Neo-Geo CD Review

When the Neo-Geo CD was released in mid-1994 it already had a steep hill to climb. In just a few months time both Sony and Sega would release their hotly anticipated 32-bit CD based machines, capable of pushing impressive 3D polygon based graphics. 3D games were already becoming common place in the arcade by this point with runaway hits like Namco's Ridge Racer and Cyber Sled, and Sega's Virtua Racing, Virtua Fighter 1 and 2, and Daytona USA. While 2D games, especially the burgeoning fighting game genre, were still popular, consumer expectations were shifting due to the brand new experiences these 3D games could provide.

The first production run of the Neo-Geo CD released as a large, bulky, front-loading console with a single-speed CD drive and 56 mega-bits (7 mega bytes) of combined system and video RAM. This first and only production run of front-loading units were limited to less than 30,000 before SNK released an ever so slightly trimmed down, and less expensive to produce top-loading variant for the mass market. The front-loading unit only saw release in Japan, while the rest of the world got the top-loader when it was released worldwide in 1995.

While one can easily assume it was not SNK's aim to compete directly with Sony or Sega, these 32-bit machines were also no slouch when it came to 2D power. Rather than keeping their arcade games tied to their own console to help boost sales, SNK made the baffling decision to port (sometimes in house, I might add) their top grossing arcade games to these new consoles. Basically, over the course of the Neo-Geo CD's life, SNK gave the consumer no real reason to own a Neo-Geo CD unless you wanted to play arcade perfect conversions of pre-1995 Neo-Geo games. Beginning with Fatal Fury 3, Samurai Shodown 3, and King of Fighters 95, the Saturn and Playstation played host to ports of SNK's most popular releases. Despite the lower amount of RAM in the 32-bit machines, these ports were just competent enough that many consumers saw no need for a secondary console to play only their SNK games. What's more, the Saturn could use RAM expansion cartridges that allowed many ports to be almost identical to what was on the Neo-Geo CD. With this type of expandable hardware, the Saturn would go on to house almost arcade perfect conversions of many 2D releases from both Capcom and SNK. 

The Neo-Geo CD's memory design is based on the supposed 330 mega-bit limit of MVS/AES game cartridges. When Neo MVS/AES games began to exceed this memory limit in 1996 the Neo CD struggled to keep up. Despite being designed with a respectable seven mega bytes of RAM, which was a significant amount of memory for the mid-1990's, games that exceeded the 330 meg limit in the arcade would often see cutbacks to fit the game in the confines of the Neo CD's memory. For example, the CD release of 1996's Art of Fighting 3: Path of the Warrior not only saw minor cuts to animation, but it also saw a significant reduction in sprite size which diminished the sprite scaling effects and made the game play slightly differently as a result of the smaller sprite size. Similarly, 1997's beautifully animated fighting game The Last Blade saw more significant cuts in animation in its CD release. 

To make matters worse, the hardware was designed with a single-speed CD drive that produced comparatively longer load times (on average) than the competition's double-speed drives. For some early Neo-Geo games that were under 56 mega bits in size (like League Bowling, for example), the Neo CD would load the entire game on to the console's RAM upfront. For games over 56 megs (generally) the console would load only what it needed for player interaction in the moment. As games grew in size and complexity, loading times became longer and longer. For example: games like the King of Fighters series would have to load in new data after every combatant was defeated in the series' signature three vs three team battle matches. This meant that the game would potentially have a 15-20 second load five times during the course of one match. The word tedious barely does justice to how obnoxious the constant and long loads could become. Thankfully, earlier titles in the library load pretty quickly all things considered, and the notoriously long loads the Neo CD is infamous for really only plagued games that released post 1995.

In order to help counter these long load-times, SNK released a final third revision of the hardware in the form of the CDZ in early 1996. This unit was much more trim and sleek than the other two bulkier models, and it also sported a faster CD drive. While many reports say it is a double-speed drive, that is contested. According to threads at Neo-Geo.com, SNK upgraded the data bus and memory cache which allowed for a slightly faster transfer rate - so, it's more like a 1.5x speed drive rather than a true double-speed drive. While load times were still long, late release games had their load times seemingly cut in half from the single-speed units. Unfortunately, this hardware variant released only in Japan, and in small quantities to boot. In the modern era, the CDZ is the most sought after hardware variant of the Neo CD, and the unit has more than held its value over the last 25 years. 

