Just bought a Neo Geo, got some questions as a first time owner

RemixDeluxe · Apr 23, 2016

I've heard of this system around the schoolyard during the 90s and yet I never knew anyone that ever owned one and I was fascinated about having this "arcade experience" right at home. I did do some homework on this as much as I could and I found out depending on its serial # it will determine the quality of the RGB that it outputs so I wanted to make sure I picked a good low number and it was not easy finding one.

1. Are there any differences between the US and the Japanese version of the console besides the BIOS?

2. Can I use the Neo Geo CD controller on the AES version of the system or do they only work on their own respective systems? Can I use any other controllers on this system like Sega Genesis or anything else?

3. The console I bought didnt come with any video cables (cheap bastards.) What should I look for so I can play this on my TV, I dont want to get the wrong thing.

4. I did buy this system fully aware of the fact that the games are notoriously expensive. I saw that there are multicart like solutions that can store a whole bunch of games but each one I've looked at has its own problems and quirks to deal with. Are there any everdrives of any sort in which I can play every game ever on a single cart with no problems at all? If not what would be the closest thing to that.

5. What mods can I do on this system to get the most out of it and is this naturally region free or do I need to mod the system for that too?

Enigma Hall · Apr 23, 2016

There's a 161 in 1 neo geo mvs cartrige. Expensive but wort it. Google is your friend.

zxieus · Apr 23, 2016

1 Blood was removed from many USA region games and the BIOS language setting. However there are many BIOS hacks you can get for it to change both the language and other settings http://unibios.free.fr/whatisit.html

2 Yes all Neo-Geo controller are interchangeable, Also the controllers are really simple compared to many other consoles with a pin for each input and use a standard DB15 connector (old PC midi port) so you could build a real arcade stick

3 it's a standard DIN8 connector, Heres a pinout http://www.gamesx.com/avpinouts/neoav.htm grab the DIN8 connector from eBay or RadioShack (are they still around) and wire one up

4 there are a few in development but they will be expensive due to the complex way that the original carts work

5 Again the BIOS mods (replacements) are one way to hack it, they are region free, there is also a (expensive) cart convertor that swaps the pinout between AES and MVS cart so you can play arcade carts on the home system

RemixDeluxe · Apr 24, 2016

zxieus said:
1 Blood was removed from many USA region games and the BIOS language setting. However there are many BIOS hacks you can get for it to change both the language and other settings http://unibios.free.fr/whatisit.html

2 Yes all Neo-Geo controller are interchangeable, Also the controllers are really simple compared to many other consoles with a pin for each input and use a standard DB15 connector (old PC midi port) so you could build a real arcade stick

3 it's a standard DIN8 connector, Heres a pinout http://www.gamesx.com/avpinouts/neoav.htm grab the DIN8 connector from eBay or RadioShack (are they still around) and wire one up

4 there are a few in development but they will be expensive due to the complex way that the original carts work

5 Again the BIOS mods (replacements) are one way to hack it, they are region free, there is also a (expensive) cart convertor that swaps the pinout between AES and MVS cart so you can play arcade carts on the home system

1. Ok but I was more interested to know if there was any physical differences between Japanese and US Neo Geo consoles, thats why I initially said not including the BIOS.

2. Thats good to know, thank you.

3. DIN8 cable, that layout looks very familiar to something that Sega would use. I think I saw it either on my Genesis, CD, or 32x. I'll check if my cables work to save me the cost of buying another cable.

4. I understand no one can really predict the future but would it be possible in the future to have a true everdrive solution that can play all games flawlessly or is the 161 in 1 neo geo mvs cartrige as good as it will get like Enigma Hall pointed out. I'll get it if thats the peak of "perfection" but it will suck if something is just around the corner that can outperform it after spending hundreds on that cart.

5. What benefits would there be to having a Unibios as a replacement to the one built in if my console is already Japanese? If the system is already region free then why bother?

zxieus · Apr 24, 2016

1. if your system is japanese then all your games will play with japanese text/speech only. as the console decides what language to use not the cart
3. going by the pinouts on GameSX (Genesis & Neo-Geo) they do look compatible
5. the link i posted to the unibios page has all the benefits listed. its a cheap mod

Neoropolis.net convert MVS arcade carts into AES home console carts and charge a reasonable price for them

RemixDeluxe · Apr 30, 2016

I read that using Japanese consoles in the US is perfectly ok but should I be concerned for long term use? US voltage is 120 while Japan is 100 voltage, will running that extra voltage hurt the AC adapter or the console overtime?

I just want to make sure my console and accessories are safe before trying this on.

I'm still not too comfortable using this until I know for sure its safe. Just want to know if I need anything for longterm use.

raulpica · May 2, 2016

1. They say that US and EU Neo Geo AES have better video quality than 90% of the Japanese units out there. Something to do with the production runs. You can check your serial number online.

2. Yep, afaik you can. I know a friend uses one on an MVS I've consolized for him and it works without issues. I expect the AES to be the same. Nope, because the port is physically different. The Neo Geo uses a 15-pin port. The Genesis and others use a 9-pin one.

3. If you were in Europe the choice would be easy and I'd have said "A SCART cable" but since you're in US, I suppose your only choice is a Composite (I remember this UK guy once called Composite "Compo-shite". Never truer words were spoken). You could look into getting it S-Video modded in the future for a much better picture quality, but RGB is the best. You could get a SCART-to-HDMI converter for easy, cheap and quick RGB support along with a SCART cable. By the way, no, Genesis cables don't work. The Genesis 1 uses a different DIN8 (262°) than what the Neo-Geo uses.

4. Nope, only those crappy multicarts. The funny thing is that most of the times certain games have issues on a certain revision of the multicart. There are spreadsheets around which tell you which revision has problems with X games.

5. S-Video mod since you're in the US, for starters. And well, modding the bios with UniBIOS would also be a nice thing to do.

For voltage, check the PSU, usually it'll indicate which range of voltages it's supposed to work on.

RemixDeluxe · May 2, 2016

Are there any step down converters you could recommend for Japanese consoles like my Famicom and Neo Geo. I'm sure they would work just fine without one but because the AC adapters get hot from prolonged use I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I also plan to take a trip to Japan so are there converters that work both ways no matter which region your located in?

raulpica · May 3, 2016

RemixDeluxe said:
Are there any step down converters you could recommend for Japanese consoles like my Famicom and Neo Geo. I'm sure they would work just fine without one but because the AC adapters get hot from prolonged use I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I also plan to take a trip to Japan so are there converters that work both ways no matter which region your located in?

Not sure, I'm not american so I've never looked into it

That added heat will make components degrade quicker than expected, which will mean a shorter life expectancy from an already old piece of equipment. That's why while it works right now, a stepdown converter is the right way to go

Nope, they're usually just one way, afaik.

Just bought a Neo Geo, got some questions as a first time owner

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