Neo Geo Inquiry

[allyourbase]

I've been playing alot of Neo-Geo/SNK arcade emulations lately and have really enjoyed them. I know that being in the US i'd have to import any of these games if i wanted to play them on a home console. The problem is, I understand that there are multiple Neo-Geo consoles out there (mvs, etc.) and they can get pretty expensive. Can anyone let me know from a collector/player standpoint which neo-geo console is best to go after and buy? Secondly, what is the difference between these consoles.
-Plus, if you guys can recommend any titles that would be great! I've gotten a kick out of Shock Troopers, Metal Slug, Mutation Nation so far.

please keep in mind price, game library, ease of finding software, etc.

thanks!

[Marriott_Guy]

In general, MVS versions of the games are much cheaper than their AES counterparts. I have the US Gold AES version of this system and have been very happy with it. It is not modded, but that is the way I want it (I am kind of a purist in this area). If you can score a custom MVS-infused console (I don't think one was ever released), then this is the way to go to save some cash on the games. You will sacrifice the awesome packaging of the AES games, but you will not sacrifice game play.

Just my two thoughts - Neo-Geo.com is a great resource as well. Hope this helps.

[bust3dstr8]

For price and playablity nothing beats MVS. Now the hard part is finding what
hardware will work best for you, Consolized, Supergun, Cab, AES with converter.

I have found dozens of great MVS games in the $10-$30 range very easily.
Some of the better games will cost $50+ .....but thats because they are
worth it, Metal Slug 3, Neo Turf Masters, Blazing Star, etc.

[c0ldb33r]

You could also just stick with their collection releases, which are pretty decent.

SNK Arcade Collection, vol. 1, Fatal Fury Battle Archive, World Heroes Anthology, Art of Fighting Collection are all pretty decent and can be had for about $10.00 new., then top it up with individual titles which were released on other systems, e.g. metal slug releases on the xbox, king of fighters on the Dreamcast, etc...

[DeputyMoniker]

Both the MVS and AES had stateside releases. The AES is the home console and it will play any AES game, regardless of the system or games Japanese/American origin or original language. There is no regional lockout. As for the MVS, that is the arcade motherboard. People have taken those arcade motherboards and given them the ability to be hooked up to a television and regular AES controllers. That's where you hear about "consolized MVS" and Superguns. Both the AES and MVS play cartridge games...but the two are not compatible with one another. You can't play an AES game on an MVS board. MVS games are cheaper because they're more common...but in general, there is no gameplay/visual difference between the AES and MVS version of the game...that's why the Neo Geo console games were way expensive. So, you can either get into the AES for under $200 and pay a high price for a lot of the games, or get into a consolized MVS for $200++ and pay less for the games. Hope that helps.

EDIT: Regarding what you said about multiple console releases...that really isn't the case. Depending on what you care about, (Google the issue) you may want to look for the earlier AES consoles...but there is really only one model of it. (Relative to the multiple PS3 & 360 models.) On the other hand, there is the Neo Geo CD system, which used CD media instead of cartridge. But that, in my opinion, is prohibitively slow. Between rounds of Samurai Shodown, my friend used to go to the store to buy a snack. Concerning the MVS boards, yeah, there are a few of them. Google the issue and you will find the differences between them and you can choose the one you want...or at least you'll know what you're getting if you decide to buy one.

EDIT2: One more thing. Believe it or not, DP isn't really the best source of Neo Geo information. Head over to Neo-Geo.com forums and you'll find everything you need to know. (Including a "For Sale" area.)

[Kitsune Sniper]

SNK Arcade Collection, vol. 1

AVOID THIS PIECE OF CRAP. Unless, of course, you enjoy playing games at half speed and with tons of missing sound effects.

[c0ldb33r]

AVOID THIS PIECE OF CRAP. Unless, of course, you enjoy playing games at half speed and with tons of missing sound effects.
Did you try the PS2 or the Wii version? I heard that the PS2 version is slow, clunky shit. The Wii version is supposed to be faster. I never understood why the PS2 was shit, the SNK fighting game collections which were also on the PS2 were decent.

