The Story Of NEO GEO | Featuring Modern Vintage Gamer, RetroRGB, Jenovi, & Neo-Alec

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Small correction: Samurai Shodown was released in 1993, not 1994. 🤦🏻 To keep up with the channel follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/WrestlesGaming If you'd like to help the channel monetarily you can do so at: Patreon.com/WrestlingWithGaming You can check out my guests' channels below: MVG : kzbin.info Bob: kzbin.info & his site www.retroRGB.com Jenovi: kzbin.info Neo-Alec: kzbin.info & his Neo Geo Playlist kzbin.info/aero/PL_W1EM66_BruhDsODY4WcYolFMxqQn8ng Special thanks to Ethan Johnson of: The History Of How We Play thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ Original Music By Drew Night.

[@mbe102]

Yahel, at 33:02, did you add the censor over that dude's buttcrack?

[@darksideblues135]

Did i hear this correctly, you can get the boards and make your own neo geo? I want to do that.

[@BasementBrothers]

Sorry for not catching the Samurai Shodown release year. I've nearly made the same mistake myself because Neo Geo games have multiple release dates, depending on the format. Always have to check the source for the MVS release date to get the correct original release.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

it happens. NONE of us caught it. I actually played it in '93 too so I really shouldn't have made the mistake to begin with lol.

[@alejmc]

Guys, thanks for pointing that out. But 100fold more thanks for making these videos... have been watching the joint efforts of you and it has been a 2 weeks long blast, haven’t even peeked at Netflix let me tell you. The XBAND one, the SuperMario RPG, the SuperFX, now this NeoGeo one... infinite thanks for putting the effort and work for the world to see. Some parts even bring teary eyes of nostalgia.

[@MiguelXisto1]

The Neo Geo was the Ferrari of home consoles back in the day. And like any Ferrari it will always be praised despite its age. Amazing documentary.

[@ressljs]

I'm surprised how often I see people online claim the Neo Geo was a failure because it didn't sell in large numbers. Getting support for more than 10 years is an accomplishment most consoles could only dream of. Calling it the Ferrari of home consoles is a good comparison. I'm sure their business plan was centered around making a profit off low volume, high price units, just like a super car brand.

[@antichristsonofsatan9394]

It was a failiure their marketing strategy failed so its not really that surprising you cant compare it with a ferarri the target audiences are vidly different especially back in the 80’s and 90’s so selling a supercar for an ammount that will keep your company afloat because of maybe 6 sales vs a console you still will have to sell hundreds of thousands of to compete also the audience doesnt generate its own income is a really risky tactics if not even arrogant.

[@MiguelXisto1]

@@antichristsonofsatan9394 i compared it to a Ferrari in terms of raw power not in economic or maketing ways.

[@jamesdare8584]

Spot on comment. It was something to lust after, but you made do with your Nissan (Nintendo).

[@MiguelXisto1]

@@jamesdare8584 haha. Indeed.

[@ModernVintageGamer]

amazing documentary . its an honor to be asked be a part of it

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Honor was all mine. Your segments were fantastic.

[@Aresrobot]

@@WrestlingWithGaming Now Kith

[@reagandow850]

You and Bob did an amazing job!!

[@Gamer-lq4wl]

Wow, wow, wow,.....wow.

[@bradnimbus4836]

My two favourite videogame guys!

[@b3ntleg]

The Neo-Geo was mythical console when I was a kid which nobody had ever actually seen.

[@ProctorSilex]

I had seen it in Babbages or Electronics Boutique. A friend whose parents owned a pizza shop claimed to have one, but never invited anyone over to play AFAIK. He probably was referencing a cabinet in the shop as his own.

[@PassportBrosBusinessClass]

When I saw that price tag I wouldn’t dare ask my parents for it. $600 back then was like $1300 now

[@xtremebiker427]

Lolololol well put! My friends would see ads for it when we were kids, but never saw an actual home console in the wild, neither at anyone's home, nor retailer.

[@VBshredder]

Yup - none of us ever even considered actually owning one. Just like when i'm car shopping now, I don't stop by the Ferrari dealer to browse!

[@BangBang-hk4rg]

Truth! I had a buddy that obsessed over it and talked about it constantly, but it was just a pipe dream. LOL

[@TetsuDeinonychus]

I'm completely in awe of how beautifully animated the sprites in SNK games are. While the hardware was impressive, I think the talents of SNK's animators played a apart in the games visual "wow" factor, and why they still hold up today.

[@k1dn1ce76]

The look of Metal Slug was just beautiful. At the time it was astounding...

[@origintrackz5235]

Couldn't agree more!

[@joesaiditstrue]

Wish Capcom would go back to hand drawn sprites for their fighting games. They just look vastly more impressive than 3D models

[@pseudonym3690]

Agreed. Many games still look pretty good.

[@Shin_Lona]

Even though I can play MAME on a 70" screen from the comfort of my living room today, it just isn't the same as going to arcades from back in the day. Even accounting for the nostalgia factor, there was a certain magic to the whole experience.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Totally agree

[@joseCalderon1976]

Yup. It's never the same as the real deal arcade back in the 90s. I spent hours in there 😂👍

[@tylerdurden7142]

Yes, because it was a different experience. The ambiance... usually very dark with only the screens of the arcade games to light up the place, the cacophony of sounds from countless games and the heavy bass hitting your drums and chest, lots of fellow gamers around, participating in games with people you didn't know but built a fleeting comradery with as you teamed up against enemies in the games, always looking and discovering some new fascinating game with increasingly improved graphics and gameplay. Visiting an arcade was like a dream as a kid and can't be reproduced elsewhere.

[@Theshark15z]

Not to mention the big crowd that was drawn around a new arcade cabinet. I remember when new fighting games premiered and arcades bought them there were lines of kids waiting to play it while people around were watching the action.

[@Gorilla_Jones]

Old man who bought an AES on launch from Software Etc. I felt like a rock star. I was working in gaming back then and would bring the AES to the office and we'd have gaming sessions late into the night. Pizza, beer and NeoGeo with friends. That era was the golden age. RIP Milford Rec and Spankys!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Man, that sounds like a fun office. Good to see you GJ!

