Neo Geo X Console Review
This system has taken a bit of flak upon release but is it a good way to play Neo Geo games?
Finally got my hands on this, the Neo Geo X. I ordered my Neo Geo X Gold through Amazon US and it didn’t arrive until 2 days after I was out of the country for a month of holidays. It was a long wait, but getting back to Australia and finding my Neo Geo X was really exciting.
So I covered a lot of my thoughts about the system (before I got it) in my article Neo Geo X: Is it worth it? After getting the system, I haven’t changed my mind. The games are old, the system is expensive and for anyone looking to play Neo Geo games, there’s probably easier/cheaper ways (compilation discs, virtual console).
I can say the Neo Geo X is a fantastic homage to the original Neo Geo AES and certainly has a place among fans of the system (like myself) who didn’t just want to play games, but wanted to experience some of that SNK magic.
The Neo Geo X handheld is a cool idea and it feels really well built, but I struggle a little with it’s size. The screen is massive, but the buttons are a little too stylishly small. The main selling point for me was the Neo Geo X arcade sticks and being able to dock it and use it like a console. The handheld experience is a very lonesome one and Neo Geo games just aren’t built to be played solitary.
The 21 bundled games are fine, they’re pretty much all gems (haven’t played the sports ones yet), but I’m really holding out for some less popular games (Sengoku 3, Ironclad, Roboarmy, Waku Waku 7) and I can’t fully recommend this system until I know that there’s going to be some good game releases and not just those typical games that appear on every compilation disc.
I’m really pleased with my Neo Geo X, and I’m sure nearly everyone who dropped money on it is. There’s a lot to like here but obviously it’s not going to be a system for everyone. There’s much cheaper ways to play Neo Geo games but emulation or compilations can’t compare with having the system for me.