I'm a true neophyte when it comes to the Neo Geo, since I learned the difference between AES and MVS last night. I was born at night, and in this case, it WAS last night.

The Neo Geo is one tempting system. It's expensive, though modified consoles are abundant. I can pick one up for $600-$900 with s-video, RGB and even HDMI output. I could even buy a game. That's right - a game. There is no Everdrive for the Neo Geo and prices of AES carts would make even a wealthy person have second thoughts. An alternative to buying a Neo Geo is to buy a consolized MVS board. They're pretty ugly, but MVS carts are significantly cheaper than AES carts.

When I was growing up, I knew of the Neo Geo through ads in Electronic Gaming Monthly. I didn't know anyone that had the system, nor did I know anyone that knew of someone that had one. I certainly never touched or even saw one. To this day, I have never seen a Neo Geo outside of pictures. A part time employee at my job said he knew a kid back in the 1990s that had a Neo Geo. The kid lived in Wildwood (an uppity municipality in St. Louis county that has houses with elevators) and he wouldn't let anyone anyone touch the Neo Geo. The part timer told me the most he could do was watch the kid play it. There are strange kids like that. One of my childhood friends let me watch him play his NES, but I wasn't allowed to touch it. He was strange and had lots of jars throughout the house filled with candy, which he called "medicine".

Acquiring a Neo Geo is a reality but getting enough games to justify owning the console is a dream until an Everdrive is made for it.

It's like the ultimate luxury item for gamers. Well, the console and a full home cartridge set.

I wanted one, back when I was just getting into King of Fighters (97 and 98 are still two amazing games). In hindsight, I'm glad I passed because of the price.

I have considered getting the arcade cabinet and using MVS carts (which are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper). Space is the issue there.

Is playing on emulator an option for you?  Obviously it's not the same as the original console, though if you've never actually played on the console to begin with, maybe you won't care

Like you, I've also never seen a Neo Geo in the flesh, and $200 for a game sounded like an absolute joke at the time.

I knew a classic console collector who had a Neo Geo. He was toying around with the idea when we were in grad school (around 1999), but I don't think he actually got it until the early 2000s. As for cost, he could afford it by then: he worked for an investment bank, and he lived in Roppongi Hills in Tokyo. I think the main driver for him was the Samurai Shodown games.

I thought about trying to get one around the same time, but only to play Bust-A-Move (a.k.a. Puzzle Bobble). Thankfully, they ended up porting that to other consoles.

Jodo, if you're interested in the games themselves, you may want to check out the Neo Geo X. It's a handheld system that has a lot of the games pre-loaded on it:

http://neogeox.com/

If you want the full console experience, they make a Gold version that includes an arcade stick, for less than the cost of a single AES game. It's still not going to be quite the same as the actual experience, but it may make a lot of sense financially.

After thinking about this during the week, I decided I can survive without the Neo Geo. The Neo Geo X is also tempting, but it is just a nice-looking emulator.

This article has a lot to do with my desire to own a Neo Geo and my decision to not buy one:

http://playlegit.net/2013/06/18/neo-geo … beginners/

EDIT:

I found something that is making the Neo Geo look like a financial reality:

http://www.analogueinteractive.com/coll … -cmvs-slim

It's a heavy cost up front, but MVS carts are affordable.

Well, there is a NEO GEO Everdrive, though it is for the MVS and not AES: https://www.neosdstore.com/shop/index.p … &id_lang=1

And there's already a review: http://vgleaks.com/review-neosd-mvs/

https://arcadeshock.com/products/super- … s-blue-led

I wonder if you could use a converter like this to play on the AES. Alternatively, a Super Gun might be an option.

Amazing how long it has taken to do this for this system.

I was going to buy a 4K Samsung TV today because of the discounts, but I decided to buy a NEO GEO instead. Much better choice. I got 3 games - Magician Lord, Samurai Spirits 2 and World Heroes 2 JET. The next thing to get will be the MVS converter since pretty much every other AES cart is way too expensive.

FINALLY! I will be owning a NEO GEO soon. I don't know how I stayed alive this last year.

Pretty awesome.  Considering the price, I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of it

Apparently not, according to your most recent post

Thanks. I've found there are in fact many more affordable (less than $100) games for the system, provided one buys the JP version carts. Since the NEO I bought has the bios chip, I can play them in English. Just added Fatal Fury Special and KoF '95 for $150 shipped. The U.S. version of KoF '95 lists for between $1000 to $3000, in comparison.

It's funny how things have changed so quickly. There is now an AES flash cart for the NEO GEO, from the same store that has the MVS flash cart. Well, I got my NEO GEO console yesterday and it's far more enjoyable than I was expecting. It has a definite different feel from the other consoles of the same era. I've actually boxed all my other consoles and put the NG front and center, since I plan to focus on it for a while.

Emotionally, there is nothing else I've ever acquired that can compare with this. It's been 26 years since I first saw one in a magazine and yesterday was the first time I saw one in person. I'm like in a state of shock; I can't believe I actually have this.

I have to avoid this board...my wallet is seriously donefor for awhile after my 2016/2015 retro purchases...dammit...hahaha, well at least they championed making a flash cart...I had thought it was going to be impossible based on earlier comments on the chip related issues.

As for the system...I had one back in the day and it was definitely cool - but fleeting at the sametime...the games are fun arcade games though and would work well with play sessions with the Mrs's...but I am also hoping to build an arcade unit with a decent emulator for the garage...last I saw the emulation was pretty solid (once you get it setup). 

enjoy the Neo Geo tho..sounds very cool.

Now, I don't begrudge anyone enjoying a Neo Geo or any other console! Although, I do think most Neo Geo games were ported, isn't that correct? I believe there was a Samurai Shodown Collection as well as an SNK Collection. Oh, and a new console I believe

https://www.amazon.com/NEOGEO-X-GOLD-Li … 00AASU8A4/

Still, I hope Jodo is enjoying the third most expensive console in gaming history
http://1063thebuzz.com/ten-most-expensi … -consoles/

When you do get around to picking one up, I recommend joining the Neo Geo for Life page on Facebook. That community is treasure trove of information. Little problems here and there do creep up and they quickly answer all my questions. Considering the expense of this system, I don't recommend trying to collect without help.

Game Sacks reviewed the Neo Geo X here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbR_Rbg3fdc

and updated here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLjm56FmUGQ

Both videos are very helpful and swayed me away from that emulation system.

I can assure you I'm enjoying the real NEO GEO.