can someone school me on the ways of neogeo?

[airswish99]

I'm a noob.

But as of late.. I've become very interested in all things NeoGeo, the home consoles as well as the handheld. Anyway, I done a little bit of research, but I really feel as if I am missing something. Basically, I need a brief headsup of the systems as well as the pros and cons of making purchases. What's rare? What is must have? And lastly, any advice for a future collector?

[finerion]

Wow airswish99, that is a pretty deep question. I have to say the first place you should start would be Neo-Geo.com (http://www.neo-geo.com) and have a look at the price guides, the wiki, and the forums.

The Neo-Geo is a pretty interesting system in that the games are arcade perfect whether you play it on the home console (the AES) or on the arcade board (MVS). In addition you also have the Neo Geo CD and the Neo Geo Pocket systems to collect which both offer excellent versions of the main SNK franchises.

Here is just a quick, brief breakdown of some of the highpoints for each:

AES system
Pros: Home console, ready to hook up to your TV through a variety of connections including RF, composite, etc. The games have full color labels and come in beautiful protective boxes with instruction manuals. There are two SNK brand joysticks as well as a gamepad that are compatible with the system. Region free.

Cons: Expensive. Seriously, it is probably one of the most expensive home consoles to collect for. Hard to find in stores outside of Japan.

MVS system
Pros: Games are much more affordable than their home cart equivalents. MVS one slot systems can be had for less than the cost of an AES system. Comes in multiple designs. Region free.

Cons: Higher incidence of bootlegs. Arcade system so can only be run on a home tv with modding or a supergun. Games only have an end label and no other artwork on the catridge. Boxes, move lists, marquees, and other artwork are needed to have a "complete in box" set.

Neo Geo CD
Pros: Games are VERY affordable due to the CD format. Standard jewel cases make organizing easy. Compatible with the AES joysticks and controllers. NGCD exclusive titles. Region free.

Cons: LONG load times. Crazy long.

Neo Geo Pocket
Pros: Portable gaming. Wide selection of fighting games with arguably some of the best portable 2d fighters on any system. Light weight and durable design. Highest screen resolution of its time until the Gameboy Advance was released. Great battery life on 2 AA batteries. Early releases in Japan and Europe had hard clamshell cases similar to the Nintendo DS. Most games were mass produced and can be found relatively inexpensively. Region free.

Cons: No backlight. American games got repackaged early on as cart only collections so it is hard to find US cases. Best RPG games never were released outside of Japan.

[portnoyd]

Over in one.

[airswish99]

As for the CD.. can it be modded? Does that even matter?

And the games.. all across the board, what are the rarest games? Must-have games?

I appreciate the abrupt response.

[ubersaurus]

mod for what? All Neo Geo hardware is region free.

Rarest games would probably include Kizuna Encounter and Metal Slug for AES, Ironclad for CD, and I'd guess for MVS maybe Samurai Spirits Special? I recall hearing that game had a whopping 2000 cart print run.

[finerion]

As for the CD.. can it be modded? Does that even matter?

And the games.. all across the board, what are the rarest games? Must-have games?

I appreciate the abrupt response.


The CD cannot be modded to be faster as far as I know. There was a later model released dubbed the CDZ that had a 2x CD-Rom instead of a 1x, but that is about it.

As far as games, best resource for checking the rarest is the collector's guide here on Digital Press, http://www.digitpress.com/DP/cmf/search.cmf. Must-have games are really a toss up to be honest and really depends on which of the four systems to are going for and what genres you like. Like I said initially, check out neo-geo.com to find an absolute treasure trove of Neo-Geo information as well as a VERY active community forum.

[finerion]

Rarest games would probably include Kizuna Encounter and Metal Slug for AES, Ironclad for CD, and I'd guess for MVS maybe Samurai Spirits Special? I recall hearing that game had a whopping 2000 cart print run.


Last Hope for AES had a 60 cart print run and I think the prices are starting to rival Metal Slug. Kizuna Encounter and some of the prototypes are probably going to be the priciest/rarest from what I can remember.

The system got to be too rich for my blood so I had to step down though I still love the Pocket and would like to get a CD just for the heck of it.

[Emuaust]

The only real mod you can do to the CD is a language mod, this enables you te set the region between Jap and USA and while the unit is region free you do get some censored stuff in games played in a NTSC-u system.

[buzz_n64]

There's a mod for the AES to play MVS games, there is also an adapter, but it's pricey.

[Robocop2]

You forgot to mention that you had better like fighting games since I think they outnumber other types by about 30:1

[Atariguy]

And the games.. all across the board, what are the rarest games? Must-have games?

