Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad (Neo Geo AES / MVS review)

Developer: Saurus
Publisher: SNK
Released: 1998

Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad is a run 'n' gun title and the follow-up to the 1997 Neo Geo MVS original.

+ Gritty, atmospheric world design, and the epic bosses play like a bullet-hell shooter.

+ The new ability to commandeer vehicles is a neat touch that opens up combat possibilities.

+ Pre-rendered graphics and rotation effects are otherworldly, and character animation is more fluid than the original.

- However, the animation causes a slower pace and you can't dodge as quickly due to having to wait for the frames to cycle.

- Character movement feels very stiff and the amount of slowdown from the get-go is absurd.

- No memorable set-pieces and the action repeats ad nauseum without introducing anything new to engage players.

- The number of playable characters has been halved and the Team Battle mode is no longer an option.

Neo Turf Masters (Neo Geo Pocket Color review)

Developer: Saurus
Publisher: SNK
Released: 1999

Neo Turf Masters is a golf game that was first released on the Neo Geo MVS in 1996.

+ Impressive how much it mirrors its console big brother in terms of presentation, music, cut-scenes and gameplay.

+ Course design is sublime and throws in some shrewd curve-balls via hazards / obstacles to test your ability.

+ The shot interface is intuitive and even first-timers can learn to master the advanced draw/fade mechanic within minutes.

+ Putting is straightforward too and affords you a decent margin of error if you're not perfectly lined up on the power metre.

+ Your completed tournament progress can be saved and the game keeps a comprehensive record of your achievements.

- Would have benefited from some shorter gameplay modes, as completing 18-holes on a handheld isn't always ideal.

- Crowd sound effects are inconsistent and don't always play despite (for example) a great iron shot that lands close to the pin.

Shock Troopers (Neo Geo MVS review)

Developer: Saurus
Publisher: SNK
Released: 1997

Shock Troopers is a run 'n' gun title that didn't see release on SNK's home consoles.

+ The eight playable characters and ability to choose your route from the get-go encourages multiple play-throughs.

+ The controls are rock solid and there's no understating how great the 'clicky' analog stick works for multi-directional firing.

+ Unlike some run 'n' gun titles, there are no second-rate weapons and each one make you feel super powerful.

+ Level design is outstanding with many twist and turns, and the destructible scenery brings the game world to life.

+ Graphics are remarkable with rich texture detail / sprite scaling and the cut-scenes add weight to the unoriginal story.

+ The music has many adrenaline pumping tracks and the snare drum sound is impressively realistic.

- Frequent slowdown when too many enemy sprites are on-screen at the same time.