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I wrote this review for my personal blog but am posting it here as well in order to better inform shoppers on Amazon.
Ahhhh... Neo-Geo. The name alone still brings dollar signs to mind. In 1991 Japanese video game company SNK launched the Neo-Geo AES console in the United States. With a staggering retail price of $649 it instantly became the home video game system that every gamer wanted but very few could afford. The games were incredible for their time, mainly due to the home system's hardware being virtually identical to that used in the actual arcade versions of the games. Rather than the arcade games having to be ported to the home system they were simply repackaged and sold without modification. For the first time ever the game you played at home was the exact same game you played in the arcade.
Even if you could afford the system back then you were in for another shock - each individual game cartridge carried a price tag of at least $200! That was like paying for an entire Super NES or Sega Genesis system every time you wanted a new game.
Today the original Neo-Geo AES system remains collectible, as do the games. Realizing your 20-year old Neo-Geo dream today will still cost you several hundred dollars for the system and just a few games. That's where the new Neo-Geo X Gold system comes in.
The Neo-Geo X Gold system aims to bring the classic Neo-Geo experience to everyone through the use of a relatively affordable handheld gaming system that can also be docked and played on your TV with a traditional Neo-Geo AES-style joystick.
For $200 the Neo-Geo X Gold package gets you the handheld Neo-Geo X system itself, a docking station that is modeled after the original home AES system, a full-size joystick controller, and twenty games (plus one bonus game for a limited time). Also included is the AC power adapter for the docking station as well as both an HDMI cable and a traditional composite audio/video cable with RCA connectors.
Inside the retail box are two equally-sized smaller boxes. Since the docking station and the joystick are very close in size each gets its own box.
The portable system - Hardware:
At the heart of the Neo-Geo X is the portable system itself. The device seems very well constructed and looks similar to most other horizontally oriented handhelds such as the original PSP.
The portable features a 4.3 inch LCD with a resolution of 480x272. Natively this resolution provides a 16:9 aspect ratio but this can be changed to a more traditional 4:3 ratio (as detailed further below). The screen brightness is adjusted via two buttons on the bottom edge of the system. Although the screen doesn't seem to get extremely bright it is still adequate for indoor use.
The main controls for the system are an 8-way pad, the traditional A/B/C/D buttons (arranged in a standard diamond pattern), and L1/L2/R1/R2 buttons mounted on the top edge of the system. In addition there is a small menu button and a small start button on the front of the unit. The control pad is very "clicky" just like the original Neo-Geo joystick. Tactile feedback is great albeit a little on the noisy side if you are trying to play in a quiet environment.
The system features two front facing speakers - one positioned on each side near the bottom edge of the screen. The bottom edge of the system contains two buttons to control the volume level and a standard headphone jack (in addition to the previously mentioned screen brightness controls).
The top of the system has the new L1/L2/R1/R2 buttons which are a bit of a mystery since they didn't exist on the original Neo-Geo system. I can only guess that they are included in order to support some future "new" games (although that would kind of go against the purpose of this system), or because the hardware itself is based on a generic platform that was simply converted to be what is now known as the Neo-Geo X and the L1/L2/R1/R2 buttons are just a legacy to the original device. The top also includes ports for HDMI, AV out, and USB. These ports are used when connecting the system to the docking station but apparently can still be used separately although for some reason the instruction manual advises against this.
Rounding out the system, the right side of the unit has the sliding power switch along with a slot for game cards while the back features a rubberized coating with the SNK logo prominently featured in chromed plastic lettering.
Unfortunately, and rather surprisingly, the system does not come with a separate battery charger. The only official way to charge the portable unit is by connecting it to the docking station. This may be easily overcome with a standard mini-USB cable, but the instructions specifically warn against charging the system with anything other than the docking station. Apparently this point is so important that they also felt the need to attach a large sticker across the whole screen of the system just to remind you.
The portable system - User interface:
When you power the system on you are greeted with the Neo-Geo X logo followed by the main menu of games. The interface is very basic, which is a welcome change from the more complex interfaces of other current game systems. There are no user accounts, avatar designers, network settings, date/time setup, or anything else of the sort on the Neo-Geo X.
