Best ACA NEOGEO Games
Image: Nintendo Life

Much like Hamster's Arcade Archives series, the company's line of Neo Geo titles — which goes by the bespoke title 'ACA NEOGEO' to separate it from the rest — has long been a fixture of the weekly Nintendo Switch eShop download. With over a hundred releases in the ACA series, Hamster has done sterling work getting these games on Switch and into the hands of fans who may never have experienced them before.

SNK's Neo Geo was a beautiful system that fused arcade and home console hardware, but at a cost. The significant financial outlay meant it was out of reach of the average gamer in the 1990s. Fortunately, the games below will cost you a fraction of what they originally sold for and come with a multitude of presentation options to tailor the experience to your liking on Switch.

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Below we've listed every ACA Neo Geo release available on Switch eShop to date and it will be updated as new titles are released. And if this huge list is overwhelming, you'll find our picks of the best ACA Neo Geo games on Switch at the bottom. No prizes for guessing it contains a lot of fighters!

ACA Neo Geo Switch games list

Neo Geo AES
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life

Please note that the Arcade Archive releases are NOT included here - check out our separate guide for Arcade Archive games on Switch for more info on Hamster's non-Neo Geo Switch gems.

Here is a complete list of ACA Neo Geo games on Switch, including games that have since been removed from the eShop. The games are displayed in alphabetical order, although you can go to our games database and sort by Release Date or User Rating:

Delisted ACA Neo Geo Switch games

Unfortunately, the following games have been delisted from the Nintendo Switch eShop and can no longer be purchased:

Looking at that list and don't know where to start? Then check out our picks of the best ACA NEOGEO games — in alphabetical order — to get you off on the right foot.

The best Switch ACA Neo Geo games

Aero Fighters 2 (Neo Geo)

A vertical shooter, Aero Fighters 2 is an easy recommendation thanks to its varied locales, multiple piloting options, large roster of enemies entertaining boss battles, and multiple endings. Throw in 2-player and the usual Hi-Score and Caravan modes and what's not to like?

The sequel is also available, although with its fixed-pairings for two-player mode we'd download Aero Fighters 2 first and go from there.

Blazing Star (Neo Geo)

There was a time when Blazing Star was beyond the reach of all but the most affluent gamer, but now anyone with a Switch can download and enjoy this brilliant shmup for the price of a (pricey) pint. The thrill of owning something that was once so inaccessible shouldn't overshadow just how good this game is, though.

The difficulty ramps right up towards the end, but if you're a fan of shoot 'em ups, this is a treasure you won't want to be without.

Garou: Mark of the Wolves (Neo Geo)

The first fighter in our picks of Switch's finest ACA Neo Geo offerings, and it certainly won't be the last. Garou: Mark of the Wolves is a classic of the genre; the perfect fusion of depth and beauty that will appeal to hardened veterans of 2D fighters and button-mashing newbies alike.

By 1999 the Neo Geo hardware was nearly a decade old and SNK's mastery of it is in full evidence here. It's one of very few games we'd recommend everybody buy, even those who actively dislike fighters (yes, apparently they exist). This game is just too pretty to miss. We could sit and watch animated gifs of Garou's backgrounds for hours. Essential.

The King of Fighters '98 (Neo Geo)

If you're into King of Fighter games, you'll find a whole bunch available on Switch. If we were pushed, The King of Fighters '98 would probably be our pick of the bunch. It's got a huge cast, the same tight, deep gameplay you've come to expect from SNK and is still regarded as one of the best fighters ever made well over 20 years since release.

Similarly to Garou, we'd buy it just to ogle its visual loveliness.

The Last Blade 2 (Neo Geo)

As with many of the best fighters, seemingly simple mechanics hide a lot of depth and The Last Blade 2 is a fine example. An extremely enjoyable game with fantastic presentation and a host of fighting modes to get stuck into, the balancing of the first entry is arguably better, although the sequel has more characters and options available.

Whichever one you go for, you'll be guaranteed a fine-looking fighter with plenty of personality, so you can't really go wrong.

Magical Drop III (Neo Geo)

What's this? A Neo Geo game that isn't a fighter? Yes, you might not have expected a puzzle game on this list but despite the shared genres of several entries here, Magical Drop III is a fantastic balloon-firing puzzler that you should definitely investigate.

