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63-587: Nazca Corporation was a Japanese company that developed video games for the Neo Geo games console. The company was formed in 1994 by a group of employees from Irem who were tired of the company's inactivity. In 1996, the company was acquired by SNK . R-Type II 's graphical style bears great similarity to what this team is known for. However, it is generally thought their first game was Air Duel ; they would later make games such as Armed Police Unit Gallop , Undercover Cops , Pound For Pound , Ken-Go , and In

126-438: A Samurai Shodown title and was unhappy with his experience at SNK. R-Type composer Masato Ishizaki was also a member of Nazca. Neo Geo (system) The Neo Geo MVS coin-operated arcade machine offers owners the ability to put up to six different cartridges into a single cabinet. This unique feature was a key economic consideration for operators with limited floorspace, as well as saving money long term. The Neo Geo AES

189-646: A TV via an HDMI cable and it has two ports for external Neo Geo Mini control pads based on the Neo Geo CD controllers. SNK also released an international version of the Neo Geo Mini, which was released outside Japan on October 15, 2018, and later in Japan on November 15, 2018. The international version contains the same features as the Japanese Neo Geo Mini but 14 out of the 40 titles are different (including all of

252-409: A Twitter account in early April 2023, and would later begin to post design documents from Metal Slug. Kazuma Kujo, credited as KIRE-NAG in the first Metal Slug, went on to form Granzella after leaving both Irem and Nazca, but declined to comment on the status and identity of key staff members including lead designer Meeher and graphic artists Akio and Susumu. While he was responsible for the design of

315-418: A distinctive, traditional Japanese calligraphy style. While he continues to design for a few of the later games, they are illustrated by another artist named Senri Kita until the fifth title. The Samurai Shodown games are most famous for their "Rage" (怒) gauge, a meter that only increases as a player receives damage, and which when fully activated has numerous effects depending on game. Earlier games also have

378-471: A few games. While it ceased manufacturing home consoles by the end of 1997, SNK continued making software for the original 2D Neo Geo. Despite being very aged by the end of the decade, the Neo Geo continued getting popular releases, such as the critically acclaimed The King of Fighters 2002 . The last official game by SNK for the Neo Geo system, Samurai Shodown V Special , was released in 2004, 14 years after

441-603: A heart has the right to live peacefully. Shiki, though apparently free from Yuga's influence, is recognized as a threat for the sorcerer's return and it was through Nakoruru's reasonings that previously saved her life from Haohmaru. Nakoruru finds her and then struggles to peacefully defend her from her pursuers, which include Haohmaru, Galford, and Asura. Though torn because of her morals and pacifistic nature, Nakoruru eventually agrees to draw her blade and fight for those who need protecting. Despite being wounded in his final skirmish with Nakoruru, Asura stabs Shiki and they both sink into

504-549: A later time and could also be used to continue play on the SNK home console of the same name. The arcade version of the video game hardware is often referred to as the "MVS", or Multi Video System (available in 1-slot, 2-slot, 4-slot, and 6-slot variations, differing in the amount of game cartridges loaded into the machine at the time), with its console counterpart referred to as the "AES", or Advanced Entertainment System. Early motherboard revisions contain daughterboards , used to enhance

567-512: A limited edition called "Samurai Shodown" was released, in three colors; white, red, and blue, with a black edition being released later on. This edition has 40 games, featuring all of the Samurai Shodown games, including three new games that have never been included in prior versions. Another limited edition was released exclusively in Japan on September 30, 2019, called "Samurai Spirits Kuroko", with 48 games. In September 2019, SNK announced

630-491: A longtime fan of SNK. Unlike most game-based anime , the voices were supplied by the same actors as in the game. It is relatively obscure, never having been released in the U.S., and the prospect of licensing is dim at best, as it offers no introduction to any of the characters, assuming (not unreasonably) that anyone watching it is likely to be familiar with the series and its cast already. The story mainly revolves on Nakoruru and her humanistic ideals: she believes that anyone with