The twenty included games are all built into the system. The main menu is simply a row of all of the game's title screens that you scroll through using the control pad. There is one additional image on the menu that is used to display the selection for the game card slot if a game is inserted in the slot. Once you select a game you simply press the A button and that game is loaded for play. The games load very quickly and in a matter of seconds you are looking at the historic "MAX 330 MEGA PRO-GEAR SPEC" splash screen.
The only other option available from the main menu is to display the system version and choose between NTSC or PAL video output, both of which are accessed by pushing the Menu button.
Once a game is loaded pushing either of the left shoulder buttons switches the screen to a 4:3 aspect ratio with black bars on the sides. I'm not sure why they didn't just build the system with a 4:3 screen since all of the Neo-Geo games were only designed for a 4:3 screen. There is not a way to permanently set the screen mode - it will always revert to 16:9 mode when in the main menu or when you load a different game. Consequently all the games will appear horizontally stretched if you don't manually switch the screen to 4:3 mode every time you start playing a new game. This is rather annoying.
Besides the aspect ratio modes described above you can also pause the game by pushing the R1 or R2 buttons. Pressing the Menu button brings up options to either continue playing the game or to exit back to the main Neo-Geo X menu screen (and thus quit your current game). Other than these few special buttons everything else behaves just as it would on the traditional AES console.
The docking station:
Hands down one of the coolest features of the Neo-Geo X is the ability to convert the portable system into a home console that connects to your TV. To top it off the conversion is done through a docking station that is a replica of the original AES system (although slightly smaller). Don't let the looks fool you though. That cartridge slot on the top of the docking station is just for show. The docking station is only designed to connect the Neo-Geo X portable system to your TV. It is not compatible with any original AES games or accessories.
To setup the docking station you simply connect it to the AC adapter and then connect to your TV via an HDMI cable or more traditional composite audio/video cables (both kinds of cables are included with the system). The Neo-Geo X does not perform any type of upscaling to HD quality so the cable you use is more of a personal preference. If you use the old school composite cable you can save a precious HDMI input on your TV for other uses, but in my experience the HDMI signal provides noticeably brighter colors. Once the power and TV connections are made you just plug the joystick into the USB port on the front of the system. A second port is also on-board the docking station, allowing you to add an optional second joystick for multiplayer games.
Once you have the docking station all cabled up the only thing left to do is actually connect your Neo-Geo X. To do this you first slide the docking station release switch (which causes the top of the docking station to open like a car hood). Inside the docking station is a padded mat with a diagram of the Neo-Geo X handheld. You simply place your handheld unit on the mat (first making sure that the portable unit is switched off, as two printed warnings inside the docking station will remind you), line up the three connection ports with the connections on the docking station, and then slide it towards the back of the docking station thereby connecting all the ports. From there you just close the hood and turn on the docking station power using the switch on the front of the unit.
The powered on docking station will recharge the portable unit when it's connected. So if you just want to recharge the portable unit you can connect it and come back later once it's charged up. If you want to actually play some games on your big screen TV then all that's left to do is turn on the TV and switch it to whichever input you have the docking station connected to.
Since your TV is now acting as the display you can adjust the aspect ratio through your TV's controls instead of the Neo-Geo X controls. If you want to keep the games looking like they should then you'll want to set your TV to "standard" or "non-wide" mode. The video performance through the docking station isn't as good as it is on the portable screen and isn't on par with what you'd get out of the original AES system. This is particularly noticeable in games with scrolling backgrounds. The Neo-Geo X seems to struggle with smoothly animating the scrolling effect.
An odd quirk of the docking station setup is that the audio level through the composite audio/video cable is still tied to the audio level setting on the portable unit. If you have the volume turned down on the portable unit then you'll have to crank up the volume on your TV. Because of this it is best to make sure the volume is turned all the way up on the portable unit when using the docking station. The volume controls continue to function even though the unit is connected to the docking station and the same on-screen volume indicator will appear on your TV screen as you make adjustments. This isn't an issue if you're using the HDMI connection.
At this point the system works just like it does when not connected to the docking station with the exception of the Menu button and the R1/R2 buttons. Since there is no Menu button on the joystick controller you have to push the Reset button on the top of the docking station itself to bring up the menu that allows you to exit the game and return to the main system menu. Likewise, since there is no R1 or R2 button to pause the game you instead use the Select button on the joystick to pause and unpause the action.
