SPOTLIGHT ON:

THIS NEOGEO DEVELOPER MADE 5 GAMES
GAME 1: (NGM-067) - GURURIN

Released in 1994, this unique puzzle game allowed the player to control the playfield itself as well as the on screen characters. Although it was at one point considered for both HOME and CD systems, it ended up being an MVS exclusive title. One interesting tidbit is that the USA/English title screen for the game, which was only intended to be an early placeholder, ended up remaining as the title screen.

Neither the MVS FLYER, nor the MVS ART PACK SHEETS, nor the MVS TITLE CARD show a US/English title logo. And so there was no known artwork which showed the proper dedicated title font logo in English, until THIS turned up.

GAME 2: (NGM-070) - ZUPAPA

Originally intended to be released in 1994, this action title ended up being shelved for 7 years, and was thought to be lost, until SNK released it in 2001. It was also limited to being an MVS exclusive title as well.

The 2001 SNK release is NEARLY IDENTICAL to the original 1994 FACE prototype. The ONLY differences, are to the title screen, where the FACE logo is replaced by the SNK logo and the 1994 date was changed to 2001.

GAME 3: (NGM-077) - TREASURE OF THE CARIBBEAN

This puzzle game was also intended to be released in 1994 but was ultimately canceled. Possibly assigned NGM-077 in 1994 which was later reassigned to Shinryu Senki in 1995. The proto has never been found, but in 2012 a French programming team put together a homebrew version of what they thought the game might have been like.

GAME 4: (NGM-204) - KING OF ATHLETES / ULTIMATE 4

This sports themed title was very early in development and most likely never even passed the beta stage. It was a 16 event mini-game sports compilation, perhaps similar to Sega Sports Jam. It was most likely never even assigned a software product number and no screenshots have ever been found. The May 1995 NGF #1 has this article which discusses it.

NGM-204 was assigned in 1995 to FACE, then in 1996 to Yumekobo, and then in 1997 to Success. And NONE of the three projects were ever released.

GAME 5: (NGM-231) - MONEY PUZZLE EXCHANGER

A quick reflex puzzle game which closely copied the gameplay of the very popular and successful Chain Reaction / Magical Drop series by Data East. So close in fact, that Data East actually filed a lawsuit against Face Corporation. It was a great last effort and had a large following of fans, but it was taken off the market shortly after its release and Face then went bankrupt. Like all of their games, it too was an MVS exclusive, and it was also a JAPAN only release.

FACE developed 5 games for the NEOGEO and "technically" only released 2.



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