Thinking of getting a Neo Geo. Need some advice.

[ManciGames]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of getting into the Neo Geo racket and had a few questions. I know you Neo Geo guys are dedicated, so I hope you can help me out.

First up, I knew that the NG market was confusing, what with the MVS, AES, Conversions, etc., but I can't even figure out which system I need to buy. So, if I want a "U.S. Release Neo Geo System," what are my options and how can I tell what I'm looking at?

Second, I'd like to collect U.S. game releases only (at least to start). Is there a difference between "Euro" and "English," and is "English" the U.S. releases or are they usually referred to as "U.S." or something else?

Finally, is there a good store on the net with a good reputation that I can pick some of this stuff up at reasonable rates?

Thanks!

[Steven]

I post at www.neo-geo.com/forums

you may want to check out www.neo-geo.com

Place has a lot of drama though, fair warning. If DP is filled with friendly neighbor esque gamers, imagine NG as sort of the ambiguous neighbor who you have to keep an eye on.

Lots of good people there don't get me wrong, but a lot that are just bitter and easily upsettable. (if that's a word, heh)

[Richter]

AES = a home console, like SNES, Genny, etc
MVS = arcade, what you see them multi-game red cabinets. For MVS you have 2 options, having a physical arcade cabinets in your home or "consolzing" the guts. Consolizing the MVS guts is a simple matter of wire up power, sound, controllers (if there arent any). The connections are there you just need to the object. IE there are solder points for video but no actual video jack. Both are region free, but only play in the language of said region. IE a JP King of Fighters 98 will play ion a US console, but only in US mode because US units have a US bios.

by "U.S. Release Neo Geo System" you're looking at an AES

however, the question is "how much are you willing to spend?" Early AES games are fairly cheap and common, however for newer games your looking at $US150+. MVS games are cheaper, often times sub-$100

Conversion carts are when an MVS cart is modified to play on an AES, and vice-versa
Conversion cabs are third-party cabinets that have been gutted for MVS use (IE a former Street Fighter cabinets that now plays Neo Geo games)

for games, check out
neostore.com
japangamesnow.com

[Muscelli]

basically,

Neo geo MVS hardware is expensive... very, they run like 500 dollars... however, the games cost A LOT less then the aes games.

Neo geo AES Hardware is cheaper then MVS, around 150-200 but the games cost a lot more.. if u are planning on buying a lot of games, get a AES to MVS converter, which basically lets u play MVS games on ur AES...

Neo CD is the cheapest of all, but it has a little selection of games, and i hear the load times are horrid on its games... (a couple minutes to load a frickin KOF game)

Neo geo pocket, basically rocks... graphics are almost as good as gba... and the games can be bought for pretty cheap (if there cart only).. Id go with the AES!

[ManciGames]

Place has a lot of drama though, fair warning. If DP is filled with friendly neighbor esque gamers, imagine NG as sort of the ambiguous neighbor who you have to keep an eye on.


lol

[ManciGames]

AES = a home console, like SNES, Genny, etc

Thanks for the hints so far, guys.

I definitely want to go AES, but I'm confused as to what exactly I need to buy. I know the games are not region locked, but I want to buy a "U.S. Released" system. I see alot of "JPN" systems on Ebay listed as NSTC units.

So, should I assume that if it's an NSTC unit that it's a U.S. system, or are there differences? For example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=62054&item=8170589223&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

By the way, is that a decent price for this stuff?

[PDorr3]

thanks for posting this as it answered alot of questions and concerns I had abour neo geo. I plan on getting an AES, and atleast 1 or 2 cheap games, I cant afford the expensive ones at all.

[Muscelli]

AES = a home console, like SNES, Genny, etc

Thanks for the hints so far, guys.

I definitely want to go AES, but I'm confused as to what exactly I need to buy. I know the games are not region locked, but I want to buy a "U.S. Released" system. I see alot of "JPN" systems on Ebay listed as NSTC units.

So, should I assume that if it's an NSTC unit that it's a U.S. system, or are there differences? For example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=62054&item=8170589223&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

By the way, is that a decent price for this stuff?

