Neo Geo

Neo Geo is a video game platform.
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Neo-Geo is a gaming console made by video game developer SNK during the 16-bit era. The people at SNK had a dream to bring the true arcade cabinet experience to every home. The console was ahead of it's time, and even today, the console has a huge fan base.
Neo-Geo unit with two controllers and some games.
Neo-Geo unit with two controllers and some games.

SNK's DREAM PROJECT


Neo-Geo was an ambitious project by the video game developer SNK. SNK made Arcade games and third party games for the Nintendo Entertainment System. In the early '90s, SNK decided it was time to venture into the hardware market on the cusp of the 16-bit era and the result was the Neo-Geo. Unlike Nintendo and Sega, SNK decided to make a system that would bring the current graphics found in arcade cabinets at the time to every home. They ended up calling the system Neo-Geo and marketed it as a 24-bit system. Technically, however, this was false; It was in fact a 16-bit system with added technology to maximize its graphic and sound capabilities. At its core, the Neo-Geo's specifications were not much different than the Sega Genesis specifications. The Neo-Geo is a cartridge based system and was infamous for the enormously sized game units. The box art on games often boasted how many megabits it took to make the game.
 

High Price for Home Arcade Gaming


Neo-Geo's special Arcade Cabinet.
Neo-Geo's special Arcade Cabinet.

Unfortunately, SNK's desire to bring the arcade experience home was quite costly for them. They had no choice but the sell the system for $650 dollars and the games themselves from $100 to $300 dollars.The price often depended on how many megabits was use in the game. For example, if the game had 50 to 100 megabits, the game was over $100 dollars. If the game had over 100 megabits the price was over $200 to $300 dollars. The carts were perfect copies of the MVS hardware builds used in arcade cabinets. So the price people paid for the Neo-Geo carts, was the same price people paid for the arcade cabinets. Of course most people didn't have the money to afford the system or the games. So SNK decided to introduce some of the games in a specially made arcade cabinet. The cabinet often featured different games, and the player could choose which ones they wanted to play. This was mainly how Neo-Geo started building a cult status among video gamers. The system itself wasn't available in many stores, except the stores that rich people were known to shop. Ironically, SNK would make most of it's money from their games in the arcades where they began.
                          
Samurai Shodown for the Super Nintendo.
Samurai Shodown for the Super Nintendo.

Success on Other Consoles


After the Neo-Geo created a cult following with their custom arcade cabinets, the developers decided to port some of their most popular games to other home consoles. SNK would work with a publisher named Takara to achieve this. As a result, ports of Neo-Geo games have been released for the Sharp X68000, Sega Genesis, Sega CD, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo, Game Boy, Game Gear, 3DO, and Sony Playstation. Games like Samurai Shodown,  the first three games in the Fatal Fury series, and Art of Fighting were just some of the games that got ported over. By the mid 90's Neo-Geo became known as the console for fighting games as their most successful games were 2D fighters.

The console itself ceased manufacture in 1997, but games for the console would continue to be made and released in arcades, mainly in Japan. The last game for the console was made in 2004, making it the longest living arcade to home console ever made behind the Atari 2600.


The End of Neo-Geo, but SNK Still Lives


SNK went bankrupt in the year 2000. Though most people claimed it was the developer's risky investment in the Neo-Geo, the SNK themselves blamed piracy. The company has since been bought over by Playmore, who decided to keep the SNK name and preserve the legendary brand. This is why you now see SNK Playmore, instead of just SNK. Playmore would continue where the original developers left off, making and releasing games for the Neo-Geo. Since 2004, Playmore has abandoned the Neo-Geo console and they're now focusing exclusively on releasing games for other consoles.

HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS


CPU 
  • Processor: Motorola 68000 at 12MHz
  • Co Processor: Zilog Z80 at 4MHz
                                                        
GRAPHICS 
  • Maximum Color Palette: 65,536
  • Maximum Colors On Screen: 4,086
  • Maximum Sprites On Screen: 380
  • Display Resolution: 320 x 224
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Possible A/V Outputs: RF, Composite, Component (RGB)

SOUND
  • Yamaha 2610 Sound Chip at 8MHz
  • 4 Channel FM
  • 3 PSG
  • 7 4-bit  ADPCM's
  • 1 noise channel for voices
  • Sample Rate 24KHz

Note: Z80 is used to control sound

MEMORY
  • Main Memory:  74KB
  • Video Memory: 64KB
  • Sound Memory: 2KB (from Z80)




 
Neo Geo games Edit
Add a Game to Neo Geo
Name Platforms Developer
Blazing Star ARC, NEO Yumekobo Co., Ltd.
Strikers 1945 Plus NEO, PSN, PSP, PS1, ARC Arc System Works Co., Ltd., Psikyo
Ninja Commando released on May 29, 2010 WSHP, NGCD, NEO Alpha Denshi Co., Ltd.
Ninja Combat released on June 2, 2008 WSHP, NEO Alpha Denshi Co., Ltd.
Metal Slug released on June 29, 2006 WSHP, SAT, PS1, NGCD, NEO, ARC, PS2 Nazca Corporation, SNK Playmore
Last Hope DC, NGCD, NEO NG:DEV.TEAM
Samurai Shodown V PS2, NEO, XBOX Yuki Enterprise
Metal Slug 5 ARC, PC, PS2, NEO, XBOX SNK Playmore, Noise Factory
SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom released on Oct. 7, 2004 ARC, PS2, NEO, XBOX SNK Playmore
Samurai Shodown V Special PS2, NEO Yuki Enterprise
General Information Edit
Platform Name: Neo Geo
Release Date: Oct. 25, 1990
Online Support: False
Install Base: 0
Original Price: $650
Producing Company: SNK Playmore
Total Games: games
Recurring Appearances
Japan first in
18
Space first in Spacewar!
10
The United States of America first in The Oregon Trail
7
China first in
6
Desert first in Outlaw
3
Jungle first in
3
England first in
3
France first in
3
Germany first in
3
Thailand first in
3
Continue first in
47
Game Over first in
37
Melee first in
36
Hand to Hand Combat first in
32
2D first in Tennis for Two Simulator
32
Boss Fight first in DND
30
Special Attack first in Street Fighter
27
Health first in
27
Lives first in
25
Character Select Screen first in The Oregon Trail
24
Fingerless Gloves first in
32
Sword first in
15
Gun first in
12
Bomb first in B-17 Bomber
11
Katana first in
11
Knife first in
10
Bullet first in Spacewar!
10
Fist(s) first in
9
Shuriken first in
9
Machine Gun first in
9
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