Neo Geo Reviews E-L

As the first one-on-one SNK fighter Fatal Fury shines with bright arcade-style graphics. The fighers are huge and the stages are visual smorgasbords. The colors just leap off the screen from the glimmering blue waters of "Sound Beach" to the deep red sunset of the amusement park. And I always love those city skylines in the distance. Stages even change between rounds. In the dojo area storm clouds gather early only to produce a heavy downpour in a later round. The beach is sunny during round one, but has a whole different vibe as day turns to night with buildings lit up on the opposite shore. The three playable characters - Terry Bogard, Andy Borgard, and Joe Higashi - would become the core of the Fatal Fury series. The remaining eight would come and go. Duck King is a dancer with a mohawk and MC Hammer-style baggy pants. Billy Kane wields a staff and Richard Myer kicks while hanging from the ceiling. Riden is a huge wrestler and Tung Fu Rue is an elderly Asian man who occasionally transforms into Hulk Hogan. Michael Max is a Balrog rip-off and Geese Howard is the main villain. The only guy missing is the one on the front cover who looks like Patrick Swayze. The fighting action moves between foreground and background, with fighters exchanging flying punches and knee thrusts while moving between. I've been playing this game for a long time and I'm still not sure how that whole system works. Special moves deal serious damage but they are hard to execute, and of course the CPU always seems to know when they're coming. I couldn't help but notice Michael Max's "tornado uppercut" looks suspiciously like Joe Higashi's "hurricane uppercut". The time limit for each round is 45 seconds - half that of Street Fighter II (SNES, 1992) - which keeps the fights short and sweet. There's also a bonus arm-wrestling stage. The music has an edgy quality and there are even vocals in the cantina stage. Fatal Fury has a wonderful arcade sensibility but its gameplay left plenty of room for improvement. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.

"Lone wolves are back!" After treading water for a couple of years the Fatal Fury series finally made the big leap with Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory. Beginning with its cinematic opening, everything about this game is bigger and bolder. The controls are more responsive, the action faster, and intensity higher. Combination moves make it possible to deal multiple blows in one attack and that's very satisfying. For the first time I could feel myself getting into a rhythm playing a Fatal Fury game. A dodge move has replaced the dual-plane mechanic, and the new taunts are highly entertaining. The roster is scaled down to ten characters but it's a case of quality over quantity. New characters include Rastafaria Bob Wilson, Raiden-esque Sokaku Mochizuki, and a tall Italian boxer named Frano Bash. A second female (Blue Mary) joins a sleeker Mai Shiranui. I'm a big fan of Hon Fu because he has a Bruce Lee thing going on with those nunchucks of his. New stage locations include a cathedral, aquarium, airplane factory, and a moody nightclub. Why in the world does the dusty western town have a storefront sign that says "Joy Division"? My favorite stage is the crane which rises to gradually reveal a breathtaking, multi-layered skyline. I love the new witty banter displayed before and after each match - it's actually quite funny. One annoyance is how hard it can be to deliver that final blow to knock your opponent out when he's on the ropes. When Franco is defeated he yells "Oh my God!!!" After each match you're assessed a "fighting level" letter grade. There's even an options screen. Fatal Fury 3 raises the bar for fun and excitement, delivering the richness of a modern fighter while retaining the arcade charm of the original. But before you close the book on the Fatal Fury series, I should tell you that the "Real Bout" trilogy was its immediate successor, so the fight's far from over. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.

