Neo Geo

The Exotic Neo Geo Console

March 8, 2016 By ausretrogamer

I am a big fan of creative (and talented) peeps that tinker and create wonderful gaming gear, especially the one-of-a-kind creations!

As you may have guessed, we are huge fans of SNK’s Neo Geo range, especially their MVS and AES systems. We had recently been stalking the Neo Geo market for something special and different. To our pleasant surprise, we stumbled upon a country that seemed to be the hotbed for exotic Neo Geo creations – Spain! Yep, Spain! Those Spaniards don’t cut corners when it comes to making their wares standout, a case in point being this sleek and shiny consolized Neo Geo MVS beauty!

Shiny and sleek!

With great effort going into the presentation of the console, its metallic case and gorgeous curves ooze contemporary industrial design that even Xbox and Playstation owners would be envious of! To compliment its great looks, this consolized MVS beast has video (SCART/RGB/S-Video) and audio (stereo composite) outputs that would definitely raise the hairs on the back of your neck when playing your favourite MVS titles!

Before you ask about the controls and other internals, the console has two SNK Neo Geo AES/CD joystick ports, with credit buttons for each player to rack up the play credits (Ed: woo hoo, no more 20c coins required). Oh yeh, the rig is complimented with Universe BIOS (UniBIOS), giving you a feature-rich list of options.

When it comes to playing games on this console, the visuals are a tour-de-force on any old-school CRT and even on newer TVs (plasma/LCD), we kid you not! We can finally put away the AES and Phantom-1, as this one-of-a-kind MVS console provides us that Neo Geo gaming hit we need!

Turn me on, baby!

Rack up the credits!

A voluptuous rear end

SCART me!

Match cartridge with arrow, or else!

Interview With Retro Rich: A Neo Geo Superstar

January 12, 2016 By ausretrogamer

We’ll start this by thanking Twitter. I know, it is a strange way of starting an interview piece, but the context must be set. If it wasn’t for the social media Goliath, we would never had met so many fantastic people in the retro gaming community, just like our very good friend from the UK, Richard Evans (aka: Retro Rich). After many conversations, limited to 140 characters of course, we decided it was high time we got Rich in the ausretrogamer interview hot seat! Grab your favourite snack and beverage, kick back and let’s see what Rich has to say for himself…

AUSRETROGAMER [ARG]: So Rich, hope we can call you Rich, tell us how you got into gaming?
Retro Rich [RR]: You certainly can call me Rich! Well my first memory of gaming was at my cousin’s house when I was very young. He had what I now know to be an Atari 2600 with the game Combat. Whenever I went there I always asked him to play Combat with me. I loved the tanks! Around the same time I visited another cousin of mine and she had Grandstand Astro Wars. I wanted both the Atari and Astro Wars so badly, but it wasn’t until some years later I was lucky enough to own a computer of my own. My father decided that we needed a BBC Micro at home because that was what we had at school. I don’t really ever remember using it for school work, but I do remember playing Granny’s Garden and Magic Adventure at school. The first games we owned at home were Acornsoft titles Planetoid and Arcadians which were good clones of arcade hits Defender and Galaxian. I grew up with the BBC and ended up with it in my room, so I bought games myself. The ones which I remember and loved the best were Elite, Citadel, Chuckie Egg, Repton 3 and Codename: Droid. I only really replaced the BBC when I got a Sega Master System Plus many years later and it spiraled from there. Next came a Mega Drive, then the Playstation, Playstation 2, N64 and so on.

ARG: Are you equally both into retro and modern gaming?
RR: Not really, it’s mostly all retro nowadays. I do own an Xbox 360, but my son Ethan plays that most of the time. He plays FIFA and Minecraft a lot. The last games I played on the 360 were Skyrim and Fallout 3 which I think are amazing games. So immersive, especially in Dolby 5.1 surround. Bethesda are awesome! The trouble is I find I don’t have the time to get into those longer games, and that’s where arcade games fit in since I can just play one for 10 minutes without having to spend an hour remembering where I was.

