Neo Geo X – Is it worth it?
The Neo Geo is an extremely prestigious console. Is the NGX worthy?
This article was written before the Neo Geo X was released, but my expectations have been totally met. You can check out my full video review of the system here.
I’ve been ‘trying’ to follow the Neo Geo X project for a while. When I first heard about the system I signed up for notifications both on neogeox.com and from a prospective reseller. After months of not hearing anything and having totally forgotten about the system, I stumbled across it again with pre-orders open, release dates, a finalised list of games and actual product shots. I was a bit bummed this is how I found out about the system, but so excited about seeing the complete product that I justified the purchase immediately and threw my money into a pre-order for the Neo Geo X Gold and an extra arcade stick; I didn’t need any convincing.
When I first heard about the system I had some doubts. Rumours were flying around that it was going to cost $600 – $800 and only product shots of the handheld existed, nothing at the time mentioned the docking station and arcade stick. It seemed like an interesting concept but I never thought I’d be throwing money at this thing before it was even available.
The Neo Geo X looks like a pretty sweet package, but it’s pretty obvious it’s aimed at a certain type of audience, pretty much retro enthusiasts who know they want this system; The Neo Geo X will be a love or hate product and it’s obvious why.
01. SNK Games are Old.
The biggest factor is that a lot of SNK games are readily available on SNK compilations for other consoles, through the PSN store and Virtual Console. If you choose to emulate the Neo Geo on your PC, you can have it all for free; AES, CD and MVS.
I have nothing against emulation, it helps keeps the memories of old systems alive and helps gamers reconnect with those nostalgic feelings. There are a few issues with emulation though, especially when it comes to arcade styled games… It can be very lonely. Emulation on a computer or on a handheld like the Dingoo and PSP tend to limit the players to one. Secondly, you don’t get to use the original controllers which for a lot of systems, that’s a total deal breaker.
I haven’t personally used the Virtual Console system on the Wii, but I have used the PSN store to check out a few retro classics. When my PS3’s wifi stopped working, I sent it away to get it repaired. When I got the system back, I lost all my downloaded games and because I got them through a promotion at the time, PSN wouldn’t let me re-download the games without paying. Same thing happened when I bought Earthworm Jim for my phone. Phone died and I lost the game, got the phone back a few weeks later and Microsoft store refused to acknowledge I purchased the game previously. I’m not interested in buying games digitally, there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to play them when services go down and I like to think that simple hardware (like that found in the Neo Geo X) will be more reliable than my PS3 or mobile phone.
The last way to play heaps of SNK’s catalogue cheaply, is through compilation discs. There’s been plenty across a few different consoles and they’re a really great cheap option. I actually picked up the Metal Slug anthology for Wii, and I thought it was a great find but it does highlight a few of the problems. With compilation discs you don’t get to use the original controllers. Metal Slug using Wii controllers works okay, but there’s a few quirks. Secondly, compilation discs are restricted by demand and licensing. The Metal Slug Collection only has Metal Slug, I can’t go out and find a compilation disc with Sengoku 3, Spinmaster, Ironclad, Metal Slug and Waku Waku 7. It’s hard to organise the rights for certain games and combine them all in one awesome package. By buying the Neo Geo X system I might not have any guarantee that these games will be released, but the odds seem higher then finding them on a compilation.
02. The Cost!?
The Neo Geo AES wasn’t cheap system and that’s obvious now more than ever. I went the Neo Geo CD route, but even then I’ve probably spent over $600 on the system with a bunch of games. You can’t really compare the cost of an AES or CD system with the Neo Geo X anymore (even though plenty of people have tried) but the standalone handheld looks like it’ll cost around the $130 mark with 20 games pre-installed. That’s a fair amount of dough, but there’s not a lot of competition in this price bracket (in Australia anyway). The PSP seems like the closest in terms of price ($140) and I’m a massive fan of the PSP but the Neo Geo X will be fulfilling a different, more casual need.
I bought the Neo Geo X Gold Edition ($215 posted to Australia) with an extra Arcade Stick ($65), which means I spent $280 on my Neo Geo system. It was this or the PSVita, and I thought about which one I’d probably play more and decided it wasn’t a contest. For $280 I got a machine that plays like a Neo Geo AES, complete with controllers and when I want to pack it up to go, it comes right out of the docking station. I know I love SNK’s games, and it’s going to be hard for them to let me down. The PSVita made me nervous whereas the Neo Geo X had me really excited.
$280 for the package like this won’t be agreeable for everyone, and that’s fine. For everything you get, it’s either a bargain or a total ripoff.
My Decision
The Neo Geo X was my Christmas present (Which, after delays, I won’t get till halfway through January). I was after a handheld I could take overseas, but when I got home I could load it up on my TV and use it like a console; something I can take on the train everyday. The Neo Geo X package itself looked really cool, but it was the arcade stick controllers that really sold me. The handheld on its own seemed like a good idea, but I know first-hand that SNK games are just not as fun on your own.
It’s not a great value system but I guess the sales for this system will be fueled by nostalgia or by people like me who have fallen in love with the games and remember the era well, but were deprived of Neo Geo the first time. The Neo Geo is something we never got here in Australia (not like I could have afforded it anyway), but I still felt invested enough to part with my money to own this before a Vita or a WiiU, and I don’t add new systems lightly.
I have got my fingers crossed that SNK releases some game cards in the coming months. I’ve been really holding out for a way to play Sengoku 3 and Waku Waku 7 on reliable hardware. The first 21 games on the Neo Geo X are good, but it’d be great seeing games like Shock Troopers, Spinmasters, Art of Fighting 3, Ironclad, Pulstar, Last Blade 2 and Robot Army make their way to the handheld… Games that have been prohibitive on the Neo Geo CD due to price, availability or loading times. I’m genuinely excited about collecting a few game cards to make this new system a really well rounded experience.
Does this mean I’ll be selling my Neo Geo CD and moving over to the Neo Geo X from now on? No, just means my Neo Geo CD will get a break. I like to think the Neo Geo X will largely compliment my Neo Geo CD collection, especially in the realm of fighting titles. There’s something really nice owning the original hardware, even if an AES is out of reach for me financially. I’m sure a lot of people going out to buy the Neo Geo X have an AES sitting under their TV’s with a handful of games.
I look forward to loading games from a game card instead of booting from a disc while still having an authentic Neo Geo experience without needing to take out a loan.
[Update: I have now sold the Neo Geo CD after purchasing a Magic SD Card adapter for the Neo Geo X. If you are planning on only sticking to the official game card releases, you may want to consider holding onto your Neo Geo CD and/or AES]