Despite being the more budget friendly console of the Neo-Geo line, the Neo CD saw some substantial output upgrades over the AES. Along with retaining the same multi-av out of the AES and supporting RGB SCART right out of the box, SNK also added dedicated stereo AV outs and even a dedicated s-video out, which was a god send in the 90's. The crisp video output of s-video was a significant step above the composite video used in most consumer electronics of the day. While not quite as crisp as RGB, it was a nice touch. 

To help entice people to look at the Neo CD as a viable system to own along side one of the more robust consoles of the day, SNK ensured that the Neo CD had a few exclusives to call its own. Sadly, those exclusives were not exactly system sellers. Games like Crossed Swords 2 and Power Spike 2 were games nobody asked for or really wanted. And even higher profile exclusive games, like the Saurus developed shmup Brikriger, were released in such small quantities only in Japan that few people paid any mind. The only game that could have moved a few more units for SNK was 1997's Samurai Shodown RPG. But development troubles along with rising development costs forced SNK to release this game day and date on both the Saturn and Playstation along side the Neo CD version. It's also a middling game at best.

While it isn't a big selling point for most folks, there are some exclusive features SNK added to most CD releases. First up are the arranged soundtracks. Many games include a Redbook audio soundtrack that is streamed directly from the CD while playing. Some people enjoy these arrangements, as many of them are quite good. But, arcade purists scoff at the idea of listening to anything other than the original arcade music. SNK also included bonus features in some games like unlockable concept art, secret endings, or other goodies not available on the cartridge based releases. An example of this is a really neat pixel art music video called Blue Mary's Blues that is accessed when you complete the arcade mode in Real Bout Fatal Fury Special. 

If a lack of exclusive software wasn't bad enough, many Neo-Geo arcade games never saw release on the Neo CD. Expensive, hard to find games on the AES like Blazing Star never saw the light of day on the Neo CD. What's more, SNK stopped supporting the Neo CD completely in 1999 after ending production of the console in 1997 alongside the AES. Some of the hardware's best games from the late 90's, like Garou: Mark of the Wolves, would never see release on the Neo CD. As many people know, the Neo-Geo MVS and AES were supported through 2004, so there are almost six years worth of Neo-Geo games that were never released on CD. This includes fan favorite games like Power Instinct: Matrimelee, Metal Slug X through Metal Slug 5, and the Samurai Shodown V series among many others. To the Neo CD's credit, it did see the release of some MVS arcade games that never made it to the AES. Taito's Puzzle Bobble and Visco's Neo Driftout, both excellent games, only saw release in the arcade and on the Neo CD but not the AES. 

I don't think anyone would consider the Neo CD a failure. That said, there are numerous drawbacks to the console that plagued the system in the 90's, and those same drawbacks still turn people away today. From the finicky hardware, long load times, stunted library, and compromised games due to memory constraints, the Neo CD is a hard sell to most people wanting the full Neo-Geo experience.

Thankfully, the modern retro game community has created a saving grace for the Neo CD that makes it a more compelling piece of hardware. There is an SD card solution you can purchase and install in the two single-speed units that replaces the disc drive. This will not only speed up loading by a considerable amount, it also replaces the piece of hardware most likely to fail over time - the CD drive. While a lot can be said for this hardware saving device, you are still restricted by the other inherent drawbacks of the CD console. Sadly, there is no such solution for the CDZ unit as of the time of this writing. 

Still, the Neo CD is a neat curio in the modern retro game community. While I won't recommend the console as a stand-alone Neo-Geo solution if you want to get into the community and the hardware, it is a great addition to an established Neo-Geo AES or MVS collection. 

If you don't want to spend big-tymer bucks on an AES or MVS library, you have a litany of options. From SNK's own mini-console solutions, the Hamster ACA Neo-Geo series on digital storefronts, and even the MiSTER FPGA solution or emulation, there is no small amount of ways to play Neo-Geo games in the modern era that will not require you to sell your organs on the black market. I recommend you explore those options before diving into the messy, and mostly disappointing world of the Neo CD. In my over 25 year experience with the Neo-Geo hardware and community, history shows that most people that dive into the Neo CD before exploring other options eventually sell the console and their games due to all the drawbacks I mentioned above. 

The Neo CD has certainly earned a special place in the annals of video game history. But as a primary device for actually playing these classic games in the 21st century, your money is better off appropriated elsewhere.