ARG: What is it about retro gaming that you most like and enjoy?
RR: There is obviously a significant nostalgia value to these old games since I grew up with them. But more than that I think some of the games still hold up against the games of today. Gameplay truly is more important than great graphics and sound. I also really enjoy the social interaction of the retro gaming scene, which I mostly participate in through Twitter. I’ve made so many friends! It’s like becoming a member of a really large club where there are so many cool and interesting people with similar interests. A group of us have created our own gaming organization / club called the Gaming Illuminati which started from an informal high score competition. There are five of us now, and we have the website coded by one of our members (Rob). The site features our scoreboard where we compete against each other for fun. Finally another attraction for me is the engineering side. I love fixing things and vintage gaming provides opportunity for that in large amounts!

ARG: Tell us about your games room setup?
RR: Unfortunately I don’t have a proper games room as I’m limited by space, so my games share the lounge (Den, family room). If I move house I intend to buy a place with enough space for a proper games room.

My console collection consists of: Mega Drive (PAL), Megadrive 2 PAL (modded to allow 60Hz and NTSC and NTSC-J), a jailbroken Neo Geo X, SNES, Playstation 2 – 1st Gen, Nintendo Wii, XBOX, Nintendo Gamecube, Sega Dreamcast, Xbox 360, Atari 2600 Jr, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Nintendo DS and a Nintendo DS Lite.

All the consoles that support stereo sound end up going through my surround amp in one way or another. I try and connect them to the TV using the best picture method, so where supported they have RGB Scart or component cables.

The arcade collection is as follows: Neo Geo MVS 6-slot Electrocoin Arcade and a JAMMA cabinet I built from a flat pack kit – which is wired for JAMMA+ and has various arcade systems installed; a Hyper Neo Geo 64, 2 x Neo Geo MVS 1-slotters and a GameElf with both horizontal and vertical game card (which has about 1000 arcade games).

ARG: Do you have a fave retro system? If so, tell us which one and why it is your fave.
RE: It’s really difficult to pick one only! I think my favorite console is the SNES. The SNES has some of my favorite games including Legend Of Zelda, Super Mario Kart and Super Mario World and I love the control pads on the SNES – small but perfectly formed with loads of buttons. I feel I also need to mention my Neo Geo X as it’s rather special. It has a Jailbreak by OMG-SNK installed which means it plays all but 2 of the 148 official Neo Geo games, and has emulators for Capcom CPS too. It also plays ROMs from most 16-bit and below systems including Mega Drive, Master System, SNES, NES, Game Boy, GBC, GBA and Atari. It has literally hundreds of games on it and is a great emulation system with the addition of being completely portable when the handheld is removed.

ARG: From chatting with you on social media, we know you are a huge Neo Geo fan – why do you have such an affinity for SNK’s Neo Geo?
RR: I’m actually quite a latecomer to Neo Geo would you believe? I never played or owned one as a kid. I saw games for sale in magazines and couldn’t understand why they were so expensive when compared to other games systems of the time. It was more a myth, with one of my friends claiming they had another friend who owned one. When I started getting interested in arcade games I watched John’s Arcade on YouTube and when I saw his Neo Geo 4-slot “Big Red”, I knew I wanted to get one – it just looked so awesome! I still want a US spec Neo Geo like that one, but I’m very happy with my UK spec machine. I love the architecture from a technical point of view, and it has in my opinion, some of the best arcade games ever made. I could literally list tens of games here as the best ones, but I particularly like the Samurai Showdown and King Of Fighters series, the Metal Slug series, Pulstar and Blazing Star.

ARG: Any plans on getting an AES? If not, what other potential retro gaming items are you targeting for 2016?
RR: I don’t have any immediate plans to get an AES because I own several MVS systems and obviously I still have a long way to go to get all the games I want. That coupled with the fact that MVS games are generally cheaper anyway, means I’m unlikely to start collecting for AES any time soon – unless I come into large sums of money obviously! I would like to make either a consolized MVS, or better still, a SuperGun with a cool custom enclosure and control panel. That might be a better option since I could then plug in other arcade systems including an MVS. I kind of like the idea of making this myself and I certainly have the technical know-how needed. The more challenging side of it would be making it look cool, but I have friends who could help me with that. On the console side, I would really like a NES and a bunch of games. Will probably start looking out for a good deal this year. Finally, I really want an original R-Type arcade board, or better still, a Nintendo R-Type arcade cabinet. I love this game which I first played on the Sega Master System as a kid. I would like to go for the Twin Galaxies world record on R-Type, but keep that to yourself… sshhh… ARG: Your secret is safe with us! *winks*

