NEOGEO X Gold Pre-Orders Now Available
For anyone unfamiliar with the original Neo Geo and its lineage, let us take a brief jump back to the 1990s, when Nirvana dominated the charts, new episodes of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air were a commodity, and there existed more slap bracelets than anyone knew what to do with. During such magical times, SNK, the developers of the Neo Geo family, released several hardware configurations for arcade machines, home consoles, and even handhelds.
While SNK was quite successful with their arcade cabinets, their home console was never more than a pipe dream for many consumers for one simple reason; an exorbitant cost. Venturebeat.com has assembled a wonderful chart showing the launch price of different consoles, as well as the adjusted cost for 2012 which takes inflation into account.
The infographic shows that Neo Geo claims the throne as being the most expensive console to date, at an astounding $1,146 launch price. After this magnificent price tag, the obvious next step is to buy games, which only pushed the console further out of reach from most consumers. However, in celebration of the 20th anniversary since the release of the original Neo Geo AES, SNK has announced the December 6 release of the NEOGEO X Gold.
Obsessive use of capitals aside, the NEOGEO X comes with 20 of the most well-known and beloved titles pre-installed on the handheld, including Metal Slug, Samurai Showdown 2, and Fatal Fury: King of Fighters. The full list of titles can be found on the official NEOGEO X website. There is an expansion slot for NEOGEO X cartridges for more games, however there is no information available as to which titles will be released or how much they will cost.
The NEOGEO X handheld. Image via neogeox.com.
The handheld itself features a 4.3” screen which, unfortunately, hinders the battery life, leaving 3-4 hours of continuous play. However, the NEOGEO X Gold bundle comes with a docking station that is a replica of the original Neo Geo AES home console, which is used to recharge the handheld as well as providing two ports, an HDMI and an A/V, to connect the station to your home television. Combine this with an official NEOGEO X arcade stick and you are able to recreate a true arcade feel, especially when considering the ability to play multiplayer using the arcade sticks.
NEOGEO X Gold bundle. Image via neogeox.com.
Despite what seems to be a great bundle, there are some detractors. The biggest hurdle for most consumers will most likely be the $199.99 price for the limited edition NEOGEO X Gold bundle that comes with one additional game, Ninja Master’s (yes, with the apostrophe). The lack of information about future game releases, and costs, should be something to be considered as well. Ultimately, the NEOGEO X is not meant for the average consumer, and is focusing on collectors and those suffering from severe cases of nostalgia. Clearly SNK is dedicated to making a high quality product, and if you have an interest in this, pre-orders are now available for its December 6th release through Amazon or Gamestop.
