I am considering getting a Neo Geo system since the few games I want for it clock in around $30 or less nowadays. I don' t care about too many fighting games or the most recent Metal Slugs. But I still have a few questions. I posted on another board, but I keep getting resposes from emulation kiddies who cannot comprehend my desire to have the real thing. I am NOT interested in emulation! If you are an emulation kiddie please exit this thread, thanks. Anyway here are my questions:

-Is the Neo Geo region free? Most of the ones I see seem to be the Japanese version.

-I want the AES, correct?

-Are the Neo Geo CD controllers compatible with the real Neo Geo system? Are they any good.

-Is it true what is said about Neo Geo having extremely variable video output? I hear some systems output a very striped signal and others don' t. All I care about is RGB. I don' t care about composite, I don' t care about an s-video mod. Does this mean I should get a system with a serial number between 20,000 and 33,000?

Thanks.

-Is the Neo Geo region free? Most of the ones I see seem to be the Japanese version.

Yes I believe so... I have a Japanese console and mostly (if not all) U.S. games for it. When I first got the system all of the games were in Japanese (text and speech). After the unit was supposedly sent to SNK they supposedly toggled the language chip to English, sent it back and the games were in English.

Unfortunately I have no idea about the Neo Geo CD controllers being compatible or about the video output. My unit came with a crappy MONO A/V cable as well as an RF connector.

AES is the console version, yes..

Hmmm... I want to hear " I am destined just to die!" It just wouldn' t be the same hearing " Okawma ku se HAKIMOTO!" instead. Better get the US version.

Actually just send me yours. You don' t need it. Wait.... don' t you have the CD version?

The funny thing is, that' s the main reason why I wanted the unit to play the games in English, just so I can hear Gal-Agiese (Magician Lord) talk $hitt at the end of every level!

" Come on nice guy, but your life is mine very soon!"


I don' t know if you know this already but the home version of Magician Lord is also harder than the arcade version. In addition to adding a cinematic scene before starting the first level, they totally eliminated the convenience of dying and coming back to life at the same spot.. You die, they throw you back quite a few steps, which is a pain in the ass during the later boss battles...

Wait.... don' t you have the CD version?

Nah, cartridge version.

Yeah I rented the Neo Geo system a few times 15 years ago back when it was en vogue. Too bad they didn' t also add SOUND TESTS! Those fools. But $30 for Magician Lord? I' m there. I' m tempted to start buying the games now while I can and just wait until I can find a suitable system.

The Neo Geo AES is fully region free. Basically all versions of the game is contained on a home AES cart including the arcade code.

All Neo CD pads and AV Cables work with the AES too. The pads are really good too, the d pad works much like an arcade stick, though the old-style Neo stick IS the best way to play these games. Still, I often use the pad instead.

If you have the money the AES is the one to get.

All I care about is RGB

Excellent (clasps hands together like Mr Burns), so do I.

Unfortunitely this varies drastically according which batch of machine you end up with. Later serial number machines have the worst RGB output as SNK tried to improve the system' s dire composite out. late Neo Geo consoles RGB output has faint horizontal lines, and a mesh like grid over the picture, washing out the colours and weaking the sharpness of the picture.

Try to get one with as early serial number you can, though these can go for higher prices, especially if you are buying from someone in the know. The only real downside with earlier machines RGB out, is that it is a little dark.

Failing that you can get a pure RGB mod done to your AES which will take the video directly from the video processor rather than the AV out chip. Most people will also do a pure stereo mod for the system which works in the same way.

In terms of games the Jap versions are much cheaper to buy than their US/English counterparts, and with later games you can usually change the language in the options screen. Sadly earlier ones like the first Samurai Showdown do not have this option.

Sorry if my response feels a little rushed, thinking about everything at once.

If you need any other info, feel free to ask.

though the old-style Neo stick IS the best way to play these games. Still, I often use the pad instead.

You CAN' T be talking about the hollow pieces of crap that came with the cartridge-based system!!!??

The original bulky stick with those somewhat raised buttons (matches the actual console), yes.

It' s far more responsive than the Neo CD arcade stick that was released a few years later and it has never let me down. Ultimately though the best stick to use if you can get one modded, is the Jap Naomi-style Hori arcade sticks. Add proper arcade buttons and stick (Jap style) and you' ve got the perfect thing.

I really like the orig Neo sticks despite being hollow, the CD pad although excellent as well, gives more of a home console feel.

I wish they made an adapter so I could use Sega Saturn pads.

How dark is the early Neo RGB out? I have the SNES, Saturn, and Sega Genesis 16-bit 32X video entertainment system with Sega CD all hooked up in RGB. Out of those, the SNES seems a teeny-weeny bit darker.