[@michaeleconomides4054]

Hey brother I'm also an old man haha... 45 and I bought an AES shortly after release. Sold it then bought another during college so my roommates and I could play Samurai Shodown 2 and 3. Great times indeed!

[@Gamer-lq4wl]

@@michaeleconomides4054 All of you are lucky bastards!

[@SEANIEHSHINE]

@@Gamer-lq4wl 😂😂😂

[@Cyber_Kriss]

@@Gamer-lq4wl Yeah, I am 44 now and I was never able to buy such an expensive system. The SNES was good enough for me, and we had one friend who could buy the Neo Geo CD, he was the king of us all 🤪😂

[@Snafu2346]

My friend JP had gotten the Neo Geo much to my surprise. Contempt with the Neo Geo, he felt like he had no use for his Super Nintendo. I asked if I could have it thinking he would laugh it off....... He counter offered. "Trade me your skateboard, you can have my Super Nintendo and ALL of his games. It was about 50 games. I said "Y..Ye......YES?!?!?" That's how I got my Super Nintendo. I went to his home often to play Neo Geo, and anytime he stopped by my home, he brought his Neo Geo with him. I remember vividly the times we have had. I lost touch with him after he moved to california in the mid 90's. Wherever you are JP, I hope you are doing well. I still have the Super Nintendo. I wonder if you still have my Skateboard.

[@endertube-gu7ux]

Wow thats an amazing story

[@BangBang-hk4rg]

Depending on what skateboard it was, it may be worth more than the SNES now.

[@hibiki28]

JP is a legend

[@josophie5002]

That's a sweet story😊. :) What were some of the games you got from him?

[@Snafu2346]

@@BangBang-hk4rg It was a old skateboard I got from ToysRUs I wish I had a picture ofit. I remember it had like teal grips on the side. I never could get the hang of trying to skateboard so was more than willing to give it up.

[@kennyryan4173]

The Neo-Geo was way ahead of its time. It was like owning a sony playstation in 1991.

[@thomasbeall9069]

@@NB-1 2d power Neo Geo, but had next to no 3d capabilities and had prehistoric sound quality. Only Saturn with Ram packs could handle it, yet Neo Geo couldn't do much 3d at all. In a few backrounds, Garou I believe had some but that's the difference.

[@bassram3337]

@@thomasbeall9069 thank god the Neo Geo was a 2D power house and all its powers were dedicated for 2D graphics only.. if it was able to do 3D back then, we would have ended up with ugly ass games that will never age well. but because the system was a pixel art heaven.. alot of its titles are still looking gorgeous to this day and will do for a long time. 3D games started to look good only when the Dreamcast came, before that,, it was just a pile of blocky ass models and textures crashing at eachother. and because of how the Neo Geo was powerful, none of the 5th gen consoles could handle an arcade perfect port of its games, not even the saturn which was a 2D monster.. only when the Dreamcast came, we started seeing perfect ports of Neo Geo games

[@Inaworldoflove]

The PS is a 3D gaming console. It was never like owning a PS.

[@MrBenenator]

@@Inaworldoflove Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, Tales of Phantasia, and other 2D games were plentiful on PS1 - and of course there were the games which used 2D sprites in a 3D world. Frankly, the PS1's 2D looked far better than the z-bufferless popping 3D and occasional swimming textures. It was no Saturn, sure, but it stil was great.

[@Capnsensible80]

@@thomasbeall9069 NO system in 1991 had 3D capabilities lmfao...and the sound quality was and is fantastic, far better than any console available when it was relevant. It was THE BEST console by leaps and bounds at the time it came out, of course newer hardware that released years later after technology advanced would surpass it you dunce. You have absolutely 0 clue what you're talking about and it's obvious. You're talking about an era when using mode-7 scaling to make a sprite appear to be flying towards the screen and having one or two actual clear voice lines in a game was considered revolutionary then saying "yEAh bUt iT hAd nO 3d cAPabILitIEs!" That's like saying the PS2 was shit because it didn't have VR support and used memory cards instead of a hard drive.

[@rontayan]

Samurai Showdown, what a epic way to spend my time in middle school. I went from thinking I'd never beat it, to being a Tachibana Ukyo expert.

[@wasakawakawaka2028]

I remember not being able to afford this console, but at the same time I was probably dropping its worth every couple of months in the arcade. Great documentary!

[@KamiIo0]

This is now, by far, my favorite video on the channel. Fun fact: Here in Mexico, instead of Street Fighter, The King of Fighters it's the real deal here. There is a running gag here, when our mothers sent us to buy some tortillas to eat, we spent the money playing KOF. This feels like an homage to our childhood. Thank you and greetings from Mexico.

[@orochirel]

Maquinitas !

[@MikhelBL]

I'm from México too (Baja California), here in the early 1990s the game to play on arcade ("maquinitas") was either Street Fighter 2 or Mortal Kombat. Fatal Fury was a distant third. The line to play Street Fighter 2 was about twice as that for Mortal Kombat until Mortal Kombat 2 came out, everybody wanted to play it while blasting "smells like a teen spirit" by Nirvana in the jukebox. KoF really took ahold of the arcade scene here in the late 1990's but mostly in the early 2000's. Saludos.

[@reysito10]

Not only in Mexico, in Bolivia too!

[@cebarvideos]

@@reysito10 lmao lies 😂😂😂😂. People in Bolivia can't afford consoles unless they're rich white people

[@williammangus5526]

kOF was the 💩

[@Jenovi]

This video was the excellence of video game documentary execution! A real treat, and even at 40minutes, it felt a bit short. We demand the director's extended cut, SIR! Be proud of the work you did here. The editing, pacing, and animations were fantastic. I loved it! I also really enjoyed seeing Neo-Alec, as he's long been when of my absolute favorite reviewers. The man deserves many more subs. May the youtube gods bless you both. MVG and Bob were also excellent. I love listening to them talk. 10/10 I would recommend this video to my dentist. PS If you're making 90's related game documentaries and can't figure a way to shoehorn the CD-i into the video, you're not trying hard enough. PPS Thank you for including me.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks man 😊. And for those reading this, if you like my content you'll love @jenovi 's videos as well. Thanks for the interview and the footage. Both really enhanced the presentation.

[@RetroGamePlayers]

Dude awesome to see you in this! And NICE Neo Geo setup! I totally forgot Analogue made one!

