• Tag Archives Neo Geo

  • Electronic Gaming Monthly (March 1996)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Electronic Gaming Monthly – Issue Number 80 – March 1996

    In early 1996, EGM was covering the PlayStation, Saturn, Super NES, Genesis, 32X, 3DO, Atari Jaguar, CDi, Neo Geo, Game Boy, Game Gear, and the yet to be released Ultra 64. It was definitely a much more varied era of videogaming. The March 1996 issue includes:

    • Insert Coin – An editorial on the high price of games…generally $60-$70 for new releases at the time.
    • Press Start – Konami releases Hyper Blaster light gun for the PlayStation in Japan; SNK releases Neo Geo CDX with double speed CD-ROM drive; Namco releases new controllers, Goldstar to cease producing 3DO consoles; Atari plans 16 new CD-ROM PC titles; Infinity Multimedia working on new 3D display; ZON sensor eliminates need for controllers; and more.
    • Review Crew
      • Real Bout Fatal Fury (Neo Geo) – The latest Fatal Fury fighting game.
      • Pocahontas (Genesis) – Disney action platformer with puzzle elements.
      • Darius Gaiden (Saturn) – Decent side-scrolling shooter.
      • Mortal Kombat II (Saturn) – The best MKII home translation so far.
      • Zero Divide (PlayStation) – A somewhat unique polygon fighter.
      • A-Train (PlayStation) – Another city simulator from Maxis.
      • Descent (PlayStation) – PC port of the classic.
      • Star Fighter (3DO) – A good but difficult shooter reminiscent of Star Fox.

    • Gaming Gossip – Atari to get out of video games but produce PC games; Sony adjust release schedule to better compete with Ultra 64’s pending release; Nintendo predicts selling 3 million Ultra 64s during the first year, rumored prices include $250 for the console and $100 to $150 for the games; disk drive for Ultra 64 to use disks that contain up to 64 MB of data with 20 MB being re-writeable.
    • Tricks of the Trade – Tricks, tips, strategies and codes for Loaded (PlayStation), Earthworm Jim 2 (Super NES), Zero Divide (PlayStation), Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (arcade), Doom Troopers (Genesis), Earthworm Jim 2 (Super NES), The Raiden Project (PlayStation), Sega Rally Championship (Saturn), Toshinden 2 (PlayStation), Destruction Derby (PlayStation) – one of my favorites!, and much more.
    • Special Features
        • First Look at the Games of CES – Previews of some of the games shown at the Winter CES including Pocahontas and Maui Mallard by Disney Interactive for the Genesis, Casper for the PlayStation, VR Golf and VR Soccer for the PlayStation and Saturn, Bubsy 3D from Accolade for the PlayStation, Star Control 3 from Accolade for the PC (DOS), Power Rangers for the PlayStation and Saturn, Independence Day, Planet of the Apes, Hell Raiser, NCAA Basketball, Time Lapse, Alone in the Dark 2, Metalwerks, Orion Burger, and more.
        • The Developers of Resident Evil Spill Their Guts – An interview with Mr. Shinji Mikami, director of Capcom’s Resident Evil for the PlayStation.
        • Cover Story: Tekken 2 – A first look (with screen shots) of the Tekken 2 arcade conversion for the PlayStation.
        • Killer Instict 2 – A look at the Killer Instinct sequel in the arcades, including a list of combos and how to perform them.
    • Next Wave
        • Maui Mallard (Genesis) – A platform game featuring a Donald Duck look alike (85% done).
        • Pocahontas (Genesis) – An action/puzzle game from Disney (100% done).
        • Mortal Kombat II (Saturn) – Closest version to the arcade original (100% done).
        • Darius Gaiden (Saturn) – Destroy the mechanical fish armada (100% done).
        • D (Saturn) – A horror/adventure game (100% done).
        • Battle Arena Toshinden 2 (PlayStation) – Classic 3D fighter (80% done).
        • Descent (PlayStation) – Port of the classic PC sim (100% done).
        • Zero Divide (PlayStation) – A more obscure 3D fighter (100% done).
        • Krazy Ivan (PlayStation) – Sounds like it should be a submarine game but it’s a mech game (100% done).
        • A-Train (PlayStation) – Another city sim from Maxis (100% done).
        • Casper (3DO) – An adventure game featuring the friendly ghost (80% done).
        • Real Bout Fatal Fury (Neo Geo) – The latest Neo Geo fighting game (100% done).