Ironclad is one of those obscure shooters held in high regard by Neo Geo fans. The game is so rare it has practically taken on mythical status! Since I could never obtain an actual copy I'm reviewing an emulated version. At least now I can see what all the fuss is about. Ironclad's stages have a distinctive retro-futuristic style with graphics among the best I've seen in any shooter. The opening stage is set in a burning city and the scenery looks nearly photo-realistic! Objects in this game has a pseudo-3D appearance with gleaming metal surfaces. The industrial areas look appropriately gritty, but there are also beautiful natural areas with serene lakes reflecting a full moon. Not only can you select branching stages, but the stages even branch within themselves. Ironclad offers frenzied rapid-fire shooting against waves of tanks, robots, bombers, whirly-birds, and robotic frogs that backstroke through the sewers. Boldly imaginative weapons include flaming rings that slowly emanate from your ship. Like R-Type (Turbografx-16, 1989) you have an external orb you can attach to the front of your ship or deploy to a remote part of the screen. Using this device isn't intuitive but it adds depth. Ironclad looks amazing but sometimes its rich graphics work against it. Not only do oversized enemies tend to crowd the screen but when navigating the layered scenery it's hard to tell what you can or can't touch. The action is prone to slowdown (especially with two-players) and the game could really benefit from a rapidfire button. I wouldn't call Ironclad the most fun Neo Geo shooter, but technically this one is hard to top. © Copyright 2018 The Video Game Critic.

Now this is a hard game to grade! Karnov's Revenge (aka Fighter's History Dynamite) may be the most blatant Street Fighter 2 (SF2) rip-off ever produced. But it is good! In fact, it almost plays a better game of Street Fighter 2 than Street Fighter 2! The overall design and style of the game is identical, from the character selection menus, to the familiar controller movements, to the post-fight victory screens. Even many of the fighters seem like SF2 clones. Only the freaky "Clown" and that "Ryoko" kid (both rather unlikable) stand out as original characters. Jean looks like a gay version of Guile, decked out in suspenders and holding a rose. Despite its derivative nature, Karnov's gameplay is extremely engaging, with well-balanced characters and intuitive controls. The animation rivals SF2 and the nicely-rendered backgrounds feature interesting animations and breakable props. A wide range of exotic locations are represented, including an Asian temple, a tranquil waterfall, the stage of a rock concert, and an African savannah with animal spectators. The scenery changes slightly between rounds, often reflecting day turning into night. My personal favorite is the magnificent city night skyline - it has a real Streets of Rage vibe. Karnov's audio is also high quality, offering numerous voice samples and well-composed background music that increases in tempo as a round nears conclusion. One original aspect of the game is how parts of fighter's outfits can break off, like a chest protector or mask. This triggers a cheesy "boing" sound effect, indicating your foe is dazed. There aren't many surprises, but if you appreciate one-on-one fighters, the overall quality of Karnov's Revenge is hard to deny. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

King of Fighters 94 (KoF94) is a 2D fighting extravaganza that unites fighters from several popular SNK franchises, including Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, and Ikari Warriors. SNK knows a thing or two about 2D fighting, and King of Fighters reigns supreme. While it basically copies the Street Fighter 2 formula, KoF94 does introduce a few innovations. First, there's the concept of three-man teams. You select the fighting order, and when one member is defeated, the next one steps in (as your opponent recovers some health). There are eight pre-configured teams including the Fatal Fury team (Joe Higashi, Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard) representing Italy. England features three females including Mai Shiranui who is positively babelicious. The Korean team has a mini Freddy Krueger named Choi and the massive ball and chain-swinging Chang. The American team is stereotypical, featuring an oversized football player and a tall black guy armed with a basketball attack. There's a gay guy (Benimaru), a lesbian (King), and an old Asian guy (Chin) who serves as the comic relief with his drunken boxing antics. You can play one-on-one, but the team battles are far more interesting. The controller's four buttons map to two kicks and two punches, with combinations allowing you to dodge and charge. Each character has three special moves, and those familiar with Street Fighter 2 will pick up on the controller movements needed to execute these right away. The battles are nicely paced and ideal in length, but the character balance is suspect. The bad-ass Brazilian team is led by military guy with an eye patch named Heidern who deals an exorbitant amount of damage. Despite some mild pixelation, the colorful, layered stages are the ultimate in 2D eye candy, and each is introduced with a brief animated sequence. You'll battle in front of a helicopter crash in the Brazilian jungle, clash in a sunny park with London Bridge looming in the background, and witness a gorgeous orange sunset in New York City. Your fighting partners linger in the background, and under certain conditions can be called in for "assist attacks". The game's voice samples are hard to make out, but the background music is a nice blend of guitar and electronic beats. Brazil's edgy soundtrack has a brooding undercurrent, but China's playful melody is a little cheesy. There's a high score screen, but the scores are not saved, and you'll need 188K just to rank in, which is pretty excessive. Overall, King of Fighters 94 is a top-notch fighter that established a franchise that would endure even after the Neo Geo system had faded from the scene. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

