Neo Geo (system) facts for kids
  |
|
 
Neo Geo AES console (top) and 4-slot MVS arcade cabinet (bottom)
|
|
| Manufacturer | SNK Corporation |
|---|---|
| Product family | Neo Geo |
| Type | Arcade system board Home video game console |
| Generation | Fourth |
| Release date | Neo Geo Multi Video System
Neo Geo Rental System/Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System
|
| Introductory price | US$649.99 |
| Discontinued | 1997 (hardware) August 2007 (technical support) |
| Units sold | 1.18 million |
| Media | ROM cartridge |
| Power | 8 W older Systems 5 W newer Systems |
| CPU | Motorola 68000 @ 12MHz, Zilog Z80A @ 4MHz |
| Memory | 64KB RAM, 84KB VRAM, 2KB Sound Memory |
| Storage | Memory card |
| Display | 320×224 resolution, 3840 on-screen colors out of a palette of 65536 |
| Sound | Yamaha YM2610 |
| Dimensions | 325 × 237 × 60 mm |
| Predecessor | Neo Geo CD Hyper Neo Geo 64 |
The Neo Geo (Japanese: ネオジオ, Hepburn: Neojio) was a super cool video game system. It came out on April 26, 1990. The Japanese company SNK Corporation made it. It was special because it used game cartridges, just like home consoles.
The Neo Geo first launched as an arcade machine called the Multi Video System (MVS). Arcade owners could easily change games. They just swapped out a game cartridge and the cabinet artwork. The MVS could even hold up to six different games at once! This saved space and money for arcade owners.
SNK also made a home console version called the Advanced Entertainment System (AES). At first, you could only rent it in Japan. It was very expensive to make. But people really wanted to buy it! So, SNK decided to sell it as a fancy, high-end console. It was the most expensive home console ever released. It cost about US$649.99 (equivalent to $1,397 in 2022) when it first came out. The AES had the same power as the arcade version. This meant you could play arcade games perfectly at home!
The Neo Geo was advertised as a "24-bit" system. Its main brain (CPU) was a 16/32-bit Motorola 68000. It also had an 8-bit helper chip (Z80 coprocessor). The graphics chip (GPU) used a 24-bit data path. This made it super powerful for its time. It was stronger than any other home console. It was even more powerful than many arcade systems!
The Neo Geo MVS arcade system was very popular in the 1990s. It was affordable for arcade owners. It also had those handy multiple game slots. Many famous game series came out on it. These include Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Samurai Shodown, The King of Fighters, and Metal Slug. The AES home console was a special item in Japan. It didn't sell much in the U.S. because it was so expensive. But now, it's a collector's item! Neo Geo hardware was made for seven years, stopping in 1997. But new games kept coming out until 2004! This makes it the longest-supported arcade system ever.
Contents
How the Neo Geo Was Made
The Neo Geo hardware grew from older SNK arcade systems. These systems were used in games like Time Soldiers (1987). The Neo Geo was special because it could make sprites bigger or smaller. This made graphics look really cool! It also supported much larger game cartridges. The sound was also much better. The final design for the system was ready in December 1989.
A famous game creator named Takashi Nishiyama joined SNK. He had created the fighting game Street Fighter. He came up with the idea for an arcade system that used game cartridges. He also suggested making a home console version. He wanted to make games cheaper in places like China and South America. This would help stop people from making illegal copies of games. Nishiyama also created the Fatal Fury fighting game series. He also worked on Art of Fighting, The King of Fighters, and Metal Slug.
The Neo Geo was first shown off on January 31, 1990, in Japan. SNK showed many games at an arcade show. These included NAM-1975 and Magician Lord. The system then came to the U.S. in March 1990. It was officially released in Japan on April 26, 1990.
At first, the AES home system was only for rent. Hotels, bars, and restaurants could rent it. But people really wanted to buy it! So, SNK started selling it to homes in 1991.
Neo Geo's Amazing Power
The Neo Geo had much better graphics and sound than other consoles. It was even better than some arcade systems! The Neo Geo AES home console was made to be exactly like the MVS arcade system. This meant perfect arcade quality at home. The MVS was one of the most powerful arcade systems. It could load games from changeable cartridges. This was different from other arcade machines that needed special hardware for each game.
In the United States, the console was first planned to cost US$599. It would come with two controllers and a game. But the price went up to US$649.99 for the "Gold System." This package included Magician Lord or Fatal Fury. A cheaper "Silver System" cost US$399.99. It came with one controller and no game. Other games cost around US$200 or more. This made the Neo Geo very expensive for most people. Only a few dedicated gamers could afford it. But because the arcade MVS was so popular, SNK didn't need to spend much on the AES. This made the console profitable for them.
