THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. BEST VIEWED IN A MONOSPACE FONT SUCH AS
COURIER NEW, 800x600 RESOLUTION OR HIGHER, FULLSCREEN, WITH WORDWRAP.
-------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A.) Introduction
B.) FAQs:
B1.) If I have X region game and play it in Y region system, will it be in Z
language?
B2.) AES? NGH? MVS? CD? CDZ? Hyper64? NGP? NGPC? Huh??????
B3.) What is a SuperGun?
B4.) Why has there been drama over a company called Neo Geo Freak?
B5.) Wow! There's this game on eBay called "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2003"! Has anyone heard of this?
B6.) What is a port?
B7.) Will X controller work on Y system?
B8.) Is it true that AES and MVS games are the same?
B9.) What is a modded system?
B10.) What is a consolized MVS?
B11.) What is a converted cart?
B12.) What is a ShockBox?
B13.) What MVS games are likely to be bootlegs? How can I tell if my game is a
bootleg?
B14.) I see people referring to Steve and Clint. Who are these people?
B15.) Is there an official chat room for Neo-Geo.com?
C.) Forum Hints/Etc.:
C1.) Dos and Don'ts
C2.) Forum Catchphrases
C3.) Common Vocabulary
D.) Giving Props
E.) Copyright Information
F.) Summary of Links Referred to
G.) How to Contact Me
H.) Closing
-------------------------------
A.) INTRODUCTION:
Hello. My name is Adam Karonika, but many of you know me as DanAdamKOF. I am
writing this FAQ to answer many questions asked by new members (some refer to
them as newbies, noobies, n00bs, etc) that have been asked time and time again.
While for the most part, we at Neo-Geo.com like that interest in the NeoGeo
system is rising, it becomes tiring when every week we get the same questions
we've all heard before. Without further ado, let me get on to the questions!
-------------------------------
B.) FAQs:
B1.) If I have X region game and play it in Y region system, will it be in Z
language?
NeoGeo games and systems are region free, meaning you can play any region game
in any system. The BIOS on the system tells the game what language to boot up in
(the games contain multiple languages). The region of your cart for the most
part (see below) does not matter, it's your system that does.
Cart Region/System Region|USA|European|Japanese E=English
----------------------------------------------- J=Japanese
USA |E |E |J
-----------------------------------------------
European |E |E |J
-----------------------------------------------
Japanese |E |E |J
EXCEPTIONS: Quiz and Mahjongg games will play in Japanese regardless of
your system's region. In many games, you can change the settings on your
homecart system (or modded MVS) to play in English while still in the Japanese
region mode.
B2.) AES? NGH? MVS? CD? CDZ? Hyper64? NGP? NGPC? Huh??????
AES refers to the home cartridge system. It comes from a subtext written on the
system near the NeoGeo logo that reads "Advanced Entertainment System". This
term *supposedly* was coined by Dion Dakis, a con artist who sells bootleg games
along with his partner Chris Ray from their business NeoGeo Freak. To distance
themselves from NGF, many refer to the home system as the NGH, or NeoGeo Home
(system).
The MVS is the arcade system. It stands for "Multi Video System", referring to
the motherboards that (most) NeoGeo arcade machines have that allow for multiple
NeoGeo arcade cartridges to be selected from to play.
The NeoGeo CD is a CD-based NeoGeo system. While it seemed like a good idea at
the time (it was cheaper due to a cheaper medium), it had one major flaw- load
times. One member claims he made a sandwich while Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 was
loading. It's not a bad system, and older games and non-fighters usually have
bearable loading times. The CD came in two varieties- the rare front-loading
system (A tray ejected from the front of the unit to rest the CD on like a
CD-ROM drive), which was discontinued because it was prone to failure due to the
many moving parts; and the top-loading unit, where one would press the eject
button and a lid on top would open, allowing you to drop the game into place
(like a Dreamcast or Saturn).
The NeoGeo CDZ is an upgrade of the CD. It is essentially the same but it loads
games quicker. Rumor has it that this system is prone to failure.
