Already a powerhouse in the arcade industry, SNK released the Neo-Geo platform in 1990 in 2 forms. The Neo-Geo MVS (Multi-Video System) was an arcade system that allowed the operator to invest in only one cabinet, and then buy games in cartridge format which could easily be swapped in and out of the cabinet. The MVS cabinet came in several varieties, each of which could hold different numbers of user-selectable games. At the same time, SNK released the Neo-Geo AES (Advanced Entertainment System) which was a home console version of the MVS. Although the cartridges were not identical (preventing arcade operators from buying the more affordable home releases for use in their cabinets) the games were identical. The two systems even shared the same memory card technology, so that an AES user could bring his memory card from home and insert it into an MVS cabinet in the arcade. For the first time, a home console was successfully able to bring the arcade-perfect experience out of the arcade and into the living room. This luxury didn’t come cheap, however. The AES system retailed for $649 at launch, and came bundled with 2 arcade sticks and one game. Later on, a more affordable bundle was released for $399, but this only included one controller and no game. Games themselves retailed for around $249 each. In 1994, in an attempt to make their home offering more affordable, SNK released the Neo-Geo CD system. The system was priced at $300, but perhaps more importantly CD technology allowed the games to be sold at the average video game price point of around $50 each. Unfortunately, the CD system never took off due to both some technical issues and the coming of the Playstation and Saturn consoles which provided a more “modern” gaming experience. Although the home console was a tough sell to all but the most hardcore of gamers, the platform enjoyed longevity both among loyal home users and in the arcades, finally being discontinued in 2004. Games are still being developed for the platform today, and the Neo-Geo still enojoys strong support from its legions of fans.
Episode 23 – This week on the show, I review Gunlord for the Neo-Geo MVS, AES, and Sega Dreamcast. I’m playing the MVS version in this video, but I also have the Dreamcast version and it is almost identical. The Dreamcast version is much cheaper, but is permanently out-of-print, so the best time to buy … Read more
Episode 7 – This week I review both golf games on the Neo-Geo AES, MVS, and CD. Top Players Golf is a completely skippable game, but if you aren’t playing Neo Turf Masters, then you just aren’t the gamer that I thought you were! If you don’t have a Neo-Geo, you can play Neo Turf … Read more
Episode 6 – This week I review all 3 baseball games on the Neo-Geo AES, MVS, and CD systems. Baseball Stars Professional, 2020 Super Baseball, and Baseball Stars 2 are all awesome games, and I wouldn’t consider my collection to be complete without all three of them!
Anyone who pays any attention to this site should have known that a golf game would be among the first that I’d review for a newly-added console. The only other golf game on the system is the much older Top Players Golf, and given my choice I would have reviewed it first to give a … Read more
Whenever the topic of run & gun games comes up, someone has to mention Contra as the greatest of all time. Contra certainly has it’s place in the genre, but for my money it doesn’t get any better than the Metal Slug series. This first installment in the franchise is set is a modern version … Read more