[@OzymandiasWasRight]

I remember Neo Geo as the first time I really REALLY wanted something, but knew enough to not ask for it for Christmas. It's still the best looking console I've ever seen. It's like an exotic car with an oversized motor, that screams "if you have to ask, you can't afford me!". SO damn good to see this channel doing well and growing. This one obviously took some serious time and effort, this is one of the best.

[@Capnsensible80]

"I remember Neo Geo as the first time I really REALLY wanted something, but knew enough to not ask for it for Christmas." Damn, man that hits home. Same exact experience. I knew that not only would I get a flat no, I would probably be lectured on the myriad of ways that amount of money could be used more practically lmao

[@turismofoegaming8806]

I also thought the Neo Geo CD looked very good!!

[@turismofoegaming8806]

Heck I even like the way the handheld looked also the Neo Geo pocket color!! I guess I thought all the consuls looked good because of how out of Reach they were when I was a child?! We had the Nintendo the super Nintendo and Sega Genesis and later the PlayStation but never Neo Geo…

[@G_Gr00v3]

Something I just learned recently is that the scream sound some enemies make in Metal Slug is the same sound used in certain Bop It toys in the 90s

[@Jeffmetal42]

That makes A LOT of sense. Thanks for the info.

[@NotaPizzaGRL]

Probably got it from a sound library if they're the same sound

[@luisreyes1963]

You know what separates the NEO-GEO from its underpowered competition? The quiz games it ran in Japanese arcades. 🤯

[@justdaddy]

multi champ was nightmare inducing for me lmao. idk it had bad vibes.

[@zeromancer-x]

Even my buddy who had the NES, Game Boy, TurboGrafx 16 w/ CD, SNES, TurboExpress, Atari Lynx, Genesis, and Game Gear didn't have this... 😅

[@TheKayliedGamerChannel-YouTube]

@The Mad Atheist I got mine in 1994 for equiv. $350 second hand, the same second hand games varied from equiv $90 each up to $180. I had about 8 games. I sold it in 95. Superb system regretted selling for years. 20yrs later I repurchased one from Japan. I paid the same for the system and about same for the games. I also have mvs, collecting mvs is a cheaper route for neo hobbyists.

[@dcscreenworks]

That's funny.. I had all the above, PLUS NEO GEO Gold. All still in my closet to this day.

[@jc.1191]

@@dcscreenworks turn it on a few hours a couple times a year, or the capacitors will dry out. They're replaceable, but it's not simple.

[@jc.1191]

My rich friend didn't get one either

[@mycomputergl0wsblu]

The Mad Atheist Nice. I’m currently in law school myself, 1st year. Hopefully one day I can buy a 3DO for my future kid.

[@RGT85]

Youre a hell of an editor.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks man

[@troysuza2065]

Is it rude to say I love your content RGT 85 on someone else's channel?

[@FallicIdol]

Meanwhile, you don't even edit out your errors anymore.

[@cebarvideos]

@@FallicIdol exactly 😂😂😂😂

[@sevencoloredmage8726]

The electronic smell of those huge catridges is unforgettable.

[@kennyryan4173]

What did it smell like? I never owned one.

[@FinalManaTrigger]

Have you ever sniffed a Yaton special?

[@KoopaMedia64]

SevenColoredMage I have some in the original soft cases, they smell of vinyl.

[@dino339]

@@kennyryan4173 it smelled like any new electronic device you unbox the first time.. that smell goes away... but the cartridges kept their smell for some reason.. it felt mystical..

[@greensun1334]

@@dino339 I guess it's the Smell of Copper...

[@woodyfentress]

Brilliantly done piece. Came in with minor interest and left overflowing with knowledge and a sense of appreciation for the history.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks so much, glad you liked it!

[@stevemeters3090]

Everything Neo Geo was just mind-blowing growing up. It always seemed to be levels beyond everything else.

[@ChipsAhoyMatey]

I like how you incorporated other ‘historians’ and shouting out their channels and websites. Good video too.

[@sbleed]

Neo-Geo truly was that holy grail of consoles. I was actually looking up used AES systems on ebay last night. I want to own one before I die. It will sit next to my Dreamcast and Saturn along with the mini classic consoles as one of the greatest consoles ever made. And I can't wait to play KoF 98 with my son and relive those arcade days with him. Great video. You captured the dream that was the Neo-Geo AES.

[@grawman67]

I know it's not the same, but most KOF, Fatal Fury, and Art of Fighting games can be bought on Switch. They have classic SamSho as well. It's a nice option for those of us who can't grab an AES

[@omalone1169]

@@grawman67 02:15 have you played it

[@grawman67]

@@omalone1169 The Mikon Kit? (Or however it's spelled)

[@nixxhimself]

Man I wanted one of these so bad when I was growing up but they were so damn expensive. I'm almost 39 now and they're still too damn expensive 😬

[@synthoelectro]

saw one once in a comic book around 1990 and I thought wow, that's just nuts. I too never owned one and prob never will.

[@kennyryan4173]

Same here. Seen the current prices on ebay. Still can't get an affordable one, lol.

[@omalone1169]

@@kennyryan4173 neo Geo CD. Imagine that

[@MGForums]

It wasn’t so much the initial console price that put me off but when the games themselves cost the same as other consoles, well that was just ridiculous.

[@villedocvalle]

I always thought that SNK had a legendary situation on its hands. All their games were unique and original. Ikari Warriors forever!

[@aidenquinn19975]

People describe it as a premium console back in the day- which it was. But even today it’s considered a holy grail, especially in South America where arcades and arcade games prosper still.

[@justdaddy]

seriously, I grew up in the 2000s in Mexico and KOF was EVERYWHERE. it didn't matter if you were a boy, a girl, if you were a child or an adult, if you were gay or even a thug, EVERYONE and their moms were playing KOF. the game is still popular in 2024, it's not even a cult classic it's a staple. even my youngest cousin (he's like 16 I think) plays it on his phone, that franchise was really a phenomenon here.

[@SatanIceCream]

Only coke-dealers had this system back when it came out...