ARG: You recently put up a YouTube video (which our readers can see below), what are the plans for your channel?
RR: I’m going to keep it simple to start with and not over complicate it or try to come across as a pro when I’m obviously not. I will continue to record using my iPhone 6s for now, but if things work out I will get a dedicated camera later. I’d also like to aim to stick to one-take videos so that I don’t end up delaying a release due to editing time etc. I have enough to think about remembering all the stuff I need to say, and trying to stay focused as it is when I’m recording – not to mention how nervous I am! As far as content goes, I aim to keep it all focused on retro gaming. I will continue to upload my Twin Galaxies world record attempt videos. I also have a list of requests to cover and things I’ve added myself, which include: more restoration videos, including my Neo Geo MVS; videos on the Xbox Steel Battalion plus the controller; my JAMMA cab and it’s various systems and technical setup; the scan-line generator (in the JAMMA cab); my Hyper Neo Geo 64 and the four fighting games; my consoles and demos of the modified Mega Drive 2. I’m also going to do a video on the Neo Geo X jailbreak. I will cover some of the Neo Geo games, and will probably tweet out before I record it asking for suggestions from my followers for games they would like me to include in the video, and then I will credit them with a mention!

ARG: Now we get to the hard hitting question – do you have an all-time favourite game? If you have more than one, that’s cool, we will allow this privilege only this once *winks*
RR: Well, as predicted, that is a tough one! I have always loved the Legend Of Zelda games, and if you had to push me to pick one it would probably be A Link To The Past on the SNES, but I do really like the gameplay on the Wii versions. The Skyward Sword game with the Motion Plus controller really works for me. I also really love shmups, so Pulstar, Blazing Star and R-Type have to get a mention here too.

ARG: Where can people get in touch with you or check up on what you are up to?
RR: They can follow me on Twitter or subscribe to my YouTube channel. Oh yeh, check out http://gaming-illuminati.net. I love seeing and hearing about other collections and gaming related stuff, so just get in contact!

We wanted to keep Rich in the interview hot seat and ask him a heap more questions, but we had to allow him to get back to his family and his many retro gaming goodies. We can always ask him follow up questions on Twitter – so watch out Rich!

A big thank you to Rich for agreeing to this interview and allowing us to take a peek at his awesome gaming collection. I wonder who we will put in the interview hot seat next…………

Interview With Steven Cousins: The Retro Gaming Gun From The West

February 24, 2015 By ausretrogamer

I love social media. I keep on banging on about how awesome it is to connect with like-minded people, and social media provides the perfect platform, especially when people are on the other side of the country! The world certainly is a smaller place with all these online channels allowing us to meet great people.

Steve ‘Steevo‘ Cousins is a classic example of meeting a down-to-earth, like-minded dude who is also a very cool gamer. We hit it off immediately with our passion for retro gaming and common love for Double Dragon and anything and everything to do with Atari. In recent times, Steve’s love of retro gaming has branched to the Neo Geo MVS! Since the SNK beauty is close to my heart, our online friendship has hit a new level. Once Steve showed me his games room, I knew that I had to ask him to join us for an interview and share his love of gaming and his awesome setup with you all. Here we go!

AUSRETROGAMER [ARG]: Hey Steve, thank you for your time. Let’s get straight into it – when did you get into gaming? What was your first home system?
Steve Cousins [SC]: Gaming has always been big in my life. It all started with some people I knew that had an Atari 2600. All I wanted to do was go around and play the system, though I never got to play it much as I was never allowed. I could only watch! So each year I begged my parents for one and finally when I was 7 they ventured out and got me my first ever gaming system for Christmas. I still remember that Christmas morning, I opened the wrapping and out came a magical Atari XEGS system. I was very excited to get an Atari system, although I was confused as I asked for an Atari 2600 and never heard of this system. My parents assured me that this was a superior system as that’s what the man at the store told them. It did become a problem a year later though, as games were stopped being made for them. My parents felt bad about this, so I remember us searching high and low at retail stores in Tasmania and found a store an hour away that sold the games for the system and they were all bargain basement as no one was buying them. My parents ended up buying nearly all the games for me. I was set!