The NeoGeo Hyper 64 was SNK's attempt at gaining more ground in the arcade
industry through 3-D games. This system failed miserably. It did not have any
third party developers (whereas the others had developers like Taito, Data East,
and Hudson), it was very costly upon release, and most arcades just plain
weren't interested in it. It had three different motherboard types. The most
common is the fighting board. The other two was the shooting board (allowing
guns to be used ala Time Crisis), and the driving board (allowing pedals,
gearshift, steering wheel, etc to be used). It was discontinued shortly after
release (1997).
The NGP is the NeoGeo Pocket, SNK's first handheld system. Pocket translations
of popular games like The King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown were released on
it. This system was greyscale, and 16-bit.
The NGPC is the NeoGeo Pocket Color, released very shortly after the NGP to
compete with Nintendo's GameBoy Color. It had many more games for it than the
NGP (which it was backwards compatible with), such as SNK vs Capcom: Match of
the Millennium, Metal Slug 1 and 2, Magical Drop, Dark Arms, Biomotor Unitron,
and Faselei!. This system also featured linking to the Dreamcast for a few
supported games, and a wireless link for another handful. Sadly, while it had a
cult following, the mainstream rejected it despite the fact that it was more
powerful than a GameBoy Color. It was soon discontinued in the USA, though there
were quite a few games in Japan and Europe that were not released stateside.
B3.) What is a SuperGun?
A SuperGun is a device one can buy or build to play an arcade motherboard on
one's TV. Since the video signal given by the arcade motherboard (sometimes
called PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) or MoBos) cannot be displayed directly to a
TV, it needs to be converted to a signal that the TV can understand and display.
A SuperGun is essentially a miniature arcade machine, that has the Power Supply,
ports for joysticks, the harness the motherboard attaches to, and Audio/Video
out jacks onboard.
A good website concerning superguns can be found here: http://sgrepository.com/
B4.)Why has there been drama over a company called Neo Geo Freak?
NeoGeo Freak (NGF) distributes unofficial (albeit not manufactured by the
parent company) NeoGeo games, many times as the authentic version, and as of
this writing they are being sued by SNK for their actions.
B5.) Wow! There's this game on eBay called "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2003"! Has anyone heard of this?
Yes, many times. This is an unofficial hack of The King of Fighters (sometimes
called KOF) 2001 for the MVS. SNK neither distributed nor authorized this
bootleg.
B6.) What is a port?
A port is an adaptation of a NeoGeo game (actually any game) to another console.
Examples of this are KOF 99 on the PlayStation, Fatal Fury Special on the Super
Nintendo, Samurai Shodown on the Genesis, and The Last Blade 2 on the Dreamcast.
B7.) Will X controller work on Y system?
Any NeoGeo controller (joypad, old-style joystick, new-style joystick) will work
on the AES, MVS (if it has built-in joyports), CD, or CDZ system.
B8.) Is it true that AES and MVS games are the same?
To a point, yes. They contain the exact same chips with the same information on
them (such as practice mode, time attack mode, etc.), but they have a different
edge connector and thus cannot be swapped (there is a converter that allows one
to play MVS games on an AES). With a special BIOS on either a MVS or AES, one
can enable features normally exclusive to the MVS on the AES and vice versa.
B9.) What is a modded system?
A modded system has been modified in some way. Forum members Kenny Boy and
JMKurtz provide AES mods for a fee. There are several mods available:
AES:
S-Video Mod: Adds a S-Video jack to a system. S-Video is a
high-quality TV connector. Getting this mod on your system will boost the
picture quality displayed on your TV when this connection is used.
Stereo Mod: Adds RCA stereo to a system. Note that you can also
use a male stereo 1/8" headphone connector with two RCA jacks at the end to get
stereo sound from the system's headphone jack.
Debug BIOS: This BIOS allows you to change many things to your
system, such as:
-Switch between MVS/AES mode
-Switch between USA/European/Japanese mode
-Use cheat codes (unlimited life, play as the boss, etc.)
MVS:
Universe BIOS: AKA UniBIOS. Made by forum member Razoola, this is
like the debug BIOS on steroids. You can check to see if your cartridge is a
bootleg, hear music from it, use built-in cheat codes, pause with a simple
button press, and of course switch modes. This is a simple install, involving
popping out an old chip and popping this chip in.
The UniBIOS website is http://bios.cps2shock.com
4x BIOS: By forum member JMKurtz, this is obsolete. This lets you
switch between USA/Japanese mode and AES/MVS mode, and nothing else. It involves
soldering and installing two switches, as opposed to the UniBIOS.
