Neo-Geo

The Neo Geo was a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released in 1990 by the Japanese game company SNK. The system was available in two versions: the AES (Advanced Entertainment System, the Home Version) and the MVS (Multi Video System, the Arcade Version).

Thanks to its high-end graphics and sound chipsets, the Neo Geo AES was incredibly powerful compared to other consoles of the time. Its main CPU (16-bit Motorola 68000 main processor running at 12 MHz) ran nearly half as fast again as the processor found in Sega's Mega Drive console (68000 processor running at 7.6 MHz), and its custom video chipset allowed the system to display 4,096 colours and 380 individual sprites onscreen simultaneously (compared to the 64 simultaneous colours and 80 individual sprites for the Mega Drive). The onboard Yamaha 2610 sound chip offered 15 channels of sound with seven channels reserved specifically for digital sound effects, and surround-sound was also used in a number of games.

However, the system was relatively expensive to buy (US$649.00 on launch), with two joysticks, a memory card, and a single pack-in game, Magician Lord. What made it inaccessible to all but most players was the fact that additional games cost upwards of $200 each.

SNK ceased to manufacture home consoles by the end of 1997, and the last game by SNK for the Neo Geo system, Samurai Spirits Zero Special, was released on October 19, 2004.

Games

The Neo Geo was particularly notable for its ability to bring arcade-quality graphics directly into the home. Several hundred games were released for the arcade, with some of the more notable games including: