Stuff you can do with a Neo Geo memory card???

[MagicMajenta]

I'm thinking of getting a Neo Geo memory card, and I know vaguely some of the stuff that it does like save high scores and stuff. But I really want to know all the benefits of the memory card like can you start a game where you ended the previous game with all your credits for example? Can you save the unlocked bosses? If you can give me all the stuff that it can do that'd be great.

[Ed Oscuro]

Edit: Neo Geo memory cards are PCMCIA cards. From the Neo Geo Glossary:


The Neo Geo memory card holds 2kb of info. There is Panasonic card that is also compatible with the Neo Geo that holds 1MB (more than you’ll ever need). They are PCMCIA cards.

I've heard that a modern memory card will work just fine...don't recall what format, however. Even a tiny 16 MB one will let you save games for every Neo Geo title past, present, and future.

[jajaja]

I also heard that you could use a normal SD card or something as a memcard.

[Zing]

1) Collect Neo Geo memory cards
2) ???
3) PROFIT!

[Ed Oscuro]

1) Collect Neo Geo memory cards
2) ???
3) PROFIT!
LOL

You get my meaning. A regular Neo Geo memory card is pretty tiny...I think it's only got something like 64K of memory on it. Anybody with a decent number of Neo Geo games is going to run out of space sooner or later.

And yeah, Jajaja, SD sounds about right...San Disk?

[Tron 2.0]

I'm thinking of getting a Neo Geo memory card, and I know vaguely some of the stuff that it does like save high scores and stuff. But I really want to know all the benefits of the memory card like can you start a game where you ended the previous game with all your credits for example? Can you save the unlocked bosses? If you can give me all the stuff that it can do that'd be great.
It just, saves your place in the game no score nothing more.

Unless you have a, MVS setup though the "mother board" has a battery to save your score and setting 8-)

[MagicMajenta]

I'm thinking of getting a Neo Geo memory card, and I know vaguely some of the stuff that it does like save high scores and stuff. But I really want to know all the benefits of the memory card like can you start a game where you ended the previous game with all your credits for example? Can you save the unlocked bosses? If you can give me all the stuff that it can do that'd be great.
It just, saves your place in the game no score nothing more.

Unless you have a, MVS setup though the "mother board" has a battery to save your score and setting 8-)

So am I getting it right that when you run out of credits and the game is over, if you save it on your memory card you can start a new game where you ended your previous one. Because if that's the case then if you keep doing it then you will eventually beat the game!!!

[Nez]

I'm thinking of getting a Neo Geo memory card, and I know vaguely some of the stuff that it does like save high scores and stuff. But I really want to know all the benefits of the memory card like can you start a game where you ended the previous game with all your credits for example? Can you save the unlocked bosses? If you can give me all the stuff that it can do that'd be great.
It just, saves your place in the game no score nothing more.

Unless you have a, MVS setup though the "mother board" has a battery to save your score and setting 8-)

So am I getting it right that when you run out of credits and the game is over, if you save it on your memory card you can start a new game where you ended your previous one. Because if that's the case then if you keep doing it then you will eventually beat the game!!!

Yep thats what it does there like one or 2 that saves scores but I don't know wich ones those are.

[rbudrick]

I also heard that you could use a normal SD card or something as a memcard.

Ummm, you can? I'd like top know more about this. You can use something other than offical SNK memory cards on a Neo? What's the largest size card it recognizes?

-Rob

[Ed Oscuro]

Linked above. Apparently, if you can find a PCMCIA memory card, it should work. I wouldn't go above 512K/1MB though, because of the price:

http://www.cadigital.com/pcmcia.htm

$59 for 2 MB of storage! YIKES!

I found a 512K one that was $295, as well.

Must be faster RAM. Can't guarantee they work with the AES.

[Ze_ro]

If I'm not mistaken, the main feature of these memory cards was supposed to be that you could transfer information between the AES and the MVS... But I don't think any North American arcade ever had the card slots on their machines, so it's kind of a moot point on this side of the Pacific.

The card slot only works for PCMCIA cards, so SD cards will not work in it. However, here's a PCMCIA Compact Flash adaptor (http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Item(1138)-SDAD-38-SanDisk_CompactFlash_PC_Card_Adapter.aspx) that might let you use CF cards on a NeoGeo. Similar adaptors are available for other types of cards (like this one (http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Item(1140)-SDAD-67-SanDisk_6in1_PC_Card_Adapter.aspx) that handles SD, MMC, SMC, xD and memory sticks) that might also work... however, the CF one is much cheaper (and potentially more likely to work) because PCMCIA and CF are basically the same thing in a different shape. I'd be very curious to know if something like this would work, as my "legit" NeoGeo memory card ended up costing me about $25.

