ASO II - The Last Guardian ~ Alpha Mission II (USA)
Neo Geo CD
🇬🇧🇯🇵
Reviewed in 1994
73
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✪ Reviewed on April 17, 2024
69
Demanding vertical shooter with swappable weapons and ground walking sections. Visually austere but the ground craft mechanic brings real tension. An overlooked classic worth revisiting.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player7+
Co-op
Description
The SULPHUR BUSTER ship faces alien enemy fleets in this SNK vertical shooter. Published by SNK, released in Japan in September 1994. Vertical shoot'em up with collectable armours modifying firepower, titanic bosses, two-player co-operation. Neo Geo CD edition.
ASO II - The Last Guardian ~ Alpha Mission II review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Short"
Technical info
💾0,4 GB📅09/09/1994
Published by SNK
ASO II - The Last Guardian ~ Alpha Mission II (Neo Geo CD) price, value & rarity
An SNK vertical shoot'em up where the SULPHUR BUSTER ship faces alien fleets through an armour-collecting system, one of the machine's very first titles. On the narrow North American Neo Geo CD market under SNK of America, the Western pressing is markedly scarcer than the abundant Japanese edition. The disc also gave affordable access to a shooter whose AES cartridge remains costly.
Is ASO II - The Last Guardian ~ Alpha Mission II still worth playing in 2026?
ASO II - The Last Guardian, alias Alpha Mission II, is an SNK vertical shoot'em up in which you fight alien fleets by collecting interchangeable armors and weapons to adapt your firepower. The modular armament system brings a welcome tactical layer, and the action stays snappy and demanding. The high difficulty and a classic flow temper the originality. For fans of retro vertical shmups and tough challenge, it is a solid representative of the genre on the machine, rewarding for those who master its weapons.
