Neo Geo Reviews G-J

In my zeal to review every video game in existence I sometimes inadvertently gloss over some great titles. Garou: Mark of the Wolves is one of those games, but I think the oversight is understandable. I didn't know Garou was the Japanese equivalent of Fatal Fury. Fatal Fury was a great one-on-one fighting franchise, but I didn't realize it was still kicking in 1999.

Having Terry Bogard on the roster should have tipped me off, but most of the other fighters are not familiar. There's a wrestler in a bird mask, a sadist named Freeman, a maid named Hotaru, a scrappy kid named Hokutomaru, and a hot chick named B. Jenet who enjoys hanging out with sailors. Some may remember Rock Howard from Fatal Fury 3 (SNK, 1995). There's also a black dude named Butt!

The controls feel perfectly comfortable with two punches and two kicks. There are also a slew of more subtle moves like fakes, small jumps, and dodge attacks. But the most original element is the TOP gauge. A silver bar covers part of your life meter, and when your health falls within this threshold you can perform stronger attacks and recover life. It makes your fighter glow and adds an extra layer of strategy.

Mark of the Wolves plays like a dream, and its graphics are heavenly. The fighters themselves really hit the sweet spot between anime and realism. I can't say enough about the dynamic, layered stages. The urban areas in particular sport a degree of detail that just makes you want to hit pause and soak it all in. In one city stage you can see people arguing with traffic cops in the foreground, advertising billboards, and soaring skyscrapers in the distance.

The parking lot outside of the R&B Club is brimming with atmosphere. My friends Brent and Brian had fun just identifying the various models of cars. The bell tower stage is remarkable because those bells are immense! Stages change between rounds, sometimes dramatically.

When you use a continue the game presents a "continue service" screen. This offers you advantages like more power, lower difficulty, or weaker opponent. At first I frowned upon these but now I appreciate how they can give you a leg up on finishing the game, especially since continues are limited.

I've been playing a lot of fighting games as of late but this has been a revelation. Once you get into a groove, playing Mark of the Wolves is like playing a musical instrument. The difficulty ramps gradually, so each match grows in intensity. This game was released when SNK was on top of their game, and it shows. Note: Also released for the Dreamcast. © Copyright 2026 The Video Game Critic.

Modern games can be pretty complicated, so it's nice to fall back on a simple vertical shooter like Ghost Pilots. You're a WWII-era flying ace shooting tanks, ships, and enemy planes flying in formation. Comparisons to 1942 (NES, 1985) are obvious, but Ghost Pilots offers huge sprites, nifty scaling effects, and a two-player simultaneous mode.

As you weave from side-to-side, the screen scrolls slightly left and right, giving you a lot of area to cover. Your plane is a large target but enemy projectiles move slowly. I like how bombers catch fire before exploding, and sunk ships splash into the water. Sinking a barge transporting tanks gives you twice the satisfaction.

You'll want to load up on power-ups by taking out the formations of red planes which dispense icons. You can substantially augment your firepower, so it's heartbreaking when you crash and have to revert back to the standard double shot. You also have a supply of bombs that decimate a large area as well as absorb incoming missiles.

The art style is visually pleasing, starting with the foamy blue river of the opening stage. Clouds are used to effectively transition between different locations. For example, when they clear away they might reveal soaring cliffs or rolling farmland.

The two-player co-op mode is excellent. Sudz noted that unlike similar games, Ghost Pilots doesn't double the number of enemies when a second player is present, so it's manageable. In addition, we didn't detect any slowdown despite considerable on-screen activity.

One downside are the long, repetitive waves of planes raining down the screen. The first stage seems to go on forever. By the time I reached the end I felt as if I had already defeated three bosses! Completing it gives you the opportunity to choose your next stage, as well as the type of bomb you'd like to employ.

The military marching music feels appropriate and adds a sense of urgency. I also like the "game over" screen which depicts an aged, wrecked plane on the bottom of the sea. Ghosts Pilots limits you to three continues, so you're not likely to blow through the game in one sitting. Give it a shot when you feel like getting back to the basics. © Copyright 2026 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 have 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 rapid fire 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.