The joystick:
The joystick that comes with the system is a very accurate reproduction of the original AES joystick. The stick itself has the desired tactile feedback of the original and the four large buttons feel right out of the arcade cabinet. It's worth noting that although the joystick looks just like the original it now uses a USB connection meaning that AES and Neo-Geo X joysticks are not interchangeable. The joystick cable is not very long at about five and a half feet (especially since we're all used to wireless controllers these days) but since it uses a standard USB connection you can easily increase the length with a USB extension cable.
An additional joystick can be purchased separately for around $50 retail. I recommend you go ahead and pick up a second joystick, especially when you consider that a large portion of the Neo-Geo library consists of fighting games.
The games:
The system comes with a good assortment of twenty games built-in. For a limited time the system also comes with the game Ninja Master's on a separate game card. It remains to be seen how many other games will be released as game cards although hopefully at least some of the more popular titles make it to the Neo Geo X in this fashion. The game card itself looks to be a standard SD card so it will be interesting to see how future games are priced and also if games are released one per card or if multiple games will be sold on a single card. The user interface seems to hint at this as once you select the game card option from the main menu you are taken to another menu that lists only the Ninja Master's game which you have to select in order to start the loading process. It looks like this second menu could display multiple games if they existed on a single game card.
The games that are built into the system are World Heroes Perfect, 3 Count Bout, Real Bout Fatal Fury Special, Puzzled, NAM 1975, Mutation Nation, Last Resort, King of the Monsters, Alpha Mission II, Cyber-Lip, Fatal Fury Special, Art of Fighting, Super Sidekicks, League Bowling, Metal Slug, Magician Lord, Baseball Stars 2, Samurai Shodown II, The King of Fighters '95, and Fatal Fury King of Fighters. I won't give you a review of each individual game as you can easily find reviews elsewhere since these games have been available for many years, but as you can see there's a pretty good variety of games included, although there are still many other great Neo-Geo titles that aren't included.
If there's one complaint I have about the games it's that most seem to only offer a maximum of four continues with no way to add more credits. There's no way to insert another coin and keep playing like you could at the actual arcade. This is the same as the original AES system but on the AES you could use a memory card on certain games to resume your game starting at the last level you reached. Since the Neo-Geo X has no memory card functionality this option isn't available. One could argue that this keeps the games challenging by not allowing an unlimited amount of lives, but on the other hand it also can be frustrating to constantly have to restart the game from the very beginning when you run out of continues.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The important thing to remember about the Neo-Geo X is that it is designed to be a retro gaming system in a modern package at an affordable price. It is not designed to compete with the Nintendo 3DS or the Sony PS Vita even though it is priced at the same level. Instead it is a niche product that will appeal to gamers who either remember the glory days of the original Neo-Geo AES system or who have always wanted to experience the Neo-Geo games but up until now haven't been able to afford an official Neo-Geo system.
At $200 the Neo-Geo X Gold package isn't for everybody. You do get twenty games with the system but of course these are all older games that many people who are used to today's games may find limited. Make no mistake though, some of these games are great and really do bring the arcade experience home. Also keep in mind that just the home system and these games used to retail for somewhere around $5000 in the 1990's, and back then you didn't also get a portable handheld system.
There are some minor quirks to the system, such as the noisy controls and limited game continues, but these quirks were part of the original Neo-Geo system and thus are part of the retro gaming experience.
The biggest flaw in the system is the lack of a portable charger. Only being able to charge the system with the large docking station makes taking the portable system with you on a trip pretty useless unless you have room in your luggage for the whole docking station.
At its heart the Neo-Geo X is simply a Neo-Geo AES emulator packaged in a portable system with a docking station and joystick that resembles the original AES hardware. There are many other ways to emulate Neo-Geo games for less money such as on the Wii, Xbox 360, and computers, but none are official Neo-Geo products and none give you that extra satisfaction of using a true Neo-Geo device to play the games. If you want the undiluted original Neo-Geo AES experience you still have to cough up the cash and find a used AES system and games, but the Neo-Geo X is the next best thing and comes in at a great price.