B10.) What is a consolized MVS?
A consolized MVS is a MVS motherboard modified to be played on a TV. Essentially
it is a MVS with a built-in SuperGun. Forum member SuperGoose79 among others
makes these. Many members prefer this to a homecart system because almost all
MVS carts are cheaper than AES carts, and they prefer it to a SuperGun setup
because they generally look nicer and take up less space.
B11.) What is a converted cart?
A converted cart is a AES cartridge stripped of its chips and replaced with
chips of an MVS game. This leaves only one working game in the process. This is
a somewhat controversial issue. Supporters like it because instead of spending a
lot of money for an authentic rare cart you can spend less on a conversion, and
play games unreleased on AES on your system (such as Puzzle Bobble and Shock
Troopers), and it looks nicer than a MVS cart with a converter. Opposers argue
that a MVS to AES convertor makes a conversion unnecessary, that it destroys
both cartridges, and that a ShockBox with a nice insert can make a bare MVS cart
look as good as a converted cart. Discussion of conversions is generally not
allowed.
B12.) What is a ShockBox?
A ShockBox is a special cartridge clamshell case produced by forum member Big
Bear. Its purpose is to hold a MVS cartridge in it (there's space to hold the
artwork pack too), while displaying it with an insert (they are larger than AES
inserts but AES inserts will still fit). It can also be used with AES games.
B13.) What MVS games are likely to be bootlegs? How can I tell if my game is
a bootleg?
Good question, long answer.
The rare, valuable, and recent games are likely to be bootlegs. The most common
is Puzzle Bobble. Other games likely to be bootlegged are The King of Fighters
2000-2002, Neo Bomberman, Super Dodgeball, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Rage of
the Dragons, Waku Waku 7, Pop N Bounce, Puzzle Bobble 2, Metal Slug, Metal Slug
3, and Metal Slug 4. Bear in mind these aren't the only ones that have been
widely bootlegged, and also that there aren't only bootlegs of these games.
How can you tell if a game is a bootleg? On the outside, it's nearly impossible
unless the cartridge is clear. A common assumption is that if the label is not
the official label, the game is a bootleg. In actuality, several Asian game
resellers such as CosmicCo re-label Japanese games with English labels of
varying quality. The label and cartridge color show no sure signs of a game
being bootlegged.
If you open the game up, that's when you can tell if it has been bootlegged.
Does the board say SNK on it anywhere? If not, it's a boot. Keep in mind though
that some bootleggers use real SNK boards to put their chips on, so if it says
SNK don't assume you're safe. Next, look at the soldering. Does it look machine
and uniform? Is it sloppy? Are there many wires running to and fro? If so it
*MAY* be a bootleg (see below). Look at the chips next. Do most of them have
writing on them that say something like:
206-P1
9465 D
If so it *might* not be a bootleg. One of the biggest tip-offs are what the
chips look like. If you see a lot of small chips (almost square in size), one
above the other in a slot like this:
-|-----|-
-| |-
-| |-
-| |-
-|-----|-
-|-----|-
-| |-
-| |-
-| |-
-|-----|-
it's probably a bootleg. If you see a small chip or two mounted on a
mini-motherboard like this:
|-----|
|. .|
|. .|
|. _ .|
|-| |-|
|-|_|-|<----this is a small chip, the small dots are solder points. This is
mounted on a
|. .| small motherboard about the size of the slot it goes into.
|. .|
|. .|
|-----|
then it probably is a bootleg. If you see a multitude of chips with a little window in the middle like this:
-|-----|-
-| |-
-| |-
-| ___ |-
-|/ \|- -|
-|| ||- |---this part is the window. This chip is called a EPROM, which stands
for
-|\___/|- -| Electronic Programmable Read Only Memory.
-| |-
-| |-
-|-----|-
Then you *might* have a bootleg.
EXCEPTIONS: Sometimes you might get a cartridge that almost doesn't look
like a bootleg, except for a EPROM or two, or maybe a wire. This could well be
an arcade repair. Also, in some cartridges there are a series or EPROMs with
colored stripes on them. This could be a repair or modification done be SNK.