[@armandoortiz9114]

Should have been a coke dealer

[@fitnesspoint2006]

In NYC growing up in the 90's I knew a cat few years older, Fabian, he owned a red E30 M3, rocked Polo Snow Beach gear, and guess what, "The Neo*Geo" and Fabian was a purveyor of white powder.

[@SuperBROKEN81]

@@fitnesspoint2006 I sold powder in Brooklyn to buy it LoL

[@melquizedec]

Cause Pepsi sellers were poor

[@tcr333]

Very true. To expensive for gamers and geeks. The neogeo was rich mans/ballers toy and 80% of people that owned one outside of Japan were selling that mesmorising white stuff.

[@D4RKF4LZ]

I have a letter I wrote published in that EGM shown at the 7 min mark! Nice work on this video guys! I really miss the 80's and 90's when gaming hype was a totally organic and analog experience! Walking into my local arcade to check out the latest Neo-Geo titles (Samurai Shodown II) will always be a treasured memory.

[@lennybrewster4673]

Those two past decades will always be iconic ones. Going to arcades. Talking about gaming with friends at school. Trading magazine issues and Nintendo carts. I don't think kids even know how to have that much fun these days.

[@d.w.buckley3454]

Walking into an arcade and discovering a Neo-Geo made me feel like Indiana Jones discovering the ark of the covenant…

[@devinology7]

I just loved how you didn't know everything about a game years ahead of time. You felt like you were discovering it when you saw new games to rent at the local game store. I even subscribed to Nintendo Power and EGM, but they didn't spoil you that much, it still felt like a fresh experience. I feel like these days the hype comes so ahead of time and people expect so much that nobody is just happy and grateful when a new game releases. It used to be a magical experience.

[@PabstOban]

I'm relatively new to the Neo Geo as a "collector". I too as a kid looked at the Neo Geo as that white elephant of gaming. Never knew anyone who owned one back then... nobody did, and from a console standpoint, I only saw them for sale at places like Babbages or Software Etc... or read about them in magazines. Around the time Genesis was taking the video game world by storm, things like "Megs" started popping up on Genesis cartridges. You would see "6 meg cart" or "8 meg cart" and you really knew you had something impressive in your hands. These cartridges also cost $10-20 more than typical new cartridges (Strider comes to mind). I remember seeing the giant Neo Geo AES cartridges and them saying "55 Megs" and thinking that was unreal. Then I would see the $199 price tag and realized that was something really special. At this stage, I had no previous knowledge of Neo Geo... and I only really started paying attention when Samurai Shodown was released in the arcades. Thats when I made the connection that the MVS cabs were the same as the AES console. Neo Geo was that game system you only had if you were rich, a drug dealer, won it in a magazine sweepstakes or a grand prize of a video game themed game show. The thought of playing an arcade at home just seemed impossible. The Neo Geo as a kid was so far out of my reach in my younger ages. I was just a poor kid of a single mother living in a ghetto. I only dreamed of owning one... so I focused more on my realities which at the time were Genesis and Super Nintendo. I only started thinking about the Neo Geo again once it became something you could emulate. I dove right into the library and really started to play and appreciate all the games I never played. Here I am almost 30 years later finally being a grown up with the means to finally get one... so I did. Most kids dream of having a Corvette or Porsche as a kid, only to finally get one as an adult... me, I wanted a Neo Geo, so thats what I got. I've gotten at this point pretty much every affordable AES title, then moved onto the MVS. At first I was using the MVS to AES super Key, but was lucky to find one of JNX's consolized MVS 1 slots on eBay and grabbed it as fast as I could. Neo Geo is really a special system to me now and kind of a childhood fantasy come true now as an adult. Its hard for people to understand it, but luckily there are very small communities of people out there in social media that get it.

[@Jamesadamiak]

Drug dealers owned them

[@cedim620]

I totally understand you! Im 37 and finding ways to experience lots of things that were out of reach to me as a child!

[@TheKayliedGamerChannel-YouTube]

@@Jamesadamiak I worked shifts in an engineering job - I owned one so... it's not a true statement you are making :-)

[@TheKayliedGamerChannel-YouTube]

Much the same with the Neo collecting, I got an AES, NeoCD and an MVS. AES for the mainstream, NeoCD for the older low meg rare to get on AES, and mvs for the rest. I find it's the best combination 😀👍

[@seamusoblainn]

@NotSnarl haha, I could imagine

[@MrNocturno2401]

This thing was the stuff of legends in my early teen years. I remember cutting out screenshots for Neo Geo fighting games from game magazines and putting them in an album. The Super Famicom was the only thing my family could afford...

[@JudgementalGoat]

Holy fuck, talk about technology way ahead of its time! Very few people cover the Neo Geo here on KZbin, congrats on such a well-research documentary

[@BasementBrothers]

I was very happy to be a part of this well-researched project! Amazing graphics and editing work! You've outdone yourself! I'm always happy to see the #NeoGeo getting greater exposure. -Neo-Alec

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks for being a part of it!

[@MrMario2011]

Phenomenal video, dude.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks a lot, man. I appreciate it

[@ThirdSpectrum]

I had so much hope for the Neo Geo X by Tommo when it was first announced. But then when it was actually released it was basically an empty plastic shell without any original hardware and was running a subpar emulator with countless graphics problems and technical errors and poor video output on modern TVs. I still think SNK should give it another shot and try and do a more polished version after the success of the Nintendo classic mini and Sega Genesis classic mini.

[@MFields2178]

ThirdSpectrum I actually own the Neo Geo Mini International. I like it but still think it’s weird it’s this miniature arcade machine. It had to be plugged in too which sucked.

[@KamenRider1985]

@@MFields2178 I do as well and it still sucks with video output. I don't get why SNK keeps failing in that department

[@South_0f_Heaven_]

@JGioRod China is why, they build junk. Unless a company like Apple babysits then while building iPhones most Chinese don’t care about quality just quantity.

[@TetsuDeinonychus]

@@South_0f_Heaven_ Well I can't exactly blame sweatshop workers for not getting too excited about whatever their overlords force them to build.

[@South_0f_Heaven_]

Tetsu Deinonychus unless it’s forced slave labor then there is no reason for all the garbage out of China other then management and workers just don’t care about quality. Japan has the same problem when they started exporting electronics. They quickly learned that the short term profits for selling junk isn’t sustainable when nobody wants your products anymore. There is a huge difference in quality between products made in Hong Kong compared to mainland China.

