Rise and Fall of SNK Neo Geo - G4 Icons Documentary

[@shaolinknuckles7798]

Me and my kid brother still play KOF 1996-2002 hours on end to this day. SNK will forever have our undying respect

[@devmiles]

In 2015 i can still say SNK put out some of the best 2d fighters ever. I could only dream of a Neo-Geo when i was young but finally got a MVS and a Sega Blast city around 2010. I do have a nice collection of MVS cards and am still impressed every time i play them. The smoothness, the animation, the sounds and controls .. topnotch!

[@jeremyjohnson8844]

Emulation.

[@redacted428]

2023 and this is still true

[@supravista]

`Neo Geo was the freaking amazing system that your friend's friend from a different neighborhood knew of someone with one.

[@almostliterally593]

supravista i have one!

[@legbert123]

I had a friend who had a neo console with a dozen games who sold it for a 3do with 1 game. He wasnt my friend anymore.

[@immediamalcoccinello483]

+1

[@Rackatiakka]

And they were always lying!

[@DraculaXHunter101]

This was the documentary that made me fall in love with SNK back then. Thanks again G4.

[@xk4l1br3]

Neo Geo was light years beyond anything anyone had experienced at the time, it's really a shame that they werent able to dominate the market simply because of cost. They could very well be a martket leader today.

[@soylentgreenb]

No, it really wasn't. Arcade-wise it was bog-standard; but cost less for owners to operate due to the cartridge system. The Neo geo AES (home console version released in mid 1991 that competed against home computers and consoles) did one thing well and exactly one thing: sprite based games; which more often than not meant arcadey sorts of games. The CPU was a bog standard 12 MHz motorola 68000. CPU-wise it was slower than an amiga 3000 and *much* slower than a bog standard IBM PC. A little over half a year after the Neo Geo AES, ultima underworld for the PC had fully textured 3d, in real time, ability to look up and down, slanted walls, slanted floors, jumping, level over level (e.g. bridges). Now that's new; the first immersive game ever made. What the Neo geo AES did was more of the same; more sprites, more colours, bigger sprites. OK I guess. But there was nothing particularly advanced about it that Nintendo, Sega or whomever else could not do if they designed a system with expensive cartridges and expensive components.

[@edgarsanmartinjr.4278]

They have a lot of hidden gems in that system, the whole library is top tier

[@nykraftlemagnifique]

Neo Geo in arcade is nothing than more than a low cost machine ! Well design for it's era but it's low cost arcade machine. His image of "rolls royce of console" came with AES version ... and it was intelligent to bring a rich image with a consolized version of a low cost arcade machine. In fact, MVS was and stay the most popular arcade system in the world but in console market, SNK never be the leader ... when you have a Super Nes with Mario or Fzero and nothing like that on a Neo Geo ... etc ...

[@nykraftlemagnifique]

Compare Neo Geo MVS with other arcade system like CPS1 or other ... it's not the most powerfull ... and there was a lot of arcade system who was better than the MVS but they don't have a bigger life time ...

[@eben2822]

I miss G4 so much. Sure we have Polaris and Machinima, but it's nothing like turning on the TV and watching great video game content. It's just not the same.

[@godzilla7391]

Yep. I was crushed when they shut down. It would be awesome if another network started a video game. channel . My favorite was Icons. It was so informative

[@Starsoulklr]

Honestly I don't: TechTV was awesome where this documentary aired originally then after they merged together most of TechTV vanished except X Play. Eventually it got to the point that they aired marathons of Cops which was at the point I knew the channel was gone. One of the only good things that came out the last year of G4 was Sasuke getting aired leading to American Ninja Warrior.

[@joesalgadSF415]

@@Starsoulklr I’m with you I remembered getting up early and watched Chris Pirillo before I left for school and since I live in San Francisco I was so lucky to go to their little studio while they were live filming screen savers that’s were I met the whole gang. Leo, Kevin, Suchin, Michaela, Erica, Patrick and of course Morgan Webb.

