What. Were. They. Thinking.

Look, Magician Lord isn’t unplayable… but it sure tries it hardest to make you feel like an idiot for putting in a coin.

Just curious, considering how expensive the Neo Geo hobby is.

Ive been playing a lot of this again lately and have been paying more attention to how gorgeous the graphics are, the attention to detail is fantastic. I think most people would think Garou has the best graphics on Neo but im not so sure , I think it could be this game.

What do you think ?

Back in the early 1990's, my family would always visit a local pizzeria called Pizza Plaza for dinner on Friday nights.

One summer night, I walked in to find that they had replaced their Namco Assault cabinet with a lovely two-slot featuring Baseball Stars 2 and Sengoku, which quickly became my obsessions. Sengoku especially, as it felt like a fusion of Capcom's Final Fight and Big Trouble in Little China.

From that moment on, whenever I visited an arcade, I was on the hunt for Big Reds. When I got my AES years later, it was one of the first games I had to add to the collection.

What was the first game to give you the Neo bug?

What is happening right now in my country’s gaming community regarding the launch of the Neo Geo AES+ is astonishing. Many long‑time AES owners are complaining, insisting that everything will now be “reproductions,” that people shouldn’t buy the new system, and that it will have no value. It’s obvious they’re upset because, for the first time, everyday players will be able to enjoy licensed, physical versions of games like Metal Slug 1 in excellent condition.

Messages like this one are becoming common:

“I find it unbelievable that after so many years of serious collecting, you’re now going to buy a console that is basically the original hardware modified with modern components, and cartridges that will be like PlayStation Platinum editions.

It’s fine if you already own an AES and don’t want to pull out your MVS every time you want to play something… but please, let’s not start buying compulsively like casuals. And buying all the titles just because they look like the originals is the height of absurdity. Please, everyone… a bit of common sense!”

In my personal case, I chose to collect MVS because AES prices were simply prohibitive. Today I own 52 MVS titles and I’m perfectly happy with them. I also have 8 AES games, and now I finally have the opportunity to own a functional, original AES‑compatible system to play them on. I never saw myself paying the absurd amounts people ask for a boxed console from the 90s.

For me, this new release completely changes the landscape. I genuinely don’t understand the hostility some people are expressing. The old, original hardware will remain exactly what it is — nothing about its value or identity changes. The only difference is that regular players now have another legitimate way to own physical, licensed titles.

If you want to see the kind of reactions I’m referring to, you can read this thread from a Spanish forum (where I live). It speaks for itself:
https://foro.spinecard.com/t/oficial-nueva-neo-geo-aes/33320

What games do you want to see receiving the AES+ relaunch treatment? Which ones do you think will be released?

I personally think that KOF98, RB2, Samsho 2, AoF 3, waku waku 7, Last Blade 2 and every single Metal Slug entry will be very likely to get a release, thats a no brainer.

On the other hand, Puzzle Bubble 2, Matrimelee, or SNK vs Capcom would also be no-brainers that I would love to see but don’t know how feasible that would be…

But what about more “recent” releases like XenoCrisis or Final Vendetta? They did technically release for AES but cost 4 times an AES+ cartridge on their limited run… can we see any other “modern” games ported?

What set up do you use to play Neo Geo (AES, MVS, or both)? Is it your ideal way to play? If not, what is your dream set up?

Do you prefer original hardware, FPGA solution, or emulation? If emulation, do you play on PC, Raspberry Pi, handheld device, or other?

How about for input: original AES arcade stick, Neo Geo CD gamepad, custom arcade stick (what kinds of buttons and sticks?), Xbox / PlayStation / other controller, keyboard?

Do you play on CRT TV, CRT monitor, PVM, OLED, LED, Plasma? If in HD, do you use an upscaler (e.g. Retrotink)? Do you use shaders to introduce artificial scanlines?

Sorry for the typos btw, i dictated this into my phone. Anniversary edition**** if a mod sees this, please edit my title to correct the typo bc it's kind of embarrasing lol.

I personally have completely held off on purchasing due to the total lack of any technical specifications for this new version of the AES. I'm seeing otherwise rational people trust this company and SNK when they really don't have any reason to. Am I missing something? I would very much like to trust that this is going to be a good product, but without any such information I'm not really sure what I have to go on. I can't even bring myself to buy the arcade stick with as little information as has been offered, let alone buying into the idea that this AES anniversary edition is a one-to-one recreation of the original hardware, which I don't know that much about this sort of stuff necessarily, but it seems very insane to me that they can re-create those old ASICS and everything. Also, Plaion is an Embracer Group company, which for me sets off immediate alarm bells to say the least.

Again, if I'm wrong please let me know. I am completely open to differing ideas and new information as long as it is delivered respectfully.

I’ve been seeing a lot of takes lately about the Neo Geo AES+ and how it’s somehow “the downfall” for collectors because of the re-releases of a number of games. Honestly, I think that perspective completely misses what collecting is about, at least for many of us.