[@TheMinchio]

NeoGeo , really The Holy Grail of consoles, you put it exactly as it was :) , I still hope we can see a mini AES console for those like me who couldn't afford the real deal back then :P

[@retrogamaniac3673]

That's a huge quality documentary! Please keep this level forever. Subscribed!

[@NOCDIB]

Neo Geo was the envy of all 90's gamers. The multi-game arcade cabinets bring back great childhood memories. I came up on Fatal Fury, Slam Dunk, Metal Slug, etc.

[@KC-bg1th]

Pretty cool, and unfortunate knowing that companies like Aruze have been killing innovation long before Konami.

[@South_0f_Heaven_]

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A

[@cosmiclino2080]

The word pachinko triggered you 😂

[@cebarvideos]

@K C I agree ,Aruze could have been a pretty good arcade games company in their own right. Back in the early 80s they made a decent little pacman clone called ladybug. They could have supported the neo geo pocket & carved out a nice niche in the handheld console market but nope 🙄. Good thing SNK founder left & started a new company & bought the SNK assets.

[@omalone1169]

@@cebarvideos 01:22 memory cards in arcades

[@NotaPizzaGRL]

@@cosmiclino2080 Whenever pachinko appears the fun disappears

[@Bushidounohana]

Revisiting some your classics and it bears repeating-great production work, great research, excellent reporting, and a wonderful perspective and tour guide taking us back in time. I lusted over the Neo Geo as a kid (as we all did), great trip down memory lane. Just wanted to reaffirm as it cannot be said enough-great work and thank you for your efforts!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks so much Brian, I appreciate you rewatching and the kind words.

[@Bushidounohana]

@@WrestlingWithGaming Would that I had done so without being riddled by typos, apologies! The sentiment stands, of course, hopefully all typos now corrected. Also, I have to offer up that you’re always a class act in the comments section as well-thank you for all of your efforts!

[@kayanel7982]

I finally aquired an AES and the NeoGeo CD a few years ago and they're some of my most prized gaming items. I love them very much!

[@isumairu25]

Majority will say "if there's no Street Fighter there would be no Smash Bros". But little did they know that it was generally *The* *King* *of* *Fighters* that has pioneered crossover fighting games. KOF '94 had characters from Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Ikari Warriors, & Psycho Soldier alongside 11 original characters. Edit: Heidern that reps the Ikari Team is a KOF character which makes it 11.

[@Aboveup]

Not only this, but Sakurai has gone on record to say that the reason he wanted to make a game like Smash Bros was because of his experience playing King of Fighters in the arcades. That series directly influenced Sakurai, which is likely also part of why SNK got so much music in when Terry was added.

[@mycomputergl0wsblu]

Smash bros is not a real fighting game

[@todesziege]

Wasn't Heidern from some other game(s) too? Though I don't think he was named.

[@KaitouKaiju]

But without SF, there is no KOF or Art of Fighting

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@mycomputergl0wsblu yawn

[@daviddefortier5970]

16:09 i dont know about that.. i remember hearing somewhere that samurai shodown 2 totally owned the japanese arcades like a boss. Other than that one game though, there were other neo geo fighters that i personally felt were light years better than everything else out there.. my only gripe about them was the difficulty was jacked up way too high, which was what ultimately made them less desirable. I remember seeing savage reign in the arcades, and i loved that game so much that i ended up buying my own arcade machine (my country did not sell any AES consoles) to have it. I ended up buying all my favourite games and putting them down to lower difficulty levels... And hell, i will tell you i spent most of my waking hours playing those games, and they totally smashed every other iconic game of their time, and even beyond to this day, i personally feel are still better than games of today

[@AltimaNEO]

I remember my friend back in elementary school in the early 90s, talking about the Neo Geo. I thought he was bullshitting me. Ive never heard of such a thing. An arcade machine in a console? Yeah right! Imagine my surprise when I read about the console much later once the internet was more readily available.

[@spirituallyconscious7774]

Before the internet blew up I was seeing the neo geo in video game magazines and the console was soooo expensive and games were 200 dollars a piece.

[@omalone1169]

@@spirituallyconscious7774 21:30 looks like Sega Saturn

[@v3teran75]

Hardcore gamers didn’t need the internet as there was no internet. We used grey import and magazines for information.

[@brainspin7518]

Truly the Unicorn of home console systems! Man i miss the 80s/90s for somany reasons. Nice work on this documentary.

[@focusedenergyproductions9885]

115am watched till the end man! You nailed it another great video. Thanks for bringing me back to the 90s. The sounds and video edits with guests, graphics and everything is on point. Keep it up man!

[@alejmc]

The NeoGeo at the time made me think of the Lamborghini Countach, it had that mystique, aspiration and ooze about it. They were, for the kid at the time, kinda on the same sort of category (of course realistically, the Lamborghini was not meant for mass adoption). Nevertheless, besides the real raw power, technology advancement, etc I could have never have justified to bend my parents’s will or work extremely hard as a kid to buy it for just a couple games that would actually make me play for more than an hour straight, there was always something more ‘game complete and unique’ on the NES and SNES at the time, even without the technological benefits of the NeoGeo’s hardware.

[@EposVox]

Great video! I honestly never even heard of the Neo Geo until I was a young adult, but I clearly missed out. I want to get into it eventually

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks a lot, man. That means a lot coming from you. There's so much good stuff on Neo Geo and thankfully there's somewhat affordable ways to enjoy it in real hardware now. Thanks again for stopping by.

[@datriaxsondor590]

Because of you, I bought the Avermedia Live Gamer 4K and ......................................... it's awesome. Great capture card coverage on your channel, bud. Thx for the unbiased info.

[@ShadowriverUB]

It's hard to not know it if you visited arcades a lot, as NeoGeo is probably only one that bread the arcade system and throw that on the screen on demo mode, you seen NeoGeo logo everywhere in arcades.

[@soulintake]

Oh you definitely do! Great system man, enjoy your time with it!

[@Norweeg]

I know this is an old comment, but I highly suggest looking into the MiSTer. The Neo Geo core made for it is 100% cycle accurate. It’s so incredibly impressive. You can even use OEM controllers and a CRT if you want, for the full experience for a fraction of the price of a real Neo Geo.