I've got the Wii version of SNK Arcade Collection and quite like it :)

[eugenek]

I've been playing alot of Neo-Geo/SNK arcade emulations lately and have really enjoyed them. I know that being in the US i'd have to import any of these games if i wanted to play them on a home console. The problem is, I understand that there are multiple Neo-Geo consoles out there (mvs, etc.) and they can get pretty expensive. Can anyone let me know from a collector/player standpoint which neo-geo console is best to go after and buy? Secondly, what is the difference between these consoles.
-Plus, if you guys can recommend any titles that would be great! I've gotten a kick out of Shock Troopers, Metal Slug, Mutation Nation so far.

please keep in mind price, game library, ease of finding software, etc.

thanks!

All things considered, I think in the long run it's best to find a consolized MVS. They're a little pricey from the start, I know. But AES games are also ridiculously expensive (especially most of the good games, Metal Slug still costs like $2000), and while there are MVS adapters you can plug into your AES, they're like 250 bucks alone.

Eh, on second thought, just stick to emulation.

[Aussie2B]

Honestly, I don't see any reason to own an AES short of collecting purposes. Almost every game for AES is massively expensive, besides the very early releases, and, personally, I'd prefer to play more than just Art of Fighting and Samurai Shodown. The system is expensive too, and unless you get it modified, the audio and video suck.

With the MVS, it can be a little expensive to get started, but if you do the consolizing yourself (heck, the system is half way there with controller ports already built in), which seriously isn't that hard, you will save considerable money over buying an AES. And once you start buying games, it's a WORLD of a difference. Hardly anything costs more than a hundred bucks, and you can build an awesome collection just with games in the $10-$50 range, including games that are virtually impossible to get for AES like Metal Slug and Neo Turf Masters (and who wants to do without awesome games like those?). And with universal bios, you'll be able to play all your games in home or arcade mode, giving you all the functionality of an AES. Also, there are games that came out for MVS that were never released in AES form.

[otaku]

I've got into the aes recently but really should get a converter for it so I can play the mvs releases on the cheap. What I really want (and financially it would make more sense) is an MVS cab I just don't have the space or the people willing to put up with/allow it

[allyourbase]

thanks a million for the responses so far, I have a much clearer picture now of how I should go about this. Feel free to continue the thread though, much appreciated so far!

[XYXZYZ]

Also, consider a full sized arcade machine.(MVS) They're quite common and not too expensive, and can often be had for the same price you'd pay for a consolized MVS or an AES with a converter. Check eBay, maybe you'll find something local.

[Tron 2.0]

For price and playablity nothing beats MVS. Now the hard part is finding what
hardware will work best for you, Consolized, Supergun, Cab, AES with converter.

I have found dozens of great MVS games in the $10-$30 range very easily.
Some of the better games will cost $50+ .....but thats because they are
worth it, Metal Slug 3, Neo Turf Masters, Blazing Star, etc.
Agreed i put in some advice being a consolized mvs owner myself,but most have answer your questions all ready allyourbase.

[savageone]

NGCD: Only 50-60% of all games are on it (with nothing after 1999 or so) but it is THE cheapest way to go. If you really want to play fighting games then skip this, that is where slow loading really gets in the way. You get nice CD audio, and many games even have small bonuses. There are also a handful of NGCD exclusives. There are 3 different models to choose from, CDZ loads fastest and the original front loader arguably looks the best.

Arcade machine: Tough to find in good condition (may require restoration) and requires some extra space. The prices on the games are reasonable for the most part, a lot of people will tell you how cheap the MVS is but in reality this is only when compared to the AES. Biggest draw back is you'll have to make inserts ($$) and buy shock boxes ($$$) if you want anything that looks close to attractive on the shelf. There is also the case of the MVS market being horrifically flooded with bootlegs, but that is only if you care.

Consolized MVS: Usually look more like monstrosities of metal with spray paint on them, but they get the job done well. You get all the MVS benefits. you can sit on your couch, and the fire hazard is FREE. Swanky!

AES: Very well designed system. The prices are the way they are for a reason, it's pure sexy from top to bottom. Games you really want could take months to find and cost you a small fortune (or big one if you're partially insane). Game you want is too pricey on AES (or not even on AES)? Get the MVS to AES converter, but that will cost you. Or get it converted, now that will really cost you. IT ALL WILL COST YOU BWAAHAHA!! AES!!!!!!!!!11 Oh.. sorry. Hey, did you know SNK was working on a successor to the AES that was slated to have some online banking features _BUILT IN_? At that time that sort of thing was very popular in Japan, but how ironic is that retrospect?

