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Neo Geo X Gold portable console details and price announced!

S

SAB CA

Sketchbook Picasso
nerdstick said:
It's a $50 arcade stick, $20 tv-out dock/replica, $130 handheld with 20 games.
I've heard so many cost complaints and I just can't see why..
Click to expand...

That's the way I see it, too. Even if the games were considered at 5 bucks a pop, that'd still be $100 worth of stuff alone... 50 for the stick is pretty respectable, especially when you can use it on PS3 and PC as well (Sounds like a good stick for old arcade games, and 4 button fighters, easily).

Sadly, I didn't get in on Pre-Orders for this thing, and I just got my credit right at Gamestop to fit it in now... but currently not available in US (go go Canada!)

Looking for it to show up on their site again, and very thankful for any and all impressions given out there :)
 
J

jdl

Banned
Mine arrived today. Have played Metal Slug, SamSho2, and Magician Lord (I've never played this game and it's awesome. It has personality out the ass!).

Haven't played the handheld yet, but it looks very nice. It feels good in the hands. It has the same awesome clicky stick as the NGPC. It looks like a solid piece of hardware.

A few observations on the dock. The docking itself is somewhat awkward. I feel the need to be extra careful since it's a snug fit and somewhat difficult to position. Tried both the HDMI and Composite (not Component) cable. Composite looks like garbage on my hdtv. Might try it out on my old CRT later. HDMI looks pretty good... but not as good as a laptop running MAME hooked up to the same TV for reference. Not nearly as sharp as that. Slightly blurrier, but perhaps that's closer to how the AES looked - I never owned one. I have noticed screen tearing on Metal Slug which is a bummer. Didn't notice it elsewhere.

The OS is as barebones as can be. Nothing but a scrolling menu for games to select. You can choose NTSC or PAL mode. It appears that games have their own region options. I haven't checked to see if going Jap on Metal Slug turns blood red. I was definitely seeing the censored water spray from dying soldiers.

The stick feels responsive. I was definitely owning up on MS so it feels correct.

Also I preordered from Target which did not advertise the Ninja Masters Gold pack-in, but received that anyhow. Which makes me think that all Golds will ship with it.

I'm somewhat let down by the video quality and screen tearing (did that even exist on AES?), but I'm enjoying the overall package and tactility of it.

Will post impressions on the handheld once I get around to that.
 
GrayFoxPL

GrayFoxPL

Member
jdl said:
I'm somewhat let down by the video quality and screen tearing (did that even exist on AES?), but I'm enjoying the overall package and tactility of it.
Click to expand...

Screen tearing didn't exist on consoles until this gen."

AES had some slowdowns in games though.
 
S

Skel1ingt0n

I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
monkeycrap said:
Here is a physical comparison video I made for the Neo Geo X vs the AES and the PSP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhjJ6ytezGo&feature=share&list=UUTUA1shJDmCrUoCIw0y2z6g

Yeah, it gets odd near the end. I KNOW.
Click to expand...

You and I have pretty much the exact same type of humor. I liked the video - thanks!

Wish the handheld was smaller - somewhere in between a GB Micro and a PSP... maybe like iPhone sized. Seems way too big right now; and the 16x9 is a waste - wish it just had a 4:3 screen.

Any comments on the quality of the handheld?
 
S

Skel1ingt0n

I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
J

jdl

Banned
So I tried the the composite on the old CRT. Looks terrible. Extremely dim.

Tearing seems less noticeable on the handheld itself. Homebrew on this thing would make me a giddy young man once more.
 
H

hairypeckpeck

Member
called my local gamestop and they said it's supposed to come next week

at least i'll have the money to pay it off in cash since friday is pay day
 
J

jdl

Banned
maniac-kun said:
Does the controller use an usb port? And is it working on pc?
Click to expand...

Yes and yes.

So my day one feelings on the system; wish the graphics were more accurately emulated... hate the screen tearing more than anything... but the control input is tuned nicely and feels like a legit SNK machine.
 
K

KAOS

Member
Games don't look that great on a hd tv. Spent most of my time with Ninja Masters and World Heroes Perfect! Speaking of WHP I forgot how much fun and tough the game is. Very happy with the system! I want more SNK goodness!
 
L

Lhadatt

Member
Here's an unboxing and mini-review made by a guy from the Neo-Geo.com forums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Bel3qs80W0E

My impressions:

- The portable is top notch. Construction is solid; the unit doesn't feel like it will fall apart any time soon.

- The joystick and buttons on the portable have the same highly responsive and clicky nature that the Neo Geo Pocket's did. The exception seem to be the L1/L2 and R1/R2 buttons at the top of the unit, but they're not used in gameplay right now. If they do release new games that use those buttons, I don't think they'll be a problem -- they're just not as nice as the face buttons.

- The screen is very good for the size and cost of this portable. The 3DS and Vita screens are better, but those systems cost more (considering the portable itself will sell for $130 soon).