    • Next Wave Protos
      • Magic Carpet – An early look at this PC game.
      • Dungeons and Dragons: Tower of Doom (PlayStation/Saturn) – Action/adventure game that might remind you of something like Golden Axe (10% done).
      • Earthworm Jim 2 (Saturn) – Sequel to the popular 16-bit game (70% done).
      • Dirt Race Extreme (PlayStation) – Off-road racing game.
      • Shining Wisdom (PlayStation) – An RPG from Working Designs.
      • D (PlayStation) – Horror themed puzzle/adventure game.
    • Team EGM – An interview with Magic and Kareem in regards to Slam ‘n Jam ’96. Reviews of various other sports games including VR Soccer ’96 (PlayStation), F-1 World Championship (PlayStation), F-1 Live Information (Saturn), Bottom of the 9th (PlayStation), VR Golf ’96 (PlayStation), and Valora Valley Golf (Saturn). Previews of Hang On GP ’95 (Saturn), Goal Storm (PlayStation), Road Rash (PlayStation), and Atari Karts (Jaguar).
    • Contest – Simply complete the entry form for your chance to win a Run N’ Gun arcade machine, In the Zone video game, or a Konami T-Shirt.
    • Interface: Letters to the Editor – PlayStation vs. Saturn, next-gen RPGs, FMV games, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and more.

    …and more!


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  • Maximum – Issue Number 1 – 1995

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer & Video Game Magazines – Maximum – Issue Number 1 – 1995

    Maximum covered what at the time were “next generation” systems, including the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, 3DO, Neo Geo, and PC among other systems. Maximum was published in the U.K. but was very similar to Next Generation which was published in the U.S. In fact they were sister magazines and shared some content. The premiere issue of Maximum from 1995 includes:

    Extended Play

    • Wipeout – The cover story this month includes coverage of Wipeout, a futuristic racer for the PlayStation. I remember really wanting this game and did eventually get the PC version. My PC at the time (a 486 DX2/66) met the minimum requirements but really wasn’t fast enough to run it smoothly. I was a bit disappointed with this game. While it was graphically impressive and did a great job of presenting the illusion of speed, I thought games like F-Zero were more fun.
    • Tekken 2 – 3D fighters were all the rage (I STILL prefer 2D) and Tekken 2 was the latest arcade fighter from Namco. Tekken was a PlayStation franchise too so it would find its way there soon.
    • Kabuki Klash – Neo Geo’s latest arcade fighter at the time. They had tons of 2D fighters and while some were better than others, I don’t know that any of them were bad. This one is anime themed. The great thing about the Neo Geo of course is that an arcade version automatically meant a home version…if you had the money.
    • Air Combat – An early air combat simulator for the PlayStation. This was really as much an arcade game as a simulator resembling games like Space Harrier to some degree. I guess it could be thought of as a simplified simulator.
    • Street Fighter Alpha – “The best Street Fighter Yet” claims Maximum. I don’t know if that’s true or not but if you love fighting games you’ll probably love this one. It included additional characters from the original Street Fighter as well as Final Fight.
    • Virtua Fighter – The first in Sega’s 3D fighting series now available for the Saturn. 32-bit systems could get very close to arcade perfection which was a big deal at the time.
    • Fade To Black – A sequel to Flashback, this adventure game for the PC (DOS) transitions the series to 3D while still managing to keep a similar graphical style.
    • Clockwork Knight 2 – A cult classic pseudo-3D platformer for the Sega Saturn. Maximum felt this was a big improvement over the original.
    • Screamer – Maximum describes this as a cross between Ridge Racer and Daytona USA and it certainly resembles those game. They seem pretty excited about it but I don’t even remember this one so I can’t imagine it was as good as what it was imitating.
    • Bug! – A decent 3D platform game for the Sega Saturn. I don’t know that it lived up to the hype that Sega gave it but it is a pretty good game for Saturn owners.
    • King of Fighter ’95 – Classic Neo Geo fighting game and really a must for 2D fighting game fans.

