The 1999 game selection - your favorites?

[HeavyMachineGoob]

By all accounts, 1999 truly feels like the the midst of the twilight years for the Neo Geo, just 8 new releases this time and the Neo system hardware is in its 9th year, probably not much steam in it left given 3D arcade hardware has been all the rage for the past few years now.

The new KOF and Fatal Fury titles for this year take the series in a new direction, the new Metal Slug for this year ends up being a remix of MS2 mainly to address the slowdown issue, but otherwise the year is mainly comprised of smaller scale games, not quite the same flagship status of SNK's own games. This year would also mark the end of new official shmups, the final game in this genre being Prehistoric Isle 2. Strikers 1945 Plus would take the record for highest Meg count of any Neo shooter at 681 Megs. Curiously, 5 of the 8 new releases this year would not receive home cart releases.

Captain Tomaday
Ganryu
Garou: Mark of the Wolves
King of Fighters 99
Metal Slug X
Prehistoric Isle 2
Puzzle Bobble 2
Strikers 1945 Plus

Pretty hard to not pick MOTW as the most favourite, one of the Neo's best. I do also like KOF 99, MSX, PB2 and Strikers though. PI2, Tomaday and Ganryu aren't all that bad either.

 

[herb]

Metal Slug X hands down.

 

[smokey]

MSX for sure. I really love the first level of Prehistoric Isle 2 gets kinda boring after that.

 

[kernow]

motw obvs

 

[prof]

The Hyper 64 was clearly a failure by 99, but the Neo was still old hat, and no longer SNK's focus. They had a lot of irons in the fire in 99 with the launch of the NGPC and their amusement park venture in Tokyo, so the fact that we even got 8 new games for their old warhorse machine was actually pretty impressive, and nice for longtime fans.

My 3 favs that year are 'Garou MotW,' which is one of the best 2D fighters of all time in my opinion. Took the FF in a completely different direction, and remains and all time classic. 'Prehistoric Isle 2' is glorious arcade mayhem that combines elements of arcade classics such as Choplifter and Defender, and blends them into its own thing, all within a sort of Air Wolf meets Jurassic Park aesthetic. Yeah, I love that crazy game. And finally, I'm a longtime fan of the controversial 'Strikers 1945.' I know it gets hated on, and I've had to defend it over the years, but whatever, different strokes and all that. I love verts in general, and I don't mind the oft-derided graphics in this one. The Neo version also includes some exclusive content that's not found in the other ports as well.

 

[wataru330]

I wish we would’ve got some Sprite pushers on Hyper64. The Samsho character selects screens are a tease for what could’ve been.

 

[yagamikun]

From 1999? MSX is definitely my favorite release of the year, followed by KOF 99, then Garou, then Strikers. That's me in my 40's talking, though.

I think if I were to put myself in my 18 year old shoes from 1999, I would have said Garou, then KOF, then MSX. Tastes change over time.

 

[sr20det510]

KOF 99, MSX, Strikers 1945 the only games I would see and play out in the wild. So I would have to pick those three. I

 

[Hattori Hanzo]

Ganryu with the blood cheat enabled is underrated. Captain Tomaday is a terrible game and hard to like even if you want to.

 

[Heinz]

Grand Theft Auto V

 

[Tarma]

the fact that we even got 8 new games for their old warhorse machine was actually pretty impressive, and nice for longtime fans.

But, only three of the games in the list are SNK first party titles... PI2 is, strictly speaking, from Yumekobo, then the others from Visco, Taito, and Psikyo respectively.

I always wondered why Visco had this late spurt of interest in the hardware, I assume it was to do with coverage, despite having their own SSV hardware to use.

Anyhoo, my pics are MSX and Garou, followed by PI2 and KoF '99. I couldn't care less about the others.

 

[Neo Alec]

But, only three of the games in the list are SNK first party titles... PI2 is, strictly speaking, from Yumekobo, then the others from Visco, Taito, and Psikyo respectively..