[@lisaparker271]

This is what G4 needed to bring back when it returned, not just random streams.

[@homejonny9326]

I lived the time when I had a super nes, bought on release, and a neo geo was 600 dollars cost. Games was 200 dollars cost. So, that console was so far from my capabilities. Now, I have all neo geo games, for free, saved in a simple memory stick. Holly shit, times has definetly changed haha

[@DJDanceClassic]

+The Mighty Megalink 53R910 15 73H 1337 HAHAHA

[@breadman5306]

bless. lol

[@bunnyfreakz]

Free? You mean rom. Off course, that's piracy

[@DJDanceClassic]

PIRACY IS GOOD. THERE ARE MORONS WHO PAY £5000 UP FOR SNK CARTS WHERE A 161 CART WITH ALL GAMES IN $90. OR BETTER DOWNLOAD FOR FREE. SNK COLLECTORS ARE SNOBIST IDIOT MORON ELITIST WITH MORE MONEY THAN BRAIN

[@instanthellmurderer]

sergio trajano ditto.

[@zacotb]

What is amazing is SNK supporting the original Neo Geo till 2004!

[@Bristecom]

I highly respect the company for that. Sure, it may have cost a lot more than other consoles but they supported it for as long as they could so they got what they paid for.

[@somethingsomething9008]

No it was discounted in 1997 they were just offering repairs and releasing a game

[@quincy8634]

@@somethingsomething9008 that’s technical support, the Neo Geo AES discontinued in 2004.

[@h.m.5724]

@@somethingsomething9008 it had a 14 year run from 1990 to 2004 stop arguing if you don't know the facts

[@AWG59]

What's more impressive is that the MVS system is still used in locations to this day.

[@vividleo]

Growing up I was all about capcom games but past 20 years or so I’ve been all the way obsessed with SNK cool art cool graphics cool characters

[@hansolo2643]

I was a teen when this system was big, and I knew maybe 1-2 people who had it. Most kids would have flipped to have it, but we all knew the system was a rich kids system so we just played them in the arcade. I wonder where SNK would have been if they had came in with a $350 price tag and $75-$100 games. I wonder if publishers would have flocked to them and if they would have challenged Nintendo like Sony.

[@bryguysays2948]

NEO GEO was good, wish I had it when I was younger...But as a teenager, $600 bucks was A LOT of money.

[@WeskerXM96E1]

Yeah i hear that, i used to do 3 paper rounds a week and still couldn't afford it!

[@shymickey6]

I had two!

[@datanotfoundpleasetryagain3559]

Life of SNK - Hey! C'mon, c'mon! Death of SNK - How about... One KOF every year? Resurrection of SNK - BURN IT ON THE INSIDE! WHOAOAOA, WHOOOA! STAND UP!

[@mexicangoose6461]

Hahahahahaha someone give this guy a beer :v

[@therealmakmillion]

Adjusted for inflation, the Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System would be about $1,250 USD in 2022, and each game cartridge between $417 USD and $521 USD. Let that sink in..

[@remixchild]

They didn’t get beat in the west… They dug their own grave

[@sparkfirehot]

I remember playing Fatal fury, Samauri showdown and art of fighting at the arcades and maaaan those games were fucking amazing 🔥🔥🔥🔥.

[@TheKayliedGamerChannel-YouTube]

I remember playing them in my parents home in 1994.... Awesome

[@Real_The_Goof]

I miss G4.... youtube gaming should bring back ICONS..

[@huldu]

Not just the console was expensive, the games were ridiculously expensive at that time. I don't know anyone at the time that owned one of the consoles. I'll give them that the graphics were insane compared to the competition at the time.