693-581: A portal to the underworld. Making peace with her blood-thirsty alter ego, the Ainu priestess leaves Kamui Kotan, hoping to find news of Shiki's safety. The second 30-minute OVA, Nakoruru ~Ano hito kara no okurimono~ , centers around the Nakoruru ADV game, again using Nakoruru as the main heroine. Character designs were done by Yasuomi Umetsu, who is best known for his work in Mezzo Forte and Kite . The events of

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756-585: A referee in the background, officiating the match. Over the course of years since the first game, the Samurai Shodown games (excluding spin-offs) have come to feature over 80 playable warriors. The most famous among them include Haohmaru and Nakoruru , who are both considered the series' flagship characters. Characters directly inspired from historical figures and keeping their names, like Hattori Hanzō and Yagyū Jūbei , are present as well. Main series games in bold . A television special loosely based on

819-615: A total of 40. In November 2020, a special limited Christmas edition of the Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro was released. The package includes a Neo Geo CD style control pad, a cover for the arcade stick, an arcade stick ball cover, a sticker sheet and a Neo Geo 30th anniversary artbook. All 40 games are included, unlocked from the start. In August 2020, the company Unico announced the Neo Geo MVSX, an arcade table top system capable of playing MVS and AES titles that are pre-installed on

882-415: A very niche market in Japan, though sales were very low in the U.S. due to its high price for both the hardware and software, but it has since gained a cult following and is now considered a collectable . Worldwide, one million Neo Geo MVS units have been shipped and 980,000 Neo Geo AES and CD units combined. The Neo Geo hardware was an evolution of an older SNK/Alpha Denshi M68000 arcade platform that

945-400: Is composer Takushi Hiyamuta (credited with names such as "HIYA!" and "HIYA-UNIT"), responsible for composing nearly every game listed here, in whole or part (he did not compose for Kaitei Daisensou ; also, although he did not compose for R-Type II , he did for Super R-Type ). He was considered part of SNK's in-house band, the "Shinsekai Gakkyoku Zatsugidan" ("New World Music Acrobatics"). He

1008-744: Is quite different, but they circle a central group of characters and a region in Japan. Samurai Shodown consequently portrays snippets of the Japanese culture and language internationally with little edits. For instance, unlike most fighting games made in Japan, the characters in the series (including the announcer) generally speak only in Japanese, with dialects ranging from archaic formalities and theatricalism to modern-day slang, something that has been preserved for overseas releases. Win quotes and other cut scenes provide subtitles in several languages, including but not limited to English, Portuguese, and German. Much of

1071-1001: The Fatal Fury fighting game franchise, as a spiritual successor to the original Street Fighter . He also worked on the fighting game franchises Art of Fighting and The King of Fighters , as well as the run and gun video game series Metal Slug . The Neo Geo was announced and demonstrated on January 31, 1990, in Osaka , Japan . SNK exhibited several Neo Geo games at Japan's Amusement Machine Operators' Union (AOU) show in February 1990, including NAM-1975 , Magician Lord , Baseball Stars Professional , Top Player's Golf and Riding Hero . The Neo Geo then made its overseas debut at Chicago 's American Coin Machine Exposition (ACME) in March 1990, with several games demonstrated. The system

1134-451: The Metal Slug games) and a different interface. As such, both versions have 54 different SNK titles in total. On July 19, 2019, SNK announced the discontinuation of the original Neo Geo Mini and the international version. In December 2018, a limited edition Christmas themed Neo Geo Mini was released, featuring nine games previously unreleased on the other two versions. On June 27, 2019,

1197-515: The Wii 's Virtual Console , starting with Fatal Fury: King of Fighters , Art of Fighting , The King of Fighters '94 , and World Heroes . Neo Geo games were released through Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network (For the PlayStation 3 /PlayStation Network, the service was called NEOGEO Station ), including Fatal Fury Special , Samurai Shodown II , Metal Slug 3 , Garou: Mark of

1260-576: The X68000 ) and even some arcade systems. Unlike earlier systems, the Neo Geo AES was intended to reproduce the same quality of the game as the arcade MVS system. The MVS was one of the most powerful arcade units at the time, allowing the game ROM to be loaded from interchangeable cartridges instead of using custom, dedicated hardware cabinets for each game. In the United States , the console's debut price