You have to love these King of Fighters games. First SNK adopts the Street Fighter 2 formula, then they expand upon it, and then they beat it like a dead horse for years and years (not that I would ever condone beating a dead horse). King of Fighters 95 offers some welcome new additions and tweaks, but the core 2D fighting engine remains rock solid. There are still 24 fighters to select from, but it's a different group than KoF94. There's a lot less diversity, with no black guys and only a handful of women. Most of these characters are so generic it's hard to tell them apart, and names like Kyo Kusanagi and Takuma Sakazaki don't help matters. Unlike KoF94, you can now build you own teams out of any of the available characters, which is great. The special move list is greatly expanded, with some characters sporting as many as eight. And if you thought the backdrops in KoF94 were an eyeful, wait until you feast your eyes on the imaginative stages of KoF95. The smoky jazz bar looks phenomenal, the waterfall stage is breathtaking, and even the industrial plant looks beautiful. The Greek pier features inviting blue water and nifty splashing effects. Your teammates watch from the background, and I like how they react appropriately to your performance. The electronic music is engaging and helps emphasize the uptempo pace of the battles. Eight skill levels are available, and you can "rank in" to the high score screen with a mere 20K, making it easy to record your high scores. It's not a huge step forward, but King of Fighters 95' does a brilliant job of tweaking an already winning formula. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

Kings of Fighters 96 (KoF96) continues a proud tradition of spastic 2D combat, and also introduces one of the most significant innovations in the history of gaming. Yes, of course I am talking about bouncing breasts - the hallmark of any quality fighter. Granted, only one fighter (Mai Shiranui) is equipped well enough to have this feature on full display, but it's quite the spectacle to behold. The roster has been bumped up to 27 fighters this time, and while I'd love to tell you who was added and subtracted, these guys all look alike! Okay, one new character is an older woman named "Mature". Wow, where does SNK come up with such imaginative names? KoF96 offers a few subtle refinements to the basic gameplay, incorporating "bridge" moves, escapes, dashes, and not-so-devastating "diss" move. KoF veterans will eat it all up, but beginners will get by on a steady diet of button mashing. The attacks are more devastating that ever in this game, with some dealing half-a-life-meter worth of damage! Once again, the stage backgrounds do not disappoint. Two of favorites are the rotating restaurant and the dock, both of which feature dazzling city skylines at night. Some stages even boast changing weather conditions. It's easy to rank into the high score screen, but after entering your initials you'll have to wait for the screens to cycle before seeing your final score. Another minor annoyance is only having a mere 20 seconds to assemble your team. The "survival mode" is an interesting new addition, letting you face 29 opponents in rapid succession (with the option to save in progress). No question about it, KoF96 is yet another superb entry in a continuing line of amazing 2D fighters. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

