Introduction SNK released The King of Fighters '94 for the Neo Geo in 1994, and it became the first game in one of the longest-running fighting series. The game brought together characters from other SNK titles, including Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Ikari Warriors and Psycho Soldier, along with new hero Kyo Kusanagi. Instead of…
Introduction SNK released The King of Fighters 2000 for the Neo Geo in 2000 as the direct follow-up to The King of Fighters '99. The story continues the NESTS saga, with the mysterious organisation working behind the scenes of a new tournament while K' and his allies try to uncover its plans. Players pick a…
Introduction SNK released Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa’s Revenge for the Neo Geo in 1996. The story returns to the sorcerer Shiro Tokisada Amakusa, who is trying to return to the world of the living, and a group of warriors sets out to stop him. New characters include the brothers Kazuki and Sogetsu Kazama, ninja fighters…
Introduction SNK released The King of Fighters ’99 for the Neo Geo in 1999, opening a new chapter of the series known as the NESTS saga. The story introduces K’, a mysterious fighter connected to a shadowy organisation, who becomes the new lead character. The biggest change is the team structure: teams now have four…
Introduction SNK released The King of Fighters ’95 for the Neo Geo in 1995, the second game in the series. The tournament returns with its three-on-three team battles, but this entry introduced the Team Edit mode, allowing players to build their own teams from any of the fighters rather than using fixed trios. It also…
Introduction Capcom released Mega Twins in arcades in 1990, known in Japan as Chiki Chiki Boys. It tells the story of the twin princes of the kingdom of Alurea, who set out to defeat a monster that has devastated their home. The game is a side-scrolling action platformer with cute, colourful graphics and a surprising…
Introduction Pang! 3 was released in arcades in 1995 by Mitchell Corporation, the third main entry in the balloon-popping series that began with Pang. The rules are simple and addictive: bouncing balloons fill the screen, and firing at one splits it into two smaller balloons, which continue to split until they disappear. Touching a balloon…
Introduction Seibu Kaihatsu released Raiden Fighters in arcades in 1996, a spin-off from its Raiden shooting series. Instead of piloting a single ship, players choose from a selection of fighter jets, each with a different speed and its own main weapon and missile type, and more aircraft can be unlocked with hidden inputs. The game…
Introduction SNK released Samurai Shodown III: Blades of Blood for the Neo Geo in 1995, giving the weapon-based fighting series a darker, more serious tone. Set in feudal Japan, the story follows a group of warriors hunting the ruthless swordsman Zankuro Minazuki. The biggest change is that every fighter comes in two versions, Slash and…
Introduction The King of Fighters 2002 was released for the Neo Geo arcade system in 2002, developed by Eolith and Playmore after SNK’s original company had closed. Rather than continuing the series’ ongoing story, it is a dream match that gathers fighters from across the previous games into one large roster of around forty characters….
Introduction Money Puzzle Exchanger was developed by Face and released for the Neo Geo arcade system in 1997. Its twist on the competitive falling-block formula is built around Japanese coins: coins of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 are pulled down from the top of the playfield, and the player gathers them and pushes…
Introduction Seibu Kaihatsu released Raiden II in arcades in 1993 as the sequel to its hugely successful vertical shooter. The alien invaders from the first game return to Earth, and once again the player pilots the Raiden fighter against waves of tanks, battleships, gun emplacements and enormous bosses. The main weapons are the familiar red…