In the retro console market, everything has been sold in the past few years, including mini consoles, emulator collections, HD remakes, etc., but there are actually very few products that really make the eyes of old gamers shine. Because everyone knows that many products only charge sentimental taxes based on their names, and the taste is not right at all. Now SNK and Plaion have officially announced the Neo Geo AES+. This new machine is directly aimed at core players. It not only supports HDMI 1080p output, but also retains CRT analog output, and more importantly, can read original Neo Geo AES cassettes!
This sentence is enough to make many veteran players sit up straight in an instant. This is no ordinary replica model. This is something you could only dream about in video game magazines back then, but now it’s really in front of you!
How crazy Neo Geo AES was back then is hard for young players to imagine
If you have not experienced the 1990s, it is difficult to understand the level of existence of Neo Geo AES at that time. That was a console that brought the arcade specifications directly into your home. Others are still playing weakened versions of transplants, but SNK has already allowed you to play “The King of Fighters” and “Metal Slug” in your living room with close to arcade quality.
The problem is, it’s also expensive like art. At that time, the price in the United States was as high as US$649, which is quite amazing in terms of purchasing power today. It is common for a single game to cost close to US$200. Many players either don’t want to buy it, or they are simply not qualified to think about it.
Therefore, the historical position left by Neo Geo AES is very special. It is a dream console and a console that most people will never be able to afford.
AES+ has captured the key point this time, not convenience, but authenticity.
The biggest highlight of Neo Geo AES+ is not the resolution or the new interface, but that it understands what veteran players care about.
Officials stated that this console supports original cassettes and new cassettes, provides low-latency HDMI output, while retaining AV analog output for CRT users, and adding original operating elements such as the host DIP Switch. More importantly, the official emphasized that the hardware is not a simple simulator solution, nor is it an FPGA, but a redesign of the ASIC chip to reproduce the original behavior.
What does this mean? This means that what it sells is not “almost the same”, but “as close as possible to the year”. Many companies make retro products that just want to remind you of your childhood. This time SNK wants to take you right back to your childhood.
CRT output is more important than 1080p
When laymen see HDMI 1080p, they will think it is a big upgrade, but those who really play retro games know that CRT support is the soul.
Because the graphics, delays, scan lines, and color transitions of many old games were originally designed for picture tube TVs. Although it is clear when you use modern panels, sometimes it is so clear that it loses its taste. Neo Geo AES+ is willing to retain both HDMI and CRT outputs. This is not just an extra hole, but it means that it knows who the buyer is.
The price is not cheap, but it is much more reasonable than before
The Neo Geo AES+ standard version is priced at US$249.99, which is approximately NT$8,120, HK$1,950, and MYR 1,190. A single game cartridge is priced at US$89.99, which is approximately NT$2,920, HK$700, and RM428. There are also high-end collector’s editions, with prices rising to nearly a thousand dollars.
But to be honest, when people who are familiar with the history of Neo Geo see this price, their first reaction will not be that it is expensive, but “it’s not that cruel this time.” Because the pricing of Neo Geo back then really kept out ordinary players. Although the price today is still for high-end collections, at least it is not a financial test.
This product won’t be a big hit, but it’s not meant to be sold to everyone
Neo Geo AES+ will not be the next Switch, nor will it be the mainstream console in the living room. Its customer base is very clear, that is, the group of people who once drooled over the magazine and now can finally afford to pay for it.
What these people buy is not just hardware, but an unfinished teenage years.