[@apexmoto9610]

This production absolutely exudes excellence. Another remarkable piece of gaming history expertly presented. This channel just continues to impress!

[@PaulXMann]

I've owned a big red 2-slot, a Hyper 64 mobo, Atomiswave for SNK games, an AES, a Pocket Color, a Mini, an ASP, and now I"m converting an Arcade1Up to a big red tribute... oh, and in the 90s, I worked at Toys R Us in the video game department where we had an AES and a few games behind glass. To say NeoGeo has been a big part of my gaming life has been an understatement. Thank you for this video!

[@vlesmeries]

Oh yeah. The Neo Geo was the stuff of dreams to kids and teens in the 90s. Thanks for the rekindling those memories. Isn't it ironic it even got MORE expensive to buy the AES.

[@buckyohare5586]

I'll never forget the first time I played Super Spy on an MVS in the front of a Walmart when I was about 12 or 13. I have been a Neo Geo Fan ever since and now I own my own 4 slot MVS and Super Spy is in one of those slots. Great Doc/Video. 90's Neo Geo is a little slice of gaming history that really deserves lots of love and attention!

[@stevensonchambers5577]

I was amazed by SNK's MVS arcade hardware back in the day with the huge colorful sprites and scaling. The AES and its games were too expensive, so I got my jollies playing the MVS the rare occasions I went to the arcade. I really got into SNK games once they were successfully emulated, which wasm in the early 2000s. It's great to have witnessed SNK rise from its own ashes

[@dlang6487]

The CD-I references make me so happy! ESPECIALLY that sweet CGI Thunder in Paradise Poster!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

You can always count on me for CD-I/Thunder In Paradise references 😁

[@dlang6487]

@@WrestlingWithGaming Great video Yahel! Although your videos were already top notch, they just keep getting better and better! Keep up the amazing work!

[@Tyantreides]

I played Robo Army on that Monster back in the day. This huge Console and its huge Cardridges..... will never forget that feeling. It was like playing in another world.

[@MoarFoam]

"Neo Geo CD had 30-60 second loading times." Gta 5 online be like hold my beer lol

[@Capnsensible80]

For real. Game's what, 7 years old and still loads for several minutes WITH an M.2 drive lmao

[@RetroMoments]

Awesome! Thank you for making a proper video for this amazing console. More people need to hear about the Neo Geo!

[@omalone1169]

32:00 king of fighters

[@vtrmcs]

I was in high school in the early 90's. I remember the Neo Geo being mentioned at the time but I don't think I ever really got the point of it and don't recall seeing it for sale. The only thing I remember is that it was Japanese (as if the SNES wasnt) and for some reason that stuck even though nothing else did. We spent our time playing SF2 on Super NES around then. For my age then, SF2 on the SNES was close enough to arcade that it didnt matter.

[@devinology7]

That's the thing. You had to be a really serious adult gamer to care enough to want one of these over a SNES, or just a rich person who liked the idea of saying they had a NEO GEO. At that age I really could barely tell the difference between arcade games and SNES games, and I had many of the arcade hits, like TMNT 2, NBA JAM, SF2 Turbo, and Mortal Combat. It's similar to the difference between a hardcore audiophile and someone who just loves music; only the audiophile will care about that level of difference in quality. As cool of an engineering feat the NEO GEO may have been, it was such a terrible idea from a business standpoint to release that thing for home use. They should have gone for something more reasonable. Even if the console and games were half the price, they would still have failed because the quality difference just wasn't enough for the average gamer to care enough to spend even 25% more than SNES or Genesis platforms cost. They just didn't understand the market; they were making and pitching stuff that they would buy as adult enthusiasts, not what the primary market for home game consoles wanted. But the real killer was not having anywhere close to the library of games Nintendo and Sega had. And that was a direct result of their premium tier console strategy. Publishers didn't want to release games for a system that would give them almost no sales by comparison to releasing on SNES or Genesis. SNES had an insanely good games library and I am convinced it is the main reason it was the most successful console of the time. Just the RPGS alone for SNES made it vastly superior to any other console. But it had everything else too, every genre. I subscribed to EGM so I did see ads and info about all the fringe consoles that came around, but honestly, they never appealed to me much, aside from a curiosity, since they never had a killer game that I just had to play. They didn't snag the next big Final Fantasy title, or the next platformer you just had to have. The games always looked like obscure Japanese stuff I had never heard of so I didn't care about them. I recognize that many of the games for SNES were also once obscure Japanese things, but they had made a name for themselves already. I was a Nintendo fanboy until the day that FF7 was released for PSX, and I immediately sold my N64 and games to buy a PSX and FF7, and went all Sony after that. That's all it took, one big game to convert me. SNK needed this kind of hook. It surprises me that these companies didn't understand this, that the console barely mattered and they just needed the games people wanted. If some marketing person had asked me this as a kid, I could have told them this, before I understand economics or business at all. It was obvious to every kid.

[@gregm5408]

LOVED IT!!!! I new of Neo Geo when I was 12 years. I loved seeing it talked about in Gamepro, gamefan, electronic gaming ex .. the visuals of that console were so Amazing. But it was so expensive Saga Genesis, Nintendo, Super Nintendo over shadow it. I never new anyone when I was younger who had a Neo Geo. Godbless you guys for taking the time to make this video. You guys Really Closed a chapter in my life as far as understanding what was going with Neo Geo in the 90s. Thank You so much. Watch the video 3 times. Couldn't get enough of watching this video. Godbless!!!

[@gregm5408]

It's soooooo amazing how far ahead of it's time neo geo was.

[@biscuitsalive]

I’m hearing a lot about the tech and the control, memory, speed and scaling etc. But what I’m seeing is great artwork and gameplay. That is why it is so successful. The talented artists and game designers!

[@hilariocardenas1]

WOW what a console, ahead of its time!! I only learned Neo Geo a few years ago when i built a RaspberryPi running Retro Pi, I was blown away. Three years later, 1800 roms later (multiple consoles/emulators [on the Raspi]) Neo Geo is still one of my favorite consoles. My kids have a Nintendo Switch and still sometimes they say "dad lets play on the Raspberry Pi" wow what an awesome little computer. I could only imagine the performance from the actual console although Metal Slug and King of Fighters (we have runs pretty damn good. I must admit one of my favorites is also Neo Geo Turf Masters! Thank you for putting this documentary together.