Well rarity is going to depend on the system you chose. For instance, Metal Slug is a pretty common game on the MVS, not too hard to find on the Neo Geo CD, but very rare on the AES.

As for must haves, keep in mind that while the AES, MVS, and NGCD have mostly the same library, the NGPC is really a whole different system with a completely different set of games. Also keep in mind that no matter which you pick, at least 90% of the games are fighters, so if you're not into those, it probably isn't worth getting any Neo Geo system.

For the NGPC, you really have to pick up SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millenium. Not only is it the best fighter ever made for a portable, I honestly think it's one of the best fighting games ever made. The cast is well balanced, the gameplay tight, the extras fun, and everything just works wonderfully. Other solid fighters are King of Fighters R2, Samurai Shodown! 2, and The Last Blade. Both Metal Slug games are excelent, though the second is better. Biomotor Unitron is a fun little Pokemon-esque game where you continuously upgrade a giant robot, thought it's unfortunately pretty short, and Faselei is a unique and interesting strategy game, though it's a bit awkward to get into. Most NGPC games will play in whatever language you set your console to, but Faselei and Last Blade won't, so make sure you get English language versions of those. I should note that this is probably the cheapest to collect for, particularly if you don't care if the games are complete.

For the other three systems, the Samurai Shodown games are all pretty common, and they're all great, though 2 is usually considered the best. Fatal Fury Special is great if you're into the more old school Street Fighter 2 era fighters, and it's cheap on all three formats, and the Real Bout Fatal Fury games are pretty common and very good fighters as well. King of Fighters is the most famous fighting series on the console, and 98 is generally considered the best, though if you're going the NGCD route, you might want to stick to the earlier parts in this series due to the load times. Garou: Mark of the Wolves was SNK's answer to Street Fighter III, and it's really fantastic, though it's not available on the NGCD. For non-fighters, the Metal Slug games are fantastic Contra style shooters and some of the best games on the console. I also recommend Viewpoint, which is a really solid isometric view (think Zaxxon) shooter, and Super Baseball 2020, which is a quirky science fiction version of baseball that has robots, rocket packs, and land mines.


One thing to keep in mind with the Neo Geo CD is that the later the game, the worse the load times are. So if you want to play, say King of Fighters '99 or Last Blade 2, the NGCD is probably not your best option, but if you want stuff like Viewpoint or Fatal Fury Special, you'll probably be fine with it. In fact, the earliest Neo Geo games, like Viewpoint or Super Baseball 2020, load the entire game at once. You might want to check out this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM-mkMq9U6s) to see what average-ish load times for most fighters is like.

[diskoboy]

STAY FAR AWAY FROM ANYTHING HYPER NEO 64.

You've been warned... :)

[Rickstilwell1]

One thing to keep in mind with the Neo Geo CD is that the later the game, the worse the load times are. So if you want to play, say King of Fighters '99 or Last Blade 2, the NGCD is probably not your best option, but if you want stuff like Viewpoint or Fatal Fury Special, you'll probably be fine with it. In fact, the earliest Neo Geo games, like Viewpoint or Super Baseball 2020, load the entire game at once. You might want to check out this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM-mkMq9U6s) to see what average-ish load times for most fighters is like.

No wonder I always wondered why people were complaining about Neo Geo load times. I played games like Bust-A-Move, Blue's Journey, Metal Slug, Metal Slug 2, King of Fighters '94 and '95 and they didn't seem unbearable. I thought the system behaved a lot like a Sega CD or Sega Saturn with its load times. It's just that all my real games were earlier ones, and so were the ones in my free stack of burned games that my Neo Geo CD seller decided to throw in the box when they shipped it. That was a fun surprise but some of them had no in-game music because they burned a few of them wrong.

[buzz_n64]

STAY FAR AWAY FROM ANYTHING HYPER NEO 64.

You've been warned... :)

Yeah, only 7 games, and of those, basically just bad 3D remakes.

[Atariguy]

No wonder I always wondered why people were complaining about Neo Geo load times. I played games like Bust-A-Move, Blue's Journey, Metal Slug, Metal Slug 2, King of Fighters '94 and '95 and they didn't seem unbearable. I thought the system behaved a lot like a Sega CD or Sega Saturn with its load times. It's just that all my real games were earlier ones, and so were the ones in my free stack of burned games that my Neo Geo CD seller decided to throw in the box when they shipped it. That was a fun surprise but some of them had no in-game music because they burned a few of them wrong.

Yeah, I can see why some people can't stand it, though I don't think it feels nearly as bad as it looks in that video when you're actually playing. I find that all the games I have are playable, though I don't have the ones with notoriously awful loading like King of Fighters '99 or Last Blade 2.

[tomwaits]

Yeah, only 7 games, and of those, basically just bad 3D remakes.