[@azzamatic4190]

I knew one kid who owned all the games and conoles, his family also owned 5 mansions and there own beach

[@tunkunrunk]

+huldu at the time high capacity storage chips didn't exist , they would have made snk cartrige price low. and I think they could have tried to make 2D games on the hyper neo geo 64 with 3D backgrounds

[@Hellwyck]

THEIR

[@jonniefast]

people even TODAY do not own the aes lol im the only mvs owner i know besides my friend- ive been playing vidya since the early 90s in all my years of collecting i only have a handful of neogeo carts 🥹 BUT I JUST GOT BLAZING STAR ✨ as far as im concerned i beat the game of life lol

[@hippocrates72]

Impressive insight into SNK's history... ...basically, if they had used a *2x CD-ROM drive* they'd probably be among market leaders today...

[@zangardo3937]

snk is still a shadow to this very day.

[@nateg452]

Thank you so much for preserving this!

[@SRPC21]

My Neo Geo Pocket arrived yesterday so I can't wait to play my first SNK console for the first time soon :).

[@gertrudemcfuzz74]

I always wondered why Dan's fireball was so puny and he was so worthless in SF. You learn something everyday!

[@metfan4l]

Thanks for uploading this.

[@VideoArmageddon]

Content like this was one of the few reasons I liked G4. I'm Glad they made alot of them.

[@jeenkzk5919]

God! I miss G4tv!

[@CUEBALL424]

Baseball Stars and Crystalis are two of my top 5 games I love for the NES. SNK was/is a beast! I also bought a NEO GEO X about a year ago for just over 100 bucks, I look on Amazon now and they are over 500?! So glad I got one!

[@Shinobi6407]

This is one of the best episodes of this show. But it shows what expensive, unaffordable hardware can do to a company.

[@AverageJoe777]

SNK was truly the gamers company, they built what we liked. Shame they've been through so much.

[@Jack_Horner_is_a_hero]

They're doing extremely well now though. KOF XV is great, new Fatal Fury in the works after almost 20 years, KOF XIII is getting re released with rollback, Samurai Shodown is getting rollback, hell even Capcom is interested in another crossover fighter with SNK

[@AverageJoe777]

@@Jack_Horner_is_a_hero A good sign for SNKs comeback.

[@virtualpinball5065]

I still continue playing this game on a original MVS with original games

[@d-d-i]

Neo-Geo CD, it could have been great console with proper 3rd party support, faster CD-drive and more focus into 3D capabilities as well. It looked to be very well build and designed console, controller looked really comfortable and high quality, as the console itself.

[@Toylympics]

$200 per game. And now you can get a whole pile of their games in the SNK Mini thingy.

[@arigat-s0244]

Neo-Geo CD: Worst loading time in Gaming History. Sonic 06: Hold my beer..

[@HsienKoMeiLingFormerYANG]

*Hold my chilly dog...Bomberman.

[@unholydanger]

13:17 Capcom made Dan a joke of SNK's Ryo for copying Ryu and Ken but later on Capcom copied SNK's Orochi Iori and made Evil Ryu and Violent Ken . The real joke is Capcom.

[@rerolol]

And then there's Rugal.

[@TheKayliedGamerChannel-YouTube]

Capcom dug for treasure .. SNK found it 😉 lol

[@chadthedad03]

$600 a console, and $250 a game, for $850 total? Ridiculous. That was a SNES , a Sega Genesis, and 9 games. Maybe that's why I haven't meet 1 single person who ever owned a NEO GEO.

[@OtomoTenzi]

That's why SNK was kept alive only in the arcades; it would've never been able to compete successfully in the home console market... Even if the systems were FAR inferior to the Neo Geo!

[@remixchild]

@@OtomoTenziin japan

[@OtomoTenzi]

@@remixchild Yes, much like how the Saturn did OK like only in Japan and perhaps in the UK mostly.

[@Meatballer]

tbh snk is a very good game company who truly dedicates their efforts for true gamers..... Snk>Capcom Always^^

[@shawnmacdonald9722]

Back in the day, Capcom dominated the industry like no other. Most Capcom games had good graphics, tight controls, phenomenal gameplay. Now they are a shell of their former self, Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil 2 remake, Mega Man 11 are a step in the right direction.