Also worth mentioning is that some MVS carts (especially games by Video System)
have a resistor on a chip. This is normal. When in doubt, either post pictures
in the Tech Support forum and if you can't then describe the cartridge as best
as you can. You might want to search the Tech Support forum to see if anyone has
a cartridge that looks like yours and found out it is/isn't a bootleg.
Note that if you do have EPROMs, you should cover the windows with a sticker or
non-permeable tape, as they are erased by UV rays, found in sunlight.
A great resource for pictures of bootlegs vs. authentic games can be found here
(you can see real pictures of many of the chips I was referring to): http://www.jamma.nl/gallery/album04
B14.) I see people referring to Steve and Clint. Who are these people?
Our fallen Neo brethren. Steve Howarth (SNK4EVER) was killed in a fatal car
accident on the night of 4/18/2003. Clint Gorman (Daisuke Jigen) passed away on
6/14/2003 after a lifelong battle with Cystic Fibrosis. They both were great
members who contributed a lot to the forums, and are missed by many.
B15.) Is there an official chat room for Neo-Geo.com?
There used to be. It was #Neo-Geo on the server irc.chat-solutions.org, but it
was shut down. Later, #neo-geo.com came on the same server, but due to
inactivity no one uses it. Now, the unofficial chat of Neo-Geo.com is #snk on
irc.chat-solutions.org (port 6667), founded by forum member Kernow. Before you
join please remember that most rules for the forum apply to chat, no all caps,
no spamming, and be constructive. It's a good idea to get a feel for what
everyone's talking about before you jump into a conversation. Also, just because
you don't see someone talking, don't pop in for five seconds and exit, most
people find that annoying. Most people use the client MIRC to chat.
You can find many FAQs on MIRC (and IRC (Internet Relay Chat) in general) at
this website: http://www.irchelp.org/
-------------------------------
C.) GENERAL FORUM HINTS/ETC.
--------------
C1.) Dos and Don'ts
-Before posting a question, and after reading this FAQ, use the search function
to be sure it hasn't been asked before. If you find the answers to it
insignificant then go ahead and post your question (but be sure to explain you
still need more info)
-If a topic is more than 10 days old it is generally a bad idea to bump it. If
using the search function or looking at a member's recent posts, be sure to take
note at the date (it is generally an annoyance to see a year old thread suddenly
get bumped). If the thread is more than 10 days old but you still find it
necessary to bump it, be sure your post is worthwhile, not just "cool" or "I
agree" or "LOL".
-Discussion of ROMs and Emulators is generally not looked well upon here. There
are many emulation forums where people will share your opinions, but at Neo-Geo.com
most members do not look kindly upon emulation of NeoGeo games, most especially
recent releases. Posting a topic such as "Get the ROMs for (recent game) here!"
or "Why pay for your games, the ROMs are free?" will more than likely get you
banned.
-Please try not to flame or troll. If you have a concern with a member that you
fell you HAVE to flame him publicly for, there's the War Room for that.
-You don't have to make a new post to correct yourself, you can use the edit
button (which looks like a pencil and paper) and make changes to your post. Do
NOT edit your posts and topics down to nothing!
-When selling items in the Market Forums, try to keep all your items for sale in
one topic. Generally, do not bump your selling topic until 24 hours have passed
since your last post (There are exceptions like stating an item is sold. Use
your judgment.)
-Don't let the hard@$$3$ get you down. We were all newbies at one point and if
your posts are constructive and not just flames, useless one-word posts,
questions asked a million times, etc. you'll probably get along well.
-Don't spam. Make all your posts meaningful. It really annoys members to see
useless posts in topics that seem to serve no purpose than to drive up your post
count.
-Please proofread your posts before posting them. When you spell "you're" as
"your", substitute "u" for "you", don't punctuate or capitalize, it makes people
think less of your credibility.
-Do not type a message in all capital letters. This is the online equivalent of
yelling and many people find it annoying.
-If you have a problem with a moderator (be it banning a member you are friends
with or locking a thread or changing your signature) it is best to not post it
in public. Instead, send an email to the moderator in question asking why you
had action taken against you, apologizing for your actions, etc. Remember to be
polite. You can see a list of moderators in the "Community" column at this
website: http://www.neo-geo.com/contact.html
-Please try to keep from posting pictures that are large in screen or file size
in your signature. It is annoying to scroll through a huge signature for
someone, and for those on dialup it is annoying to have to download a large
picture. Beware of animated .GIF files as they can be quite large. If it's more
than 75Kb in size it is best not to put it in your signature. Also, use your
judgment as to what is appropriate to post in your signature. If it contains
offensive material or a huge image, your signature can be locked by a moderator
(it has been done many times before).