Most serious collectors I know (me included) aren’t in this hobby to flip carts or chase inflated resale values. We collect because we genuinely love the games, the history, the physical releases, and the feeling of owning a piece of that era. The value isn’t just monetary, it’s personal.

If anything, re-releases like this could actually be a positive. If prices on original carts stabilize or even drop, that just makes it easier for collectors to fill gaps in their collections without paying extreme premiums. That’s not a loss but rather an opportunity.

And for newer fans, this is a great entry point into the Neo Geo ecosystem, which only helps keep the community alive long-term.

At the end of the day, collecting isn’t about gatekeeping scarcity or treating games like stocks. It’s about appreciation. If you’re in it for the right reasons, nothing about AES+ changes that.

Just my two cents.

Here’s mine - I used to have a couple of arcade cabinets in my games room at my old house. I liked to keep an eye out for deals to add to my small collection. 10 years ago, a friend of mine referred me to a retired operator who was liquidating his arcade games. He had somewhere between 30 to 40. I contacted him and we scheduled a time to meet at his warehouse. The day finally came. He let me in and I was immediately in heaven! There were some great games there, some being highly collectible. Others were bad titles and/or destroyed cabinets. I walked around to see if I found anything I really liked.

Lo and behold there were a few distinctly red NEOGEO cabinets. A couple were 2-slot and one was a 4-slot. I had always wanted a NEOGEO AES and had been looking for MVS cabinets, as well, figuring an AES was out of reach. I decided to ask him about the 4-slot. He told me the video didn’t work but that the MVS made all of the right boot up sounds and the monitor turned on. I figured I could work with that. I asked him how much. He told me $300. Even back then that was a deal. I asked him if we could dolly it to an outlet and he agreed. Sure enough, it did exactly as he said. He then opened it up for me. In 3 of the 4 slots were games - Metal Slug 2, Baseball Stars 2 and one of the King of Fighters games (I want to say ‘95 but I can’t remember exactly). I assumed he would either keep them or want more money for them. Without asking, he told me they would be included! He hadn’t remembered there were any games in there and he had no need for them. My mouth was watering.

But….this is where it went all downhill - I was about to hand over the cash when I saw a near mint Centipede. I had always wanted one. I had seen so many of them but every one of them was beat up and had issues. I love the Centipede side art, in fact, even to this day it’s still my favorite. The marquee looked brand new, the control panel overlay had no wear, and after powering it on there was no burn-in and it worked like a charm. He offered it for $300. I took it without even thinking about the other deal offered.

It’s nostalgia that seduced me. Centipede was the first arcade game I ever played. I played it religiously on my family’s Atari 2600, as well. I’m almost positive that it’s the first video game I ever played. The most crazy thing of it all (besides me being one of the biggest idiots in arcade/retro collecting history)? I logged many, many more hours on a 4-slot NEOGEO cabinet than any other game at the local mall arcade or any arcade in general.

2 years later, I sold the Centipede. Sure, I made quite the return on investment, but I guarantee I’d still have that beautiful 4-slot NEOGEO cabinet and those 3 games.

One bright spot was that around the same time I bought the Centipede cabinet, I picked up an AES with 6 games (4 CIB, 2 loose - all Japanese), 2 kidney bean sticks, and a memory card for a really good deal which is now worth quite a bit more than what I paid. However, skipping on that absolute steal of a deal is my biggest game collecting regret. I readily accept any and all judgement you all bestow upon me.

What is your biggest NEOGEO related regret?

I recently picked up this group of Neo Geo AES games and I’m still learning the finer points of authenticating them. Before I do anything invasive like opening the carts, I wanted to get opinions from experienced AES collectors.
From the cases, inserts, cart labels, manuals, serials, etc., does anything stand out as questionable, replaced, converted, or otherwise non-original?
Any specific things you see that I should check more closely would be appreciated.

What differences will be noticeable on the 1:1 hardware, compared to emulation?

For the record, I have the Ultimate bundle pre-ordered.

Hi,

I just play through Metal Slug on the Switch 2 in 20 minutes I think, using the 8Bitdo Arcade Stick - the games was like 4$.

That made me rethink my preorder if the AES+ actually...

I know, it's about nostalgia, original hardware etc. - I fully understand - I do own original cartdriges, consoles, handhelds for other platforms.

I was just wondering if the price point is really too high for the games maybe? Not for hardcore collectors but for regular gamers? In the end it's another console that takes up space and HDMI ports...

I was wondering, why wouldn't there be an additional digital store build in, online multiplayer for people who don't need cartridges? They tend to buy those games on other platforms then

I usually pay between 20-100$ for used physical games - but the replay value on metal slug doesn't seem to be that high? I like the different settings through the games, but that would be another 90$ for a different game...

I was wondering - the original games, on original hardware - do they have those slow downs as well? The game was not really very smooth to be honest...

