Neo GeoIn the late 1980's
the SNK (Shin Nihon Kikaku) Corporation planned to break into the
video game hardware market after designing games for Nintendo's NES
system. They made a bold move in entering the industry. At the same
time they launched the two separate systems: an arcade console and
home platform. Each could play games that were exactly
interchangeable, bringing Arcade games literally into the home for
the first time.
In 1990, the Neo Geo cartridge-based home system was released.
Powered by a Motorolla 68000 16-bit processor, it played the very
same games as arcade counterpart, the Neo-Geo MVS (Multi-Video
System). This exciting option for home game players did have a
drawback though, the cartridge based platform retailed for a
whopping $899.99. Neo-Geo game cartridges sold anywhere from $250 to
$300. SNK did release a good amount of titles for its home console
and while the system never made a huge splash, it sold well.
At the time, the Neo-Geo system offered a unique new device: a
memory card. It allows players to save levels and positions from any
Neo-Geo game release. Not only is the memory card usable on other
Neo-Geo home gaming consoles, but it can be inserted into any MVS
arcade cabinet featuring the same game and play can be resumed
(after inserting a quarter of course) at the same level saved to the
card at home.
The system also includes an option named the Multi-Link. For players
who crave privacy two Neo-Geo home systems can be linked together,
via a cable, for play on two separate televisions. Among the games
which support this feature are: Thrash Rally, League Bowling, and
Riding Hero.
In 1994 SNK introduced the Neo-Geo CD. As the name would indicate,
it is a CD- ROM based system. The price dropped significantly from
that of the cartridge based unit. Retail price was $250 and CD-ROMs
sold from $50 to $70. Structurally, Neo-Geo CD contains similar
hardware as the original platform but the disks are a much cheaper
medium for releasing games. Unfortunately, the Neo-Geo CD-ROM drives
are single-speed and quite slow. They take a long time to load games
into the system's memory.
By the time the ROM units were released, Neo-Geo was not as popular
as it originally had been. They followed up Neo-Geo CD with Neo-Geo
CDZ. It is a second-generation model featuring a double-speed CD-ROM
drive for shorter loading delays. Unfortunately, the CDZ was only
released in Japan. In order for the system to run games in English,
a language switch must be installed on the system. Imported Neo-Geo
cartridges from Japan and Europe are compatible with American
systems.
The Neo-Geo home platforms have a loyal following, and SNK claims
they intend to support it through the end of 1999.
— Dave Beuscher
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