How does Pulstar stack up to other shmups of its day?

[BlackaneseNiNjA]

It's a "wasteland" if you're looking for ports of other manufacturers' arcade games like if you were treating the Neo like a regular console I guess. I think the Neo is well served by shooters, it even got a port of Strikers...

What's the (broad) genre with the smallest percentage on the Neo-Geo? There's no "unique" game that comes to mind on the system. Maybe Golf if you segregate Top Player's and Neo Turf from the "sports" genre?

Aside from golf, if they're into american football then players are SOL with just Football Frenzy I suppose. On the other hand, if they prefer soccer/football then the neo has them well covered.

If we don't count the neo cd (Samurai Shodown Bushido Retsuden, Jong Master), then rpg's are lacking unless you want to count Crossed Swords.

 

[Digmac]

What's the (broad) genre with the smallest percentage on the Neo-Geo? There's no "unique" game that comes to mind on the system. Maybe Golf if you segregate Top Player's and Neo Turf from the "sports" genre?

If we’re talking actual genres, not sub genres, then that would be the Quiz titles with only four on the platform.
Mahjong got four cart based games but one CD only title which technically puts it at five.

Sam Spi RPG can represent the true RPG genre on the Neo, but it’s subjective since it’s CD only.

 

[Ralfakick]

I actually prefer blazing star as well. Pulstar is a great game but I prefer "bullet hell" style shooters over the slow games like Pulstar and R type. That being said my pick for best shmup on the neo is definitely strikers

I'm going to agree with this, I prefer "bullet hell" as well over the slower games from this period. I think Blazing Star>Pulstar as many have stated as well, my favorite on the system is Aerofighters 2, I don't think it's necessarily better than Blazing Star, but its my favorite to play on the Neo.

 

[Neo Alec]

What's the (broad) genre with the smallest percentage on the Neo-Geo? There's no "unique" game that comes to mind on the system. Maybe Golf if you segregate Top Player's and Neo Turf from the "sports" genre?

Adventure games (Portopia style). I mentioned in my "Unreleased Neo Geo Games" episode that there was a rumored text adventure game in the early days of the system, but I think it may have turned out to be just Mahjong Kyoretsuden.

The genre is widely represented on other consoles, but not the Neo. That's to be expected on an arcade platform though.