ARG: Do you have a favourite game (of all time) or genre?
SC: For most gamers this must be the hardest question of all! I seriously cannot name a single game or genre as hard as I try. I go in phases as I have my whole life, so I will answer the best I can by answering this way – my favourite games as a child, were: Lode Runner, Dark Chambers, Double Dragon and Streets Of Rage. Double Dragon holds a very special spot for me as I was playing it at home and would make special trips to the arcade just to play it [ARG: Good man!]. Even when it was outdated when NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat were the coolest to play at the arcades, something about Double Dragon just kept me coming back to it. From there I went onto Street Fighter II and then on to Tekken. I still play Tekken to this day. Games like Road Rash, Super Off-Road, Rock N Roll Racing and Micro Machines kept me occupied for ages! I even got into the stealth style games like Metal Gear Solid. I got into FPS as well, thanks to Doom! I’ll stop there, otherwise I can go on listing heaps more!

ARG: What is your favourite old school home system(s)?
SC: There are 4 I hold dear to me, with the main one being my Atari XEGS. I have also found another collector who loves the XEGS as much as me, Weird and Retro. We are both after the final piece of the puzzle to complete our XEGS collection – Karateka! Ah, one day! I also hold the Sega Master System, Mega Drive and the sexy add-on, the 32X, dear to my heart.

ARG: What made you start collecting?
SC: It was about 5 years ago. I still had a lot of consoles, but I always wanted to get back the consoles I mentioned above as I sold them to fund a very expensive console at the time, the PlayStation! Even then, I said to myself that I would re-buy these machines again one day. Finally I decided to and the retro gaming train just kept going and I cannot stop it.

ARG: What is it about collecting that brings you the most joy?
SC: Just finding the game you sort of forgot about and then finding it dirt cheap! Just searching for the console but knowing the price you want to pay so you pass 1000 chances to get it but then you finally find it and get it at the price that’s not breaking your budget – that is just so satisfying! Many collectors will hate me for this, but I’m not a sealed collector type of guy. So I have busted open seals to play the games knowing it will decrease the value but doing so still brings me joy, just like when I was a kid! I believe that, if I have it, then it is meant to be played! Now it’s just casually going to potential places and trying to find some console or game treasures. They aren’t always there, but when they are, it just makes my day!

ARG: Do you have a prized gaming possession (if so, what is it)?
SC: I do. Actually, I have a few to be honest. One of my favourite games for the Master System was Power Strike – I have 1 and 2 complete for the system now. Both pretty rare games and both were cheap! Another is my Atari 2600 Sunnyvale Heavy Sixer! I got that one via eBay. The seller had it listed as an “Atari” with a Buy It Now price of $20USD with $25USD for shipping – I snapped it up immediately. It works like a charm! My collection of Atari XEGS games and boxed system will always hold a special place in my heart! I could go on, but recently I purchased a 6-slot Neo Geo MVS arcade cabinet! The machine came with 7 games, all in a workable state. I am relatively new to the Neo Geo machine, so I had some help from the man, ausretrogamer! He was certainly very helpful along the way. [ARG: Aww man, you are making me blush. It is always great to introduce someone to the big red SNK beast.]

ARG: What item (or items) do you have your eye on to add to your collection?
SC: I’m still after the elusive Karateka for the Atari XEGS. As mentioned previously, I know that Weird And Retro is also after it. It will be a long time before either of us complete that set, but it would be brilliant if we both did!

It’s also time for me to grab myself a Commodore 64. I still remember playing it to death with a friend. I still can’t believe I haven’t got one in my collection (yet). I also would like a Neo Geo AES, but the PAL version – I’m guessing because it’s harder to find. So that will take a fair while to get.

