NeoGeo AES+: SNK announces reissue of retro console without emulation

fooqux

FYI, SNK is owned by Mohammed bin Salman. I think I'll pass giving them a single cent.

lamasery

The main problem with playing older games in a modern media-hardware environment is the screen. You've got the problem that lots of them look worse, or even outright wrong (see: transparency-layering effects on things like Sonic the Hedgehog) on anything but a real CRT without some serious shader work. This is also true of older TV shows, to some extent, incidentally, especially if the only sources available are things like broadcast rips. Then problem #2 with the display (mostly) is latency. Those CRTs were fast . Even 50ms of rendering latency is noticeable on a some of the console games that require very-precise input timing. You get emulation latency (this may avoid that by using ASICs, at least); input latency above what the original hardware had, if you're not using the real thing (bluetooth...); any picture-conversion latency (this might avoid that, but I wouldn't bet on it) to digitize the signal into HDMI if you're working with real hardware with analog outputs; TVs that struggle to get under 50ms of latency, especially without making the picture look a ton worse; and then shader-induced latency if you're trying to make it look semi-correct. Like, getting it down to where it doesn't feel wrong is tricky as hell.

IronBacon

One can buy right now a MISTerFPGA from aliexpress for around €150 and that can emulate both MVS and AES. On this side of the pond, a VGA to SCART cable is all that's required to connect it to a CRT TV. If instead one want the real HW, a working MVS PCB can be found for less that €100. A JAMMA cabinet would be the perfect place to use it, but with a supergun a CRT TV can give the same results. Cheap superguns can be found or built for around €30, fancy models can cost between €200 to €300 tho. The carts aren't cheap tho, specially if original. I've only a battered "Puzzle Bobble" cart, it's a really fun game in PvP, but probably not the more iconic NeoGeo title.

ndiddy

Assuming this is well done, it's an extremely cool product. The original Neo Geo systems and cartridges are ridiculously expensive on the used market and bootlegs are rampant. Even though they're charging $90/cartridge, that's still thousands of dollars less than what a lot of these games go for used. The biggest concern I have is accuracy. SNK wouldn't be able to just start manufacturing their old chip designs from the 90s again because a lot of the chips in the Neo Geo from other companies are no longer made, such as the 68000, Z80, and YM2610. This means that they'd have to make a new SoC that incorporates the IP from those chips. At that point there's no real benefit to the ASIC over an FPGA. It means the system costs less to produce, but if they find any inaccuracies in their new SoC design they won't be able to release an update to fix them. I'm cautiously optimistic, but I'm not going to place a pre-order until they release more details about what exactly is going on under the hood.

bityard

NeoGeo! The system I will always remember as having fun fighting games in the arcade with a home console that only kids with "status symbol" money could afford...

platevoltage

This is kind of cool, but is there an actual market for this? I kind of understand the Analogue FPGA based N64 systems that were released given that there are a lot of people with N64 carts lying around their house, but who just has a bunch NeoGeo carts besides collectors? I guess a multicart is an option, but at that point, why not just go with MiSTer?

bigtex

Just a shout out to Incredible Universe that was stupid/smart (you pick) for putting a Neo Geo on display to allow us to play arcade quality games for free. There would be a small line inside the Video Games sections of kids queueing up to play World Heroes.Fun memories.