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‘Windjammers’ brings 16-bit frisbee duelling to PS4 and PS Vita
You'd be excused if all of Sony's tentpole game announcements during the PlayStation Experience show last December blinded you to the best news of all: The 16-bit deep cut Windjammers would get ported to current systems. But the time for excuses has passed. You have only six weeks to prepare before the re-release comes out for PS4 and PS Vita on August 29th. Better polish your competitive frisbee game.
The Nintendo Switch will have Neo Geo games (updated)
The Nintendo Switch will support a handful of new games, of course, but it's also going to feature some fan-favorite classics from the Neo Geo era, Famitsu says. The Arcade Archive collection from Japanese video-game publisher Hamster Corp. will land on the Switch worldwide beginning in March with King of Fighters '98, according to the report. Keep in mind that the Switch itself is scheduled to come out March 3rd for $300 in the United States.
Step back in time with a mysterious, unreleased Neo Geo game
The Neo Geo served as a launchpad for a handful of influential fighting game franchises like The King of Fighters, but there may be one more masterpiece buried in the 26-year-old hardware. About a year ago, Neo Geo fan Brian Hargrove bought an unlabeled ROM board at a Japanese auction for about $600 in the hopes that it would contain leftover data he could play with, USgamer reports. After a few failed attempts to extract its secrets, he got it working and stumbled across an unknown, unfinished fighting game prototype that might tie into Dungeons & Dragons lore. Happily, he's shared videos and images of the mystery title in action.
Play 19 SNK games in a browser via the Neo Geo Humble Bundle
A bevy of classic SNK games make their debut on PC today in the latest Humble Bundle, in celebration of the Neo Geo console turning 25 this year. Plus, you can demo 19 of these games directly in your browser for two minutes each, including Art of Fighting 2, Fatal Fury Special, Metal Slug (1, 2, 3 and X), The King of Fighters 2000, Shock Troopers and Twinkle Star Sprites. Most of the games are DRM-free and available for PC, Mac and Linux. Get all 21 games plus the 25th anniversary soundtrack via Humble Bundle for a minimum of just $10 -- that's $167 worth of classic Neo Geo goodness.
Latest Android Humble Bundle features NeoGeo's best games
If you're prone to throwing your controller when a game gets the best of you, perhaps the latest Humble Bundle isn't quite for you. Maybe. That's because the outfit's offering up a slew of classic NeoGeo games for the very low price of paying however much you want. So, for that very flexible price range you get Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Blazing Star, The King of Fighters '97, Metal Slug 2 (pictured above) and Metal Slug X on Android. Should you pay more than the (current) average price of $4.56 you'll also get access to Fatal Fury Special, Samurai Showdown II, Metal Slug 3 and yet-to-be-announced surprises.
Tommo to continue to sell Neo Geo X Gold through 2016, denies breach of contract
Well, this is awkward. Two days ago, SNK Playmore announced the death of the Neo Geo X Gold -- today, the handheld's manufacturer has demanded a retraction. According to Tommo, it has a standing contract with SNK to produce and support the handheld console through 2016 and "fully expects this agreement to be honored by all parties." Moreover, the company claims that it has performed all of its obligations as a licensee, asserting that SNK has no reason or grounds to terminate the agreement. For now, the company says it will continue to sell the Neo Geo X Gold system as well as its arcade stick and assorted game collections. It's a messy situation, to be sure, but at least it's delaying the device's inevitable fate as a collector's item. Check out the statement for yourself after the break.
SNK terminates Neo Geo X Gold licensing, Tommo required to cease production
Not even a year after the Neo Geo X's rocky road to market, creator SNK is pulling the plug. The firm has severed ties with manufacturer / distributor Tommo, ordering it to "immediately cease any and all manufacturing, distribution, marketing and promotion and selling of the Licensed Products." Affected items include the handheld console, the SNK NeGeo X arcade stick and all applicable software. This isn't really a surprise for a system that was plagued with delays and pricing issues from the word "go," but it's sad to see nonetheless. A handful of retailers have the console marked down from its $200 price, so if you were on the fence about buying one new, now would be the time to get off of it. Or, you could always go the wooden route.