1323-530: The second and third Metal Slug games. The team disbanded after SNK filed for bankruptcy in 2001. Nine of the original Nazca staff (including planner Meeher, designers Akio and Susumu, and development manager Kawai) answered questions from an undated text interview that was translated and included in Metal Slug Anthology . Because the common use of pseudonyms in arcade titles to hide identities, details of its staff remains scarce. One known key member

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1386-581: The 1990 Gamest Awards , the Neo Geo received the Special Award. At the 1991 AMOA Awards held by the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA), the Neo Geo won the "Most Innovative New Technology" award. In a 1993 review, GamePro gave the Neo Geo a "thumbs up". Though they voiced several criticisms, noting that the system was not as powerful as the soon-to-launch 3DO and had few releases which were not fighting games , they generally praised both

1449-430: The 1990s due to the cabinet's low cost, multiple cartridge slots, and compact size. Several successful video game series were released for the platform, such as Fatal Fury , Art of Fighting , Samurai Shodown , World Heroes , The King of Fighters , Twinkle Star Sprites and Metal Slug ; game software production lasted until 2004, making Neo Geo the longest-supported arcade system of all time. The AES had

1512-471: The AES home system through the use of adapters. In 2009, the Neo Geo was ranked 19th out of the 25 best video game consoles of all time by video game website IGN . Since the 2010s, SNK have revived the Neo Geo in new form factors with built-in games, created both by themselves and by officially licensed third-parties. The Neo Geo X , an officially licensed device with a collection of Neo Geo games pre-installed,

1575-461: The Hunt . Their final game for Irem was GunForce II , after which they left and created Nazca, creating Neo Turf Masters and Metal Slug ; the latter shares many stylistic similarities to the previous Irem works and both titles were made with the same development kits used for several Irem arcade games. SNK , impressed by the success of Nazca's titles, formally acquired the developer, and would make

1638-445: The MVS, allowing home users to play the games exactly as they were in the arcades; however, cartridges are not inter-compatible due to different physical sizes, meaning that software releases differed for the two systems. In 1994, SNK released the Neo Geo CD console which utilizes cheaper compact disc media as opposed to the cartridges used on the AES. The Neo Geo MVS was a success during

1701-607: The Monsters 2 at number ten. The Neo Geo MVS received Diamond awards from the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) two years in a row, for being among America's top four best-selling arcade machines of 1992 (with Street Fighter II: Champion Edition , Mortal Kombat and Terminator 2 ) and 1993 . In 1994 , the Neo Geo MVS was best-selling arcade printed circuit board (PCB) worldwide. In

1764-540: The Neo Geo does not use scrolling tilemap background layers. Instead, it has a single non-scrolling tilemap layer called the fix layer, while any scrolling layers rely exclusively on drawing sprites to create the scrolling backgrounds (like the Sega Y Board ). By laying multiple sprites side by side, the system can simulate a tilemap background layer. The Neo Geo sprite system represents a step between conventional sprites and tilemaps. The onboard Yamaha YM2610 sound chip gives

1827-570: The Neo Geo's 2D hardware was unable to do likewise. Despite this, Neo Geo arcade games retained profitability through the mid-1990s, and the system was one of three 1995 recipients of the American Amusement Machine Association 's Diamond Awards (which are based strictly on sales achievements). SNK developed a new home console in 1994, called the Neo Geo CD . A new arcade system was also made in 1997, called Hyper Neo Geo 64 . However, these two systems had low popularity and only

1890-432: The Neo Geo. He proposed the concept of an arcade system that uses ROM cartridges like a game console , and also proposed a home console version of the system. His reasons for these proposals were to make the system cheaper for markets such as China , Hong Kong , Taiwan , Southeast Asia , Central America , and South America , where it was difficult to sell dedicated arcade games due to piracy . Nishiyama also created

1953-533: The United States, allowing the conversion of an arcade cabinet into a Neo Geo system. The same month, the Neo Geo home console version made its North American debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). SNK also announced that there would generally be a roughly six-month gap between the arcade and home releases of Neo Geo games. When real-time 3D graphics became the norm in the arcade industry,