[@moisturisedgnome1181]

Back in school my best pal had a snes , I had a megadrive. We would go to local arcades, and the Neo Geo console was this mythical unicorn that we could only imagine; we'd never seen one, import only, obscene price tag for the console and carts. Amazing machine, great times

[@prettytone2089]

Anytime I seen that red neo Geo cab as a kid out shopping with my mom I had to spend some bread!

[@PedroDelgado724]

I fell asleep watching a tutorial on beating a dark souls boss and woke up to this with my phone burning in my hand

[@deanforbes8393]

Right, as far as one on one fighting games go, you can't beat 2D graphics. As a fan, I would prefer it if SNK/Playmore stuck to 2D but just improved on the graphics, like they did with the Last Blade series. Also, they should have made more 2D scolling fighting games, like Final Fight or Double Dragon for example. They did Burning Fight but that was terrible. They should have made more platform games as well.

[@chilloutmusicfungamer2144]

Never had one back in the day but have played the games and they look great

[@Disthron]

You know, the Sega Genesis was banking on bringing the Arcade experience home as well. I think it was a bit more successful, as it had games people could afford.

[@TheKayliedGamerChannel-YouTube]

Less successful with it (Genesis) being Arcade perfect mind ....

[@humansrants1694]

Genesis was not arcade perfect but the neo Geo was.

[@Disthron]

@@humansrants1694 True, but people could afford to buy the Genesis, most couldn't afford the Neo Geo

[@cyberbird8683]

Snk is probably the reason I never took drugs or make shitty stuff when I was a kid. I was too bussy trying to be the best in the current Kof in my town

[@OtomoTenzi]

It was truly advanced for its time... All of that powerful arcade hardware; crammed into a relatively compact 3-piece home console!

[@rerolol]

May Dan Hibiki always lives on in the heart of SNK fanboys.

[@neogamer331]

Many factors for poor sales of NeoGeo consoles. Fighting games while at its peak, doesn't have much single player value. RPGs and platformers were also huge back then and the system lacked varieties.

[@bgarry77]

Wow i cant believe i missed this episode on G4 back in the day!!! I loved this system....

[@MM0SDK]

My dream console as a kid that never came true. Graphics were simply the very best you could get, but the games were £100 upwards.

[@supravista]

Neo Geo was the freaking amazing system that your friend's friend from a different neighborhood knew of someone with one.

[@MM0SDK]

supravista​ That's exactly what it was like. Here in the UK it was normally a friend's cousin that lives in America that had the Neo Geo. Never did get to see one in the flesh, just magazines (no internet).

[@supravista]

***** yup that's about it lol

[@punypoppy9147]

I remember when i first saw Neo Geo in one games conference aeons ago, i forgot how long ago but propably when it hit the markets. I so wanted one, but parents couldn't afford the steep price tag it had back then. When i now looked ebay, i had laughs since the price is still steep for some editions. :) Edit: Ok at the time i didn't know games were that costly, now i'm happy i didn't get it as i wouldn't had gotten games for it ever anyway.

[@4packdaddy]

SNK in the 90s was just awesome! I’ve only just begun to really appreciate SNK. I never heard of them until around 2005 or so. When they ported some of their games like World Heroes on PS2! That was my first exposure to the Gods of the Arcade, SNK!

[@parloitaliano2]

When World heroes 2 was in arcade was a huge popular

[@LoneWolf89POW]

loved icons..they should bring it back

[@rickonami]

METAL SLUG 1 INTRO REMAKE IS READY!

[@DeAngeloStevens]

Memories recording this episode in June 2005.

[@Free-JackWolff]

And they're back now with the awesome kof 15, samurai showdown, and the future Fatal fury mark of the wolves 2!

[@kirinheineken1455]

SNK, the grand father of AAA games. No dlc, you get what you pay for.

[@Christopher-pq6zl]

i'll take $60 games with dlc that i wont buy anyway over a $200 game with dlc included.

[@Icecodes]

The Bugatti of 90s consoles.

