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58-681: The NEOGEO Online Collection is a series of classic Neo Geo video games, re-released by SNK Playmore for the PlayStation 2 in Japan . These games allow you to fight against other players over the Internet by way of KDDI 's MMBB matching service. Some of these collections have been released in the United States and Europe ; however, online connectivity for these collections is not available outside Japan. The following table lists

116-462: A DVD-ROM or CD-ROM . Techniques such as bank switching were employed to be able to use cartridges with a capacity higher than the amount of memory directly addressable by the processor. As video games became more complex (and the size of their code grew), software manufacturers began sacrificing the quick load times of ROM cartridges in favor of greater storage capacity and the lower cost of optical media. Another source of pressure in this direction

174-434: A home computer , video game console or, to a lesser extent, electronic musical instruments . ROM cartridges allow users to rapidly load and access programs and data alongside a floppy drive in a home computer; in a video game console, the cartridges are standalone. At the time around their release, ROM cartridges provided security against unauthorised copying of software. However, the manufacturing of ROM cartridges

232-671: A TV via an HDMI cable and it has two ports for external Neo Geo Mini control pads based on the Neo Geo CD controllers. SNK also released an international version of the Neo Geo Mini, which was released outside Japan on October 15, 2018, and later in Japan on November 15, 2018. The international version contains the same features as the Japanese Neo Geo Mini but 14 out of the 40 titles are different (including all of

290-476: A few games. While it ceased manufacturing home consoles by the end of 1997, SNK continued making software for the original 2D Neo Geo. Despite being very aged by the end of the decade, the Neo Geo continued getting popular releases, such as the critically acclaimed The King of Fighters 2002 . The last official game by SNK for the Neo Geo system, Samurai Shodown V Special , was released in 2004, 14 years after

348-552: A later time and could also be used to continue play on the SNK home console of the same name. The arcade version of the video game hardware is often referred to as the "MVS", or Multi Video System (available in 1-slot, 2-slot, 4-slot, and 6-slot variations, differing in the amount of game cartridges loaded into the machine at the time), with its console counterpart referred to as the "AES", or Advanced Entertainment System. Early motherboard revisions contain daughterboards , used to enhance

406-519: A limited edition called "Samurai Shodown" was released, in three colors; white, red, and blue, with a black edition being released later on. This edition has 40 games, featuring all of the Samurai Shodown games, including three new games that have never been included in prior versions. Another limited edition was released exclusively in Japan on September 30, 2019, called "Samurai Spirits Kuroko", with 48 games. In September 2019, SNK announced

464-509: A number of advantages over other methods of storage like floppy disks and optical media . As the ROM cartridge is memory mapped into the system's normal address space, software stored in the ROM can be read like normal memory; since the system does not have to transfer data from slower media, it allows for nearly instant load time and code execution. Software run directly from ROM typically uses less RAM, leaving memory free for other processes. While

522-494: A slot at the back of the calculator. The calculator came with a module that provides several standard mathematical functions including the solution of simultaneous equations. Other modules were specialized for financial calculations, or other subject areas, and even a "games" module. Modules were not user-programmable. The Hewlett-Packard HP-41C had expansion slots which could hold ROM memory as well as I/O expansion ports. Computers using cartridges in addition to magnetic media are

580-631: A total of 40. In November 2020, a special limited Christmas edition of the Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro was released. The package includes a Neo Geo CD style control pad, a cover for the arcade stick, an arcade stick ball cover, a sticker sheet and a Neo Geo 30th anniversary artbook. All 40 games are included, unlocked from the start. In August 2020, the company Unico announced the Neo Geo MVSX, an arcade table top system capable of playing MVS and AES titles that are pre-installed on

638-592: Is the only major company to exclusively use cartridges for their consoles and handhelds, as others such as Sony and Microsoft continue to use optical disc -based media for their consoles. In 1976 , 310,000 home video game cartridges were sold in the United States. Between 1983 and 2013, a total of 2,910.72 million software cartridges had been sold for Nintendo consoles . ROM cartridges can not only carry software, but additional hardware expansions as well. Examples include various cartridge-based chips on

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696-1028: The Fatal Fury fighting game franchise, as a spiritual successor to the original Street Fighter . He also worked on the fighting game franchises Art of Fighting and The King of Fighters , as well as the run and gun video game series Metal Slug . The Neo Geo was announced and demonstrated on January 31, 1990, in Osaka , Japan . SNK exhibited several Neo Geo games at Japan's Amusement Machine Operators' Union (AOU) show in February 1990, including NAM-1975 , Magician Lord , Baseball Stars Professional , Top Player's Golf and Riding Hero . The Neo Geo then made its overseas debut at Chicago 's American Coin Machine Exposition (ACME) in March 1990, with several games demonstrated. The system