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2016-518: The Wolves and The King of Fighters '98 . Many Neo Geo games were released on the PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , Windows , and Nintendo Switch through the Arcade Archives service. Homebrew activity began after the console's discontinuation, both by noncommercial hobbyists and commercially. Neo Geo has a community of collectors. Because of the limited production runs received by cartridges amongst

2079-492: The appearance of a Japanese Neo Geo MVS, which features 40 built-in SNK titles, and was released on July 24, 2018, in Japan to celebrate SNK's 40th anniversary. The games on the system are the AES home console versions with limited continues , however, the Neo Geo Mini features a save/load state system which allows players to save and load the game at any time to continue the game and has up to four save files per game. In addition to its 320x224 pixel display, it can be connected to

2142-529: The cheaper home carts and then using them in arcades. In a few home version games, the arcade version of the game can be unlocked by inputting a special code. The original specification for ROM size is up to 330 megabits , hence the system displaying "Max 330 Mega Pro-Gear Spec" upon startup. While no technical advances were required to achieve it, some games over 100 megabits, such as Top Hunter , followed this screen by displaying an animation proclaiming "The 100Mega Shock!". The original ROM size specification

2205-462: The clarity of the video output. The MVS and AES hardware can execute identical machine code. Owners can move EPROMs from one type to the other, and the game will still run. The program specifics for both MVS and AES game options are contained on every game ROM, whether the cartridge is intended for home or arcade use. However, the arcade and home cartridges do have a different pinout . They were designed this way to prevent arcade operators from buying

2268-488: The common use of pseudonyms in arcade titles to hide identities, details of its staff remains scarce but various individuals have been important figures in the history of Nazca Corporation: Atsushi Inaba , formerly of Capcom and current CEO at PlatinumGames, was a member of Nazca after leaving Irem, doing income management, then SNK after its acquisition, rekindling his interest in video game development. Although details were never delved, Inaba stated he did programming work on

2331-555: The episode has Nakoruru protecting a deer from a rock slide, implied to be caused by evil entities. For undisclosed reasons, the OVA never released another episode and the story remains unfinished. In 2006, Sabertooth Games released a Samurai Shodown V collectible card game set along with The King of Fighters 2006 for its Universal Fighting System ( UFS ) collectible card game. Featured character starter decks were also released for Haohmaru and Ukyo Tachibana. STG staff favorites from

2394-405: The first game, internationally titled Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture ( SAMURAI SPIRITS 〜破天降魔の章〜 , Samurai Spirits: Haten Gōma no Shō ) , aired in Japan in 1994. An English dub was produced by ADV Films , released on VHS in 1995 and on DVD in 2005. The plot is an altered retelling of the original Samurai Shodown , with such changes as switching Amakusa's gender from male to female and

2457-486: The focal characters to the plot. They often interacted with several original characters in the story; the most prominent perhaps is the Koga kunoichi, Nagiri, who believed Haohmaru had killed her father during his travels and sought to avenge him. The first anime OVA , the two-part Spirits 2: Asura Zanmaeden , serves as a preface to the events of Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage . Character designs were done by Aoi Nanase ,

2520-416: The gameplay, he left Nazca prior to Metal Slug's release due to internal disputes but has maintained friendship with the developers. In May 2023, Akio Oyabu, Meeher, Kuichin, Takushi Hiyamuta and Shinichi Hamada reunited and announced they are developing a spiritual successor titled Black Finger JET for Steam under Kodachi Studio, with Märchen Forest developer Shinano Ishiguro serving as director. Due to

2583-461: The genre with a primary focus on weapon-based combat. The stories in the series take place in 18th-century Japan, during the Sakoku or seclusion period of Japan (the first four games run across 1788 and 1789) with great artistic license so that foreign-born characters (including some from places that did not exist as such in 1788) and fictional monsters can also be part of the story. The plot of each game

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2646-432: The hardware and games library and recommended that gamers who could not afford the console (which was still priced at $ 649.99) play the games in the arcade. The Neo Geo is the first home game console to feature a removable memory card for saved games . The GameTap subscription service has included a Neo Geo emulator and a small library of Neo Geo games. In 2007 Nintendo announced that Neo Geo games would appear on