--------------
C2.) Forum Catchphrases:
Koll- A member by the name of Leslie M. Collins said this instead
of the word "cool". His posts were nearly unreadable (the written equivalent of
mumbling), he spammed Neo-Geo.com's (now dead) official chat room, and he
supported NGF. He was banned not long after joining the forums.
I already have the ROM- A sarcastic answer pioneered by member
SPINMASTER X to random posts. Generally it's after talking about a game when
this is said. If you hear someone say this about a game don't take it seriously.
Candy Cabs are made of wood- Said by member DriftKingEX.
THIS WHOLE GOD-D*** NEO-GEO.COM IS BULLS*** LIE!- Said by BryLMoo
when the chat room was around. Now people refer to some false things as Bulls***
lies.
Inferior Port- Said by xToo_Short20x about ports of NeoGeo games
to other systems.
--------------
C3.) Common Vocabulary:
Spam- Useless posts, mainly used to drive up post count. Also refers to
in chat many lines in a row by the same member without much content.
Bump- To post in a topic with the purpose of sending it to the top of its
forum.
Flame- To insult, humiliate, or somehow degrade a member's image, be it
through email or publicly.
A/S/L- Age/Sex/Location. Commonly used in chat rooms (and commonly
annoying its users), many members use it sarcastically for no apparent reason.
Owned/Gutted- To be dissed badly by another member.
PM- Private Message. A feature of the forum that is similar to email
between its members.
MODs- Moderators. They usually have more command of the forums than
normal members and are there to ban/suspend members who violate forum rules,
lock threads or move them to the war room, and generally keep the peace.
AFAIK- As Far As I Know
IIRC- If I Remember Correctly
OMG- Oh My God
LOL- Laughing Out Loud
WTF- What The F***
TOS: Terms Of Service. These are the basic rules of a forum, and you have
to agree to abide by them in order to be able to join the forum.
-------------------------------
D.) GIVING PROPS:
The following people have contributed in some way:
Briggs- Hosting beta .txt FAQs before the final version was ready.
Broken- Proofreading and suggestions.
c.t.h- Hosting and coding original HTML-ization of first public
version of the FAQ.
Sonic1687- Hosting second public .txt version of the FAQ.
-------------------------------
E.) COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:
All brands, trademarks, names, etc. mentioned are copyright of their respective
owners.
-------------------------------
F.) SUMMARY OF LINKS REFERRED TO:
http://sgrepository.com/ - Owned and maintained by forum member Broken, it's a
great site containing pictures and information on various superguns.
http://www.shaolin-venoms.com/ngf_bible/ngf_blues.html - Written by forum
members nick_th_fury and BonusKun, has info on NGF's wrongdoings.
http://bios.cps2shock.com - Owned and maintained by forum member Razoola, it's
the homepage for the Universe BIOS, a modchip which enhances and adds many
functions to a MVS system.
http://www.jamma.nl/gallery/album04 - Owned and maintained by forum member Asure.
This contains many pictures of bootleg and legitimate MVS game PCBs, so you can
educate yourself and get a feel for what is real and fake.
http://www.irchelp.org/ - A comprehensive source for information on using IRC.
http://www.neo-geo.com/contact.html - Contains a section listing all forum
moderators.
-------------------------------
G.) HOW TO CONTACT ME
If you ever wish to contact me, you can email, Instant Message, or Private
Message me (you must be registered on the forums to private message members).
Email: JawaGuy500@aol.com
AIM ScreenName: JawaGuy500
-------------------------------
H.) CLOSING
I hope this answers most of your questions, and I hope your time here is
fun-filled! If you ever want to talk to me on AIM or email or PM, feel free (all
I ask is in an email or IM please say who you are, it annoys me when I get an IM
of just "hey man" and I have no clue who I'm talking to). Thank you for reading
this and all feedback is appreciated. I hope to see you around!
(last updated by DanAdamKOF, 11/24/20XX)