The Neo Geo - Arcade Power at Home
A comprehensive retrospective covering the AES hardware, launch pricing, and why the platform remains iconic despite its commercial limitations.
SNK & Neo Geo History
SNK: The Complete History
From 1978 founding through the Neo Geo golden era and 2001 bankruptcy - a full account of one of gaming’s most dramatic rises and falls.
Neo Geo Turns 35 - Hardware & Games History
A retrospective on the AES and MVS hardware, the games library, and what made the platform iconic 35 years on.
Longplays & Analysis
Metal Slug - Full Longplay (1996)
The original Metal Slug (1996) played to completion, showcasing the Nazca Corporation sprite art that set the standard for 2D animation density.
Metal Slug 3 - Full Longplay (2000)
Metal Slug 3 (2000) - often cited as the most densely animated 2D game ever made. The final boss sequence in particular represents an extraordinary volume of hand-drawn sprite art.
The Animation in Metal Slug Games
A breakdown of the Metal Slug sprite animation pipeline - how the Nazca team achieved frame density that no other developer of the era came close to matching.
Competitive History
KOF ’98 UM FE - SNK Official Tournament at EVO Japan
KOF ’98 remains the most competitively played entry in the series. The SNK official tournament at EVO Japan demonstrates why it persists as a competitive fixture decades after its release.
King of Fighters Retrospective - Part 1: The Orochi Saga
A chronological overview of the KOF series from ’94 through ’97 - mechanical evolution, roster changes, and the annual release cycle SNK sustained through the Neo Geo era.
Garou: Mark of the Wolves - Full Longplay
The final SNK fighting game of the Neo Geo era - Garou: Mark of the Wolves (1999) is widely considered the finest 2D fighter the platform produced.
Deep Dives
Neo Geo Pocket Color - Why Did This Console Fail?
The Neo Geo Pocket Color (1999) had superior hardware to the Game Boy Color and one of the best fighting game libraries on any handheld. A retrospective on why it failed commercially despite critical acclaim.
The Rise and Fall of Neo Geo - The Console That Was Too Good
An analysis of the AES launch pricing and market position - why $649 was justifiable for what the hardware offered, who actually bought it in 1990, and how that pricing model ultimately played out.
Samurai Shodown - Full Longplay (1993)
Samurai Shodown (1993) - the weapon-based fighter that demonstrated the Neo Geo’s ability to produce large sprites with fluid animation at arcade resolution.