I would call Yumekobo a 2nd party, so close enough. It was a joint venture between SNK and Takara, and closed during SNK's bankruptcy. Plus Prehistoric Island is an SNK IP.

 

[prof]

But, only three of the games in the list are SNK first party titles... PI2 is, strictly speaking, from Yumekobo, then the others from Visco, Taito, and Psikyo respectively.

I always wondered why Visco had this late spurt of interest in the hardware, I assume it was to do with coverage, despite having their own SSV hardware to use.

Anyhoo, my pics are MSX and Garou, followed by PI2 and KoF '99. I couldn't care less about the others.

True enough, but SNK had never really embraced publishing 3rd party games on its system in any meaningful way during the Neo's glory years. So even though they had largely moved on to other endeavors by this point, I liked that they at least threw the Neo loyalists a bone, so to speak. I mean, it's not as if they were raking in the profits with these games.

 

[Fygee]

MOTW is the clear winner for me, with KOF '99 a close second. MSX is fantastic of course, but it's also just MS2 redux.

The rest were meh.

 

[Tarma]

I would call Yumekobo a 2nd party, so close enough. It was a joint venture between SNK and Takara, and closed during SNK's bankruptcy. Plus Prehistoric Island is an SNK IP.

Fair enough. Weren't they made up, at least in part, from AiCom?

I always wondered what had happened with ADK by this point - they did TSS, then disappeared.

 

[Tarma]

True enough, but SNK had never really embraced publishing 3rd party games on its system in any meaningful way during the Neo's glory years.

I would say it was the other way around - that third parties never really embraced the Neo Geo.

 

[Neo Alec]

Fair enough. Weren't they made up, at least in part, from AiCom?

I always wondered what had happened with ADK by this point - they did TSS, then disappeared.

Yeah, seems like it. Mobygames states that Yumekobo was created by consolidating Aicom with other developers.

 

[Tron]

Garou MOTW is a given for me followed by MSX.

 

[Atro]

Slug X followed by MOTW and Strikers 1945+.

Kick ass lineup right there. PI2 is very good. KOF99 suffers from being the new KOF98 brother and lacks the appeal of the king of the series. P.Bobble 2 is a step up from the first and a fantastic puzzler on it's hey-day.

Ganryu and C.Tomato shouldn't be legal. They're in the league of Fight Fever.

 

[yagamikun]

Slug X followed by MOTW and Strikers 1945+.

Kick ass lineup right there. PI2 is very good. KOF99 suffers from being the new KOF98 brother and lacks the appeal of the king of the series. P.Bobble 2 is a step up from the first and a fantastic puzzler on it's hey-day.

Ganryu and C.Tomato shouldn't be legal. They're in the league of Fight Fever.

Thank you! Somebody that agrees with my Ganryu assessment. Some Visco games are excellent (Breaker's Revenge, Drift Out series, Andro, etc.) while their late 90's releases were sub-par at best.

I'm still waiting for an explanation (probably budget, etc.) how we went from this absolutely gorgeous concept (from 1998 Neo-Geo Freak magazine)...


...To this travesty.

 

[wataru330]

C.Tomato shouldn't be legal…in the league of Fight Fever.

Ouch, harsh-lol. I love me some Captain Tomato Day. It’s busted for sure; and I didn’t like it back then. It’s aged like fine tomato soup though…it took having kids for me to love this game. 2p co-op w/ veggie silliness is fun.

PI2 was my favorite of all of these then, and now-MotW a close 2nd.

 

[Sammy/SNK-FAN]

Garou all the way (Possibly my favorite Neo Game). MSX a close second.

 

[Atro]

Ouch, harsh-lol. I love me some Captain Tomato Day. It’s busted for sure; and I didn’t like it back then. It’s aged like fine tomato soup though…it took having kids for me to love this game. 2p co-op w/ veggie silliness is fun.

PI2 was my favorite of all of these then, and now-MotW a close 2nd.

Guilty pleasure?

 

[wataru330]

Of course! Heh.

 

[konrad]

Garou MOTW.