Slowly I am trying to get all PAL Sega 32x games. It is probably unlikely I’ll complete that set because the prices are super crazy! So many more but you will see them over time if you follow me on Twitter.

ARG: You recently got yourself a Neo Geo MVS 6-slot arcade machine – what made you choose this machine and what do you think of it so far?
SC: I played the Neo Geo games at the arcades as a kid. I always wanted an arcade machine, so this is just the perfect machine – you just interchange game cartridges! It’s like having multiple arcade machines in the one system. I am absolutely loving it! It came with a 100 in 1 game cartridge, so I am playing many games I had never got to play before. Seriously one of the best, if not the best thing I have in my games room!

ARG: Tell us about your gaming room – how long did it take to get it setup and are there going to be further additions / modifications?
SC: Well,I had a lot of the systems all hidden away in boxes and I just wanted to display them. I convinced my lovely wife to get some shelves and it went from there. We moved house almost 2 years ago now and I now have my ultimate games room / man’s cave! There is a massive bar, billiard table, foosball table, arcade machines and a bucket-load of consoles! [ARG: Oh man, party at your place!] My thing with the consoles is I have to have every system (not multiples or variations) hooked up the the TV, so basically I can play any game I have, on the one TV. Sometimes it just takes me 10 minutes to remember which switch box I have set up to what console. I really have to organise it all a bit better. [ARG: You should do what I do, create a diagram of what is connected to what].

The games room will have many more modifications to it, as I know I will be adjusting my console section to make more room for even more games and more consoles. I will be sharing my progress on Twitter, slowly, but surely! My wife wants a pinball machine, so one day, that will be in there too!

ARG: Like all of us that collect, we struggle to find time to enjoy it all – how do you find time to have fun with your gaming collection?
SC: For me, I still play my PS3 and PS4 the most. I do get the urge to play some older game system, especially when I get a game for it – then I’ll fire it up and play most of the games I have for it. I love it when my nieces or nephews come over because they love playing it all! I am lucky as my lovely wife understands my love and lets me get lost in all the nostalgia any time I wish. So, whenever I have free time and have the urge, I’ll duck away to the games room and just play some games.

ARG: Thank you very much for your time, Steve, and for sharing your thoughts and your awesome games room with us all.
SC: Cheers Alex! Sorry it’s taken ages to get this interview done, I have been mega busy with real life stuff and I also needed to clean up the games room for the photo shoot [laughs].

As we leave Steve to play his beloved Atari XEGS, we thank him once again for his time and for providing us with a heap of mouth-watering photos of his brilliant games room. Next party is at Steevo’s place!

Partying With My Retro Gaming Brethren

January 18, 2015 By ausretrogamer

When I first ventured into retro gaming, little did I know that I would meet such awesome and like-minded people. Since establishing a great bond with the locally based Retro Domination and Weird and Retro guys, we have shared many a good time, not least of all, at our annual Classic Gaming extravaganza at PAX Aus.

With family priorities keeping me away for most of the 2014 PAX Aus event, the rest of the Classic Gaming crew, including the Adelaide based Retrospekt team, were hugely supportive, which was greatly appreciated.

As a thank you, Ms. ausretrogamer and I invited our Victorian based retro gaming colleagues to celebrate the grand opening of our new games room. Between the consumption of pizzas, beer, soft drinks and Ms. ausretrogamer’s famous Black Russians, there were pinball high score challenges, Frisbee action via Windjammers on the Neo Geo MVS and a lot of laughter and reminiscing. It was also great to meet Mrs. Daz Retro and their three lovely kids.

I was humbled to receive many gifts, which were totally unexpected. Matt Cawley handed me a few custom MVS boxes, Ultimate Body Blows and a number of other Amiga CD32 goodies. As per usual, Daz surprised me with a boxed (Last) Ninja 3 for the C64 and the equally awesome, Dracula – The Undead for the Atari Lynx. However, the biggest surprise came from Mr. Mark Cassar. Without any fanfare, Mark handed me an awesome custom-made ausretrogamer C64 t-shirt. To say I was rapt, would be a great understatement!

Since the new games room has now officially been opened, I hope to host many more retro gaming parties with great friends. Game on!

