11, 2017
- Platform(s)
- Arcade, Neo Geo, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, PC, Android, iOS
- How Long To Beat
- 1 hour
- File Size Xbox Series
- 290.31 MB
- PS Plus Availability
- Premium
After Terry Bogard kills Geese, you might think that’s the end of Fatal Fury. Instead, Terry raises Geese’s son, Rock, which leads to the reimagining of the series called Garou: Mark of the Wolves.
The new tournament is called Maximum Mayhem, and it features 14 new characters, other than Terry. Garou: Mark of the Wolves also featured two unique new mechanics, called Tactical Offensive Position and Just Defend, to cater to new ways to battle.
You’ll find a standard story mode with hidden endings, as well as Survival and other modes. This was widely seen as one of the best fighters developed by SNK, and you’ll enjoy fighting bliss for at least 12 hours.
2 Puzzle Bobble
Taito’s Revenge
|
Platform |
Neo Geo systems, Arcades |
|---|---|
|
Publisher |
Taito |
|
Genre |
Puzzle |
|
Release Date |
June 1994 |
Whether you call it Bust-A-Move or Puzzle Bobble largely depends on how early you played this puzzling new take on the Bubble Bobble series. For myself, I always thought of it as the former, but those who played it in Arcades or on Neo Geo would definitely call it Puzzle Bobble.
Either way, this is a delightful and challenging take on the classic Bubble Bobble series. You simply aim and release bubbles, popping them if you match colors. Just do so before the ceiling pushes the bubbles past the line, otherwise it’s game over.
Sure, it’s pretty simple. But that doesn’t mean that Puzzle Bobble isn’t a ton of fun. While this version of the game is perhaps the most basic, it’s also quite colorful, offering 12+ hours of bubble-matching mayhem.
1 Twinkle Star Sprites
By Your Side
Twinkle Star Sprites
-
- Released
- November 25, 1996
- Developer(s)
- ADK
- Publisher(s)
- SNK, ADK
- Multiplayer
- Local Co-Op
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- Platform(s)
- Arcade, Neo Geo, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- How Long To Beat
- 1 hour
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
- 10 hours
It’s pretty unique to find a shoot ’em up where your goal is less to destroy waves of enemies, and more to pester another player. But in Twinkle Star Sprites, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing.
The more efficiently you destroy waves of enemies, the more the person on the other side of the screen gets harassed. If you do really well, you’ll even send over a boss enemy to ruin their day. And if you take too long to do this, Death itself will appear on-screen, able to annihilate either player with one solid attack.
Sure, it looks cute and cuddly, but Twinkle Star Sprites was pretty challenging. And though the genre isn’t known for extensive playtime, this particular adventure will take completionists upwards of 22 hours to do everything.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