[@Mamiya645]

I bought and owned a NeoGeo AES in the 1990's and it was worth every penny. Only pre-PS3 console I want to get again.

[@SatanIceCream]

did you deal coke or heroin?

[@Stylez-13]

Yes! Finally an updated version, all I could find was outaded history from like 2004 and remastered editions this is it, it even includes the minis

[@abooogeek]

I remember learning about the Neo-Geo in 1991, seeing games on magazine.....and then seeing the price of it! It was so expensive that some stores would rent it weekly to you. The game that really blew my mind back then was Mutation Nation in 1992. I wanted a Neo-Geo just for playing that game.

[@omalone1169]

Can you link to it

[@abooogeek]

@@omalone1169 kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5qZdZ14e5V8p5Y

[@omalone1169]

@@abooogeek oh thanks

[@johnmccain1460]

I don't know how I missed this video. I got so lucky in 1995 as I had McVans Video Game Trader. It cost me a 8 boxed Snes games, Sega Cd and 20 games with some graduation money. But man I was playing Samurai Shodown 2 at home!!

[@MrBenjenko]

I live in the UK and don’t think I ever saw a NeoGeo. I remember seeing it on GamesMaster and in magazines but never in real life. Great video, thanks

[@alvaro0423]

This channel is super underrated

[@lennybrewster4673]

Loved samurai showdown at the arcade. "Galfordo! Ipone!" I don't know wtf they were saying but I loved it. Also love your documentaries bro. The labor of love shows right through.

[@rorynolan2322]

Have to say the styling of the machine looks awesome you could release something that looks like that today and people would like it.

[@AYCHMENG]

There was this rich kid on my block who i was very good friends with. A lot of the other kids picked on him, and I stood up to them. In doing that, I made a great friend and was introduced to the world of NEO GEO. I was a Nintendo /Sega guy. Had no idea that console existed until I met him in the 90s. Man, i would sleep over his house every other weekend and play all his games. His dad bought him any game he wanted, and he was asking his dad to buy me one, and for Christmas, I got his used NEO -GEO and some of his extra games; man best Christmas ever. Those were the days.

[@district5rookie]

Your videos are the best. They're so well researched and thorough it feels like a fully guided tour through video game history. I appreciate all the hard work you put in.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate it

[@sabbyhubter4454]

This was really well made. You've come a long way from that first Bleem video. The visuals here were stunning. You really deserve way, way, more subs.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thank you so much 😄

[@RayCommend]

Definitely your magnum opus as predicted! 😂 Super tight editing and amazing 3D shots. You mentioned on social media that you just learned how to do that? Prodigy level stuff my man! I own a Neo-Geo CD with 25+ CIC games and counting. Xeno Crisis coming soon for it, and plan to pick up more as time allows!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks man! I did spend a few days trying to learn 3D for my Nick Arcade video but I got as far as making a wall before I banged my own head into one and gave up lol. I just really forced myself to learn this time and spent a lot of time watching tutorials. Glad it added to the video and thanks for the kind words. I was really happy to finally be able to use 3D animation. I need to pick up a CDZ myself or an adapter for my AES. Those carts ain't cheap! Thanks again for the love, bro,

[@brad092907]

Absolutely amazing documentary. I agree, the Neo Geo is the holy grail. I never owned one, but am looking at getting the MVS mini cabinet and modding it to add all of the games. I remember playing Baseball Stars 2 on the MVS and being in awe of the sprites. One thing SNK knew how to make games fun. There aren’t a ton of games, but man, such good quality. Love your channel. Just finished the Sega/EA documentary. By the way, you remind me of John Petrucci of Dream Theater.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate it!

[@jamesflanagan7374]

Everyone remembers the first time they stepped up to a 4 game SNK cabinet. Such a damn shame. What could have been. Great vid too everyone seems very passionate without being obnoxious.

[@EDGar-wi6np]

My brothers and I got a neo geo gold system with two original control sticks, a memory card, Cyber Lip, Magician Lord, baseball stars, Samurai Shodown, World Heroes 2, and King of fighters 94 for $500 from a ad in the local newspaper in November of 1994 as a early Christmas present. Our mom knew for years that we wanted one of these things and at the time that she bought this, she was working to good paying jobs so we were fortunate enough to get a neo Geo. It was hands down the best present we ever got. The following year, she was able to find us fatal fury special, samurai shodown 2, and king of the monsters (she told us she had seen another ad for a video game store selling all 3 for $250). We had countless hours on this system for well over a decade. I have it now and I play it weekly, it rules!

[@lrdalucardart]

Pains me how kids reacted to Terry Bogard's release..."who's that?"

[@adrian53080]

I guess you missed the whole room of kids cheering when they announced him

[@ninja_tony]

@Kush Man I genuinely feel sorry for anyone that could actually believe what you just said.

[@buddiosgaming8541]

It will release once Again 😀. In official channel on his barthday. They are all back

[@jj48]

It's not just kids; I'm in my 30s and my reaction was, "Who's that?" I think it's more the fact that people who play fighting games will recognize fighting games' characters, and people who don't play fighting games won't recognize fighting games' characters.

[@Capnsensible80]

@@jj48 I never once played a Fatal Fury or King of Fighters game. Hell, I've barely played any fighting games in 35 years of gaming, but I immediately recognize Terry. He was iconic. Any kid in the 90s who was into games on more than just a very casual level will recognize that character. You are probably just a few years too young to remember when Neo Geo was what every kid wanted but few could actually obtain. At least we had the arcades, though!

[@dub2536]

Very impressive video. New subscriber. I look forward to catching up on your past content and anticipate more great video's to be posted by your channel. Keep up the great work!

[@giusepperesponte8077]

This made me honestly grateful I didn’t grow up in the 90s. I’m a big fighting game fan and the just fact that the neo geo exists and it makes my games look like crap would drive me crazy. My personality is such that once I want something, I obsess on it to an extreme degree, so having an awesome console like the neo geo hanging over my head when I know I can’t afford it would depress the hell out of me.