2709-499: The inclusion of the “Seven Holy Warriors”, skilled warriors who were resurrected to specifically fight Ambrosia; the latter were never featured in any other Samurai Shodown story. Several manga adaptations of Samurai Spirits were produced in Japan. One of them, titled Makai Bukei Jō Samurai Spirits ( 魔界武芸帖 サムライスピリッツ , Samurai Spirits: Scrolls of the Demonic Arts ) , written by Kyoichi Nanatsuki and illustrated by Yuki Miyoshi,

2772-586: The lead character designer for Metal Slug Anthology , and as character designer for Metal Slug XX . His final involvement with the company was the design of Metal Slug protagonist Marco Rossi for 2010's Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting , released a few months after Metal Slug XX . Other contributions he made directly for the company are currently unknown. He currently works as a freelance artist, remaining fairly active on Japanese art website Pixiv , and has contributed illustrations to Mobius Final Fantasy and Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition . He created

2835-421: The music includes traditional Japanese instruments (predominantly the shakuhachi , shamisen , koto and taiko ) and later enka . Several characters are loosely based on real figures from Japanese history. There are two main artists responsible for the character designs and illustrations. For the early games (Part 1 to 4), the characters are created and illustrated by Eiji Shiroi. His illustrations featured

2898-403: The price of the competition, the console and its games were accessible only to a niche market . However, its full compatibility meant that no additional money was being spent on porting or marketing for the AES, since the MVS' success was automatically feeding the AES, making the console profitable for SNK. In January 1991, Romstar released an arcade conversion kit version of the Neo Geo in

2961-500: The release of the Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro. Resembling a large white arcade stick complete with joystick and 8 buttons, it has 20 built-in games as well as HDMI output for TVs. It can also be used on any of the Neo Geo Mini units via an included adapter and is also backwards compatible with the game pads released for the Mini. The initial 20 built-in games were all fighting games, but more games were added by SNK through software updates to make

3024-456: The same way as the pre-existing Neo Geo mini controllers and an HDMI cable. It comes pre-loaded with 45 games, most of them are the same as those found on the MVSX, but with five games removed from the line up. Samurai Shodown Samurai Shodown , known in Japan as Samurai Spirits , is a fighting game series by SNK . The series began in 1993 and is known for being one of the earliest in

3087-473: The sizable available arcade library, some of the rarest Neo Geo games can sell for well over $ 1,000. The most valuable game is the European AES version of Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle . The MVS market provides a cheaper alternative to the expensive and rare home cartridges, and complete arcade kits are priced at a premium. It is also possible to play the MVS cartridges, which generally cost much less, on

3150-406: The story are meant to take place during the time of peace between the first and second games of the series. The story introduces her childhood friends, Yamtamu and Manari, along with her younger sister, Rimururu, and the relentless enigma, Rera. Nakoruru, though glad that there is serenity, experiences several premonitions of devastation and is haunted by the thought of further bloodshed. The climax of

3213-493: The system 15 channels of sound. The Neo Geo MVS was a worldwide commercial success upon release in arcades, becoming one of the highest-earning machines at various arcades across markets such as North America and Australia in 1990. In North America, three Neo Geo games were later among the ten top-grossing arcade software conversion kits in December 1992: Art of Fighting at number one, World Heroes at number two, and King of

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3276-550: The system itself, with 2 player support with a 17-inch screen, and pre-loaded with 50 games. Also available is a 32-inch stand to allow it to work as a free-standing unit resembling a vintage MVS cabinet. It was released in November 2020 in North America. In late 2023, Unico released another Neo Geo Mini, this one in the style of an MVS arcade cabinet. It could be purchased with or without an additional Unico red controller, modelled

3339-460: The system to draw sprites in vertical strips of tiles (blocks of 16x16 pixels), and can be 32 tiles tall (total of 512 pixels); it can draw up to 380 sprites on the screen at a time, with the limitation of 96 sprites per scanline. Each tile can be assigned a palette, which defines 15 colors (+ transparency). Allowing up to 256 palettes at the same time, the system can display 3840 colors simultaneously. Unlike most other video game consoles of its time,