754-481: The Atari 2600 released the following year. From the late 1970s to mid-1990s, the majority of home video game systems were cartridge-based. As compact disc technology came to be widely used for data storage, most hardware companies moved from cartridges to CD-based game systems. Nintendo remained the lone hold-out, using cartridges for their Nintendo 64 system; the company did not transition to optical media until

812-457: The Metal Slug games) and a different interface. As such, both versions have 54 different SNK titles in total. On July 19, 2019, SNK announced the discontinuation of the original Neo Geo Mini and the international version. In December 2018, a limited edition Christmas themed Neo Geo Mini was released, featuring nine games previously unreleased on the other two versions. On June 27, 2019,

870-625: The VIC-20 and Commodore 64 , MSX , Atari 8-bit computers , TI-99/4A (where they were called Solid State Command Modules and were not directly mapped to the system bus) and IBM PCjr (where the cartridge was mapped into BIOS space). Some arcade system boards , such as Capcom 's CP System and SNK 's Neo Geo , also used ROM cartridges. Cassettes and floppy disks cost less than ROM cartridges and some memory cards were sold as an inexpensive alternative to ROM cartridges. A precursor to modern game cartridges of second generation video consoles

928-465: The Wii 's Virtual Console , starting with Fatal Fury: King of Fighters , Art of Fighting , The King of Fighters '94 , and World Heroes . Neo Geo games were released through Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network (For the PlayStation 3 /PlayStation Network, the service was called NEOGEO Station ), including Fatal Fury Special , Samurai Shodown II , Metal Slug 3 , Garou: Mark of

986-531: The X68000 ) and even some arcade systems. Unlike earlier systems, the Neo Geo AES was intended to reproduce the same quality of the game as the arcade MVS system. The MVS was one of the most powerful arcade units at the time, allowing the game ROM to be loaded from interchangeable cartridges instead of using custom, dedicated hardware cabinets for each game. In the United States , the console's debut price

1044-577: The 1980s, such as the DX1 , DX5 and DX7 and their PSR keyboard lineup in the mid-1990s, namely the PSR-320, PSR-420, PSR-520, PSR-620, PSR-330, PSR-530 and the PSR-6000 . These keyboards use specialized cards known as Music Cartridges , a ROM cartridge simply containing MIDI data to be played on the keyboard as MIDI sequence or song data. Casio has also used similar cartridges known as ROM Pack in

1102-593: The 1990 Gamest Awards , the Neo Geo received the Special Award. At the 1991 AMOA Awards held by the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA), the Neo Geo won the "Most Innovative New Technology" award. In a 1993 review, GamePro gave the Neo Geo a "thumbs up". Though they voiced several criticisms, noting that the system was not as powerful as the soon-to-launch 3DO and had few releases which were not fighting games , they generally praised both

1160-474: The AES home system through the use of adapters. In 2009, the Neo Geo was ranked 19th out of the 25 best video game consoles of all time by video game website IGN . Since the 2010s, SNK have revived the Neo Geo in new form factors with built-in games, created both by themselves and by officially licensed third-parties. The Neo Geo X , an officially licensed device with a collection of Neo Geo games pre-installed,

1218-633: The Monsters 2 at number ten. The Neo Geo MVS received Diamond awards from the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) two years in a row, for being among America's top four best-selling arcade machines of 1992 (with Street Fighter II: Champion Edition , Mortal Kombat and Terminator 2 ) and 1993 . In 1994 , the Neo Geo MVS was best-selling arcade printed circuit board (PCB) worldwide. In

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1276-544: The Neo Geo does not use scrolling tilemap background layers. Instead, it has a single non-scrolling tilemap layer called the fix layer, while any scrolling layers rely exclusively on drawing sprites to create the scrolling backgrounds (like the Sega Y Board ). By laying multiple sprites side by side, the system can simulate a tilemap background layer. The Neo Geo sprite system represents a step between conventional sprites and tilemaps. The onboard Yamaha YM2610 sound chip gives