[@golfboy83]

My first time I remember seeing an SNK cabinet was at a local tex-mex restaurant, The Chuck Wagon. I as an adult I bought a NeoGeoX Gold counsel with all the available games and a second game stick. I love it, and love having friends over for game nights that also never got to play an actual NeoGeo because they were just out if reach if our middle class families. Great video, and I was quick to hit the subscribe button.

[@sourcecode6467]

This channel is pure class. Enjoyed every minute, and nice to see Edge magazine referenced, I never missed an issue back in the early to mid 90s

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks so much, I appreciate it.

[@sourcecode6467]

@@WrestlingWithGaming and thank you, content of this high calibre is rare and we really appreciate you.

[@vyperii]

I played Fatal Fury and king of Fighters in the arcade back when I was about 8, and from then, I always wanted a Neogeo. It was hugely out of reach for me, but when the Neogeo Pocket colour was released, I picked mine up within a week! I've now got nearly the full library (all the best) for it, and the sheer quality still shines. Fantastic video chap. More like this please?

[@emarskineel]

This is on par with a television documentary you'd see on g4tv in the early 2000's. Incredible quality, you deserve 20x the subs

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks a lot. This one was a ton of work so I really appreciate the kind words.

[@marplatense31]

Awesome documentary! I've only been a fan of SNK for 6 or 7 years, though I've been familiar with SNK for a bit longer (ever since I bought the PS1 port of Capcom vs. SNK), but SNK has grown to be one of my favorite video game companies! I've never owned or played a Neo Geo system unfortunately. And I definitely had my chance, the bowling alley that's close to my home used to have a Neo Geo.... They don't anymore.... sigh. When it comes to SNK, I've mainly gotten into their fighting games like Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Samurai Shodown and especially The King of Fighters. I think I've become addicted to these games now lol. I didn't get to play too much of Metal Slug, though I want to; as well as SNK's other games, like King of the Monsters and the game with that... robot dude.... who was a striker in The King of Fighters 2000.... Can you tell I've only been playing their fighting games? I'm still blown away by the fact that Terry got to appear in Smash, that is such a huge step forward for SNK to get more recognition and hopefully when The King of Fighters XV is revealed (or maybe when they announce a new Fatal Fury?) more people will take notice.

[@eightbit1975]

Agreed. There is no question. The Neo-Geo AES console was indeed the holy grail of game consoles. It still is!

[@mohdbushlaibi]

That was amazing. Thanks for your efforts. Miss those days

[@Rando1975]

When I was in college, my local arcade had a 4 slot and a 2 slot Neo Geo. Played A LOT of Samuai Showdown on them.

[@egretII]

Sold all my video games, including my Taito Egret II arcade machine. However, my Neo Geo AES is not for sale ❤️

[@joaquinflores8009]

Who's waiting for the Neo Geo price to come down a bit still

[@danielkuttel7867]

I still own a neo geo and every year i put it on my televesion and play some games with my friends. Everytime when i hear the starting sequence, it gives me a warmth in my heart. Greatest console ever and some of the beatemups are better balanced than many other games that got many online updates. Samurai shodown 2 is nearly perfect. But with the newer televisions its getting difficult to have a good picture, the games looks soooo poor and i had to buy an framemaster to get better images. Thanks for this awesome documentation.

[@kerningandleading]

Amazing documentary! I don't think I ever saw a Neo Geo in person before nor did I know anyone who had one. Must have been mind blowing to get that at the time!

[@RicardoCAnanias]

SNK produced the best fighting games of all times!

[@st1ka]

Wait what?! I had no idea neogeo arcades had a memory card slot o.O

[@BasementBrothers]

I accidentally left my card in the machine at an arcade once. Fortunately I remembered and went back before someone took it.

[@ChickenMcThiccken]

yes. you took the memory card home and continued playing where you left off

[@graphicsgod]

Yeah I don't remember the arcade machine in my area having it either.. Neat!

[@FinalManaTrigger]

@@ChickenMcThiccken ...in theory. Most games just used the memory card to save your high scores. Also, not all cabinets had mem card slots, actually I'd say most didn't. I think I saw exactly one in the wild that actually did. Headphone jacks were optional too.

[@arcade_signal]

@@FinalManaTrigger All the multislot cabinets bought directly from SNK did have the memory card and headphone jacks, but if an operator only bought the PCB and converted a different company's cab to a Neo-Geo, they were missing. Where I lived in south florida most neo-geo cabs were original and did have the slot, I had a memory card and used it often.

[@abc-mr7we]

I loved my neo. Every dollar I earned went into getting a new game.

[@Partinaire]

I hope you're able to get to 100k subscribers, you're pretty close! The quality of your content is top notch.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks so much! I'm cautiously optimistic that I'll hit it before the end of the year but we'll see. Thanks for the kind words, it's super encouraging!

[@JK-jt3lr]

Neo Geo games has never faded, standing today as shiny as when thay came out.

[@izocshow2158]

Neo Geo has somehow ended up being able to remake Double Dragon and it was expensive especially the game Rage of the Dragon something happened where they had to change the characters last names very very expensive game

[@omalone1169]

Any link to this?

[@izocshow2158]

@@omalone1169 Neo Geo history of Rage of the Dragon

[@THEQUICKSILVER31]

I can't believe no one mentioned Magician Lord.

[@KenMasters.]

Both SNK’s Neo-Geo MVS and Capcom’s three CP-Systems are everyone’s dream 2D consoles!

[@KenMasters.]

@Benjamin Owuye Jagun They made Sega’s arcade boards into consoles?!

[@HeavyMetalSonicRM]

I'm 32 and didn't discover the brilliance of NeoGeo until Nintendo Switch. It's amazing that I never heard of it as a kid. I now own many titles on Switch and bought an arcade controller.

[@maneco88]

This vid. Need a extended version. One of the best if not the best video of neo geo on youtube. Cheers from Puerto Rico bro

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

¡Gracias! De casualidad yo soy de Bayamon. 🇵🇷

[@maneco88]

@@WrestlingWithGaming Si, en el video de Nick Arcade te envie saludos. Haces muy bien trabajo en tus videos eres de mis preferidos con Jenovi y otros mas.