--Zero

[Ze_ro]

$59 for 2 MB of storage! YIKES!
Sheesh, that's ridiculous... if you want to go fishing for PCMCIA memory cards, then check out eBay... Here's a 20MB card for $10 (http://cgi.ebay.ca/AMD-20MB-20-MB-PCMCIA-FLASH-MEMORY-CARD-5V-AMC020DFLKA_W0QQitemZ6836069266QQcategoryZ42191QQs sPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) (only 8hrs left). There are plenty more, although it can be tricky to find PCMCIA cards without wading through tons of search cruft. I don't think you'll ever be able to get a price-per-meg ratio that's as nice as SD or CF cards, but this IS obsolete technology, so there are deals to be had.

--Zero

[Ed Oscuro]

Thanks, Ze_ro, I'll try to check this out. At worst, I'd end up with a card reader for a laptop...which wouldn't be a problem :)

[rbudrick]

PCMCIA..I always had a feeling the Neo used a similar slot, but I didn't know they were actually identical. I'd like to hear people's stories of using diffierent PCMCIA to whatever adapters to see which memory card types work with them.

So, does anyone know what's the largest the Neo will recognize?

-Rob

[dubbyj]

I looked you guys up on Google. I am happy to report that I just happen to have a few neo Neo Geo Memory Cards that are new and still in the original box. The SNK part number is Neo-IC8.

Here is some information from the service manual:

"The memory card is compact and can hold several games. (approximately 27 games can be held on this NEO-IC8 2Kbyte)

You can restart your game where you left off as the memory card retains the date of your previous game.

This memory card can be used on both the NEO*GEO Multi Video System and the NEO*GEO Home System. (Neo*Geo Home System will be released in the later date.)

...

The memory card has a maximum battery life of 5 years. The more memory you are using on this card, the shorter the battery lifespan."

I hope this helps. There are some more warnings and instructions on the service manual.

-Doug
Lake Norman Music and Games
Stanley, NC

[zektor]

If I'm not mistaken, the main feature of these memory cards was supposed to be that you could transfer information between the AES and the MVS... But I don't think any North American arcade ever had the card slots on their machines, so it's kind of a moot point on this side of the Pacific.
--Zero


Actually, they did. I live in Wayne, New Jersey, and a local arcade (Fun 'N Games) which is sadly gone now did have MVS machines with card slots.

Right after I purchased the Neogeo and Magician Lord I gave this a try. See, Magician Lord played on my home console had a nasty habit of not starting you out where you last died, but the MVS arcade version did. So when there was a level I just couldn't get through at home, I would save, bring the card to the arcade, play through that level, re-save, and bring it home and continue.

It really was a super feature that was ahead of it's time. I never saw anyone else use it, so maybe I was the only one in this area :)

[mailman187666]

Actually, they did. I live in Wayne, New Jersey, and a local arcade (Fun 'N Games) which is sadly gone now did have MVS machines with card slots.

Right after I purchased the Neogeo and Magician Lord I gave this a try. See, Magician Lord played on my home console had a nasty habit of not starting you out where you last died, but the MVS arcade version did. So when there was a level I just couldn't get through at home, I would save, bring the card to the arcade, play through that level, re-save, and bring it home and continue.

It really was a super feature that was ahead of it's time. I never saw anyone else use it, so maybe I was the only one in this area :)

I just sold my MVS that had a memory card slot in between two headphone jacks on the front side of the controller area. I'm pretty sure you can upload your aes scores to an MVS.

[77punk]

im loving this topic as I wish I had an authentic Neo Geo memory card, but like all of your I was clueless really on what it did.. thanks for the good reads..

[rbudrick]

Compactflash, iirc are equivalent pin configurations to PCMCIA. The adapters to use CF cards on PCMCIA are just pin passthrough adapters, I believe. So, I don't believe SD is correct, as stated above. I know this thread is ancient, of course. I would think the least expensive solution is a CF to PCMCIA adapter witha CF card in it. No idea on formatting, though. I would think brand and size would matter too. I'd love to hear of people's experiments, though.

-Rob

[zektor]

You know what is funny, I manage a CVS that has a Gretag photo machine. This machine stores it's config settings on a memory card that looks EXACTLY like the Neogeo memory card. I wish I still had a Neogeo that I could try that with!