1334-585: The Neo Geo's 2D hardware was unable to do likewise. Despite this, Neo Geo arcade games retained profitability through the mid-1990s, and the system was one of three 1995 recipients of the American Amusement Machine Association 's Diamond Awards (which are based strictly on sales achievements). SNK developed a new home console in 1994, called the Neo Geo CD . A new arcade system was also made in 1997, called Hyper Neo Geo 64 . However, these two systems had low popularity and only

1392-771: The Super NES , the SVP chip in the Sega Genesis version of Virtua Racing , and a chess module in the Magnavox Odyssey² . Micro Machines 2 on the Genesis/Mega Drive used a custom " J-Cart " cartridge design by Codemasters which incorporated two additional gamepad ports. This allowed players to have up to four gamepads connected to the console without the need for an additional multi-controller adapter . Storing software on ROM cartridges has

1450-488: The United States, allowing the conversion of an arcade cabinet into a Neo Geo system. The same month, the Neo Geo home console version made its North American debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). SNK also announced that there would generally be a roughly six-month gap between the arcade and home releases of Neo Geo games. When real-time 3D graphics became the norm in the arcade industry,

1508-529: The Wolves and The King of Fighters '98 . Many Neo Geo games were released on the PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , Windows , and Nintendo Switch through the Arcade Archives service. Homebrew activity began after the console's discontinuation, both by noncommercial hobbyists and commercially. Neo Geo has a community of collectors. Because of the limited production runs received by cartridges amongst

1566-494: The ability to put up to six different cartridges into a single cabinet. This unique feature was a key economic consideration for operators with limited floorspace, as well as saving money long term. The Neo Geo AES was originally released solely as a rental console for video game stores in Japan called the Neo Geo Rental System , with its high manufacturing costs causing SNK not to release it for retail sale. This

1624-492: The appearance of a Japanese Neo Geo MVS, which features 40 built-in SNK titles, and was released on July 24, 2018, in Japan to celebrate SNK's 40th anniversary. The games on the system are the AES home console versions with limited continues , however, the Neo Geo Mini features a save/load state system which allows players to save and load the game at any time to continue the game and has up to four save files per game. In addition to its 320x224 pixel display, it can be connected to

1682-529: The cheaper home carts and then using them in arcades. In a few home version games, the arcade version of the game can be unlocked by inputting a special code. The original specification for ROM size is up to 330 megabits , hence the system displaying "Max 330 Mega Pro-Gear Spec" upon startup. While no technical advances were required to achieve it, some games over 100 megabits, such as Top Hunter , followed this screen by displaying an animation proclaiming "The 100Mega Shock!". The original ROM size specification

1740-462: The clarity of the video output. The MVS and AES hardware can execute identical machine code. Owners can move EPROMs from one type to the other, and the game will still run. The program specifics for both MVS and AES game options are contained on every game ROM, whether the cartridge is intended for home or arcade use. However, the arcade and home cartridges do have a different pinout . They were designed this way to prevent arcade operators from buying

1798-488: The company's shift away from their own proprietary optical disc -based media after last using them in the Wii U in favor of small cartridge-based media. These cartridges are known as Game Cards like previous Nintendo handhelds, and are much smaller and thinner than previous cartridges for consoles as well as Nintendo's own Game Cards for their DS/3DS handhelds. It uses a form of flash memory technology similar to that of SD cards with larger storage space. As of 2024 , Nintendo

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1856-482: The company. There, he was involved in developing the Neo Geo. He proposed the concept of an arcade system that uses ROM cartridges like a game console , and also proposed a home console version of the system. His reasons for these proposals were to make the system cheaper for markets such as China , Hong Kong , Taiwan , Southeast Asia , Central America , and South America , where it was difficult to sell dedicated arcade games due to piracy . Nishiyama also created

1914-419: The contacts with an isopropyl alcohol solution typically resolves the problems without risk of corrosion. ROM cartridges typically have less capacity than other media. The PCjr-compatible version of Lotus 1-2-3 comes on two cartridges and a floppy disk. ROM cartridges are typically more expensive to manufacture than discs, and storage space available on a cartridge is less than that of an optical disc like

1972-535: The games in the collection, both released and announced. Note that some games in the collection were released in different editions: normal, limited, and/or “THE BEST” (a discount version). The dates listed reflect the date the first Neo Geo Online Collection edition was released. Note: The NTSC and PAL versions of The King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga includes The King of Fighters '94 (1994) and The King of Fighters '98 (1998). Neo Geo (system) The Neo Geo MVS coin-operated arcade machine offers owners