HAHAHA Its Kusimida... I left him a negative by accident once, and he got all mad at me on here.. lol, well... the console is defiently japanise, considering that almost all the stuff he sells is japaniese...

theres no differences i can think of... but I am not sure if US controllers will work on japaniese consoles, might want to check into that

[Cauterize]

I personally recommend the Neo Geo CD if you dont midn the load times, ive had mine since Xmas and i havent looked back! Its amazing!

Ive now downloaded every single Iso :D so ive got loads to try out!

Also a good choice if you dont want to be spending a lot on games!

[MagicMajenta]

I post on the neo-geo.com forums and I have 2 AES systems and 2 MVS boards (2 slot and 4 slot) There is no difference between a US AES, JP AES and EURO AES. THE GAMES ARE ALL INTERCHANGEABLE IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT. :D (ANY GAMES WILL PLAY ON ANY SYSTEMS) I don't know maybe you really just want US games, but it really doesn't matter. There are a lot of options once you do your research and know what games you want and what condition you want those games in (that is if you are a collector) Besides getting a cab or getting your MVS board consolized there is also the supergun option. I have 3 superguns, and they let you play other arcade JAMMA pcbs besides MVS on your TV. If you consolize your MVS board, you can only play Neo Geo games and not other JAMMA PCBs on your TV. So if you want to play other JAMMA games get a supergun which is a good option if you are worried about finding space for a cab in your home. If you have more questions just shoot. Go here for AES and MVS stuff

www.japangamesnow.com
www.neostore.com
www.coinopexpress.com
www.videoconnect.com
www.gwtrading.com
http://home.netvigator.com/~cosmicco/

Oh yeah about the drama. Yeah there's a lot of it. Some people there just take those boards way too seriously. And it's also a den for scammers so look out. It's just the nature of the Neo Geo which are high priced in nature. Anyway if you go there a lot of people will be willing to help

[ClubNinja]

Generally, all Japanese consoles are NTSC, not just Neo Geo AES. You can buy a Japanese AES console and play both Jp and US games on it. Likewise, a US console will play both regions as well. The one thing to consider is that the games should play in the language of the system (at least that's how MVS works). So, if you get a Jp system, then your US games will play in Japanese. I *could* be wrong on that though, since I'm stictly an MVS user. Finally, any Neo Geo joystick will play on either region system.


Ive now downloaded every single Iso :D

Great...

[ManciGames]

The one thing to consider is that the games should play in the language of the system (at least that's how MVS works). So, if you get a Jp system, then your US games will play in Japanese. I *could* be wrong on that though, since I'm stictly an MVS user.

I think you're right about that. From what I've read (and again, I'm just a newbie, so I too could be wrong), the games have all languages on them and what they display is dependent upon the type of system you have. That's the reason I'm set on getting a U.S. system.

Can any of you Neo vets confirm that? And if so, what's the best way to determine if the one I'm buying is a U.S. unit?

[Vectorman0]

The one thing to consider is that the games should play in the language of the system (at least that's how MVS works). So, if you get a Jp system, then your US games will play in Japanese. I *could* be wrong on that though, since I'm stictly an MVS user.

I think you're right about that. From what I've read (and again, I'm just a newbie, so I too could be wrong), the games have all languages on them and what they display is dependent upon the type of system you have. That's the reason I'm set on getting a U.S. system.

Can any of you Neo vets confirm that? And if so, what's the best way to determine if the one I'm buying is a U.S. unit?

If you buy a unibios chip off of razoola, which is sort of like a gameshark (only part of the systems firmware), you will be able to change the language of many games, I believe. Also, if you go the AES route, prepare to pay a crapload of money for each game. I myself am just about to consolize an MVS two slot. I just have to wait for everything to arrive.

[omnedon]

http://www.oldschoolgamer.ca/information.aspx?SID=12

I'll have one up for sale in the next few weeks or so.

If you get one that works well with a Phantom -1 adapter, you can have the best of both worlds. You can by cheaper MVS games and play them on the console, and buy AES games too.

Whatever you prefer.

Unfortunately almost no sellers pre test their Neo's with a Phantom-1 prior to sale. I do. That way you know ahead of time whther or not a Phantom is a worth while investment for you.