[@box-breaker3837]

I must of watched this about 10 times, been a life long 25+ year fan, collector and player of all things SNK... LOVE my NeoGeo's, and against the trend I like my CDZ the best! SNK talk about doing what the fans demand, I really wish and know the demands there, Its been a long time since Samurai Showdown 5 AES and am confident that demands there for NEW official cart releases, even one or two a year would sell out! They just need to say the words and people would be there! Even sell as a "pre-order" only item, sell the titles before there manufactured and only manufacture close to what they'd sell! I know its just a pipe dream from a guy that really shouldn't be playing games at this time in life, but I know the demands there! Its all very good and cool having new stuff like Last Hope by third parties but theres nothing like the magic SNK put out when they use to release official carts! Well, we can dream can't we?!... :'( MJ

[@Omarcio25]

great games like art of fighting , metal slug, kizuna encounter, last blade, savage reign etc...

[@kevint.5381]

Just picked up an mvsx, and even tho I was never a fan of fighting games, I am an animation professional and love love love SNK for their amazing imagery. The Metal Slug titles that came pre loaded with the unit, make the cabinet worth the price imo. But the addition of shoot em ups was entirely missed..Blazing Star or don pachi style scrollers were my personal favorite kind of arcade games back in the day

[@samghost13]

I am really stoked about the fact, that the 8-way joystick like the ones in the arcade from SNK is long gone. Why there is no future Gamepad or some games? It was soooo cooool!!! To this day i am a Arcade Freak! THX4Upload! You are Welcome

[@imthegrk]

I couldn't afford it then or now. Damn it!

[@PhntmStudios]

I remember growing up I wanted a NEO GEO so bad. Fast forwards in 2004-05 at Electronic boutique both systems were on sale for $150 the some games were as low as $10. I bought the neo geo CD and i still have it.

[@longjohns7087]

"I remember when he couldn't keep his hands off me" ahaha holy shit

[@emmettturner9452]

When did this air? Looks like around CES 2005 (original model Nintendo DS was already released and Motorola RAZR was still relevant).

[@db3crashcoursecinema]

Back in the day nobody could mess with NEO GEO,and even in 2017,it still can't be messed with!!! it like the DARK STAR of video Consoles,but it was way too Expensive,and had slow loading timing,if you had the Home version.luckily,when they had it in the ARCADE I played the Hell out of SAMURAII SHOWDOWN and FATAL FURY to Death in the mid 1990's,when I had the Chance!!! INCREDIBLE!!!!

[@Shinobi33]

I should've bought a Neo Geo X Gold whem they came out. Now they're as expensive as the original Neo Geo console.

[@NationalistAF]

i love SNK. still the best ! SNK lives on and will never die.

[@darkstrider6232]

SNK will always make the best fighting

[@Punisher6654]

Yes 100%

[@Nelbroth]

My first memory of SNK is playing Vanguard on Atari 5200. Good times!

[@Wedeemgaming]

Definitely remember playing Art of Fighting alot

[@jadedbrewer1828]

SNK will always be my favorite hardcore gaming company good thing I literally owe most of these classic SNK fighting hardcore games they never get old by any means necessary.

[@parloitaliano2]

Still the pre owned AES cartridge worth thousands of dollars on ebay !!

[@jonathantyner171]

I wish NEO GEO has shooting games, Action-Adventure Games, Sport's Games, Adventure Games, Role-Playing Games, & Racing Games & I wish they made SNK at E3 2021.

[@Armando.Sepulveda]

Neo Geo games are better than any modern video game

[@Ric_Roar]

It's interesting they didn't mention the 16 bit ports on SNES and Genesis

[@TheKayliedGamerChannel-YouTube]

Whats interesting about those awful ports to 16bit home consoles?

[@Ric_Roar]

@@TheKayliedGamerChannel-KZbin Did you play any of the SNES and Genesis ports? Many of them especially on the Genesis were actually very good.

[@TheKayliedGamerChannel-YouTube]

@@Ric_Roar Nope, was probably cause I had a NeoGeo to play them on they looked inferior lol

[@PirateTubeTV]

$250 per game!? What the fuck were they smoking to expect consumers and their parents to pay that?

