Play Alpha Mission II / ASO II: Last Guardian neo geo Online

Piloting a tanky fighter that switches between air and ground combat, dodging waves of bullets while agonizing over whether to grab homing missiles or a brutal laser cannon. Everything hits hard—your ship, the enemies, even the crunchy '90s soundtrack.

Released: 1991

File size: 4.59 MB

Game Overview

Alpha Mission II (or ASO II if you're going by its Japanese name) is one of those classic Neo Geo shooters that feels like it's trying to murder you within the first 30 seconds. You pilot this beefy armored fighter that can switch between air and ground attacks, which sounds cool until you realize every enemy on screen is gunning for you at once. The power-up system is weirdly addictive—you collect these floating orbs that let you customize your loadout, and I kept second-guessing whether I wanted homing missiles or a straight-up laser cannon.

What really stands out is how chunky everything feels—your ship has weight to it, bullets look like they could take your head off, and the soundtrack has that early '90s arcade vibe where everything's either synth or electric guitar. It's not the most polished shmup out there, but there's something satisfying about how unapologetically hardcore it is. Just don't expect to beat it on your first try unless you've got quarters to burn.