As the fourth entry in the popular 2D fighting series, King of Fighters 97 (KoF97) shakes things up by incorporating two modes of play: Advanced and Extra. To say these are poorly explained would be incorrect, because they are never explained at all. From what I can surmise, "Extra" is equivalent to the normal mode, and "Advanced" adds new features like the ability to charge up your power gauge to three levels. Regardless of which you choose, KoF97 features the same enjoyable, rapid-fire 2D fighting action fans would expect. Five moves are listed in the manual for each of the 29 characters, and while most are straightforward, a few are so complex you're more likely to perform them by accident. One interesting new character is Ryuji Yamazaki, a suave gentleman who fights with one hand in his pocket! I've always been intrigued by the background graphics in KoF games, but KoF97 is not spectacular in this regard. The Disney-style theme park, tropical Bali resort, and bright Monaco stages are probably the most eye-catching of the bunch. I do like how the look of certain stage changes between rounds, with day turning to night in some outdoor venues. Each round is now introduced by a slender, attractive babe. If there's one area where KoF97 clearly falters, it's the audio. Apparently the developers were trying to have the music reflect the culture of the stage, but the tunes sound muffled and lack energy. Some stages have no music at all - just crowd noise. When the high-tech club stage has no music, that just sucks. The character select screen doesn't give you nearly enough time (20 seconds), and the victory screens are incredibly lame ("Announcing the victors. Here they are.") When Mai Shiranui appears on these screens she has the shoulders of a linebacker and a head the size of a peanut! I do like how the high score screen appears immediately after you enter your initials. King of Fighters 97 tries to rock the boat, but it's not entirely successful. But even a mediocre King of Fighters game can kick the ass of most other 2D fighters. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

Many fighting game aficionados consider King of Fighters 98 (KoF98) to be the best in the series. I'm not one to argue, but let's face it - there's not a whole lot of difference between any of these games. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they shared 95% of the same code! What's notable about KoF98 is how it attempts to return the series to its roots. The roster has jumped from 29 fighters to a whopping 38, mainly due to a bunch of returning characters. Some of these guys have not been seen since KoF94, including my homeboys Lucky Glauber and Heavy D. In terms of backgrounds, the scenery exudes a "back to basics" quality, and there are no longer chicks introducing each round. You'll ride a floating raft in China, brawl in an open-air market, and crack skulls in a train station. There's nothing spectacular really, and the graphics are actually more pixelated than previous KoF games. Even so, they exude a certain old-school charm that harkens back to Street Fighter 2. Likewise, the synthesized music is terrific and adds a layer of tension to the fast-paced fighting mayhem. It's a major improvement over the audio-challenged KoF97. The three-on-three team gameplay is basically the same, but a new "advantage system" gives the second and third fighters an edge to keep things exciting. The character selection screen now gives you more time to assemble you crew (forever, to be exact), and a "roulette" function lets you select random characters (for every match!). A new practice mode is included to hone your skills. The high score screen isn't presented immediately after you enter your initials, but that's a minor inconvenience. King of Fighters 98 got the series back of track, and despite the lack of razzle-dazzle it's hard to find fault with this well-crafted fighter. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

A lot of gamers like to rave about King of Fighters 98, but if given the Pepsi challenge I suspect King of Fighters 99 (KoF99) might come out on top. This remarkable 2D fighter features a unified control scheme and graphics that take the system to the "next level". There's still a power meter that can be charged up to three levels, and this can also be used to initiate new "counter" and "armor" modes. Best of all, the innovative new "Striker system" lets you call upon a fourth member of your squad to deliver a strategic blow in the heat of battle. Yeah, we've seen this kind of thing in previous KoF games, but those "assist attacks" were extremely limited. Here, you get three "strike bombs" per match, and you can employ them at any time. KoF99's character roster has been trimmed to 32, but that includes six new characters. In the tradition of SNK's imaginative naming conventions, there's a woman with a whip by the name of - you guessed it - Whip! The best new character is K' (pronounced "K Prime"). What makes him so cool you ask? Well, duh - check out his name! Not cool enough? How about that silver hair!? Did I mention he can wield fire? Hello! He's wearing black leather for crying out loud!! Not all of the new faces are as appealing. Bao and Xiangfrei act like annoying children, and why are there three Kyo's (Kyo, Kyo-1, Kyo-2)?! Can you say personality disorder? The game screen has been reorganized a bit, with the power meter moved to the top (under the life bar), making room for your striker icons on the bottom. But what really left an impression with me is KoF99's fantastic stages. The dinosaur museum has a looming T-Rex skeleton, and the sewer stage unexpectedly turns into a rollercoaster! The courtyard stage begins as bright and sunny, but clouds roll in as the match progresses, culminating in a massive downpour! This rainstorm is one of the most visually arresting scenes I've ever witnessed in a video game. Even less spectacular stages like the street outside of the Chinese restaurant have a lot of interesting, subtle details (check out the shadows on the wall). KoF99 did throw me for a loop with its new "battle ability point" scoring system. It's actually possible for you to lose points between matches, and I don't get that. Another source of confusion is the intro which refers to this as "episode 5". It's six by my count! But for a series with more iterations than SNK can count, King of Fighters 99 feels surprisingly fresh. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