[@WeskerXM96E1]

It was always for the hardcore, but you are right the price point was just so far off it was never going to sell well.

[@desertedstranger2914]

The Neo Geo was too bleeding edge for the time. Its like a PC gamer today paying $1200 for a graphics card.

[@ZunaZurugi]

It was ment as an rentel machine.

[@ExtremeMusicSpace]

hmmm not all games where $250

[@dmore454]

PirateTube TV it was a niche product, and it was a pretty profitable strategy. Like people have said, it was originally just supposed to be sold to hotels an video rental stores but demand was high enough they started selling them to gamers, but it was never meant to be competitive with Nintendo or Sega. It was designed to be 100% arcade authentic, which made the AES and it's games expensive. A valid comparison would be that at the time Sega and Nintendo were GM and Ford, while SNK was Ferrari.

[@SuperKillerdreams]

I love my AES I’ll never sell it ever ❤️🥰💯

[@AJTComicsBrand]

They could make a neogeo mini with all the games in it.

[@alsada307]

I still have my neo geo aes....

[@louis1443]

Love the Neo Geo.

[@superpan218]

I'm afraid SNK puts Capcom to shame, and I can't believe I just said that.

[@Durrutitv]

As much as I love SNK's catalog, I'm going to have to say that Marvel vs Capcom was the best arcade fighter ever made.

[@leechmaster21]

I can't believe it's not butter.

[@deanshaw6588]

I found a flaw in the neo geo cabinet by rapidly tapping start during the rom check until a game loads you were able to clock up 9 credits off the machine it also worked on aero fighters

[@otakujhp]

The year this video was posted to KZbin, NG:DEV.TEAM released RAZION on the Neo Geo (MVS, AES version came in mid 2015).

[@kornsin]

still one of my favorite publishing houses for fighting games if they ever brought the Last Blade series back I would s*** my pants.

[@thecheck4879]

Wow,that ikar warriors code is still stuck in my head like the contract code!

[@mikeanaro]

Great, now make the rise and fall of Konami.

[@mattpryokra2245]

Lol that time is coming after they sacked Kojima 'The Genius' 😂

[@soylentgreenb]

Nah, they're doing fine with pachinko machines and other crap.

[@BaarBear]

Konami giving Kojima the sack is like Nintendo giving Miyamoto the sack.

[@NewGabeOrder]

What about the future of their BEMANI series, since DDR became worse by the 2013 installment and DDR A?

[@ResidentNotEvil5]

mikeanaro Konami making millions with pachinko machine no way they will fall

[@theMightyOx31]

I still remember watching this on G4

[@jadedbrewer1828]

Good Documentary

[@mrf19741]

God, I miss watching Icons on G4 in the morning.

[@ninjae4976]

Imagine if Sega SNK and NEC teamed up.

[@TobeyStarburst]

Neo Geo was a beast!

[@TheSimonScowl]

I came for the cult leader in the thumbnail.

[@JamesSmith-jd1do]

Yea man this shit was way too expensive for the time. Smh

[@Muhammaddanishsharif]

SNK ruled my childhood.

[@joenelsaracho4836]

What happened to this channel ??? Back in the day every saturday morning here in the philippines me and my brother always watch this channel

[@sophilebali5945]

excellent video ! thank you !!

[@creative_soul-recolo]

SNK is really the CULT HERO of VIDEO GAMES. KOF really changed the landscape of fighting GAMES alongside Street Fighter and Tekken.

[@importjapon]

2d video games never aged.

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

SNK Baseball was the best ballgame

[@jeffreyblau119]

SNK You're a sucess in my heart

[@SonicAdventureX]

Icons and Portal was my favorite shows. including Cheat! and Filter!

[@natevirtual]

man, I miss G4, NOW would be a good time for it, but I guess everything's been pretty much covered on KZbin at this point...

[@smokeglacken]

Love my consolized MVS!!!