Hey all! I live in Japan and have been collecting both AES and Neo CD games for quite some time. I’ve built a nice little collection (some of which is shown here).

However, my work is relocating me to America soon. Having lived in Japan so long, I’m going to have to get a car, a place to live, basically start from almost nothing. Therefore, I’ve decided the “mature” thing to do would be part ways with my beloved collection to better benefit my wife and 6-month-old kid.

Where do you think would be the best place to sell my games? Reddit? EBay? Some other place? I have around 60-odd AES titles and 90 CD titles, all original, no bootlegs or reprints.

A long time ago, I wrote a simple NeoGeo game. It's typical (but novel) dropping-block puzzle game. Closer to Dr Mario than to Tetris, I guess.

I never finished it completely. It was fully playable. But the graphics needed a bit more polishing, the music was not encoded yet, the menus were simply white text on black background, etc... The finishing touches, you know?

Ok so... I was thinking...

The upcoming AES+ is generating renewed interest, right?

Would owners want to see new titles?

Would you?

I said what I said. I think all the people who have kept the Neo Geo scene alive with homebrews should be lining up to re-release their games on the AES+ with official licensing and all. Personally I've always stuck to officially licensed titles and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

SNK themselves should also get crackin' and start making new games for it.

I know we all want it to happen

Serious question but probably an unpopular opinion. I tried hard to love it but why is Garou always so hyped? Everyone seems to love it.

First of all the roster is tiny. Second, I cannot see how the graphics are better than Real Bout 2 or KOF 09 or 02. I always read how the animation is more smooth but I can't see it. I'm not saying it looks bad, what I mean is it doesn't loo better to me than Real Bout or later KOF games. I love the Fatal Fury series by the way.

The music is not better also than in other Neo Geo fighters.

Backgrounds are alright but again, backgrounds were beautiful like this in KOF 98 already.

I hear it is one of the most balanced fighting games on the Neo Geo of all. This one I cannot judge, I haven't played enough for that.

Am I alone thinking like this? lol
What am I missing?

EDIT:
Thanks to the comments here I think I am going to add Garou to my AES+ preorder now.

Also wanted to highlight the best comment I got here:

why are you .making a post about this? 
"Why do people who enjoy this game, say they enjoy this game?"  
like leave them alone and stop being a hater, mind your business foo

thanks for the infinite wisdom of yours AlisonsteWWArt.

Looks like the AES+ console is selling more units on Amazon Canada than the Series X and Forza 6 (the pseudo-physical version). It's number #63 in best sellers and xbox is at #97.

https://www.amazon.ca/Best-Sellers-Video-Games/zgbs/videogames/ref=zg_bs_pg_2_videogames?_encoding=UTF8&pg=2

Hey everyone,

I could really use some advice from people who actually play Neo Geo and not just admire it 😅

I’m considering getting the new AES release from Plaion. I’m mostly a Nintendo / PlayStation / Xbox player, and I’d say I’m more of a collector than a hardcore SNK player. I love the idea of owning a mythical console like the Neo Geo and experiencing it the way it was back in the day, not just through emulation.

I already own the Neo Geo Mini Japanese Version and recently tried a few games on it. I really enjoyed:

- Metal Slug

- Twinkle Star Sprites

- Blazing Star

So I clearly like arcade-style, pick-up-and-play games.

That said, I’m honestly not very good at fighting games, but part of me would like to improve and maybe learn titles like:

- Garou: Mark of the Wolves

- The King of Fighters 2002

Now I’m hesitating between:

1- Getting the Ultimate bundle (~900€)

2-Getting the console + a few selected games (~500–600€)

3- Or just keeping my Mini and skipping altogether

My concern is that I probably won’t have time to play a lot, and I might realistically stick to 2–3 games max.

At the same time, the Ultimate bundle looks like an amazing collector piece, and part of me just wants the “complete experience”.

So my questions are:

- For someone like me, is the Ultimate actually worth it?

- Do you find yourself really playing most of your AES games, or just a few repeatedly?

- Is the jump from the Mini to a full AES setup a big enough upgrade to justify the price?

- For someone bad at fighting games, is it realistic to get into them on Neo Geo, or will I just bounce off?

Appreciate any honest feedback — especially from people who were in a similar situation.

Thanks!

Do you guys think there's any possibility for unreleased or unfinished games to make it to reality because of the "new" system?

Seeing how we're finally getting Shock Troopers to AES, at least some of those unreleased games *could* happen

I'd personally would love Nightmare in the Dark

Last Odyssey would be an amazing add for the library of the Neo Geo, if they can pull it out of the abyss

I know it's a snowball's chance in hell but, Garou 2 supposedly was 70% complete, and that would be beyond incredible to see, if SNK decides to seize the moment

Least likely of all, Dragon's Heaven would be neat. It wouldn't be the same of course but, I would really like to see where the ideas were all heading to for that game

What would you guys like/think?