SUMMARY: NEO-GEO X GOLD SYSTEM
PROS:
- Well constructed portable system
- Accurately plays classic Neo-Geo games
- Twenty built-in games
- Card slot allows additional games to be played
- Simple user interface with no unnecessary options
- Includes docking station and joystick so you can play on either the portable system or your TV
- Docking station and joystick are visual reproductions of the original AES system
CONS:
- Lack of a separate charger means no recharging the portable unit away from home
- Native 16:9 aspect ratio is pointless on a system that only plays games designed for a 4:3 aspect ratio
- Noisy controls mean you won't want to play the system in quiet environments, even if you are using headphones
- Docking station video output is not as good as the original AES system
- No way to add credits or save game progress
- Future game releases and their pricing are not known at this time
- Expensive when compared to other modern portable gaming systems
VERDICT: If you are looking for the latest and greatest portable gaming system then the Neo-Geo X isn't for you. The Neo-Geo X is a completely different beast than the Nintendo 3DS or the Sony PS Vita. If you are a Neo-Geo collector who demands the exact original experience then the Neo-Geo X isn't for you either. However, if you are a Neo-Geo fan who is just interested in playing Neo-Geo games on an official device then the Neo-Geo X is what you've been waiting for. Despite a few shortcomings it is still an excellent system and provides an experience that you won't find anywhere else.
BOTTOM LINE: RECOMMENDED
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Customer reviews
Good combo of home & portable gaming!
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2012
I'm an old school gamer & I fondly remember the original Neo Geo MVS arcade & AES home console. If you want the short version then it's a good home system & a decent portable console if nothing else than being a nice emulator.Handheld:On one hand, I love the clicky D-pad since it feels very comfy & moves are easily executed. It looks very similar to the D-pad on a Neo Geo CD gamepad from back in the day more so than the Neo Geo Pocket Color (SNK's true last production hardware aka their portable console). On the otherhand, unless you're alone in a room, it'd probably annoy everyone around you since the D-pad's rather loud. The console's very light for what it is & the manufacturer claims 3 - 5 hours of continuous usage. The 4-main action buttons feels very solid & the 4 shoulder buttons are decent but they're not used in-game besides adjusting the screen ratio (16:9 to 4:3 & vice-versa). There are 2 LED's, a blue LED for when it's on & a red LED when it's charging (turns off when it's completely charged). The volume & screen brightness buttons are on the bottom though I'd prefer it to be flipped so that the volume & screen brightness buttons are on top (easier to get access to in the middle of playing a game) while the adjustment for the screen ratio to be on the bottom since most people would adjust the volume & screen brightness more often. Well, at least I would since I can't have the volume be insanely loud if I'm waiting somewhere in public & need to adjust the brightness depending on if the Sun's glare hits the screen directly. My main complaint is the viewing angles since it's atrocious but then again, the only person viewing it would be the person using it so I don't mind it too much. The whole thing feels very sturdy & has a nice rubber material covering all of the backside. Overall, I'd rate the handheld 4 out of 5.Dock:Supposedly, it's 20% smaller than the original Neo Geo AES console it's replicating. It's rather annoying having to open the dock THEN sliding the handheld into it because the inner lining's comprised of a soft microfiber or velour material & over time, it'll just rub off with all that rubbing. Too bad they couldn't utilize the fake game cart slot on top of the dock so you can mount the handheld in there vertically. I wish there was a slot on the top of the dock (when it's in the closed position) so you can see the LED's on the handheld to know if it's fully charged or not since you can't charge it when the dock's power is off. Although, you can charge the handheld directly with most microUSB cables attached to an AC Adapter or directly to a PC's USB port. It has 3 options in the back. One for the power, a 2nd for HDMI output (HDTV) & the 3rd for composite output (old school CRT aka tube TV's). There are a couple people who mention tv output's bad due to color bleeding, lag, screen tearing, etc. I haven't noticed the screen tearing & lag. There's a clip on YouTube comparing the color differences between this & the original AES console. The color difference is noticeable however, you literally have to have both side-by-side (with two TV's) to see this. Overall, I'd rate the dock as 3.5 out of 5.Arcade joystick:The manufacturer stated it's a faithful 1:1 design of the original including using the same joystick lever & buttons...and it's VERY close! In fact, it's better than what I expected since you can use this joystick on a Playstion 3 & supposedly on a PC (read about this but haven't tried it out myself