Neo Geo was an ambitious project by the video game developer SNK. SNK made arcade games and third party games for the Nintendo Entertainment System. In the early '90s, SNK decided it was time to venture into the hardware market on the cusp of the 16-bit era and the result was the Neo Geo. Unlike Nintendo and Sega, SNK decided to make a system that would bring the current graphics found in arcade cabinets at the time to every home. They ended up calling the system Neo Geo and marketed it as a 24-bit system. Technically, however, this was false; It was infact a 16-bit system with added technology to maximize its graphic and sound capabilities. At its core, the Neo Geo's specifications were not much different than the Sega Genesis specifications. The Neo Geo is a cartridge based system and was infamous for the enormously sized game units. The box art on games often boasted how many megabits it took to make the game.

Unfortunately, SNK's desire to bring the arcade experience home was quite costly for them. They had no choice but the sell the system for $650 dollars and the games themselves for over $100 to $300 dollars. Of course most people didn't have the money to afford the system or the games. So SNK decided to introduce some of the games in a specially made arcade cabinet. The cabinet often featured different games, and the player could choose which ones they wanted to play. This was mainly how Neo Geo started building a cult status among video gamers. The system itself wasn't available in many stores, except the stores that rich people were known to shop. Ironically, SNK would make most of it's money from their games, in the arcades where they began.

The console itself ceased manufacture in 1997, but games for the console would continue to be made and released in arcades, mainly in Japan. The last game for the console was made in 2004, making it the longest living arcade to home console ever made behind the Atari 2600.

SNK went bankrupt in the year 2000. Though most people claimed it was the developer's risky investment in the Neo Geo, the SNK themselves blamed piracy. The company has since been bought over by Playmore, who decided to keep the SNK name and preserve the legendary brand. This is why you now see SNK Playmore, instead of just SNK. Playmore would continue where the original developers left off, making and releasing games for the Neo Geo. Since 2004, Playmore has abandoned the Neo Geo console and they're now focusing exclusively on releasing games for other consoles.

Neo Geo - Recent Games

		Name	Platforms	Developer
		Ninja Combat released on June 2, 2008	NEO, WSHP	Alpha Denshi Co., Ltd.
		Last Hope	DC, NEO, NGCD	NG:DEV.TEAM
		Samurai Shodown V	PS2, XBOX, NEO	Yuki Enterprise
		Metal Slug 5	PC, PS2, XBOX, NEO, ARC	Noise Factory, SNK Playmore
		SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom released on Oct. 7, 2004	PS2, XBOX, NEO, ARC	SNK Playmore
		Samurai Shodown V Special	PS2, NEO	Yuki Enterprise
		The King of Fighters 2003 released on March 18, 2004	PS2, XBOX, NEO, ARC	SNK Playmore
		Shin Gouketsuji Ichizoku Toukon: Matrimelee	NEO	Noise Factory
		The King of Fighters 2002: Challenge to Ultimate Battle released on Dec. 18, 2002	PS2, XBOX, DC, NEO, ARC	Eolith Co., Ltd.
		Rage of the Dragons released on Sept. 26, 2002	NEO	Noise Factory
		Metal Slug 4 released on July 19, 2002	PS2, XBOX, NEO	MEGA Enterprise Co., Ltd., BrezzaSoft
		The King of Fighters 2001 released on March 14, 2002	PS2, DC, NEO, ARC	Eolith Co., Ltd., SNK Playmore
		Sengoku 3	NEO	Noise Factory
		Metal Slug X: Super Vehicle - 001 released on March 20, 2001	PS1, NEO, ARC	SNK Playmore, Nazca Corporation
		The King of Fighters 2000	PS2, DC, NEO, ARC	SNK Playmore
		Metal Slug 3 released on June 1, 2000	PS2, XBOX, NEO, ARC, XBLM	SNK Playmore
		Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage released on April 20, 2000	PS1, NEO	SNK Playmore
		Garou: Mark of the Wolves	PS2, DC, NEO, ARC	SNK Playmore
		Nightmare in the Dark	NEO	AM Factory
		The King of Fighters '99 released on Sept. 23, 1999	PS1, DC, NEO, NGCD, ARC	SNK Playmore

Neo Geo - Upcoming Games

		Name	Platform	Developer