Black Label Neo Geo custom wood mod ups the ante on collector excess
If you want to relive the glory of owning one of the rarest and most expensive (for its time) consoles in gaming history, you can do that for $130 with the Neo Geo X. Or... or you can recapture that magic and rebuild the system using "one of the rarest and most expensive woods in the entire world." That wood would be Cocobolo and, no, we're not making that last bit up. Analogue Interactive -- the same company that brought you the Neo Geo CMVS Slim -- is introducing a new service today for those (read: collectors) with money to burn, dubbed Black Label. The service, designed to let consumers craft a new Neo Geo console using a selection of domestic and exotic woods, starts at $1,299 -- that's for a custom setup made with domestic wood. Should you have more champagne tastes, there's a variety of exotic woods on offer, but be prepared to fork over up to an additional $585 for the "privilege." Without a doubt, it's the stuff of an über-collector's wet dreams; the very same stuff that has us scratching our heads and railing against the excesses of the 1-percent. And just in case it was lost on you earlier: a portable and significantly cheaper Neo Geo alternative is readily available.
Neo Geo X additional game cart, system update, travel case and 'Rocket' cable slated for April launch
You've blasted your way through the 20 games that come built into the Neo Geo X, so what's next? Last month, rumors the handheld had been discontinued suggested that was your lot, but the truth was less worrying: the limited edition Gold bundle run had come to an end. Now, Tommo Inc has detailed the first of five additional game cartridges for the portable. Neo Geo X Classics: Volume I will add three titles for you to wear your thumbs down on: Metal Slug 2, Sengoku and Top Hunter. The cart is due to hit North America in April for an unspecified price, and those that pick one up will get a "Rocket" high-speed data transfer and charging cable gratis, as well as the Neo Geo X System Update 1.0, which we expect to hear more details on shortly. A travel case for the handheld is also in development, and is expected to be released the same month. Hit up the PR to see all the games the five expansion carts will ultimately offer, although chances are, some of you are playing them already.
'Neo Geo X Classics: Volume 1' bundles 3 games for new system [update]
The Neo Geo X gets slightly more practical with the announcement of additional upcoming games! That card slot will be put to use playing Neo Geo X Classics: Volume 1, a compilation of 3 new (well, unreleased on Neo Geo X, anyway) games: Metal Slug, Sengoku, and Top Hunter. It'll be out in late April.Publisher Tommo will also include a "Rocket" data transfer/charging cable with Neo Geo Classics: Volume 1. It optimistically announced plans to release four more volumes, each with one of these cables. The full lineup for the series, 15 games in all, can be found after the break.Volume 1 also includes the Neo Geo X's first system update. Software support and system updates – how very like a current game system.Update: The post originally said all 15 games were on the first volume. This was an error, for which I apologize. Vol. 1 includes Metal Slug, Sengoku, and Top Hunter.
Neo Geo X still in production, Tommo plans to add 'more games, peripherals and software updates'
Despite reports claiming that Tommo Inc's portable re-launch of the Neo Geo had ceased production, that is apparently not the case. "There has been a recent rumor about the end of the production of the NEOGEO X System. This rumor is incorrect," Tommo told us in a statement. The reports apparently stem from ending production of the Limited Edition Neo Geo X Gold System, which Tommo says, "was always planned to be a limited edition product." Beyond just continued production of the standard model, Tommo adds that it'll be supporting the device with, "more games, peripherals, and software updates." The Limited Edition, however, will likely start to disappear by some point in April, when the company expects final stock to begin shipping. "Given the popularity of the NEOGEO X format, we don't expect this stock to last long," the company notes. Head past the break for the full statement.
Neo Geo X production allegedly discontinued, additional carts to be released as planned (update)
The Neo Geo X was the subject of so much talk and so many renders, we thought it was destined to be vaporware. We were proved wrong and it was released in December, but if Japanese site Gamer is correct, production of the retro handheld-come-console has already been discontinued. Apparently, this isn't due to affect the release of add-on cartridges for the platform -- although not all owners are in need of more games. We reached out to Neo Geo's PR folks and they didn't confirm or deny the report, but said they'll have more information for us shortly. Update: Not so fast! Tommo Inc -- the company behind Neo Geo X -- says that production hasn't ceased on the main Neo Geo X standalone handheld, but has ceased on the Neo Geo X Gold Limited Edition (but was always planned to, as it's a limited edition).
Neo Geo X hacked to run Unibios, unofficial game ROMS
After witnessing the fall of the DS, DSi, 3DS and PlayStation Vita, it's no surprise to hear that the Neo Geo X has succumbed to the talents of the homebrew community, but it is a little shocking how easy the handheld was to conquer. Upon cracking the device open, enthusiasts were surprised to find no copy protection to speak of -- just a lightly glued MicroSD card. The folks on the Neo Geo forum wasted no time experimenting, and soon found that the handheld's Bios and game ROMs can be successfully swapped for new games or custom loaders. Substitute files need to retain the name of the file they replace, and swapped games remain mislabeled in the Neo Geo X menu, but the trick has already allowed some users to install the popular AES Unibios. The community hopes that the discovery will eventually allow them to tweak the handheld's TV-out resolution and enable manual switching between AES / MVS game modes. It's hardly a "hack," considering the SD card is completely unprotected, but it's a good start. Check out the source link below to peer at the device's insides, or just to watch the community in action.