    Maximum Close-Up

    • Daytona USA – A full guide to this racer for the Sega Saturn.
    • Panzer Dragoon – Another cult classic for the Saturn. This was one of the best 3D shooters around at the time. This article provides a guide, codes, cheats, hidden items and more.

    Maximum Regulars

    • New Games… Places… Events – News coverage of Virtua Fighter 3, Sega Saturn criticism, Virtua Fighter 2, Capcom’s fighting game competition, X-Men on the Sega Saturn, a new Battle Arena Toshinden, King’s Field 2 for the PlayStation, Virtua Cop 2 for the Saturn, Sega Rally Championship, Yoshi’s Island and much more.
    • Reviews – The reviews section this month includes reviews of the following games:
      • Virtua Fighter (Sega Saturn)
      • Panzer Dragoon (Sega Saturn)
      • Daytona USA (Sega Saturn)
      • Bug! (Sega Saturn)
      • Wipeout (PlayStation)
      • Ridge Racer (PlayStation)
      • Battle Arena Toshinden (PlayStation)
      • Rapid Reload (PlayStation)
      • Jumping Flash (PlayStation)
      • Kileak The Blood (PlayStation)
      • King of Fighter ’95 (Neo Geo CD)
      • Kabuki Klash (Neo Geo CD)
      • Savage Reign (Neo Geo CD)
      • Space Hulk (3DO)
      • Daedalus Encounter (3DO)
      • Kingdom: The Far Reaches (3DO)
      • Mechwarrior 2 (PC-CDROM)
      • …and more!
    • Correspondence Required – This would be the letters from readers section but since this is the first issue, there are none yet. Instead we just have a request for letters…

    …and even more!


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  • Fatal Fury Special (Sega CD)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/662817718636101632/oldgamemags-diehard-gamefan-april-1995

    Fatal Fury Special is a 2D fighting game that was released for both the home and arcade versions of the Neo Geo hardware in 1993. The original Fatal Fury was perhaps the earliest competitor to Street Fighter II though it was actually developed at the same time by the original creator of the first Street Fighter game. Fatal Fury Special was the third game in the series though not really a true sequel.

    To make an analogy, Fatal Fury Special is to Fatal Fury 2 what Street Fighter II Turbo is to Street Fighter II. It’s an enhancement more than a sequel. There are also parallels in the sense that one of the changes made to Fatal Fury Special was to speed up the game play. In addition to speeding up the game play, Fatal Fury Special tweaked the play mechanics allowing combo attacks among other things. Also, the characters that were only computer controlled in Fatal Fury 2 could now be selectable by the player.

    Fatal Fury 2 was well received by both players and critics and was quite popular. In addition to the original Neo Geo versions, it was also ported to a variety of other systems including the Super Nintendo, Sega CD (a review of which appears at the top of this post), Game Gear and PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16. These ports received more mixed reviews but were generally positive. The main criticisms typically had to do with graphics and sound compromises that had to be made on less powerful hardware. At the time, Neo Geo hardware was certainly expensive but nothing else gave you true arcade power in your home.

    There would continue to be Fatal Fury games released throughout the rest of the decade for the Neo Geo. In addition, the inclusion of a hidden character from Art of Fighting in Fatal Fury Special was the inspiration for the King of Fighters game series. Most fans of 2D fighting games are probably already well familiar with the Neo Geo and the various fighting games available for it. If not, then this game, along with most of the other Fatal Fury games, are definitely ones you should try. While other ports are ok, you probably want to stick to the Neo Geo version or an emulation of it (there was one available via Xbox Live Arcade for example).

    Screen shots above are from the Sega CD version of the game.


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