The calm before the retro gaming storm!

Pizzas, Drinks and great company = perfect ingredients for a party

Matt having a crack at the Pin*Bot high score!

The great Mark Cassar taking a swing on the Neo Geo!

Daz showing the boys his flipper skills!

The next generation of retro gamers

The awesome gifts! I have been spoiled.

The Neo Geo Song: Music Video

December 17, 2014 By ausretrogamer

Just when you thought you got this song out of your head, I come along and ram it back in there! This is such a feel good song – it is absolutely perfect for the festive season!

Get singing people, “Neo Geo, Neo Geo. Four bright buttons and two joysticks. Neo Geo, Neo Geo. Cool red cab and a name that sticks“! The Neo Geo rulez!

source: Nathan Barnatt

Lyrics: Keith Apicary

The Thrill Of The Chase: A Saucy Red

June 6, 2014 By ausretrogamer

There is something about the colour red. It invokes very raw emotions. As other thrill of the chase have come and gone, this latest chase was quite special. On one hand, I had found the exact Neo Geo MVS cabinet I had been lusting after (Ed: red = lust), and more importantly, I had my mum and dad in tow while I was criss-crossing the suburbs of Melbourne to pickup this red beauty.

The sun was searing, I was sweaty as hell and upon arrival, the seller was nowhere to be found! Alas, one phone call later, and things were sorted – the seller had gone out to the shops. The 4-slot MVS cabinet was easy to manoeuvre and get onto the trailer. I would have to say, it was the easiest cabinet I had transported. The saucy red is now sitting pride of place in the yet-to-be-transformed-into-a-games-room garage (more on that another time). Let me just say, anyone that plays on her, they are instantly smitten.

This chase was personal for me. Not only did my parents provide me with company, they provided memories, not just for being there on this occasion, but on plenty other countless occasions. My parents aren’t young like they used to be, so any occasion where I can spend time with them to create a memory, I cherish it. This chase is dedicated to you, mum and dad.

Now let’s play some NAM-1975!

Interview with Steve Riner: Neo Geo Guru

November 28, 2013 By ausretrogamer

I keep on getting asked, why do I like spending time on Twitter and what do I get out of it. The answer is quite simple – I like socialising with like minded people. When geography gets in the way of socialising in person, the next best thing is to get on an online social medium. This is where Twitter excels – it has the power to bring like minded people together anywhere in the world. There are no borders in Twitter!

As mentioned in previous interviews, I have met so many wonderful people I am proud to call my friends – even if we have not met in person! One particular person I would dearly like to meet in the flesh, is none other than the SNK Neo Geo guru, (Harry) Steve Riner. I have conversed with Steve and his wife (Emily) so many times over the last year, it feels like we have known each other for ages. I have been meaning to get an interview with Steve for some time, and finally, that day has come. Just like others that have a passion for video gaming, Steve is an awesomely cool and super-friendly guy that goes out of his way to engage in conversation and also assist with queries, especially anything in reference to SNK and the Neo Geo.

We sat down with Steve, thousands of miles apart, and probed him with some hard hitting questions:

AUSRETROGAMER [ARG]: So, Mr. Harry Steve Riner, tell us how your love of video gaming began? What are your earliest memories?
Harry Steve Riner [HSR]: I began gaming when my parents bought my brother and I a NES for Christmas 1987. To this day, I am unsure if the NES was for us or for my dad and his friends! Earliest memory I have of playing was watching my mom get completely destroyed by level 1-1 on Super Mario Bros.

NeoGeo_SNK hw family pic — The SNK family: some of the SNK hardware in full glory

ARG: Were you a brand loyalist or did you jump from one make of console to another?
HSR: I was very much a Sega fanboy. When I got to an age to make gaming console decisions, it was all about Sega. The first console I asked for was the Sega Genesis. The CD add-on was requested shortly thereafter. I followed that up with a Saturn for Christmas. I love Sega.

ARG: Were you ever into gaming on home computers, like the C64?
HSR: I got into gaming on PC for a short period when we got our first PC. I only played FPS games back then. Weird thing is, it seemed that the best games on PC were from that genre. My favorite was Unreal Tournament. I have tested a few TI99/4A’s and played a game or two on them. I played educational themed games when I was younger on 5 1/4” floppy disks, like Number Munchers, Oregon Trail and Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego.