Ogle the Neo Geo X Gold
To promote this week's release of the Neo Geo X Gold limited edition, Tommo and SNK Playmore commissioned a video from Aaron Nanto, the world's foremost expert in videos that make NeoGeo hardware look sexy.
Neo Geo X hands-on
When the Neo Geo AES hit the scene 20 years ago, it was one of the largest, most powerful and most expensive game consoles the market had to offer, ringing in at a steep $650. Used AES machines aren't much cheaper, and modernized slim variations don't cost a penny less than the original hardware, either. A full home console might be a bit outside of the average gamer's budget, but SNK's 20th anniversary Neo Geo X hits a little closer to home: $200 for a portable handheld, 20 pre-loaded games, a faithful recreation of the original console arcade stick and an AES-shaped charging / controller dock that pipes video and audio out to a proper television. The end result? A handheld dressed up in a home console's skin. This is something we needed to see -- we spent some time with the setup to give it a once over.
Neo Geo X is still super boss, now comes in Limited Edition with an extra game
Nintendo's Wii U isn't the only gaming console launching this holiday -- portable Neo Geo hardware is arriving on December 6, and it's called the Neo Geo X. The somewhat pricey handheld is now available for pre-order, and incentivizing that pre-order is the promise of an extra game (ADK-developed fighting game Ninja Master), bringing the total of pre-loaded game software to 21 titles. This "limited edition" version still costs the same $200 that the normal version does, and it still comes with the same variety of supplementary hardware we've seen before (that $130 standalone remains date-less, sadly). For the full list of games in the LE, head past the break (spoilers: it's all the previously revealed 20 games, plus Ninja Master).
Neo Geo X handheld gets standalone $130 price tag
If you wanted to relive your past arcade glories, but weren't looking for a whole peripheral package, the Neo Geo X is now going to let you do that. While the forthcoming handheld was expected to arrive bundled with nostalgia-tinged hardware, a lower-priced solo handheld is also on the cards. Priced at $130, the makers aren't divulging any more detail on 4.3-inch handheld's precise launch date, but we'd guess that the single unit will match the pricier bundle's December launch date.
Neo Geo X selling as standalone system for $130
The Neo Geo X will be sold for $130 as a standalone device when it launches this December, compared with the $200 Gold version that includes a charging dock and joystick. If you were stuck deciding between a present for yourself or something for your little cousin Timmy this holiday season, here's the chance to do both of those good deeds.The $130 version includes a Neo Geo X pre-loaded with 20 classic Neo Geo games. The Neo Geo X will allow local multiplayer when connected to a television through the base station, using a second joystick sold separately at an unannounced price.Thanks to everyone who spotted the standalone price in our comments!
Neo Geo X Gold gets worldwide December release date, $200 price tag
Just when you were wondering if it was all just vaporware, the Neo Geo X has finally received a worldwide release date of December 6th after missing its original Q2 window. The 20th anniversary reboot of the retro gaming system -- now branded the Neo Geo X Gold -- has a suggested retail price of a cent under $200, and for that you get the handheld and the newly detailed peripherals shown above -- a joystick and a charging dock that doubles as TV out (via HDMI or RCA). The specs have changed somewhat since the initial announcement and the handheld is now showing off a 4.3-inch LCD, a little bigger than the 3.5-inch previously announced, while the list of pre-installed titles looks just as healthy as it originally did -- see the source link for the full list.
'Neogeo X Gold' portable arrives this December for a whopping $200
Despite the fact that 20+ years passed since you last played Neogeo, its portable rebirth this December will be shockingly expensive at $200. Tommo Inc. announced the handheld console's December 6 launch date for North America overnight, and put detail to the various pre-installed software it comes packed with (King of the Monsters and Samurai Showdown 2 are our personal highlights, but the full list of 20 games is below the break). The system also comes with the charging dock and joystick you see above, included in the $200 price.Beyond being a handheld Neogeo – which, admittedly, is pretty neat –the system doubles as a home console and can be hooked up to TVs/monitors via HDMI or traditional RCA. As such, an external joystick works with the device (though we'd suggest keeping that joystick locked to your domicile rather than take it on the go).It's unclear what retailers will carry the Neogeo X Gold just yet, but Tommo works with the usual brick-and-mortar suspects (Best Buy, Amazon, GameStop, etc.) Distribution in Europe and Asia is being handled separately, and no prices or dates are given for either territory.
