Power of Neo geo

[Arcademan]

Even during it's 14 year lifetime, the Neo Geo was underpowered for 2D, compared to other arcade systems. But it also depends on how much work/effort is put into making the game. The graphical limitations of the Neo probably led to better games in some cases, because they knew the gameplay had to be good. An example of that is Metal Slug, which looked as good as any other run n' gun, despite being on an outdated system.

Metal Slug 6 was on a more advanced system, but it didn't have the detailed backgrounds (with destructible items) that earlier Metal Slugs had. They could have included that feature, if they wanted to. But they probably just wanted to "modernise" the look of the game. All the games they programmed for the Neo (in the later years) were forced to have a somewhat "retro" look (low res).

Underpowered perhaps but for operators, the ability to pull out a cartridge, insert a new one and change a card and have a new game in minutes instead of an outright conversion or buying a new game and cabinet was truly a godsend.

 

[kernow]

 

[madmanjock]

Mischief Makers, Wonder Project J2. Mortal Kombat Trilogoy and Killer Instinct exist, for fighting games. RakugaKids is interesting.

Fair play, I’d forgotten half those games existed.

MK Trilogy and KI did look a bit like shit though on the N64.

I always wanted to play Rakuga Kids but never got round to it back in the day. Oh well, thankfully I’ve ordered a shitty N64 everdrive clone from Aliexpress so I’ll not be in suspense much longer.

 

[SignOfGoob]

Underpowered perhaps but for operators, the ability to pull out a cartridge, insert a new one and change a card and have a new game in minutes instead of an outright conversion or buying a new game and cabinet was truly a godsend.

I don’t think it was ever underpowered, it was just budget. Naturally the Neo couldn’t run Virtual Racing but that fucking machine was 5x the price.

You always had your Pac Mans and your Twin Cobras and Ikari Warriors in the aisle of the arcade back then and then shit like a deluxe Afterburner or Space Ace or Deadly Discs that would be out front where it would make the most money from its higher credit setting. The Neo was very clearly a “basic” board but it wasn’t any more basic than Capcom and Taito stuff, which were its competition.

The main comp for the Neo was the CPS1/2 and IMO it proved itself to be at least as good.

 

[Fygee]

They squeezed all the blood they could out of the Neo-Geo stone by 1999. From that point it was just a matter of style differences.

 

[Neo Alec]

I would use the word "economical" to describe the MVS hardware, not "budget." Budget makes it sound like they skimped to save money, and they definitely did not. It was state of the art, capable hardware when it was released. Just not 'bleeding edge' technology.

 

[Burning Fight!!]

They squeezed all the blood they could out of the Neo-Geo stone by 1999. From that point it was just a matter of style differences.

I find it crazier that SNK still had commercial viability for MVS by that point. Naomi and the Dreamcast already existed in 1998 and, correct me if I'm wrong, you had a pure rice and beans 2D board still being a viable moneymaker for operators.

 

[Neo Alec]

I find it crazier that SNK still had commercial viability for MVS by that point. Naomi and the Dreamcast already existed in 1998 and, correct me if I'm wrong, you had a pure rice and beans 2D board still being a viable moneymaker for operators.

Yeah, that really is the miracle of the MVS story. It was still viable because of such a large install base of machines out there (talk about a success story). Only offset by piracy in the end. If anything, more third parties should have released games for MVS in the late 90's, but so many of the big developers already had R&D sunk into their own hardware.

 

[joe8]

I find it crazier that SNK still had commercial viability for MVS by that point. Naomi and the Dreamcast already existed in 1998 and, correct me if I'm wrong, you had a pure rice and beans 2D board still being a viable moneymaker for operators.

perhaps you could say that Dreamcast was a successor to the Neo Geo, as it was the first home system that was pretty much arcade-perfect, and the games also had home game features. The actual successor to the Neo, the Atomiswave, used similar technology to the NAOMI/Dreamcast, and after that, SNK games were on Taito Type X systems.

The systems that came after Neo Geo were more focused on 3D games. So, the Neo still had that specialty focus on 2D games, which some players still liked, the programmers had a lot of experience with, and which didn't require huge graphical power for the games to look good.

 

[smokey]

Fair play, I’d forgotten half those games existed.

MK Trilogy and KI did look a bit like shit though on the N64.

I always wanted to play Rakuga Kids but never got round to it back in the day. Oh well, thankfully I’ve ordered a shitty N64 everdrive clone from Aliexpress so I’ll not be in suspense much longer.

Also put Bangai-Oh on there

 

[madmanjock]

perhaps you could say that Dreamcast was a successor to the Neo Geo, as it was the first home system that was pretty much arcade-perfect, and the games also had home game features. The actual successor to the Neo, the Atomiswave, used similar technology to the NAOMI/Dreamcast, and after that, SNK games were on Taito Type X systems.

The systems that came after Neo Geo were more focused on 3D games. So, the Neo still had that specialty focus on 2D games, which some players still liked, the programmers had a lot of experience with, and which didn't require huge graphical power for the games to look good.

Don’t forget the NGP had a Link cable to the Dreamcast.

So, I don’t think it’s accurate to say the Dreamcast was a successor to the Neo Geo.

It would be more factually accurate to say the Dreamcast had sex with the Neo Geo’s grand kids. That sounds alot better.

 

[theMot]

Yes, I know that. The CPS III was the most powerful 2D arcade system ever made.

Autism intensifies.