In 1991, a company called Romstar released a kit. This kit let arcade owners turn their old machines into Neo Geo systems. SNK also said that home versions of games would come out about six months after the arcade versions.
Later, 3D graphics became popular in arcades. The Neo Geo's 2D graphics couldn't keep up. But Neo Geo arcade games still made money through the mid-1990s. SNK made new systems later, like the Neo Geo CD (1994) and Hyper Neo Geo 64 (1997). But these new systems were not very popular.
Even though SNK stopped making home consoles in 1997, they kept making games. The original 2D Neo Geo still got popular games. One of the last official games was Samurai Shodown V Special in 2004. This was 14 years after the system first came out! SNK stopped fixing Neo Geo consoles and games on August 31, 2007.
In 2012, a new device called the Neo Geo X came out. It had Neo Geo games already on it. But it wasn't very popular. SNK stopped its license in 2013.
Technical Details of the Neo Geo
The Neo Geo controllers were big, like arcade joysticks. They were about 11 inches wide. They had the same four-button layout as the arcade machines.
The arcade machines had a special memory card system. Players could save their game progress. They could even take their memory card home! Then they could continue playing on their Neo Geo home console.
The arcade version is called "MVS" (Multi Video System). It came in different models. Some could hold 1, 2, 4, or even 6 game cartridges! The home console is called "AES" (Advanced Entertainment System).
The MVS and AES systems used almost the same parts. You could even move game chips from one to the other! The game cartridges for arcade and home were a bit different. This was to stop arcade owners from buying cheaper home cartridges. But some home games had secret codes. These codes could unlock the arcade version of the game!
Game Sizes and Startup Screens
The first Neo Geo games could be up to 330 megabits in size. When you started the system, it would say "Max 330 Mega Pro-Gear Spec." Some games that were over 100 megabits would show "The 100Mega Shock!" This was a cool animation.
Later, new technology allowed much bigger cartridges. Some games were around 716 megabits! These new cartridges made the system say "Giga Power Pro-Gear Spec" when it started.
-
The 100Mega Shock!
-
Giga Power
Neo Geo Specifications
The Neo Geo used seven different special computer chips. These chips worked together. They handled the graphics, sound, and gameplay.
Main Computer Parts (CPU)
- Main brain: Motorola 68000 chip. It ran at 12 MHz.
- Helper brain: Zilog Z80 chip. It ran at 4 MHz. This chip also controlled the sound.
Memory
The system had different types of memory:
- Main memory (RAM): 64 KB
- Graphics memory (VRAM): 84 KB
- Sound memory: 2 KB
- Save game memory: 64 KB (this saved your game even when the power was off!)
Display and Graphics
The Neo Geo had a special graphics chip. It could draw many sprites (small images) at once. It could show up to 380 sprites on the screen! It could also show 3840 colors at the same time. This was out of a total of 65,536 possible colors.
- Screen resolution: 320×224 pixels.
- Colors on screen: 3840.
- Maximum sprites: 380.
- Aspect ratio: 4:3 (like old TVs).
Sound
The Neo Geo had a Yamaha YM2610 sound chip. This chip could make 15 different sounds at the same time! It could play music, sound effects, and even voices.
- Sound chip: Yamaha YM2610.
- Sound channels: 15 (different sounds playing at once).
Other Cool Features
- Power: It used a 5 or 9 Volt power adapter.
- Size: The console was about 12.8 inches wide.
- Storage: You could use a removable memory card to save your games.
Neo Geo's Lasting Impact
The Neo Geo was the first home console to have a removable memory card. This was a big deal for saving games!
Today, you can still play Neo Geo games. Many online services have them.
- Nintendo's Wii Virtual Console had games like Fatal Fury: King of Fighters.
- Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network also have Neo Geo games. These include Metal Slug 3 and The King of Fighters '98.
- You can also find many Neo Geo games on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, and Nintendo Switch.
People still create new games for the Neo Geo today! There's a big community of collectors. Some rare Neo Geo games can sell for over $1,000! The most valuable game is Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle. It's also possible to play the cheaper arcade cartridges on the home system using special adapters.
In 2009, a video game website called IGN ranked the Neo Geo. They said it was the 19th best video game console of all time!
See also
- Arcade system board: SNK
- CP System
- Neo Geo CD
- DECO Cassette System
- Taito B System
- List of Neo Geo games
- List of Sega arcade system boards