Buriki One on the Hyper NG64 is excellent, my favorite MMA game by far. Really varied fighters with specialized move sets for each fighting style. Like the early days of MMA when every fighter was pigeon-holed by their genre. Fast arcade pace and a great game that really should have had a port/sequel.

Everything else on Hyper NG64 is disappointing though. And, motherboards are specifc to fighting, driving, or shooting games. So you need 3 different motherboards to cover the 7 available games.



Echoing other comments here, I would avoid AES unless you're wealthy and more interested in collecting than playing. The AES library is a subset of the MVS library and everything is much more expensive for AES, esp. the high quality later releases. Either an MVS/supergun or a Consolized MVS is the best option. Get a unibios and you can toggle to console mode and play MVS carts exactly like an AES console. NGCD has some benefits too. Load times aren't bad for the early games and there are a few excellent NGCD exclusive titles/NGCD versions with extra content.

[fishsandwich]

I thought about collecting for NG AES but it's just so expensive.

I used to collect NGPC and I still think it's a super-cool little system. Too bad it's not backlit. I have been spolied of GBA and PSP by now.

The European NGPC games come in a very cool plastic clamshell that is both sturdy and attractive, kind of like an old Genesis box but with a latch. Much better than the cardboard boxes for the USA releases.

The UK games usually cost more than their domestic counterparts and a couple of the best games were not released in the USA. Faselei! (strategy RPG) and Evolution (RPG) are two of the most sought-after releases in the UK library... they are incomprehensible in their Japanese versions. I believe that Pocket Reversi is the rarest UK release and commands the most money. I understand that all three were produced for the American market with our rating system logo but no boxes or instructions were produced. It's easy to find loads of loose games on Ebay but much harder to find the UK versions of Cool Boarder, Gals Fighters, The Last Blade, and Picture Puzzle.

It appears that much of the leftover stock were removed from their packaging and sold in multi-game bundles. All that packaging is long gone.

Japan got the most releases but many of them are pachinko games or dating simulators. Ogre Battle was released but it's all in Japanese.

I'd love to have a complete UK library but it's a bit too pricey for me.

[ubersaurus]

Buriki One on the Hyper NG64 is excellent, my favorite MMA game by far. Really varied fighters with specialized move sets for each fighting style. Like the early days of MMA when every fighter was pigeon-holed by their genre. Fast arcade pace and a great game that really should have had a port/sequel.

Everything else on Hyper NG64 is disappointing though. And, motherboards are specifc to fighting, driving, or shooting games. So you need 3 different motherboards to cover the 7 available games.



Geez, what's with the hate on the neo 64? Fatal Fury Wild Ambition and the two Samurai Shodown 3D games were pretty damn solid. I remember having a lot of fun with them back in the day... probably some of the best 3D fighters SNK's ever put out. I realize that their competition is pretty weak, but still...

[diskoboy]

Geez, what's with the hate on the neo 64? Fatal Fury Wild Ambition and the two Samurai Shodown 3D games were pretty damn solid. I remember having a lot of fun with them back in the day... probably some of the best 3D fighters SNK's ever put out. I realize that their competition is pretty weak, but still...

I think it was just the simple fact that given the sucess of the original Neo Geo system (in the arcades), the follow up had some mighty big shoes to fill. Most systems of today, still can't compare to the staying power of the original Neo.

The games I've played were mediocre - not bad, but not very memorable, either.

I think the HN64 just didin't have the "accesability and user friendliness" that the original hardware did. It seemed like it was obsolete before it even hit the market.

[Insaneclown]

First you better have lots of money. lol Neo Geo AES is expensive. Neo Geo MVS is not as expensive but people do collect MVS kits and carts. Neo Geo CD is one of the cheapest but the loading times are pretty slow. Also Neo Geo Pocket is a pretty good handheld system. Which way were you looking to go? Come to the Neo forums we can teach you ... The Way of the Neo. :)

[airswish99]

I'm so glad I started this thread. I've learned so so much.

I've read through http://www.neo-geo.com/ countless times now, but the responses here just don't compare. I really appreciate all of the opinions.

I mean.. it's really nice that all of you took the time to respond. It means a lot to a new collector I suppose.. because it's nice to hear it straight from someone who started out just as I did. Again, thanks for the responses, and thanks for everyone's time.

As for me.. I'm leaning towards the cd right now, but we'll see what happens.

[Atariguy]

You also might want to check out http://neogeoforlife.com/ . It's a great resource for reviews.

[tom]

Neo Geo pocket is also nice to collect for, 9 games library, some are awfully difficult to find though.
Japanese release only, they also come in plasyic clamshell boxes.