3402-417: The system's introduction. On August 31, 2007, SNK stopped offering maintenance and repairs to Neo Geo home consoles, handhelds, and games. Each joystick controller is 280 mm (width) × 190 mm (depth) × 95 mm (height) ( 11 × 8 × 2.5 in.) and contains the same four-button layout as the arcade MVS cabinet . The arcade machines have a memory card system by which a player could save a game to return to at

3465-450: The use of scaling tables stored in ROM as well as support for a much higher amount of data on cartridges and better sound hardware. The system's hardware specifications were finalized in December 1989. Takashi Nishiyama left Capcom , where he had created the fighting game Street Fighter (1987), to join SNK after they invited him to join the company. There, he was involved in developing

3528-420: Was first released in 2012 by TOMMO Inc. After just one year and a lukewarm reception due to its price and poor quality of the emulation, on October 2, 2013, SNK Playmore terminated the license agreement and demanded an immediate cease and desist of distribution and sales of all licensed products. On June 9, 2018, SNK announced the Neo Geo Mini, a miniature sized semi-portable arcade cabinet loosely resembling

3591-549: Was interviewed for the Metal Slug Complete Sound Box released in 2008. The only works he is credited for since Metal Slug 3 are Yuusha 30 , and producer on Sammy Corporation's Dolphin Blue , a credit he shares with fellow Nazca staffer KOZO. He currently works as a freelance musician, serving as the lead guitarist in the rock band GRowTH. Graphic designer Akio worked for SNK after their bankruptcy in 2001, serving as

3654-498: Was later enhanced on cartridges with bank switching memory technology, increasing the maximum cartridge size to around 716 megabits. These new cartridges also cause the system to display "Giga Power Pro-Gear Spec" upon startup or during attract mode , indicating this enhancement. The system uses seven different specialist processors , which divide the workload for the visuals, audio and gameplay. RAM : 214 KB SRAM On-board ROM : 512 KB The SNK custom video chipset allows

3717-537: Was originally released solely as a rental console for video game stores in Japan called the Neo Geo Rental System , with its high manufacturing costs causing SNK not to release it for retail sale. This was later reversed due to high demand and it was released at retail as a luxury console. Adjusted for inflation, it was the most expensive home video game console ever released, costing US$ 649.99 (equivalent to $ 1,454 in 2023). The AES had identical hardware to

3780-575: Was planned to be US$ 599 and included two joystick controllers and a game: either Baseball Stars Professional or NAM-1975 . However, the price was raised and its American launch debuted as the Gold System at US$ 649.99 (equivalent to $ 1,454 in 2023). Later, the Gold System was bundled with Magician Lord and Fatal Fury . The Silver System package, launched at US$ 399.99 , included one joystick controller and no pack-in game. Other games were launched at about US$ 200 and up. At double or quadruple

3843-587: Was serialized in the Weekly Shonen Sunday in 1994. It was later adapted into English under the simplified titled Samurai Shodown by Viz Media in 1996, where it was serialized in the short-lived Game On! USA magazine and concluded in Animerica . The story is meant to be a prequel to Samurai Shodown II , establishing an original character, Yui Minbunosuke Shosetsu, as the main antagonist. Game characters Haohmaru, Nakoruru, Hanzo, Charlotte, and Genan remain

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3906-452: Was then released in Japan on April 26, 1990. Initially, the AES home system was only available for rent to commercial establishments, such as hotel chains, bars and restaurants. When customer response indicated that some gamers were willing to buy a US$ 650 console, SNK expanded sales and marketing into the home console market in 1991. Neo Geo's graphics and sound are largely superior to other contemporary home consoles, computers (such as

3969-582: Was used in Time Soldiers in 1987, further developed in the SNK M68000 hardware platform as used for P.O.W.: Prisoners of War in 1988. Contrary to other popular arcade hardware of the time, the SNK/Alpha Denshi hardware used sprite strips instead of the more common tilemap-based backgrounds. The Neo Geo hardware was essentially developed by Alpha Denshi 's Eiji Fukatsu, adding sprite scaling through

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