After the dystopian intensity of Armed Police Batrider and its frenetic battles in the ruins of Manhattan, the next One Credit Challenge game takes us to a completely opposite universe! Twinkle Star Sprites (ADK, 1996) leaves the “Zero-Cops” and their flying motorcycles behind to immerse us in a competitive shoot’em up with a wildly kawaii style.

This revolutionary hybrid game blends vertical shooting with puzzle mechanics on split screens: two players face off simultaneously, with every enemy destroyed creating combos that send attacks to the opponent.

The story mode follows Load Ran, an apprentice witch accompanied by her faithful Rabicat, on a quest for the legendary Twinkle Star, capable of granting any wish. Original and remarkably well crafted, this final ADK game for the Neo Geo offers deep gameplay, delivering memorable and strategic duels.

Original, highly polished, and remarkably well executed, Twinkle Star Sprites delivers deep and refined gameplay that makes for unforgettable duels. It left its mark on the genre thanks to its unique concept and has received numerous ports on Saturn, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and more recently on Steam. A perfect game for short, intense competitive sessions!

🏆 Challenge rules

Your objective is to achieve the best score on a single credit.
The challenge runs from December 16 to December 31 at 11:59 p.m. You may attempt it as many times as you wish.

📢 How to participate?

• Launch the game in story mode (rom twinspri) on Neo Geo
• Play and try to beat the best score
• Take a screenshot or photo of your final score
• Share your score on the Discord #challenges channel, stating your username and score.

⚖️ Rules to follow

To ensure fairness in the challenge:

The score must be achieved on a single credit, with no save states, rewind, cheats, or auto-fire (unless provided by the game).

Gentlemen’s agreement: the use of glitches that artificially inflate the score is also forbidden.

🎁 Rewards and fair play

The challenge is primarily about discovering games, sharing tips, and, of course, having fun, all in a competitive spirit that is always welcome!

The winner will receive a game key (GOG, Steam, etc.) to choose from a list of around 100 titles.
If you have won a challenge in the past three months, the reward will go to the next player.

Your ranking will be added to the One Credit Challenge leaderboard.
The champion of the first season will receive, at their choice, an RGB Dual 2 or a one-year Recalbox Patreon subscription.

Good luck to everyone, and may the best score win!