Interested in "accurate" info on AES launch in U.S

[Anthony1]

Of course, first place I went to was Neo-Geo.com and do some searches on the forums. Couldn't really find any specific accurate info regarding the launch of the AES in the United States.


The Neo-Geo obviously started as the MVS, later was turned into AES, and at first was rental only, then expanded when the demand was much stronger than being rental only. Supposedly both started in Japan first. I've seen various dates of release for both MVS and AES in Japan. Seen various dates of release for AES in the U.S. Supposedly July or August 1991 was the month of release in the U.S. Supposedly Baseball Stars and Nam-1975 were the first two games, and Magician Lord was also a launch game.


If you look at the DP guide, it shows 13 AES games being released on 07/01/91. I'm pretty sure that I remember the launch relatively well in the U.S., and I honestly don't believe that 13 games were available on the first day. If that was the case, none of the stores that I had been around had got 13 on that first day. I remember Nam-1975 and Magician Lord and Baseball Stars. Also remember Cyber-Lip being an early game. Other than that, I'm not really sure.


The price of the system was $649.99 for the Gold System, which included either Magician Lord or a choice between Nam-1975 and Baseball Stars. The games were priced $199.99. The Silver system I think was $499.99 and didn't come with a game, and only came with the system and one controller.


Again, I have no idea how accurate any of this info is, and I've done alot of searchs on Google, and I really can't find much difinitive information, and I'm guessing that somebody at DP must actually know the facts. The main facts that I'm interested in where:


1. When did the AES actually go on sale in the United States?


2. How much was it?

3. Was the Gold system and Silver system both available day 1?

4. Which game/s were actually available that same day?

5. Which games were available that first month?

6. Which games were available in the first 90 days?




Basically, I'm just trying to get some accurate information regarding the Neo launch, and I hate having incorrect info. I like to know what really actually happened. I've done a number of searches, and I'm getting different dates from Japan and the U.S. and alot of different takes on this. I'm hoping that somebody maybe actually was there and witnessed it going down. Maybe somebody here actually bought a Neo at launch and actually knows the "real" answers to those questions? Please can some Neo-Geo fanatic set me straight on all this?

[diskoboy]

For some reason, I want to say the AES went on sale in mid-to-late 1990. I seem to remember playing Cyber-Lip and Super 8 Man around that timeframe.

If I remember correctly the Gold system was $699 and the silver was $599. Games ranged from $129-$199

According to this little catalog that SNK made that came in an old EGM issue - the NG Gold system contained (as quoted from the article)

-'24-bit'/330 meg system
-2 8-way, 4-button 'orbital' controllers
-optional memory card avalible
- your choice of Fatal Fury, Baseball Stars Proffesional, Magician Lord, or NAM-1975 (this was a 1992 ad - they may have added Fatal Fury after SF2 took off in the arcades)

extra controllers were $49.

No system price listed for some reason, and a huge list of games that would take up too much space here.

thats about all the info I have. Even when they were actually for sale, I never remember seeing one in a store.

[Ed Oscuro]

Super 8 Man? Super 8's an obsolete home video camera. It's just Eightman (after a Japanese comic/cartoon hero from back when; he was undergoing a short-lived revival around the time the game came out).

The first game released for the system was NAM-1975. Sometime shortly after that Cyber-Lip and Sengoku were released (you can tell because these got cardboard box releases in Japan).

[dojosky]

Of course, first place I went to was Neo-Geo.com and do some searches on the forums. Couldn't really find any specific accurate info regarding the launch of the AES in the United States.


The Neo-Geo obviously started as the MVS, later was turned into AES, and at first was rental only, then expanded when the demand was much stronger than being rental only. Supposedly both started in Japan first. I've seen various dates of release for both MVS and AES in Japan. Seen various dates of release for AES in the U.S. Supposedly July or August 1991 was the month of release in the U.S. Supposedly Baseball Stars and Nam-1975 were the first two games, and Magician Lord was also a launch game.


If you look at the DP guide, it shows 13 AES games being released on 07/01/91. I'm pretty sure that I remember the launch relatively well in the U.S., and I honestly don't believe that 13 games were available on the first day. If that was the case, none of the stores that I had been around had got 13 on that first day. I remember Nam-1975 and Magician Lord and Baseball Stars. Also remember Cyber-Lip being an early game. Other than that, I'm not really sure.


The price of the system was $649.99 for the Gold System, which included either Magician Lord or a choice between Nam-1975 and Baseball Stars. The games were priced $199.99. The Silver system I think was $499.99 and didn't come with a game, and only came with the system and one controller.


Again, I have no idea how accurate any of this info is, and I've done alot of searchs on Google, and I really can't find much difinitive information, and I'm guessing that somebody at DP must actually know the facts. The main facts that I'm interested in where:


1. When did the AES actually go on sale in the United States? I believe either late 1990 or early 1991 because in 1990 my friends and i were drooling at the info in the mags and we originally planned to buy one and 2 friends to buy 1 game each then we throw in money to buy another one for other friend then the other friend so all 3 of us would have it ! but of course that never happened at all .. ah old days !!! plus one of my friend got one in late 1990 or early 1991 i believe in late 1990 at home express as his christmas gift ...

my first experience with neo geo was MVS at dairy queen i played magician lord and was impressed with it... it was in mid 1990's


2. How much was it? it was $699.99 at most places !!! but very few places had it for $649.99 I remember seeing it at Toys R us and Home Express stores etc ...

3. Was the Gold system and Silver system both available day 1? yeah it was both available but only selected places offered the silver system ...

4. Which game/s were actually available that same day?
I believe magician lord ..nam 1975..baseball stars

5. Which games were available that first month?

magician lord ..nam 1975..baseball stars

6. Which games were available in the first 90 days?

league bowling ...cyberlip... few more i cannot remember off top of my head ..




Basically, I'm just trying to get some accurate information regarding the Neo launch, and I hate having incorrect info. I like to know what really actually happened. I've done a number of searches, and I'm getting different dates from Japan and the U.S. and alot of different takes on this. I'm hoping that somebody maybe actually was there and witnessed it going down. Maybe somebody here actually bought a Neo at launch and actually knows the "real" answers to those questions? Please can some Neo-Geo fanatic set me straight on all this?

[Anthony1]

I don't know why it's so damn frustrating for me, but when I'm trying to research particular systems and their history, there seems to be so much mis-information out there. I'm not talking about devious mis-information, like what our secret goverment within a government does, I'm talking about accidental mis-information. One site says the system came out in August of 1991, and everybody else follows suit. Or whatever.


Isn't there a neo-geo aes faq or something that breaksdown every little bit of info and is actually accurate?

[mikeetler]

1. When did the AES actually go on sale in the United States?

August 1990. Not sure where the other dates are coming from, but Lionel Kiddie City was the first store I saw it in at the time.

2. How much was it?

Silver $499 Gold $599. Not sure if there were differences from store to store as I only saw it in two stores prior to 92/93 when Software Etc started carrying it.

3. Was the Gold system and Silver system both available day 1?

Pretty sure.

4. Which game/s were actually available that same day?

Baseball Stars, Nam-75, Magician Lord and either at the same time or very shortly after, Top Players Golf.

5. Which games were available that first month?

Baseball Stars, Nam-75, Magician Lord & Top Players Golf

6. Which games were available in the first 90 days?

Baseball Stars, Nam-75, Magician Lord & Top Players Golf.

I don't think anything else shipped until late March '91. Not sure of the exact release order, but Cyber Lip, Super Spy, Riding Hero & League Bowling were all out by mid '91, and I'm sure there were another 4 or 5 titles that also shipped in that time frame.

[Nez]