In the end though, there really is no wrong option. Just enjoy the huge library of great titles.

[DeputyMoniker]

...a lot of people will tell you how cheap the MVS is but in reality this is only when compared to the AES...

A bit overly simplified but, yeah, that's something to consider.

[Trebuken]

Emulation is generally not the way I'd go for video games, but the cost of Neo Geo games makes considering buying or building a MAME cabinet very worthwhile. I have not done it yet, but I very much want to...

[smork]

OK, I own an AES (two, actually, but one's for sale), an MVS (recently) and a NeoGeo CD (only missing 5 titles for a complete set), I'll give my opinion.

If you're on anything near a budget and you want an actual console, the Neo CD is definitely the way to go. I'd say the bad load times are a problem on fewer than 20% of the games. Some of those are highly desirable games like Last Blade and Last Blade 2, though. You can play early fighters without a problem, and all the shooters, and the great sports titles like Baseball Stars and Windjammers without a hitch. Plus, you get exclusives with some games -- Big Tournament Golf is arguably the best golf game made, and you get a really nice CD audio on the Neo CD release. Plus, two of the CD exclusives (Crossed Swords II and Chotetsu Brikinger) are very nice -- but very expensive.

The MVS is the real arcade experience. The games look and feel like what you play in the arcade because they ARE what you play in the arcade. There's nothing like playing the MVS in a cabinet. The games are relatively cheap, but not as cheap as CD games. I think playing MVS without a cabinet has a bit of a jerry-rigged feel to it. Not a bad thing, but not as sexy as an actual console or a cabinet....

AES is only for those with loads of cash to throw down a hole. I only have 3 games for mine, which we extremely cheap, and I don't have any plans to buy more unless they are very cheap as well. The aforementioned Big Tournament Golf can run a cool $1000, for example..... The CD is less than 10% of the price, and gives you more!

Personally I can see the use of both a CD and an MVS -- I use both of mine frequently. If I had to start again from scratch I would start with the CD, and try to get a big value lot of games off your favorite auction site for a starter kit.

[Chainclaw]

I've got an MVS (actually 2 MVSes...) and built my own supergun. The reason I went this way was because it was pretty cheap, and I can now easily branch out into other arcade hardware. I'm probably going to get an Atomiswave next year.

I paid about $120 for my 4-slot MVS board, and I paid about $60 for my 1-slot MVS board + 2 games (one turned out to be a bootleg). It cost me a bit to make the supergun because I didn't have any tools, and I did not build my own RGB -> traditional video converter, I bought a JROK. Arcade hardware is not that expensive to get into.

[savageone]

If you're on anything near a budget and you want an actual console, the Neo CD is definitely the way to go. I'd say the bad load times are a problem on fewer than 20% of the games. Some of those are highly desirable games like Last Blade and Last Blade 2, though. You can play early fighters without a problem, and all the shooters, and the great sports titles like Baseball Stars and Windjammers without a hitch. Plus, you get exclusives with some games -- Big Tournament Golf is arguably the best golf game made, and you get a really nice CD audio on the Neo CD release. Plus, two of the CD exclusives (Crossed Swords II and Chotetsu Brikinger) are very nice -- but very expensive.

Don't forget that the NGCD release of Neo Turf Masters/Big Tournament Golf is one of the many games that has exclusive features in the NGCD release.. In this case, an entire 5th course not found in the MVS/AES version.

[c0ldb33r]

If you're on anything near a budget and you want an actual console, the Neo CD is definitely the way to go. I'd say the bad load times are a problem on fewer than 20% of the games.
Forgive my ignorance - how do the load times on Neogeo CD compare to ... say ... Sega CD?

I had Fatal Fury Special for Sega CD and it really paid the price for being on CD. The load times were poor, it was missing some details, and the backgrounds didn't shift from day to night (probably to keep load times down)

[Aussie2B]

Don't forget that the NGCD release of Neo Turf Masters/Big Tournament Golf is one of the many games that has exclusive features in the NGCD release.. In this case, an entire 5th course not found in the MVS/AES version.

Really? That's pretty awesome. What country is the 5th course in?

[savageone]

Forgive my ignorance - how do the load times on Neogeo CD compare to ... say ... Sega CD?