2030-432: The hardware and games library and recommended that gamers who could not afford the console (which was still priced at $ 649.99) play the games in the arcade. The Neo Geo is the first home game console to feature a removable memory card for saved games . The GameTap subscription service has included a Neo Geo emulator and a small library of Neo Geo games. In 2007 Nintendo announced that Neo Geo games would appear on

2088-626: The insertion of cartridges containing software in ROM . In most cases the designs were fairly crude, with the entire address and data buses exposed by the port and attached via an edge connector ; the cartridge was memory mapped directly into the system's address space such that the CPU could execute the program in place without having to first copy it into expensive RAM. The Texas Instruments TI-59 family of programmable scientific calculators used interchangeable ROM cartridges that could be installed in

2146-403: The longest-supported arcade system of all time. The AES had a very niche market in Japan, though sales were very low in the U.S. due to its high price for both the hardware and software, but it has since gained a cult following and is now considered a collectable . Worldwide, one million Neo Geo MVS units have been shipped and 980,000 Neo Geo AES and CD units combined. The Neo Geo hardware

2204-452: The price of the competition, the console and its games were accessible only to a niche market . However, its full compatibility meant that no additional money was being spent on porting or marketing for the AES, since the MVS' success was automatically feeding the AES, making the console profitable for SNK. In January 1991, Romstar released an arcade conversion kit version of the Neo Geo in

2262-573: The release of the GameCube in 2001. Cartridges were also used for their handheld consoles, which are known as Game Cards in the DS/3DS line of handhelds. These cartridges are much smaller and thinner than previous cartridges, and use the more modern flash memory for game data rather than built-in ROM chips on PCBs for the same purpose. The release of the Nintendo Switch in 2017 marked

2320-504: The release of the Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro. Resembling a large white arcade stick complete with joystick and 8 buttons, it has 20 built-in games as well as HDMI output for TVs. It can also be used on any of the Neo Geo Mini units via an included adapter and is also backwards compatible with the game pads released for the Mini. The initial 20 built-in games were all fighting games, but more games were added by SNK through software updates to make

2378-487: The same way as the pre-existing Neo Geo mini controllers and an HDMI cable. It comes pre-loaded with 45 games, most of them are the same as those found on the MVSX, but with five games removed from the line up. ROM cartridge A ROM cartridge , usually referred to in context simply as a cartridge , cart , cassette , or card , is a replaceable part designed to be connected to a consumer electronics device such as

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2436-479: The sizable available arcade library, some of the rarest Neo Geo games can sell for well over $ 1,000. The most valuable game is the European AES version of Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle . The MVS market provides a cheaper alternative to the expensive and rare home cartridges, and complete arcade kits are priced at a premium. It is also possible to play the MVS cartridges, which generally cost much less, on

2494-405: The standard size of optical media dictates a minimum size for devices which can read discs, ROM cartridges can be manufactured in different sizes, allowing for smaller devices like handheld game systems . ROM cartridges can be damaged, but they are generally more robust and resistant to damage than optical media; accumulation of dirt and dust on the cartridge contacts can cause problems, but cleaning

2552-498: The system 15 channels of sound. The Neo Geo MVS was a worldwide commercial success upon release in arcades, becoming one of the highest-earning machines at various arcades across markets such as North America and Australia in 1990. In North America, three Neo Geo games were later among the ten top-grossing arcade software conversion kits in December 1992: Art of Fighting at number one, World Heroes at number two, and King of

2610-562: The system itself, with 2 player support with a 17-inch screen, and pre-loaded with 50 games. Also available is a 32-inch stand to allow it to work as a free-standing unit resembling a vintage MVS cabinet. It was released in November 2020 in North America. In late 2023, Unico released another Neo Geo Mini, this one in the style of an MVS arcade cabinet. It could be purchased with or without an additional Unico red controller, modelled

2668-460: The system to draw sprites in vertical strips of tiles (blocks of 16x16 pixels), and can be 32 tiles tall (total of 512 pixels); it can draw up to 380 sprites on the screen at a time, with the limitation of 96 sprites per scanline. Each tile can be assigned a palette, which defines 15 colors (+ transparency). Allowing up to 256 palettes at the same time, the system can display 3840 colors simultaneously. Unlike most other video game consoles of its time,

2726-417: The system's introduction. On August 31, 2007, SNK stopped offering maintenance and repairs to Neo Geo home consoles, handhelds, and games. Each joystick controller is 280 mm (width) × 190 mm (depth) × 95 mm (height) ( 11 × 8 × 2.5 in.) and contains the same four-button layout as the arcade MVS cabinet . The arcade machines have a memory card system by which a player could save a game to return to at