I found this:

Serial #	Version	  RGB	  Composite	   S-Video
 1-10,000	  1        B          B             Unknown
 10,001-14,000	  2        B          B             Unknown
 14,001-19,999	  3        B          B             Unknown
 20,000-33,000	  4        A          B             Unknown
 40,000-65,000	  5        C          A               C
 70,000-150,000	  6        C          A               C
 200,000-390,000  7        C          A               C

So I obviously need a unit between 20,000 and 33,000. Would those be less dark? Dark pisses me off.

Well, those in the range you need are darker than the 200,000 + serial machines.

They aren' t massively darker but it is noticeable, I thought my 300,000 + serail machine (got mine modded for perfect RGB) was a little dark before modding, compared to the Neo CD (bright, crisp etc).

The chart you have looks very familiar, I remember a site which had direct feed caps of various machines running. I' ll do some searching and try to locate it, but it may be offline as I haven' t looked into it since I got my AES back in early 2003.

Untill then, head over to Neo-Geo.com and hit the forums. That' s the place I found the link for the info before.

Does the pure RGB mod use the same AV out 9-pin DIN?

Found one of the links:

http://nfg.2y.net/games/neorgb/

Not the greatest comparison but it shows how much darker the original RGB was, though I' ve seen better side-by-sides before.

Does the pure RGB mod use the same AV out 9-pin DIN?

Yes it does, they simply replace the video output board with a new one designed to output visuals direct from the graphics chip.

The one system they have for sale at Neo-Geo.com is a heavily modded system for $475(!). What I definitely don' t like are those nasty-looking gold jacks sticking out from the back, and what would also piss me off is a glowing LED under the power button. I imagine the same type of people who do this are the same people who think it is cool to have neon lights inside their computer case. Weirdos. I don' t mind using the headphone jack for my stereo sound, as that' s what I do with my Genesis and that' s what I did when I rented the Neo 35 years ago. I may just tolerate it being a little darker because I don' t really want the expense of modding a system that was poorly constructed to begin with. You think for the price they were selling them for they could have at least used the same video out as the Genesis. Everything else abut the system is Genesis-like.

Those mods are good but just for US users with no RGB input. The RGB mod is not noticeable from the outside thankfully.

My best advice is just track down an unmodded low serial machine in the range you mentioned, and see if you can torlerate the darker RGB. If not then get the machine modded at a later date.

No point in buying a pre-modded system as more often than not they have loads of stuff you don' t want like that NG.com one, and are condiderably more expensive.

My Neo just has a bios chipfitted for US, Jap and MVS modes, and RGB mod. No cheesy lights, and no external changes from how it was made by SNK.

Alright. Give it to me. You don' t need it anymore.

Since you most likely will not give me yours, even if I offered money for it (!), where would you suggest be the best place to look? eBay? I really like to hear the Engrish phrases in Magician Lord and Baseball Stars, so I' d prefer a US system.

Since you most likely will not give me yours, even if I offered money for it

You' re quite welcome to come over and play mine if you pay for the flight and accomodation to the UK.


Mmmmm......... You could try hit-japan on ebay, but he pretty much only ever comes across Jap AES systems.

I don' t really know anywhere other than ebay, NG.com where you could get one from seeing as I' m not really all clued up with US based retro sellers.

I usually get Neo stuff from ebay (hit-japan), Neo-Geo.com and videogameimports.co.uk.

UK sellers though, are usually more expensive than buying from the US or Japan even after deducting VAT which is added on the retail price. So that propably won' t be an option for you.

Well I found a couple US systems from a US seller on eBay with serials 013312 and 012697. Unfortunately they come with games. Cheap games that I think he is selling for a bit much. For example there is a $600 BUY IT NOW that includes 2 controllers, 1 memory card (what good is this?), Magician Lord, Thrash Rally, Nam 1975 and Riding Hero. All are good games except for Riding Hero, which is abominable. The other system is a $500 BUY IT NOW that has everything the first one has, but 3 games instead of 4, which are Baseball Stars, Ninja Combat and Football Frenzy. All games I want... except Football Frenzy.

Does this sound about right or do you think this guy is overcharging? He has perfect feedback and I can start bidding at $250, but he has a hidden reserve (that bastard).

That does steep considering those games are not worth all that much.

The stick if it' s the old-style usually goes for around $70, and you can get Jap AES for around $140 boxed in mint condition. Not too sure how much US AES sells at currently, but I image no more than $200 - 250 for the machine boxed in excellent to mint condition.

I may be wrong on the US console price though, as I haven' t looked at the US side of things for a while. Sorry.

You' ve been a lot more helpful than most people I' ve come across, so thank you. In fact Kikizo' s forum handled this subject much better than Magic Box' s. Almost everyone there was like " OMG u need 2 mod ur xbox an run neo geo gamez on teh emulatorZ bcuz it iz stoopid 2 pay 4 gamez omg lol y wood u want 2 play on a reel system thats so stupid lol rofl!!1!!"

I like my systems and games real. Emulators are great for trying stuff out you' re not too sure about.