- Screen tearing is obvious, especially in side scrolling sections in games like Magician Lord or Metal Slug. It's not too bad, but it's there, and it's distracting.
EDIT: It's not so obvious on the handheld. You can still see it, but it's much more evident on a TV.

- EDIT: DoubleTap clarified information on the audio in his post below. The jingle on the animated intros varies per game. I'm not sure about the audio. Most of the time it seems correct, but sometimes -- especially during the classic Neo-Geo animated intros, the sound is just a bit off from what I remember. I don't own a MVS or AES, and I don't have a PC emulation set up handy, so I may be imagining things. Watch the guys at this thread (from page 83 onward), they will know about the audio issues for sure once they start getting systems.

- HDMI output is crap. It's upscaled to 720x480 @ 60 Hz progressive (480p) from whatever resolution the screen is set to. You can't change the screen size to 4:3 when it's in HDMI mode. Pixels are blurred. It's a mess. Other reviews say the composite output is also crap, so this may have problems on a CRT. Don't buy this strictly for playing on your home TV unless you're OK with the limitations. It's best to regard it as a bonus feature and move on.

- The USB AES-style joysticks are excellent. They're a bit lighter than I would have liked, but they're very responsive. They're using quality arcade buttons and switches in these sticks. The plastic housing feels a bit cheap, but they're sturdy. It does have rubber feet, so it's not moving once you put it down. I might not have any issue with the stick if it was a bit heavier. The initial impressions from Neo enthusiasts are that the stick is very close to AES quality, with the exception of the weight.

This system is better than the standard emulation portable. I say buy it, even with the HDMI output issues.
 
G

Galdelico

Member
Gaming performances don't sound too hot...

Such a shame SNKP didn't have M2 porting the games bundled with the console, at least I could've hoped to see them on PSN/NG Station eventually.
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
- Screen tearing is obvious, especially in side scrolling sections in games like Magician Lord or Metal Slug. It's not too bad, but it's there, and it's distracting.
Click to expand...
Wait, this fucking thing suffers from screen tearing? Seriously.

Whether you can stomach that or not is beside the point. You don't realize a device like this and fail to offer accurate emulation. I should have guessed this would happen based on the terrible performance of other devices such as this but still...

Shame to hear that video out is also terrible.
 
L

Lhadatt

Member
dark10x said:
Wait, this fucking thing suffers from screen tearing? Seriously.

Whether you can stomach that or not is beside the point. You don't realize a device like this and fail to offer accurate emulation. I should have guessed this would happen based on the terrible performance of other devices such as this but still...

Shame to hear that video out is also terrible.
Click to expand...
I agree, and that's why I mention it. I'm considering harassing Tommo/SNKP about this, since they've mentioned the firmware can be updated. I think this is just a launch firmware issue. The hardware seems powerful enough to handle accurate emulation, as I don't see this issue in other games at all (Ninja Masters, KOF).
 
G

Galdelico

Member
Any word about that region-NTSC/PAL selector of sort for the games?

Guys, I can't believe none of you had the curiosity to immediately try and find that out... :D
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
Lhadatt said:
I agree, and that's why I mention it. I'm considering harassing Tommo/SNKP about this, since they've mentioned the firmware can be updated. I think this is just a launch firmware issue. The hardware seems powerful enough to handle accurate emulation, as I don't see this issue in other games at all (Ninja Masters, KOF).
Click to expand...
What this demonstrates to me is the lack of attention to detail. It's clear from these limitations that accurate emulation was not a priority and I suspect most of the people working on this project failed to notice these flaws.

It makes me question the whole product, really.
 
D

DoubleTap

Member
Lhadatt said:
- I'm not sure about the audio. Most of the time it seems correct, but sometimes -- especially during the classic Neo-Geo animated intros, the sound is just a bit off from what I remember. I don't own a MVS or AES, and I don't have a PC emulation set up handy, so I may be imagining things. Watch the guys at this thread (from page 83 onward), they will know about the audio issues for sure once they start getting systems.
Click to expand...

This is normal, the NEO-GEO intro music varies depending on the developer. I remember ADK games intro sounding differently than the ones from SNK.

Dissapointed to hear about the screen tearing and HDMI Output. But I'm still anxious to get mine.
 
L

Lhadatt

Member
dark10x said:
What this demonstrates to me is the lack of attention to detail. It's clear from these limitations that accurate emulation was not a priority and I suspect most of the people working on this project failed to notice these flaws.

It makes me question the whole product, really.
Click to expand...

Yeah, to an extent. They got the hardware right. It's suitably clicky and responsive. The software needs more fine tuning.

Screen tearing is not very evident while playing on the handheld. It's there, but it's not as obvious.
 
L

Lhadatt

Member
Galdelico said:
Any word about that region-NTSC/PAL selector of sort for the games?

