Neo Geo AES back in the day

um7y1h83ge06nx

This might make an interesting thread.

Last night I was on archive.org and looking at some old GamePro magazines from the early/mid 90's, an US magazine.

It made me think that apart from that mag I probably would have been oblivious to the existence of the AES back then. They used to give pretty decent coverage to the Neo Geo, both the MVS and AES systems I remember all the SNK/Neo Geo machines and attract screens in the arcade but the console was a real rarity. I never saw the machine or games in any shop and didn't know anyone that had one at the time. Of course the main barrier was the ridiculous cost of hardware and software.

Even since I have only met one person that owned an AES back then, an old work colleague in Limerick.

So what was your awareness of the AES console back then? What it one of mystery like me? Even better were you one of the privileged people that owned one?

Retr0gamer

I knew it existed because the Gamesworld magazine (or whatever the Sky Gamesmaster knock off was called) would cover the games since Dave Perry was on the staff and he loved his fighters. Also EGM would cover the games and I did see a Neo Geo CD advert in magazines and really wanted one.

However I never actually seen one in Ireland. It might have only been available in the UK and you have to remember that at the time of the consoles release Ireland was in a deep recession period and it wouldn't have went down well considering we were all still pirating games on 16 and 8 bit home computers.

um7y1h83ge06nx

Retr0gamer wrote: »

However I never actually seen one in Ireland. It might have only been available in the UK and you have to remember that at the time of the consoles release Ireland was in a deep recession period and it wouldn't have went down well considering we were all still pirating games on 16 and 8 bit home computers.

Absolutely, when I first saw the price of a game in a mag I thought it was a mistake, mind boggling for a kid. I really need to bump into that colleague and see where the hell he got his console and games. Also to see if he still has it and if it is cluttering up his house. I could take it off his hands.

I forgot that EGM used to give it decent coverage too.

I presume specialist game importers or mail order were the only avenues here - never saw one in Smyth's, Game, Quinnsworth or Dunnes.

The Last Bandit

We rarely saw anything that wasn't a Mastertronic cassette as kids..

o1s1n

A guy I know had one back in the day. Tried to get him to sell it to me about 15 years ago. No luck unfortunately!

geotrig

Vihaan Uptight Self-sacrifice wrote: »

This might make an interesting thread.

Last night I was on archive.org and looking at some old GamePro magazines from the early/mid 90's, an US magazine.

It made me think that apart from that mag I probably would have been oblivious to the existence of the AES back then. They used to give pretty decent coverage to the Neo Geo, both the MVS and AES systems I remember all the SNK/Neo Geo machines and attract screens in the arcade but the console was a real rarity. I never saw the machine or games in any shop and didn't know anyone that had one at the time. Of course the main barrier was the ridiculous cost of hardware and software.

Even since I have only met one person that owned an AES back then, an old work colleague in Limerick.

So what was your awareness of the AES console back then? What it one of mystery like me? Even better were you one of the privileged people that owned one?

Yeah knew of it ,but it was a teenage boys wet dream back then ...nearly mythical.

I'm almost certain as far as I remember "the Vic" had some upstairs bitd for a brief bit ,it was when they had a console section upstairs briefly ,it was with the other consoles snes /md mainly but I think there was 2/3 there anyway ...I was content with all the neo arcades downstairs though so only ventured up there once when I saw it .... It was dark so could have been a jaguar :pac:

Also I don't think they had many carts for them

um7y1h83ge06nx

I doubt we'll ever see such a bat-sh*t crazy console again, even in a worldwide economic boom it would be a niche console.

And I thought £70 for Street Fighter 2 Turbo was bad!

Cantstandsya

Another here who was aware of it from that Sky games show. Also, it was often featured as the uber prize for those kids' phone in competitions so it always had this sort of mythical place in my (and others) imagination... That games console that I've never seen but is higher on the prize list than a SNES with a load of games?

I remember seeing it in the flesh for the first time. The nostalgia shivers went down my spine. Never bought one though. It always seemed slightly ridiculous what with the price and the size of the console/carts.

Kimbot

I seen one for sale in Smyths in Tallaght years ago..... it was on the top shelf for a long long time and one day someone bought it.... i was jealous

o1s1n

It's such a shame the prices are so insane as it would be a lovely console to collect for.

I used MVS carts with mine but it's just not the same really.

geotrig

but it is :pac:


I know what you mean ...... I cant ever see me getting anymore carts for it too damn expensive

I was watching "bad attitude" on youtube and they were talking about it.
crazy prices!

this youtube channel is great
https://www.youtube.com/user/DynamiteHeaddy

Duggy747

I was obsessed with everything to do with Neo Geo growing up, the startup jingle on every game is pretty much the theme to my arcade years :P

If I saw the red cab in the arcades it was the 1st one I eyed up to see what games were loaded on it.

The AES was like the illusive console only the richest kings of Europe could afford :pac: Always saw it and it's games in the adverts in back pages of game mags going for prices that were just pure insanity.

Never knew anyone who had the console, let alone anybody who even knew it existed. Still don't know anybody who has the console or who has come across one and I've actually never seen the console in the flesh either.

Back then, I couldn't imagine how someone would pay the guts of £200 for a fighting game like Fatal Fury 2 (even though I really liked the series). The whole thing was fascinating and they got good mileage out of it right up until 2004.

o1s1n

Yeah I used to love playing the big 6 slot Electrocoin Neo Geo cabs, was mad about Metal Slug - didn't know the AES existed until years after that.

The console itself is odd, it looks lovely but I always found it feels way lighter than you expect. It cheapens it a tad. As we all know, heavier stuff feels more expensive

Love the original stick, buttons are a little bit too loose though.

Corholio

First time I saw it was on Games Master as well, although I don't remember too much of it as The Games Mistress had stolen my youthful heart She was never Jet to me!

CiDeRmAn

Corholio wrote: »

First time I saw it was on Games Master as well, although I don't remember too much of it as The Games Mistress had stolen my youthful heart She was never Jet to me!

I trust the swelling in your wrist went down in due course...

smurf492

Saw this in the game mags of the time. A young teenage boys dream but the price of both console and games meant it would not even register on the buying list...anybody get the neo geo x and is it any good for folks on a budget?...