SNK’s Neo Geo is one of the most celebrated arcade hardware platforms ever made. The raw power, the iconic fighters, the buttery-smooth sprite work — it was in a league of its own when it launched, and it still looks and plays brilliantly today. Blaze Entertainment clearly knows this, because NEOGEO Arcade 4 — Cartridge 22 in the Evercade Arcade Collection — is now out, bringing eight more SNK classics to the platform.
WHY THE NEO GEO STILL MATTERS
When SNK released the Neo Geo MVS arcade system in 1990, it changed the game — literally. Arcade operators got a multi-game cabinet that could swap cartridges. Home players (with very deep pockets) could buy the AES version and play near-perfect arcade ports at home. The library that followed was stacked: brawlers, shooters, sports titles, and of course, some of the greatest one-on-one fighting games ever made.
That legacy is exactly why the NEOGEO Arcade carts are some of the most anticipated releases in the Evercade lineup. These aren’t watered-down ports — they’re the real thing, arcade-accurate and ready to play on modern hardware.
WHAT’S ON THE CARTRIDGE
NEOGEO Arcade 4 packs in eight games, spanning fighters, shooters, sports, and action:
- Fatal Fury Special (1993) — an enhanced update of Fatal Fury 2, often ranked among the best entries in SNK’s foundational fighting series.
- The King of Fighters 2002 (2002) — a fan-favourite “dream match” entry, bringing back the full roster from the series’ earlier years.
- Metal Slug 4 (2002) — the run-and-gun series’ fourth mainline entry, co-developed with Noise Factory.
- Blazing Star (1998) — a highly-regarded horizontal shoot-’em-up from Yumekobo, praised for its scaling and rotation effects.
- King of the Monsters (1991) — SNK’s kaiju-wrestling brawler, giant monsters battling it out across a city.
- Baseball Stars 2 (1992) — the celebrated baseball series’ sequel, known for deep team customisation for its era.
- Robo Army (1991) — a cyberpunk beat-’em-up starring a cyborg protagonist, one of SNK’s lesser-known action titles.
- 3 Count Bout (1993) — a rare SNK entry blending fighting-game mechanics with a boxing ring setting.
Full details, box art, and links for every game are on the NEOGEO Arcade 4 page. It sits alongside three earlier NEOGEO Arcade collections — NEOGEO Arcade 1, NEOGEO Arcade 2, and NEOGEO Arcade 3 — each bringing its own curated slice of SNK’s arcade vault to Evercade. It’s also worth noting the NEOGEO Arcade carts sit alongside some seriously strong arcade competition on the platform — from Toaplan and TAITO to Data East and Irem. The purple-case arcade library is genuinely impressive at this point. Check out our Best Arcade Cartridges guide if you’re looking to build out your collection.
SO, IS THIS THE BEST ARCADE CART YET?
With the full lineup confirmed, it’s a genuinely strong case. Fatal Fury Special and The King of Fighters 2002 give fighting game fans two certified classics, Metal Slug 4 continues one of Evercade’s most-loved series, and Blazing Star is a shoot-’em-up regarded as one of the Neo Geo’s technical high points. If you want the platform’s deepest one-on-one fighting roster, see our Best Evercade Cartridges for Fighting Game Fans guide — NEOGEO Arcade 4 is a serious contender for that list.
Whether it truly tops its three predecessors is a matter of taste — NEOGEO Arcade 1 leaned hard on genre-defining hits, and each cart since has had its own highlights. But on raw lineup strength alone, NEOGEO Arcade 4 holds its own. The foundation — SNK’s hardware, Blaze’s curation track record, and the Evercade platform’s commitment to accuracy — is as solid as it gets.
PLAYING YOUR NEOGEO CARTS
All Evercade cartridges — including the NEOGEO Arcade series — work across the full current hardware lineup. Whether you’re playing on the handheld EXP-R (which even supports TATE mode for vertical arcade games), the compact Super Pocket, or the living-room-ready VS-R home console, you’re getting the same great arcade experience.
If you want the full arcade cabinet feel, the Evercade Alpha bartop cabinet is worth a look too — there’s something special about playing Neo Geo titles on a proper stick setup.
Not sure which hardware is right for you? Our hardware comparison guide breaks it all down.
GOING DEEPER
Want the full story on where NEOGEO Arcade 4 fits in? Read our deep dive on NEOGEO Arcade 1 — SNK’s Greatest Hits on Evercade for how the series started, or browse the Best Evercade Cartridges for Arcade Fans and Best Evercade Cartridges for Fighting Game Fans guides to see how it stacks up against the rest of the library.
NEOGEO Arcade 4 is out now. See the full NEOGEO Arcade 4 page for pricing and where to buy, browse the complete Carts & Manuals library, or search for specific games in the Evercade Games Database.