ARG: What was your favourite video gaming generation?
HSR: Easily the 16 bit era. It felt like the Wild West back then. It was as if anything was possible and all the companies in the industry were VIDEO GAME companies! All the hardware companies were gunning for the title and the only true winner was us, the gamers. By this time I was armed with more gaming information via magazines, so I found it was a lot easier to make a decision on what to buy and on which platform. So many classics, on so many different platforms, it was easily the best era in gaming for me.

NeoGeo_HaulingMVS — This is how you transport arcade cabinets!

ARG: When did your love of SNK’s Neo Geo begin? What was it about the Neo Geo that put a stranglehold on your heart?
HSR: My first exposure to SNK was the same as almost everyone else – in the arcades. It was truly love at first sight. King of Fighters 95 did it for me and I have lusted after the hardware ever since. I knew about the AES back then (from reading EGM), but I also knew there was no way I was going to be able to convince my folks into getting me one. It wasn’t until about a year ago I started to look into collecting SNK stuff seriously. Now, here I am stuck in its very tight “stranglehold” – I like how you put that (smiles). I grew up playing cartridge based games. I was always looking for the biggest and the best cart based games. Once I found out that SNK had made a home console from their arcade hardware, I knew it was game, set and match on the cart based world! Its appeal was immediate – aggressive advertising, big bright red cabinets, large character sprites on screen, amazing graphics and intense audio. It all seemed larger than life and geared towards only the most hardcore of gamers.

ARG: You got me into Shock Troopers 2nd Squad (thank you very much for that), what is your absolute favourite SNK game?
HSR: Glad you are enjoying it. The Shock Troopers games are brilliant and have all of SNK’s signature ingredients! My favorite SNK game has got to be King of Fighters 97! No matter what, I always find myself coming back to it. As great as KoF98 is, and as much as everyone has labeled it the crowned king of the KoF series, it’s the additional elements of the Orochi Saga story arc coming to an end that sets it apart from KoF98 in my eyes. There are so many amazing games available for the SNK hardware – it’s really hard picking just one. I’ll do a top 3, because I feel the other two deserve just as much attention as KoF97:

1. King of Fighters 97
2. Real Bout Fatal Fury Special
3. Prehistoric Isle 2 (MVS only)

NeoGeo_KOF — Someone likes The King of Fighters just a bit

ARG: Being a family man, I know how hard it is to make time for our passion. How do you make time to play video games? Is the family into it too and do they like the old stuff?
HSR: I do most of my gaming when the kids are at school or after they go to bed. Good thing is, the wife and kids all play games to some extent. The littlest ones, my 4 and 5 year olds, love playing on the arcade machines. They aren’t really big gamers – my son is too busy playing with his Lego. My oldest is a Nintendo fangirl through and through (laughs)! She enjoys a razzle on the MVS from time to time, but most of her gaming is done on her 3DS or the WiiU. She is currently playing Pikmin 3 and Animal Crossing: New Leaf. My wife is as big of a gamer as myself. All her free time goes to gaming. She plays a good mix of all things current gen: 3DS, WiiU and PS3. She is currently play Pokemon Y, Monster Hunter 3 (3DS & WiiU), and will be soon starting The Wind Waker. With all of them gaming, they don’t mind dad stepping out for a few seconds to grab a credit or two on the MVS.

NeoGeo_Playing_MVS — Keeping it in the family: Steve’s eldest daughter enjoying some fighting action

ARG: What other classic retro systems do you own? Are there old systems you are looking at adding to your vast collection?
HSR: I currently own: NES, SNES, Genesis, JP Victor Saturn, JP Sega Dreamcast, PS1 and PS2, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, GBA, GBA SP, Neo Geo CDZ, Neo Geo CD (top loader) and a Coleco Telestar Arcade. I am currently looking for a PC Engine Duo R or Duo RX, and of course an AES. It’s weird that I don’t have an AES, but they are going for crazy money right now. I have a few others I’ve wanted for years, but those two are on the top of the wish list. I’m also looking into expanding my arcade PCB collection.