It made our list of the best puzzle games on Switch and shows that there was more to the Neo Geo library than an endless parade of gorgeous 2D fighters.

Metal Slug (Neo Geo)

If you're looking for an old-school shot of satisfying gameplay without endless options and upgrade systems and RPG-like progression, Metal Slug is the no-nonsense antidote to modern-day complications. It might feel a little too simplistic by modern standards, but there's something about the purity of its approach which makes it an absolute blast and a lovely palette cleansers before diving into something more faceted on Switch.

Nazca Corporation's run-and-gun may have debuted in 1996, but it's got the beating heart of an '80s action icon (and a brain to match). Fabulous.

Samurai Shodown II (Neo Geo)

Still one of the best fighters available on the console (and there are a fair few to choose from now, if the list above has whetted your appetite), Samurai Shodown II improved on the original with new fighters and tweaks and fine-tuning to the mechanics to accompany the already stonkingly lovely sprite work.

This should be in your library, whether you like fighters or not. Yes, we realise that's the third time we've recommended a fighting game to non-fighting fans. They're just so purdy!

Sengoku 3 (Neo Geo)

A side-scrolling beat 'em up in the classic mould, Sengoku 3 is a straightforward and satisfying example of a genre that needs little explaining to begin with. With plenty of variety and attacking options, it's a fun blast whether you're playing solo or you've enlisted a friend for the ride.

We put it on our list of the best beat 'em ups on Switch, so its inclusion here should be no surprise.

Waku Waku 7 (Neo Geo)

You like fighters, right? If you're reading this list we sure hope so. If you're after something a little unusual, Waku Waku 7 serves up a 2D scrapper decidedly different from umpteen KoFs and Fatal Furies - a welcome break even given the quality of those series.

This, too, is a sequel, to 1995's underwhelming Galaxy Fight, but despite a small roster, Sunsoft packed this game with spectacularly colourful cartoon visuals and a bunch of in-jokes and irreverent parodies to make it feel fresh and unique in a system library overflowing with quality games in this genre. This was the first game ACA Neo Geo game Hamster brought to Switch and a lovely breath of fresh air.

Neo Geo AES
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life

ACA Neo Geo Switch FAQ

Can you buy any ACA Neo Geo games physically on Switch?

Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection brings together seven games in the fighting series. Developed by Digital Eclipse rather than Hamster, it's an impressive port:

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SNK has also produced four volumes of the ACA Neo Geo Selection, although they are only available in Japan. Fortunately, you are able to import them and play them on your Switch with zero problems because the console isn't region locked.

Here's the list of games available in each volume:

ACA NEOGEO Selection Vol. 1

  • Alpha Mission II
  • Garou: Mark of the Wolves
  • Metal Slug X
  • Riding Hero
  • Samurai Shodown V
  • Savage Reign
  • Shock Troopers
  • The King of Fighters ’94
  • Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy
  • Top Player’s Golf

ACA NEOGEO Selection Vol. 2

  • Baseball Stars Professional
  • Fatal Fury 2
  • Ghost Pilots
  • Metal Slug 4
  • Mutation Nation
  • Neo Turf Masters
  • Samurai Shodown
  • Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad
  • Stakes Winner 2
  • The King of Fighters ’95

ACA NEOGEO Selection Vol. 3

  • 3 Count Bout
  • Baseball Stars 2
  • Blazing Star
  • Fatal Fury: King of Fighters
  • The King of Fighters 96
  • Last Resort
  • Ninja Combat
  • Samurai Shodown III: Blades of Blood
  • Sengoku
  • World Heroes Perfect

ACA NEOGEO Selection Vol. 4

  • Art of Fighting 3
  • The King of Fighters 2000
  • The Last Blade
  • Metal Slug
  • Neo Geo Cup ’98: The Road to the Victory
  • Ninja Commando
  • Pulstar
  • Puzzled
  • Ragnagard
  • The Super Spy

Ah, how we love that SNK artwork; all those grins and round chins! Thank you for scrolling to the very bottom of this big ol' list - check out our Neo Geo AES Hardware Classics article to find out more about this impressive system.

With so many games to choose from, we're just scratching the surface with the picks above. Let us know which of Hamster's ACA Neo Geo games you've most enjoyed — and which ones you'd avoid — with a cheeky comment below.