[allinfong]

Neo Geo AES

General Info:
All AES systems are universal. They have no regional lockouts. All AES systems will only play in their native languages. Japanese systems will play with japanese text. English/Euro systems will all play in english. The only exceptions are the Quiz games and Mahjong games. A debug bios or Unibios chip can be installed to play the games in any language. The Unibios 2.0 is the best one to get, but it is pricy.


Neo Geo CD

General Info:
Universal system also. Some games have slower loading times because the cache is very small. It was a very inferior and poor quality system so the lazer sometimes doesnt work or gives an IO error. As a player I do not recommend this system.


MVS

General Info:
Just as universal as the other systems. The hardware is a little more expensive, but the games are super cheap. Consolized systems are the ones someone made into a home system. MVS boards alone cannot be connected to a TV because it lacks the proper hardware. Usually these games are beaten up very badly. Certain people collect the kits with matching serial numbers.




Recommendations....

Collector:
AES is the way to go. US and Euro games are generally harder to find because most of these games are in collections already and will not see the light of day for a very long time.

Gamer:
MVS is the way to go. If you want to constantly play the game then the condition of the game itself is not your concern. You can also get a piece of hardware known as the Phantom-1. This piece of hardware converts MVS games to the AES format to be playable on a AES system. Phamtoms will not play some of the newer MVS games.

Cheap gamer:
CD is the way to go....This system has superior sound because of its media format. The load times are slower and the system itself is very fragile and it malfunctions very easily.



Conversions are not the way to go. They are expensive for what they are and most of the conversions made are not quality games. Some have sound issues.

[AB Positive]

I highly highly second the Unibios by razoola. I loved to occasionally switch my system to a European AES system just for giggles. It didn't usually do much different than US if memory serves.

-AG

[Captain Wrong]

Neo geo MVS hardware is expensive... very, they run like 500 dollars...

Maybe if you're buying a complete cabinet or if the MVS comes with games. Last time I checked, you could pick up a one or two slot MVS easily for under $150. Honestly though, it's been a while since I've looked.

My 2 cents, get a MVS and Supergun. You don't have to fuss with AES prices or a Phantom 1 and you have the added advantage of being able to play other arcade boards. (I kind of found the MVS to be a gateway into arcade collecting. :))

[omnedon]

My 0.02 is that AES is better for the home (non cabinet) user. A consolized MVS is pretty cool, but it's not a console, it's a contraption rigged to your TV. Some of them are very cool contraptions, but contraptions nonetheless.

If you are a console gamer/collector, the AES is THE Neo Geo home console. Get one and a Phantom, and you can play any Neo game, any Neo format.

MVS owners can only play MVS carts.

I own and play both types of carts (I have a Phantom-1). Whatever suits my fancy, price wise, at the given moment.

Long run, MVS is the most practical. AES give 'me' more satisfaction as a console gamer and collector. I don't collect contraptions. :P

[Slipdeath]

What are the dog tag games? And how can you tell if they are U.S. versions.

[MagicMajenta]

What are the dog tag games? And how can you tell if they are U.S. versions.

Go here www.neo-geo.com and go to the link on the left that says cart pics. It shows you pics of JPN and US carts

[ClubNinja]

MVS owners can only play MVS carts.

But since there isn't a single AES game that's not also available on MVS, yet there are multiple MVS titles that can't be had for the AES, I'd say that doesn't illustrate much of a selling point for the AES. To play the MVS exclusives, the AES owner needs the additional (and fairly expensive) add-on hardware. The MVS user has access to every title by default.

If you want to talk about exclusives, then consider the handful on the NGCD platform. Otherwise, in terms of library, the MVS is far superior to the AES.

[omnedon]

You missed my point Clubninja, as I did state that MVS is more practical.

Nevertheless, I can buy a Neo game on any format I like, and an MVS owner cannot. Whether or not that has benefits that matter, is subjective at best, and not my point.

I can buy it fancy and cheap if I want like AES Samurai Shodown 2.

