My Neo experience was at that one store in my neighborhood that demoed unusual consoles. This must have been right when the Neo launched, because I don't think I even had my SNES yet.
The game on demo was Sengoku 1, which I only pieced together many years later, after playing the arcade version of Sengoku 3. Sengoku 1 wasn't exactly the best the Neo had to offer in terms of graphics or gameplay, but at that specific moment in time, I was blown away. I suppose I was comparing it to, I don't know, Double Dragon 2 on NES? Luckily a friend was there to play it with me until one of our moms made us relinquish our controllers and leave the store.
Other than that, all I ever got to do was admire this console from afar through EGM.
What's funny is that back then, I understood the Neo as the premium console for rich people. If you're rich, everything is better: your car, your house, your game console.
I imagine the NeoGeo was sold in places like Electronics Boutique and Toys R Us, among others, but I don't think I ever saw one for sale anywhere in person. Super cool that you got to try it when it was brand new!
Also, this: "What's funny is that back then, I understood the Neo as the premium console for rich people. If you're rich, everything is better: your car, your house, your game console."
I think I first heard about the Neo Geo on the show Video Power. On that episode “Johnny Arcade” demoed the feature where you could use a memory card to resume your game session from the arcade at home. He showed off this memory card feature with Ninja Combat. I thought that was a really cool idea.
The AES and MVS use different cartridges, so operators couldn’t just buy the cheaper AES carts and put them in their arcade machines. But it really surprised me just how expensive these Neo Geo home cartridges were!
The Neo Geo AES was definitely on the wishlist of me and my video game playing friends back in the day. I do get to play an AES like once a year and when I do I always imagine how much I would’ve loved having one as a kid.
Video Power, now there's a blast from the past! I was very young though, and I don't remember informational segments like that. From Wikipedia it looks like the show re-tooled into more of a game show, and that's what I remember, with those prize runs at the end as kids attach games to themselves with velcro.
That Neo Geo memory card feature is interesting, but realistically who is ever going to do that?
I remember that, several years later, Gauntlet Legends had a way to store progression in the arcades. Passwords maybe? And there was an old guy who hung around the local arcade (in my mind he was about 67 but he was probably 34) who had clearly been doing that forever and had grinded his characters way up while popping quarters. Which I thought was a little cool but even then I was inclined to ask, "What's the point?"
You could send away for a free t-shirt if you beat Gauntlet Legends in the arcade back in the day. From the sound of it, I’d bet that guy got one of those shirts!
I'm not even into games, but I enjoyed reading this! And I do remember Neo Geo from many a 90s arcade...Didn't know there was a home version (albeit elusive as you have noted)...
My Neo experience was at that one store in my neighborhood that demoed unusual consoles. This must have been right when the Neo launched, because I don't think I even had my SNES yet.
The game on demo was Sengoku 1, which I only pieced together many years later, after playing the arcade version of Sengoku 3. Sengoku 1 wasn't exactly the best the Neo had to offer in terms of graphics or gameplay, but at that specific moment in time, I was blown away. I suppose I was comparing it to, I don't know, Double Dragon 2 on NES? Luckily a friend was there to play it with me until one of our moms made us relinquish our controllers and leave the store.
Other than that, all I ever got to do was admire this console from afar through EGM.
What's funny is that back then, I understood the Neo as the premium console for rich people. If you're rich, everything is better: your car, your house, your game console.
I imagine the NeoGeo was sold in places like Electronics Boutique and Toys R Us, among others, but I don't think I ever saw one for sale anywhere in person. Super cool that you got to try it when it was brand new!
Also, this: "What's funny is that back then, I understood the Neo as the premium console for rich people. If you're rich, everything is better: your car, your house, your game console."
I agree 100%.
I think I first heard about the Neo Geo on the show Video Power. On that episode “Johnny Arcade” demoed the feature where you could use a memory card to resume your game session from the arcade at home. He showed off this memory card feature with Ninja Combat. I thought that was a really cool idea.
The AES and MVS use different cartridges, so operators couldn’t just buy the cheaper AES carts and put them in their arcade machines. But it really surprised me just how expensive these Neo Geo home cartridges were!
The Neo Geo AES was definitely on the wishlist of me and my video game playing friends back in the day. I do get to play an AES like once a year and when I do I always imagine how much I would’ve loved having one as a kid.
D'oh, thanks for the heads up, I misread my research.
Unfortunately, I missed Video Power, but that sounds awesome. I'll always remember Nick Arcade, though, and their fake arcade games!
Glad you have some NeoGeo memories of your own. Quite the special console!
Video Power, now there's a blast from the past! I was very young though, and I don't remember informational segments like that. From Wikipedia it looks like the show re-tooled into more of a game show, and that's what I remember, with those prize runs at the end as kids attach games to themselves with velcro.
That Neo Geo memory card feature is interesting, but realistically who is ever going to do that?
I remember that, several years later, Gauntlet Legends had a way to store progression in the arcades. Passwords maybe? And there was an old guy who hung around the local arcade (in my mind he was about 67 but he was probably 34) who had clearly been doing that forever and had grinded his characters way up while popping quarters. Which I thought was a little cool but even then I was inclined to ask, "What's the point?"
You could send away for a free t-shirt if you beat Gauntlet Legends in the arcade back in the day. From the sound of it, I’d bet that guy got one of those shirts!
I'm not even into games, but I enjoyed reading this! And I do remember Neo Geo from many a 90s arcade...Didn't know there was a home version (albeit elusive as you have noted)...
Thanks Jason! Yeah, seems like Neo Geo arcade cabinets were everywhere in the 90s. Any games you remember playing?
Unfortunately, I have a very vague recollection of Neo Geo. Definitely a 90s staple though...