Guys, I can't believe none of you had the curiosity to immediately try and find that out... :D
Click to expand...

So, what are you saying? Do you live in that thar Yurope?

Yes. There's a NTSC/PAL selector in the main menu. I'll test whether it saves that option when I get home.

DoubleTap said:
This is normal, the NEO-GEO intro music varies depending on the developer. I remember ADK games intro sounding differently than the ones from SNK.
Click to expand...

That's what I was hoping. Thanks!
 
M

meppi

Member
Lhadatt said:
- Screen tearing is obvious, especially in side scrolling sections in games like Magician Lord or Metal Slug. It's not too bad, but it's there, and it's distracting.

- HDMI output is crap. It's upscaled to 720x480 @ 60 Hz progressive (480p) from whatever resolution the screen is set to. You can't change the screen size to 4:3 when it's in HDMI mode. Pixels are blurred. It's a mess. Other reviews say the composite output is also crap, so this may have problems on a CRT. Don't buy this strictly for playing on your home TV unless you're OK with the limitations. It's best to regard it as a bonus feature and move on.
Click to expand...

Damn. These issues really are a deal-breaker for me.
I've been looking around to buy one but haven't found a shop that has it in stock or are doing pre-orders. But by the look of it, it might be for the best.
Really disappointed. You'd think with the pretty much perfect emulation by M2 on other systems, an actual Neo Geo branded system would be on par...

Looks like I'll just stick to my AES and buy a few new games every couple of years. :(
 
V

Vitacat

Member
Hmm, I love the good ol NeoGeo but this isn't sounding so hot right now. Especially when you already can play all these games (and more) on TV via emulators that are apparently better than the NGX (no tearing, cleaner signal etc.), and on PSP.

EDIT: homebrew hackers may be able to improve the emulation in the future, so I guess NGX owners can hope for that to happen. But despite how physically cool this thing looks, I'm gonna pass.
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
Lhadatt said:
Yeah, to an extent. They got the hardware right. It's suitably clicky and responsive. The software needs more fine tuning.

Screen tearing is not very evident while playing on the handheld. It's there, but it's not as obvious.
Click to expand...
Trust me, if it's there, it will be painfully obvious to me.
 
G

Galdelico

Member
Lhadatt said:
So, what are you saying? Do you live in that thar Yurope?

Yes. There's a NTSC/PAL selector in the main menu. I'll test whether it saves that option when I get home.
Click to expand...
Thanks. :)

No, basically I'd like to know if there is the possibility to play the japanese uncensored version of each game or if you're stuck with the western - often censored - one.
I noticed too SamShoII has that option, but I've been told (here on GAF, iirc) it was in the original game as well so it doesn't really count.
 
D

Dark Octave

Banned
Lhadatt said:
Yeah, to an extent. They got the hardware right. It's suitably clicky and responsive. The software needs more fine tuning.

Screen tearing is not very evident while playing on the handheld. It's there, but it's not as obvious.
Click to expand...
This thing should run beyond perfect. There is no excuse for any technical hitches especially if the same games on PSP don't have these issues (I have no idea if they do or not). Even if they do, there is still no excuse for these 20 year old SNK games to have even a slight issue on SNK hardware. Maybe unless the arcade version had those same issues, then it's just arcade perfect, I guess.
 
L

Lhadatt

Member
Dark Octave said:
This thing should run beyond perfect. There is no excuse for any technical hitches especially if the same games on PSP don't have these issues (I have no idea if they do or not). Even if they do, there is still no excuse for these 20 year old SNK games to have even a slight issue on SNK hardware. Maybe unless the arcade version had those same issues, then it's just arcade perfect, I guess.
Click to expand...

I'm not making excuses, but it's Blaze/Tommo hardware, not SNK hardware. But yeah, you're right.

Galdelico said:
Thanks. :)

No, basically I'd like to know if there is the possibility to play the japanese uncensored version of each game of if you're stuck with the western - often censored - one.
I noticed too SamShoII has that option, but I've been told (here on GAF, iirc) it was in the original game as well so it doesn't really count.
Click to expand...

Oh, right. No, there's no USA/JPN region selector, aside from what's in the games. There shouldn't be any reason why they couldn't add that, though.
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
Lhadatt said:
I'm not making excuses, but it's Blaze/Tommo hardware, not SNK hardware. But yeah, you're right.
Click to expand...
I wonder if it looks like the "micro-tearing" you get with the OTHER Blaze handheld I've used. I picked up one of those cheap mini-Megadrive systems from Blaze and was shocked that it suffered from what amounts to "mini-tearing". As the screen scrolls you will see lots of very small tearing lines appear across the display throughout the entirely of play. It's a more subtle effect and not one most will notice but it looked fucking terrible to my eyes. The device was useless.

I'm wondering if the issue is similar here as that would explain why some folks aren't too bothered by it.
 
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