Neo Geo: Worth buying anymore?

Fatty McBeardo · June 2008

So long story short, I have an itch to build a retrogaming setup over the next few months. I've got most of the usual suspects (NES, SNES, Genesis, Dreamcast, PS2) and will probably fill in the blanks (GCN, N64, Saturn, Atari 2600/5200) at some point. But I'm really on the fence about getting a Neo Geo. Part of me really wants one because as a kid I drooled over them, but they cost $Texas. Now I can afford one, but they still cost $Texas. From what I've found, a clean and cared for N*G AES costs around $250-$275. That's as much as a used Xbox360 or a lot of other more practical things. The big appeal to me of retrogaming is that it's a huge bang for the buck. The N*G is not. And there are N*G titles now appearing on Live Marketplace and VC. So... is the N*G worth it, still?

shyguy · June 2008

If they're worth owning anymore, I can't imagine they will be soon if SNK keeps up with these babies.

You've already got the Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, and Metal Slug Anthologies released, and the Arcade Classics disc gives you stuff like Magician Lord and Baseball Stars. There are King of Fighters anthologies on the way as well, I believe. Between all that, Live, and the VC, I can't imagine that there's much point in owning an original system anymore as long as you have a really nice joystick.

That said, I'm sure someone will be by soon to recommend some totally awesome, obscure game that will only ever be available on the Neo itself.

Fatty McBeardo · June 2008

That's the other thing, the rare N*G titles cost more than the system. I think at this point it's more of an investment thing, which is fine but it's not what I'm interested in. I just want to play the games, and if they're just as good in a cheaper format such as a PS2 release, then that's great.

Etch · June 2008

You could always build a cabinet yourself, or find a gutted one, and stick the PS2 inside it with a monitor and a joystick setup. It' probably won't be much cheaper than buying the Neo Geo system, but the games will be considerably cheaper, and you'll be going about it in a completely legal manner, unlike a MAME cabinet.

brynstar · June 2008

I'd highly recommend just subscribing to Gametap, if you're in the US. They've got like, 70 Neo Games and the emulation is great. They have Mark of the Wolves.

Bartholamue · June 2008

The Neo Geo is worth owning if you want the games on the original system and you are a collector. The Neo Geo arcade stick is pretty neat, though.

Fawst · June 2008

My friend recently (in the past year) acquired two Neo cabs. One is a two-slot, the other is a four-slot. He has quite a selection of games already. Most of the fighting games (including Last Blade which is pretty cool), and he of course has a lot of shooters. Two of the best shooters I have ever played are on the N*G, Blazing Star and Last Resort.

Blazing Star is a hell of a fun game in which to compete for high scores.
Last Resort is... digital sex. It's one of those rare games where if you're a horizontal shooter fan, you NEED to play at least once in your life. It's punishing, but not Bullet Hell. You don't respawn immediately upon dying, either. You will go back a ways and start from there. But the true beauty of Last Resort is in the fact that it's pretty much an R-Type ripoff. Only you can choose to have your Bit move around you, or lock-on in one of 8 locations around your ship.

Ok, uhm, the question was is it worth getting? Only if any of the following apply:

A) You don't mind shelling out the cash and can't/don't want to buy something current.

You can't find that ONE GAME you just NEED TO HAVE anywhere else.
C) You are a collector that wants to complete a set.
D) You really, really want one.

Otherwise, there are better ways to spend your money and time. Personally, I think the best/only way to go is to get the cabinet. The home console is great and all, but that true arcade feeling can only be had by playing on an arcade cabinet.

Cherrn · June 2008

It's absolutely not worth owning if all you want is the games. Since SNK is gradually making all their titles available in collections, chances are you'll be able to play all the games you want on other systems somewhere down the line.

It's definitely only worth it if you want to be a collector, or if you're really hankering for a cabinet.

RainbowDespair · June 2008

With that said, if you're looking for a cheap quality handheld, the Neo Geo Pocket Color is a nice choice. But yeah, there are enough ports and collections out there that I wouldn't get a Neo Geo unless you're getting it primarily as a collector.

Viscountalpha · June 2008

Etch wrote: »

You could always build a cabinet yourself, or find a gutted one, and stick the PS2 inside it with a monitor and a joystick setup. It' probably won't be much cheaper than buying the Neo Geo system, but the games will be considerably cheaper, and you'll be going about it in a completely legal manner, unlike a MAME cabinet.

He could buy a Slot 4 machine for a few hundred dollars (300-400-500$ range). The AES cartridges are much more expensive then the MVS counterparts when they are almost the EXACT same game.

T-Bird · June 2008

its a retro fetish so 'worth' is purely down to how much you want to own that piece of history.
You know its not going to be as good as a modern system, but a modern system doesn't have that joy of being something from the past.

I say 'buy it if you really want it', and only you can answer that question

h8b1llg8ts · June 2008

It really depends on where you want to play these games. I have a 6 slot Neo Geo Arcade that just sits in my garage gathering dust with my other arcade games. The reason being is I don't want to stand around in my garage all year round I would rather be sitting down on my couch.

So if you choose the MVS version, for the price, you have to be a real collector in my opinion. I myself am only missing this system, and both CD versions of the Jaguar and Turbo Grafx system. But the Neo Geo will not be added because of VC. I'd rather spend my money elsewhere. Unless I see it for sale for less then $100.

The same price I paid for my AES arcade.

Ziggymon · June 2008

I have an AES and a few quality titles and to be honest I think they are still well worth owning, the feel of using that huge joystick 2 player with you're mate is hard to match. And despite some excellent ports onto other systems, if you are perfectionist with load times and music arrangements the AES/MVS is the only way.

Be warned though, the systems do need to be taken care of very seriously.

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