This series defined the run-and-gun genre. It featured highly detailed, hand-drawn pixel animations. The gameplay combined chaotic gunplay, destructible environments, and dark military humor. Samurai Shodown
What the public didn't know was that SNK had played a masterstroke. The home AES was identical to the arcade MVS board. Arcade owners could buy a single MVS cabinet with four cartridge slots and rotate games. This meant developers were never making a "home version." They were making an arcade game that also ran in your living room.
While stocks crash and crypto fluctuates, high-grade Neo Geo originals have appreciated at roughly 15-20% annually for the last decade. Games like Turf Masters (AES) and Last Resort are considered "Blue Chip" collectibles. A sealed copy of Kizuna Encounter sold for over $100,000 in 2023.