This game's intro predicts that in 1996 the earth would be ruled by giant marauding monsters. Once again, SNK was way off! Dumb asses! King of the Monsters is a series of one-on-one battles inspired by movies like Godzilla and King Kong. The action takes place in six Japanese cities, and there's some fun scenery including a lighted Ferris wheel and a big red suspension bridge. The night stages are especially attractive with the buildings all lit up. You have six monsters to choose from, including a Godzilla clone (Geon), an ape (Woo), a slime monster (Poison Ghost), a stone creature (Rocky), a giant bug (Beetle Mania), and a cheesy oversized superhero called "Astro Dude". The monsters can roam the screen freely, and when they maul and throw each other they leave devastation in their wake. Three buttons let you punch, kick, and run, but the most effective move is your special attack which must be charged over a few seconds. It's a shame King of the Monsters feels more like a professional wrestling game than a Saturday afternoon creature feature. The monsters often grapple with each other, which leads to body slams, pile drivers, back-breakers, and clotheslines. You even have to "pin" your foe to defeat him - and he'll always kick out of your first two attempts. I'm not a huge wrestling fan, and I wish SNK had put more emphasis on interacting with the urban scenery. Yes, buildings get crushed as monsters get tossed around, but it's not a major part of the strategy. Occasionally you can pick up and toss a plane or tank, but the act of throwing is so sluggish that you usually get nailed in the process. I find it unfair how you can drain your opponent's health completely, yet he can still fight normally and pull out the victory. Winning the grapples seems to be a matter of luck, and the basic kick/punch attacks are weak. The small playing fields are heavily constrained by electric barriers which you're constantly bouncing off of. Two players can team up against another pair of monsters, but it just feels like two battles going on at the same time. The background music is weird, and it's really hard to make out the radio commentator. King of the Monsters has a great premise but fails to live up to its potential. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

It's no classic, but King of the Monsters 2 is a heck of a lot more interesting that the original game. The visuals scream "arcade!" with their vibrant colors, super-sized creatures, and plentiful eye candy. There are only three selectable characters this time: the Godzilla-like "Super Geon", the humanoid "Astro Guy", and the robotic ape "Woo". New moves like jump attacks and "death blows" make the fighting feel less monotonous, and you no longer need to "pin" your foes (thank goodness). But the most dramatic innovation is the stage designs. Instead of fighting in a small confined area, you forge through the city, prodded by annoying "Hurry up!" arrows. Destroying buildings is more satisfying because they crumble to the ground in dramatic fashion and release bonus point icons. Many are actually recognizable landmarks. It's easy and fun to smash ships and planes and then use them as projectiles. I find it amusing how the cities have generic names like "American City" and "French City". The American city features a big white house with the pillars in front. Hmmm, I wonder what city that is? The French City has a really tall tower that looks awfully familiar. Certain areas feature divided elevations (like a harbor and a waterfront) that you can jump between. You'll leave nothing but rubble in your path, and in the desert stage you can literally create your own Grand Canyon! The bosses come in many gruesome varieties, but it takes too long to chip away at their health meters, and that slows the momentum of the game. Bonus battles have been incorporated, but these are just mindless, carpel-tunnel-inducing button mash-a-thons. A level select feature would have been nice, but overall this represents a logical evolution of the series. Instead of feeling like a glorified wrestling title, Kings of the Monsters 2 has the feel of an over the top monster flick, as it should. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