I had Fatal Fury Special for Sega CD and it really paid the price for being on CD. The load times were poor, it was missing some details, and the backgrounds didn't shift from day to night (probably to keep load times down)

They are worse than Sega CD due to the huge meg count of NG games, many early games have only a 30-45 second load upon booting the game. Some games will load after that.. It gets real bad with later fighting games where it is loading whenever a new character comes into play.. Which means with some fighting games you can probably spend more time looking at the loading screen than you do actually playing the game.


Really? That's pretty awesome. What country is the 5th course in?

I can't recall what country it is in, it's been years since I played. I want to say Scotland, though that might be one of the courses in the AES/MVS.. The exclusive NGCD course is very whacky, as in not realistic at all. One of the earliest holes requires you to skip the ball along some rocks to get it on the green, if I recall correctly a later hole does a similar thing but you have to skip it down a very narrow sidewalk. It's fairly difficult to get par on that course compared to the others.

I highly recommend the NGCD version of Neo Turf Masters. The game does load between holes, but since you can skip the "victory pose" screens in this version you can be on the next hole in roughly the same amount of time it takes on the AES/MVS version.

[DKTheArcadeRat]

AVOID THIS PIECE OF CRAP. Unless, of course, you enjoy playing games at half speed and with tons of missing sound effects.

I am by no means an expert on Neo-Geo or MVS, but I have the PS2 SNK Arcade collection and I don't have too many problems with it, I own some of(or have owned some of) the games on the collection and played them on my MVS Gold Cab, and never noticed so much difference it kills the experience. I mean, Baseball Stars 2 doesn't have the seizure causing power up sequence like the arcade part but I can live without that. Games seem to run good enough.

[c0ldb33r]

They are worse than Sega CD due to the huge meg count of NG games, many early games have only a 30-45 second load upon booting the game. Some games will load after that.. It gets real bad with later fighting games where it is loading whenever a new character comes into play.. Which means with some fighting games you can probably spend more time looking at the loading screen than you do actually playing the game.
That sounds ... pretty terrible actually. :(

I don't want to drop a whole lot of money into NG hardware as most of the games I'd be interested in are fighting games and are available on other systems, but the price point of the NGCD (and more importantly its software) was sounding pretty attractive. Not so much after reading the above.

As an aside, does anyone know if Windjammers was ever released as part of a collection? I love that game.

[XYXZYZ]

Forgive my ignorance - how do the load times on Neogeo CD compare to ... say ... Sega CD?

I had Fatal Fury Special for Sega CD and it really paid the price for being on CD. The load times were poor, it was missing some details, and the backgrounds didn't shift from day to night (probably to keep load times down)

Well, here's a comparison to the MVS carts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM-mkMq9U6s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64ArAUzvRGg

Art of Fighting 3 was damn near unplayable. Even the loading screens had loading screens.

[c0ldb33r]

Well, here's a comparison to the MVS carts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM-mkMq9U6s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64ArAUzvRGg

Art of Fighting 3 was damn near unplayable. Even the loading screens had loading screens.
Oh God. That's horrible. Didn't they optimize the code at all? Cause ... shit ... I've got Samurai Shodown for the 3DO, which only has a double speed cd-rom, and it loads pretty quickly. Even the Sega CD, which also had a single speed cd-rom, didn't load that slowly. Uggh... I understand that the neogeo CD version is MVS accurate, but at what price?

I hate saying it, but it looks like the neogeo CD is a piece of crap :(

I understand that the CDZ version speeds up load times - by how much?

[XYXZYZ]

I understand that the CDZ version speeds up load times - by how much?

I don't know, but just how much cheaper is a CDZ + some games, compared to an MVS setup?

[Chainclaw]

A MVS setup can cost you less than $100. It will probably cost you around $200.

[smork]

I didn't notice any discernable difference between a CDZ and a normal front loader. Except for the price, a CDZ costs a good 4x as much as either the front loader or top loader. My starter pack was a top loader + 12 games, and it was (I think) around $75 or $80.

As I said, some of the fighters have problems with loads. The latter KOF games, too. The early ones are fine. The action games are generally fine. I think in general the load issue is greatly overstated - I estimated less than 20% with load issues, and it's quite possibly less than that.