2784-561: The two systems. In 1994, SNK released the Neo Geo CD console which utilizes cheaper compact disc media as opposed to the cartridges used on the AES. The Neo Geo MVS was a success during the 1990s due to the cabinet's low cost, multiple cartridge slots, and compact size. Several successful video game series were released for the platform, such as Fatal Fury , Art of Fighting , Samurai Shodown , World Heroes , The King of Fighters , Twinkle Star Sprites and Metal Slug ; game software production lasted until 2004, making Neo Geo

2842-587: Was an evolution of an older SNK/Alpha Denshi M68000 arcade platform that was used in Time Soldiers in 1987, further developed in the SNK M68000 hardware platform as used for P.O.W.: Prisoners of War in 1988. Contrary to other popular arcade hardware of the time, the SNK/Alpha Denshi hardware used sprite strips instead of the more common tilemap-based backgrounds. The Neo Geo hardware

2900-444: Was essentially developed by Alpha Denshi 's Eiji Fukatsu, adding sprite scaling through the use of scaling tables stored in ROM as well as support for a much higher amount of data on cartridges and better sound hardware. The system's hardware specifications were finalized in December 1989. Takashi Nishiyama left Capcom , where he had created the fighting game Street Fighter (1987), to join SNK after they invited him to join

2958-420: Was first released in 2012 by TOMMO Inc. After just one year and a lukewarm reception due to its price and poor quality of the emulation, on October 2, 2013, SNK Playmore terminated the license agreement and demanded an immediate cease and desist of distribution and sales of all licensed products. On June 9, 2018, SNK announced the Neo Geo Mini, a miniature sized semi-portable arcade cabinet loosely resembling

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3016-497: Was introduced with the first generation video game console Magnavox Odyssey in 1972, using jumper cards to turn on and off certain electronics inside the console. A modern take on game cartridges was invented by Wallace Kirschner, Lawrence Haskel and Jerry Lawson of Alpex Computer Corporation, first unveiled as part of the Fairchild Channel F home console in 1976. The cartridge approach gained more popularity with

3074-498: Was later enhanced on cartridges with bank switching memory technology, increasing the maximum cartridge size to around 716 megabits. These new cartridges also cause the system to display "Giga Power Pro-Gear Spec" upon startup or during attract mode , indicating this enhancement. The system uses seven different specialist processors , which divide the workload for the visuals, audio and gameplay. RAM : 214 KB SRAM On-board ROM : 512 KB The SNK custom video chipset allows

3132-475: Was later reversed due to high demand and it was released at retail as a luxury console. Adjusted for inflation, it was the most expensive home video game console ever released, costing US$ 649.99 (equivalent to $ 1,454 in 2023). The AES had identical hardware to the MVS, allowing home users to play the games exactly as they were in the arcades; however, cartridges are not inter-compatible due to different physical sizes, meaning that software releases differed for

3190-401: Was more expensive than floppy disks, and the storage capacity was smaller. ROM cartridges and slots were also used for various hardware accessories and enhancements. The widespread usage of the ROM cartridge in video gaming applications has led it to be often colloquially called a game cartridge . ROM cartridges were popularized by early home computers which featured a special bus port for

3248-581: Was planned to be US$ 599 and included two joystick controllers and a game: either Baseball Stars Professional or NAM-1975 . However, the price was raised and its American launch debuted as the Gold System at US$ 649.99 (equivalent to $ 1,454 in 2023). Later, the Gold System was bundled with Magician Lord and Fatal Fury . The Silver System package, launched at US$ 399.99 , included one joystick controller and no pack-in game. Other games were launched at about US$ 200 and up. At double or quadruple

3306-476: Was that optical media could be manufactured in much smaller batches than cartridges; releasing a cartridge video game on the other hand inevitably includes the risk of producing thousands of unsold cartridges. Besides their prominent usage on video game consoles, ROM cartridges have also been used on a small number of electronic musical instruments, particularly electronic keyboards . Yamaha has made several models with such features, with their DX synthesizer in

3364-452: Was then released in Japan on April 26, 1990. Initially, the AES home system was only available for rent to commercial establishments, such as hotel chains, bars and restaurants. When customer response indicated that some gamers were willing to buy a US$ 650 console, SNK expanded sales and marketing into the home console market in 1991. Neo Geo's graphics and sound are largely superior to other contemporary home consoles, computers (such as

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