With Last Resort, we're approaching the upper reaches of the Neo Geo shooter food chain. It's one of the better-rated shooters for the system, and certainly one of the more difficult. In fact, the stream of expletives that flew out of my mouth as I continuously died at the hands of this game is nearly unmatched. The box cover states, "Earth is under attack. You're the Last Resort". You know, that isn't exactly the vote of confidence you look for before embarking on a mission to save the world. It sounds like they asked everyone else before finally settling on my sorry ass. Anyway, Last Resort is one of the best looking side-scrolling shooters you'll ever see. The first stage features a gorgeous city skyline effectively rendered in vibrant red hues, and the second stage features torrential rain and a partially submerged city. Enemies are mainly metallic ships, and their pilots actually eject as their ships explode. This visual effect seems quite amazing at first, but is overused during the course of the game. Objects in this game tend to be quite large, and you'll often find yourself running short on screen real estate. Last Resort's gameplay is intense and relentless. Your ship is equipped with a round pod that functions as both a shield and extra gun (much like R-Type). You can "charge up" this unit to inflict major damage, which is critical to your survival after the first stage. One aspect of the game I dislike is how enemies can materialize around you suddenly. Last Resort's high energy, adrenaline-pumping music is absolutely first-rate. This is a quality shooter, but its difficulty will make you grateful for the unlimited continues. It's much easier with two players, although slowdown is an issue and it can be hard to tell what's going on amidst all the mayhem. If you're looking to buy a copy of Last Resort, I'd recommend the CD version over the far more expensive cartridge. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

League Bowling combines simple controls, brisk pacing, and sparkling graphics to produce an irresistibly fun ten-pin experience. Up to four players can compete in a game, and even more impressive is how a well-executed split screen lets two players bowl simultaneously! I've never seen that before in a bowling game, but it's a terrific idea. The bowlers are spiky-haired punks, and it's a shame you can't be the top-heavy blonde who appears in the cut scenes. League Bowling's controls are as simple as they need to be - no more. Once you position your bowler, you use a "control meter" to apply spin, followed by a power meter. Excellent scaling effects show the ball approaching the pins, and the physics of the pins bouncing around is convincing enough. The collision detection seems slightly off however, as the edge of the ball will sometimes clearly pass through a pin. Goofy animations accentuate particularly good or bad rolls, showing your bowler falling off a building or being run over by a truck. In addition to the normal bowling, two other modes include Strike 90 (bigger points for marks) and Flash (random points for marks). Personally, I don't really see what these extra modes have to offer. Also included is a "link" function that lets you chain two Neo Geos together (via a port in the cartridge) for some four player simultaneous action. I can't imagine many gamers being able to take advantage of that, but it would be pretty cool. All in all, League Bowling is just plain fun, and may well be the best bowling game of all time. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

This early Neo Geo game is so poor it's hard to believe it was an official SNK release. The premise is that you're some up-and-coming boxer participating in street fights between bouts in the ring. It's like Double Dragon (NES, 1988) meets Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Boxing (Genesis, 1992), offering the worst of both. The characters are undeniably huge and in 1991 that might have been enough to sell a game like this. Joe is a tall, lanky dork. He can move freely while throwing a variety of punches, but the control scheme insists on shoehorning about a dozen moves into two buttons. Why not get the other two buttons involved? Outside the ring he'll scrap with a lot of mafia types in suits. After putting them down he's approached by an elderly man with a walker for comic relief. Punch that guy too? Don't think I didn't try! In the boxing ring both fighters have three-tier health bars, and that makes sense considering three knockouts wins a bout. The boxing however is ridiculous. Joe has no reach at all, and when you try to move in close you get knocked on your ass! It looks like both boxers are fighting with alligator arms! And when do you land a punch, it's usually because your opponent walked into it. Knock a guy out and he'll flip into the air like a flapjack. Legend of Success Joe may be the system's worst title. Play it once and you'll never need to play it again. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.