yet). The balltop's glued on (in addition to being screwed on) since they claim the balltop kept on getting loose during their testing. The joystick lever uses microswitches made by Omron (who makes the microswitches found in Sanwa joystick levers but not the same exact model). I haven't confirmed if Omron makes the microswitches on the buttons yet.FWIW, the original Neo Geo AES joystick lever used Matsushita microswitches & Tokai switches for the buttons. Japanese SNK arcade cabinets used Seimitsu components exclusively so when it was time to make an arcade joystick for their AES console, they used Seimitsu once again. The custom joystick lever looks like a cross between an LS-30 (plastic base) & an LS-32 (area surrounding actuator) although it's unconfirmed if Seimitsu actually made this part. If it's a clone then it's a very good clone.The buttons while somewhat small nowadays (though fine for when it was released in 1990), are accurate & doesn't have too much of a deadzone. My 2 complaints (I'm being nitpicky here) are that the USB-based cable's rather short & lightweight (~2.5 - 3 pounds). I've tried a USB extension cable & can confirm it works with no lag and/or any other issues. As for the weight, I'm not too concerned because I'm not all over the place since I prefer to use arcade sticks on a table. Worst case scenario, you can always open it up & put rolls of coins at the corners but I doubt I'll do that. Also, you can use other manufactuer's (Sanwa & Seimitsu) ball & bat top's on it. Overall, I'd rate the arcade joystick as 5 out of 5.Gameplay:Not sure why people complain it's too expensive considering you get 20 (plus Ninja Master's in the limited edition Gold bundle), a TV output dock, handheld console & an arcade joystick that's easily worth $50 - $100 considering the PS3 version sold for that much when it was released. Does it have perfect emulation?!?...To me, I don't notice and/or have issues with what others are reporting so I'm happy with how the games play although I wish there was more than just 4 continues/credits. Game saves would be nice & the orignal system (both home & arcade) had memory card slots although I don't recall if it was just for high scores and/or the ability for game saves. On the handheld, I'd prefer to have the screen stretch (16:9 ratio) since it's way too small for me on the 4:3 screen ratio. I guess I'm just spoiled by the large screens of both the PS Vita & 3DS XL. However, on my HDTV I prefer the original 4:3 screen ratio since the screen's big enough. Overall, I'd rate the gameplay as 5 out of 5.Modding/hacking:Despite the fact it's only been out for less than a week, modders have already opened it & are in the midst of hacking it to load other games (aka ROM's) assuming you own the original's...When this is fully hacked & more people find out about it's expanded capabilities, it's going to be that much more desirable to gamers. Some interesting tidbits (as of this review):- There's an internal/hidden microSD memory card slot with a 2GB SanDisk card in certain versions of the console.- It's using the Final Burn Alpha emulator.- Looks like there are emulations for other consoles.Don't ask me for links for modding & hacking. You can find everything you need with a quick & simple Google search. Anyway, even if there wasn't an option to mod/hack, I'd still be very happy with this purchase! Not only this but it brings back fond nostalgic memories of my childhood days playing the Neo Geo MVS at the local pizzeria. If it was possible to rate this a 4.5 (instead of 4) then I would've done so. Checkout the pics I uploaded.On a side note, I tried using the Exar Neo Geo Pad (designed for the PS3 & looks just like the Neo Geo CD pad besides having 6 face buttons with 2 shoulder buttons) on the console dock but it didn't work.6/30/13: I received the Mega Pack Volume 1 (all 15-games with the rocket cable for the included firmware 500 update) yesterday so here are my thoughts/review on it...Here's the list of upgrades for the firmware 500 update (from their official website):- Game saves now available on almost every game (except Ninja Master's) by holding all 4 face buttons while the game's being loaded (you have to format the virtual memory card but only once per game)- Improved sound quality- Responsiveness of arcade stick- Aspect ratio preference saved- Load bar of actual data has been improved- Video output adjusted to full size of most TV's- Game selection menu has been adjusted with a, "one click, one move" interfaceThe HDMI output is sharper, clearer & more vibrant although I hear the composite output quality has been downgraded for some weird reason (haven't confirmed the latter). The sound is clearer & louder. I had an issue with the update (stopped halfway thru the process) so after 20-mins, I just unplugged the rocket cable FROM BOTH THE AC ADAPTER & NEO GEO X PORTABLE CONSOLE then restarted from step 1 & all was well. You have to unplug from both ends of the rocket cable (to reset the module) to restart the process (even says so on their official website) so keep that in mind if you're having issues.
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2012
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