The Nintendo Switch eShop has been seeing a lot of Neo Geo ports and I've bought a couple of them, one being Garou: Mark of the Wolves.
Garou marks the 8th entry in the Fatal Fury series and originally came out on the Neo Geo in 1999. I was only four years old and too wrapped up in Super Mario Bros to own a Neo Geo but thanks to the Switch, that dream is reality. I have a lot of experience with fighting games but SNK fighting games are in a ball park all their own, particularly in their CPU difficulty and their infamous bosses. The game features advanced techniques that are commonly used today such as Just Defend, which rewards a last second block with a small health boost and the ability to immediately act out of blocking and a unique system called the T.O.P. system. After selecting your character, you can select where the T.O.P. gauge will go on your health bar, whether it is at the beginning, middle or end. Once your health enters the T.O.P. area, you gain access to the T.O.P. attack, increased attack power and gradual health recovery.
The game features 12 playable characters and 1 boss. There is also a secret boss to be faced after meeting certain conditions. There is also a Score Attack mode, Survival mode, and classic 2 player showdowns.
Garou is a fun and cheap buy on the eShop for Switch owners looking for a quick play that won't actually eat your quarters. I recommend trying it out for yourself.