I can buy it plain and cheap like MVS Garou: MOTW

I can buy it fancy and cheap, like AES Samurai Shodown V Special. :P

Like the above SSVS illustrates, once in a blue moon, the AES cart is indeed cheaper than it's MVS counterpart. :P

My main reason, for me personally, is that I Do Not Collect Contraptions. I also Do Not Collect Cabinets. Therefore, I have an AES and love it. I have Neo cab owning friends over occasionally, and even they have admitted that my OSG modded AES gives a cab a run for it's money for versatility, ease of use, and visual quality.

It's way too cool, next to the other consoles, not to have one. LOL
http://www.oldschoolgamer.ca/syspics/12-56.jpg


Nothing wrong with the more practical option of MVS ownership. It just seems that nobody stands up for the obvious positives of AES collecting, and dwell on the negatives.

[Geddon_jt]

MVS owners can only play MVS carts.

But since there isn't a single AES game that's not also available on MVS, yet there are multiple MVS titles that can't be had for the AES, I'd say that doesn't illustrate much of a selling point for the AES. To play the MVS exclusives, the AES owner needs the additional (and fairly expensive) add-on hardware. The MVS user has access to every title by default.

If you want to talk about exclusives, then consider the handful on the NGCD platform. Otherwise, in terms of library, the MVS is far superior to the AES.


Hmm, last I tallied I think there are only around 31 or so MVS games without an AES release. Could be off a bit on that number, but out of about 150 cartridge games, thats only about 20% of the library. So "far superior"? I don't know...

Furthermore, for the "casual" Neo gamer (if such a thing exists :) ), most of the MVS exclusives are rather niche titles. With a few obvious exceptions, such as the Bust A Move games and maybe Shock Troopers.

I would like to add that a AES + Phantom-1 setup isn't a whole lot more expensive than a consolised MVS. Either way maybe 400-500 bucks or so, give or take.

Just playing devil's advocate, as I am definitely an AES guy (but I do have MVS carts for the MVS-exclusives).
People have done a good job outlining the pros and cons of both setups in this thread. Some people buy and trade a lot of both before they can finally discover what suits them best.

[ClubNinja]

You missed my point Clubninja, as I did state that MVS is more practical.

That's not what I was addressing, really. You said that MVS owners can *only* play MVS carts, which suggests that you'd consider that a bad thing. I was merely pointing out that *only* being able to play MVS games gives you access to the entire cartridge library, which isn't at all a bad thing.


Like the above SSVS illustrates, once in a blue moon, the AES cart is indeed cheaper than it's MVS counterpart.

Entirely true; but do the SSVS AES savings really matter when it comes time to play Metal Slug or Kizuna Encounter? You might as well forget it if you're going the AES route. Now, that's where the Phantom comes in, I know, but isn't that technically a contraption (something you don't collect)? Moreso, since it sounds like you're a serious collector, doesn't a mixed AES and MVS collection look a little awkward, even with shock boxes?


My main reason, for me personally, is that I Do Not Collect Contraptions. I also Do Not Collect Cabinets. Therefore, I have an AES and love it.

For me personally, I Do Collect Cabinets. Therefore, I have an MVS, and no console is going to compete with that for me. I *have* tried the AES, but that was in and out like a revolving door, having nothing on the arcade feel.


Nothing wrong with the more practical option of MVS ownership. It just seems that nobody stands up for the obvious positives of AES collecting, and dwell on the negatives.

Likewise, there's nothing wrong with the AES option. Regardless of how you take your hardware, as long as you're playing Neo Geo, you're doing something right. I don't mean to attack the negative points of AES collecting, I just wanted to highlight the positive points of MVS collecting and playing. It's an option that often gets overlooked by many of the hardcore Neo Geo folks who insist upon having $300 manuals and cases along with their games. The original poster is looking for insight on all ways to play, and I'm just cheerleading for my choice - not slamming yours.

And I do think that 20% of the library is a significant amount of games ;)

[omnedon]

The original poster is looking for insight on all ways to play, and I'm just cheerleading for my choice - not slamming yours.

Bingo! I'm glad we understand each other. 8-)

My Phantom is as much a part of my collection as an AC adapter is, or a Famicom adapter for my NES. It's a tool. I think of it that way.