So the question is, what do you want to play? If you want to play LB/LB2/KOF99/AOF3, then you should get something else. If you want to play the sports games, shooters, and sidescrollers, I doubt you'll find any issue with the CD.

[swlovinist]

HUGE Neo Geo fan here. Neo Geo Games, these days there are so many choices, pending on who you talk to. Purists are gonna tell you stick with either MVS or AES.
Either one will work awsome, but like others said will cost money and specific hardware to run the games. Even the MVS route will cost alot if you want it to either to look pretty and to collect or a full sized cab in decent condition.

I don't know about you, but I will take a computer/machine/system that can run many things and have multiple functions over one computer/machine/system that can do one thing well. Just my specific opinion, but this is just me.

Now I have an AES, want to get an MVS convertor someday again(I had to sell one when my wife had a cancer scare) and have about 20 AES games. I have several of the other "inferior ports" of SNK games, and all have pros and cons. It all depends on how picky you are, as for me some of the other ports are done very well.(I love Sam Showdown on both the Genesis and 3DO) Here are some other options for you

Other than the obvious options going with MVS or AES

Option C: As noted by others PS2 plus several of their offical Comp discs. I have all of them and some are better than others. As for SNK classics vol 1 being utter crap, I disagree. Some of the games do run slow, but others run more smoothly. You can get the game for about $10, so for that price it is a great legal way to try out some games on a budget. Advantage of going this route is that you can play games like Neo Battle Collesuem, Metal Slug 6 on Metal Slug Anthology, and the upcoming Samuarai Showdown Anthology. You can play these games on a PS2/PS3 with component/HDMI bigscreen and it looks great.

Option D: Sega Saturn + import convertor +imports=good times. There are some decent SNK ports on the system not to mention a crapload of other great 2D games. In my opinion this is better option than Neo Geo CD which is rare, slow, and has a very limited library. Great to brag about, Great to collect, not so great to play in the long run. Sonic Wings(Aerofighters) is a personal favorite.

I know that you probably have made your mind up already, but for others that want to play some great SNK gaming goodness, at least there are many options now instead of just expensive limited hardware.

[retro junkie]

I have the Neo Geo CD and find no problem with the load time. I guess I have gotten used to it. I personally think the Original Sony PSP has a much worse load time, with some games, than the NGCD, if one wants to talk about load times. There were a lot of games in the PS1 days that had similar wait periods. So I think it is really a matter of what you are willing to deal with, I'd much prefer the Neo Geo carts, but the Neo Geo CD fits my budget.

There are a lot of the early games that load once and then there is no more loading. You get to play without waiting just as you would with a cart.

But I am a fan of the games, so I don't mind the wait. :)

[Flack]

I have an MVS cabinet and a couple of spare MVS boards. I've played with and AES system before and I don't see the point of spending anywhere from 10x to 100x more for the exact same game. I paid a couple hundred for each of my MVS cabinet(s) (sold one a while back) so financially it's not that big on an investment to get into. If you are nitpicky about shock boxes and things like that then you can pay a lot for some of the games; if you just want the games themselves, they're pretty affordable. I got Puzzle Bobble, Metal Slug 1, 2 and X for around $20 each and paid less for some of the more common ones (although even the commons seem to have risen a bit lately). I also picked up a 16-in-1 cart that has a bunch of games I haven't picked up yet like Neo Bomberman and Aerofighters II. The only cart I am still looking for is Neo Drift.

I'm a cab guy so I like having the cabinet, but if I were wanting to play them in my house I'd buy either a consolized one or a Supergun and play them that way.

[XianXi]

If you want to keep it cheap get a supergun and an MVS board. This way you can expand your collection to other arcade stuff.

If you want a flashy system you can always get a nice consolized mvs setup but just keep in mind the more elaborate the higher the price.

The AES will always look good in my book, you can also buy an adapter that will play MVS games on your AES.

[motley6]

There is no satisfaction like acquiring a complete AES game on the cheap though. Pawn shop owners have no clue...

[GameNinja]

Those videos are really eye-opening. I never doubted that the cd system had bad load times, but it really hits home when you see it side by side. How much faster is the cdz?

[smork]

Those videos are really eye-opening. I never doubted that the cd system had bad load times, but it really hits home when you see it side by side. How much faster is the cdz?

Not at all, for the most part.