NEO GEO AES+

[Neo Alec]

Recently, I’ve seen several ESRB ratings pop up for games listed under a “NEO GEO AES+.” I’ve included a screenshot for Samurai Shodown V Special as an example.

Does anyone know what “AES+” refers to? Is this a new system, or could this be related to re-releases of cartridges or ports that are triggering new ESRB ratings? My internet searches keep coming up empty.

Here are a few of the listings I’ve found so far:

• https://www.esrb.org/ratings/41251/samurai-shodown-v-special/
• https://www.esrb.org/ratings/41250/garou-mark-of-the-wolvestm/
• https://www.esrb.org/ratings/41145/shock-troopers/
• https://www.esrb.org/ratings/41066/over-top/
• https://www.esrb.org/ratings/41067/magician-lord/

(Reposted from Reddit.)
Original Post

 

[Fygee]

Best guess is it's yet another plug-and-play mini home console with a selection of baked-in Neo games. Only thing that makes sense to me.

 

[kernow]

If they're official reissues it'll only be a matter of time until they cost the same as the originals

 

[Neo Alec]

If they're official reissues it'll only be a matter of time until they cost the same as the originals

I would be surprised if they actually made cartridges. If they did, I suppose it's possible, depending on quantity produced, for the cost to end up the same, but it would be for a different audience. A lot of retro collectors aren't interested in reissues.

 

[Tarma]

It's a special designation for big tymers and those who need more than one copy of any given AES title.

 

[Fygee]

I think if they were nuts enough to make cartridges, they wouldn't be original-style Neo cartridge hardware. A chip or SD card with the ROM data, proprietary to the console, which is probably going to be FPGA.

 

[Tarma]

A lot of retro collectors aren't interested in reissues.

But a lot are.

And if French bootleggers can make it pay, then I'm sure a company with actual buying power could make even small re-issue runs profitable.

 

[Neo Alec]

I think if they were nuts enough to make cartridges, they wouldn't be original-style Neo cartridge hardware. A chip or SD card with the ROM data, proprietary to the console, which is probably going to be FPGA.

Plaion makes the 2600+ and 7800+ which do take original cartridges. However, it does sound crazy to me to try to reproduce the Neo Geo rom slots on modern hardware.

 

[Neo Alec]

But a lot are.

And if French bootleggers can make it pay, then I'm sure a company with actual buying power could make even small re-issue runs profitable.

For sure, but the NCI carts that carry the most value are conversions of games that were never released on home cart. It's hard for me to imagine a reissued MOTW cart commanding the same value as an original SNK one from the 90's.

 

[Fygee]

Plaion makes the 2600+ and 7800+ which do take original cartridges. However, it does sound crazy to me to try to reproduce the Neo Geo rom slots on modern hardware.

Brainstorming for funsies.

A new version of the AES to take original carts isn't out of the question, and would be pretty neat, but the AES is waaaaay more niche and expensive than the Atari 2600 or 7800 where you can get a wide assortment of carts for dirt cheap. The R&D and production costs wouldn't be at all worth it.

Also, generally, the folks who have AES carts now are going to have a working AES console to go with it, or if they're weird, an MVS converter. Unless they're dying for native HDMI support, I don't see anyone bothering.

If they were bonkers enough to make new carts that would work on original hardware, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't do individual game releases. The smarter move would be to bundle multiple games on one cart, e.g. all the Sam Shos or KOFs. That might actually get some traction. But, we live in a world of SD MVS and AES carts now, so if you're nerdy enough to have an AES, then you probably already know about and own one which can play everything for free outside of the cost of the cart and an SD card.

 

[Tarma]

For sure, but the NCI carts that carry the most value are conversions of games that were never released on home cart. It's hard for me to imagine a reissued MOTW cart commanding the same value as an original SNK one from the 90's.

Oh good lord, no. They'd need to retail in the $300 - $500 range.

Only a few goobs would pay $2,000+ for an AES reissue.

 

[Tarma]

I mean... whatever the price... they can guarantee there's one idiot out there who will buy 8 copies just for himself.

 

[pixeljunkie]

No reason the guts of the cart couldn't be scaled down china crap. Imagine if they just blew up the market with like $50 carts of reissues.

 

[Tarma]

I doubt they'd make them to the same spec as the original carts... Be interesting to know if the original assembly plant is still in operation in Japan.

But, yeah, in all likely hood, this would be handled by a plant in China. The paper items may still be printed locally though.

 

[Johnny16Bit]

Well 2600+ and 7800+ naturally transfer to AES+ : the missing link between Atari and SNK everyone has been waiting for!!

That plus the fact that Plaion hold the Zero Wing IP and we haven't heard of the Hoffman port for a while can lead to some pretty wild theories

 

[pixeljunkie]

Should be entertaining to watch either way

 

[Neo Alec]

No reason the guts of the cart couldn't be scaled down china crap. Imagine if they just blew up the market with like $50 carts of reissues.

Of course any reissued carts would just be tiny PCB's with modern flash memory.

 

[Tarma]

Like a Mega Drive cart!

 

[Moob Butter]

I personally can’t wait to buy more single use plastic items

 

[Stefan]

I mean... whatever the price... they can guarantee there's one idiot out there who will buy 8 copies just for himself.

 

[MSL]

Should be entertaining to watch either way

That's where my head is at. We don't have enough info to know whether it's worth buying, but it'll be fun to watch everyone argue about it.

IF it plays the original cartridges and has HDMI output, I'd probably buy one for shits and giggles.

 

[madpossum]

They did make new original carts for the 7800+, a port of Tiger Heli for the 7800, a Pac-Man multi cart, maybe more I'm not remembering. Those carts also worked on original Atari hardware. Maybe they issue a Zero Wing conversion like mentioned above or some other conversion. Might interested, if they release something interesting and it's not too expensive, but then I have a Backbit cart for stuff like that already.

But like Fugee said, a system like the 7800+ but AES? No one has expensive AES carts or even MVS carts without already having a system to play them on.

 

[pixeljunkie]

I bet it's like that new Intellivision Sprint system they did - doesn't read carts, typical "mini" system with games. Since these games are older, they had to get ESRB ratings? Probably end up coming with one joystick and be $150-200

 

[madpossum]

Maybe some kind of Evercade like system that comes with sticks and you buy compilation carts for it

 

[Burning Fight!!]

Settle down goobs, this will probably come with SD cards with 1 good game and 6 bad games like every other system like this ever.