NeoGeo_SATURN — Steve’s favourite disc based console

ARG: From our chat the other day on Twitter, we noticed that you had been busy hunting down numerous arcade cabinets – can you tell us more about this – how you came to this great haul and are you thinking of opening up a ‘Steve’s Joint’ arcade parlour?
HSR: I had stopped at this nearby place about two years ago to look at a used car, an old yellow Mercury Grand Marquis. While trying to find someone there to talk to about the car, I noticed through the full glass door that there were heaps of arcade machines inside. I left my contact details there several times and had never been able to catch the owner, until recently. About a week ago I stopped in while he was there and started talking to him about the cabinets. It was then that he told me he was trying to get rid of everything he had, and quickly! My mind immediately went to Neo Geo MVS mode – where is it and what did he have on offer. So this is how I’ve come to acquire the two new MVS converted cabinets. I worked out a deal with the guy for a few more cabinets; a cocktail table and all SNK/MVS/Neo Geo stuff. There is plenty more in there and I’m attempting to work out a deal for the others – a sit down or some dedicated cabinets. So there may be more excitement to come. No plans of an arcade parlour right now, I’ve got one of the MVS’s lined up to be sited at a friend’s tattoo shop. I’m restoring the cocktail table for my father in-law for Christmas. He wants it done in Ms. Pac-man guise. Not sure on my plans for the other cabinets I picked up, maybe a classic multi-cade PCB setup. As my plans are still up in the air, I will keep you posted on what I come up with.

NeoGeo_Arcade_Haul — Jealous? You should be! Steve’s recent arcade haul

ARG: Do you have any plans to come to Australia (we would welcome you with open arms)?
HSR: I’d definitely love to travel to Australia. In fact, I’d love to be able to set foot on all continents. I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to visit another country.

Right, time for some rapid fire questions:

ARG: Favourite console of all time?
HSR: Sega Saturn.

ARG: Favourite console game of all time?
HSR: Legend of Zelda /Mega Man 2 on NES.

ARG: Favourite arcade game of all time?
HSR: King of Fighters 97.

ARG: Joystick or joypad?
HSR: Joystick, but some genres need a pad.

ARG: PS4, Wii U or Xbox One?
HSR: WiiU. But it also depends on which systems publish the games I like to play.

We thank Steve for his time today. We definitely feel like we have got to know him much better. There were a few surprises in there, but that is what makes it exciting when speaking to a fellow gamer, especially one as cool as Steve. We can’t wait to hear more about his restoration project(s) and future arcade cabinet endeavors!

You can follow Steve’s exploits on all manner of social networks. Check him out on Twitter and Instagram.

Neo Geo: The Phantom-1 Menace

October 9, 2013 By ausretrogamer

There was never any doubt, if you had the cash to splash, the Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System (AES) was one badass console to own. You could play Nam-1975 at the arcade parlour on the Neo Geo MVS and then go home and play the exact same game on the AES. You couldn’t really say the same for the Mega Drive nor the SNES, even though they did have some near perfect arcade conversions.

If you are one of the lucky ones to still own an AES, then you will be well aware that the cartridges are quite expensive, especially when compared to their MVS arcade versions. So how does one get around paying a king’s ransom for AES games? Easy, you get yourself an !Arcade! Phantom-1 MVS to AES converter. The Phantom-1 converter lets you play (the cheaper) MVS games on your AES – just plug in the converter, whack in the MVS cartridge on top and viola, you have saved yourself several hundred dollars. The only problem is, the Phantom-1 converter is rarer than hens teeth. If you do find one in your travels, be prepared to fork out for it – it is well worth it!

Neo Geo Live Action: The King Of Fighters 2001

June 3, 2013 By ausretrogamer

Wouldn’t it be fun to dress up as your favourite fighter and reenact their moves in a real life one-on-one fight? Well, these Neo Geo cosplay fans did just that. Check out their ‘The King Of Fighters 2001’ live action video.

Source: El Gamer Cosplayer

Neo Geo

Footer

Support This Site