And it's smaller than an MVS cabinet. LOL

I agree though. Compromises must be made somewhere, and we have to pick the ones that we can live with.

And with all my cheerleading of a Phantom, they are not ideal for all AES owners. Your carts have to be clean. Your AES cart slot has to be clean. If you have a high serialled AES, you can expect scaling issues with the few games that use scaling (SS games), with your Phantom.

Even with those caveats, any AES will play Metal Slug perfectly with any Phantom. The savings alone for AES Metal Slug (buying MVS instead) will pay for the MVS Metal Slug, the Phantom-1, and the AES too.

Funny thing is, that doesn't make the AES a 'good deal'. It's more a testament to the insane selling price for AES Metal Slug ($1400USD+).

LOL

I have it on MVS. It's GREAT! 8-)

[Ze_ro]

A while back I took the plunge and bought an AES locally, and then a Phantom-1 off of eBay. I'd highly recommend taking this route, and then also getting a Universe Bios (http://unibios.free.fr/) (or any other debug bios really) installed. The Universe Bios will let you choose the region for your system and also set it to run in either home or arcade mode... so with a setup like this, you'd really get the best of ALL worlds, being able to play ALL NeoGeo games (minus the CD games of course) in any mode you want. It's also a very clean and neat looking setup, compared to a "contraption" consolized MVS, or messing around with a SuperGun or arcade cabinets (Although there are a lot of REALLY nice looking NeoGeo cabinets out there if this is an option for you)

Yes, I can confirm that NeoGeo games do indeed change their language when you plug them into different systems. The advantage here is that you can get Japanese games and play them just as you would North American games without any problems... however, if you do get a Japanese console, you'll be stuck reading Japanese text unless you replace the bios. Unfortunately, North American NeoGeo stuff is surprisingly difficult to find on eBay... at least 90% of the stuff you'll see is Japanese. If you hold out, you'll eventually see a North American system, but be warned that the price will go higher. If you decide that you'll modify the console anyways, then it really won't matter what region the console is from in the first place, since the bios and power supply are going to be the only unique aspects of the system.

The auction you linked to seems rather high to me. It's a nice set, but all the games included are super common. Do a search for "neo geo aes" and you'll quickly see which games are really really common (ie, Japanese versions of the earlier fighting games like Fatal Fury 2, Art of Fighting and such). Incidentally, buying a Phantom-1 will also not be cheap... I spent about $240 on mine, so budget accordingly (I may be wrong, but I think that an AES + Phantom-1 will probably cost about the same as going the MVS route, since you'll also have to factor in the cost of the cabinet or SuperGun).

Speaking of things not being cheap, you might need to make a really hard decision about what you want to do with your NeoGeo... collecting for this system is VERY expensive. Especially when you're talking AES. There are a lot of games that routinely sell for several hundred dollars... meanwhile the MVS versions might sell for $50. The AES cases look amazing stacked up on a shelf, but if it's all the same to you, you'd be wise to invest in a Phantom-1, as it'll save you a ton of money in the long run, and let you play the MVS exclusive games. Not to mention that if you're so inclined, you can buy some shock boxes and fix up your MVS cartridges to look every bit as good as the AES ones.

As for the subject of conversions, it's a bit of a tough subject... from what I've seen, a lot of eBay auctions will actually tell you that the game is a conversion. Most of the time, these are games that weren't actually released on the AES in the first place, like Shock Troopers or Bust-A-Move. Unfortunately, the prices usually aren't too good even when the object in question is known to be a conversion. Whether a "fake" cartridge is worth $200 to you is something you'll have to decide for yourself. If you really get hardcore into this, you might also have to worry about forgeries of the higher-priced cartridges. Frankly, I couldn't imagine spending $1000 on a cartridge that may or may not be legitimate... I suppose I'd never know in the long run, since the game would play the same, but it's still troubling.

There are a lot of hard decisions and tough situations in the NeoGeo scene... frankly, I'm not surprised a lot of collectors are bitter and dramatic at times. To be completely honest, unless you're really set on this, your best bet might be to just spend some money on a high quality arcade stick and play the games through MAME... I know it's not cool, but the games will play the same and it'll save you a lot of headaches in the long run.

--Zero