Neo Geo: The Ultimate Retro Console? Coming Soon
Channel: Swobbly Does Stuff
Date: 2023-03-01

The Neo Geo was a revolutionary console that brought arcade-quality graphics and sound to home gamers in the early 90s. It was also one of the most expensive and rare systems ever made, with games costing hundreds of dollars each. In this video, we will explore the history and legacy of this iconic console and its games, featuring many short clips and a top 50 countdown of the best Neo Geo titles ever released.

The Neo Geo was born from the vision of SNK founder Eikichi Kawasaki, who wanted to create a system that could offer arcade-level performance at home3. The console was officially launched on January 31, 1990 in Japan1, and it was identical to its arcade counterpart, the Multi Video System (MVS). This meant that arcade games released for the home market were nearly identical conversions, with no compromises in graphics, sound or gameplay. The Neo Geo also had a unique feature called Memory Card Slot, which allowed players to save their progress on a credit card-sized device and continue playing on either the home or arcade system2.

The Neo Geo had a library of over 150 games, spanning various genres such as fighting, shooting, sports, puzzle and platforming. Some of the most popular franchises include King of Fighters, Metal Slug, Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown and Art of Fighting. These games showcased the impressive capabilities of the Neo Geo hardware, which featured a 16/32-bit CPU (Motorola 68000), a custom graphics processor (NEO-GEO), a stereo sound chip (Yamaha YM2610) and up to 716 megabits of ROM storage per cartridge. The Neo Geo also had a distinctive art style and aesthetic that set it apart from other consoles at the time.

However, despite its technical excellence and loyal fan base, the Neo Geo faced several challenges that limited its commercial success. One of them was its high price tag: when it launched in North America in 1991, it cost $649.99 for the console and $200 for each game. Another challenge was its lack of third-party support: most of the games for the Neo Geo were developed by SNK or its subsidiaries. Moreover, as newer consoles like Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation emerged in mid-90s with CD-ROM technology and 3D graphics capabilities ,the Neo Geo began to lose its competitive edge.

SNK tried to extend the life span of the Neo Geo by releasing different versions such as the CD-based Neo Geo CD in 1994, which offered lower prices but longer loading times; the handheld Neo Geo Pocket in 1998, which competed with Nintendo's Game Boy Color; and the hybrid arcade/home system Hyper Neo Geo 64 in 1997, which attempted to enter the realm of 3D gaming but failed due to poor software support.

However, none of these systems could match the original Neo Geo's popularity and influence, and SNK eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2001.

But that was not the end of the story. In fact, the legacy of the Neo Geo lives on today, thanks to SNK's ongoing support for their legendary library. Since then, SNK has re-released many classic Neo Geo games on various platforms such as PlayStation Network , Xbox Live Arcade , Nintendo Switch , Steam , iOS , Android , etc. They have also developed new entries for some of their iconic franchises such as King Of Fighters XIV , Metal Slug XX , Samurai Shodown V Special , etc. Moreover , SNK has released mini replicas of their famous console such as NEOGEO Mini, which comes with built-in games , a LCD screen , and HDMI output ; and NEOGEO Arcade Stick Pro, which doubles as both an arcade controller and a standalone console .

So whether you own an original Neo Geo system, a handheld version like the Neo Geo Pocket, or a mini replica like the NEOGEO Mini, you will find something to enjoy in this video . If you don't have any of these devices , don't worry - there are many emulators out there that allow you to play NeoGeo games on your PC and many other devices as well.

Music by Nico Anuch - Travel - https://thmatc.co/?l=1513F4F3

#Neogeo #snk