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SNK Neo Geo CD \ CDZ
| Type |
Console |
Developer |
SNK |
| Release Date |
1994 |
Region(s) |
Japan, North America, Europe |
| Initial Price |
$599 USD |
Games Released |
97 (13 exclusive) |
|
 |
 DW FACTS
by Dark Watcher |
Through the 1990s SNK was ruling the arcades. Their cartridge based Neo Geo AES made their arcade hits playable at home, but the high
price tag kept it out of the hands of many gamers. With other consoles switching game formats, SNK saw an opportunity to also use the
large storage capacity of the CD to make their hit carts cheaper to manufacture. Of course this would make games more affordable to
the general gaming public.
In 1994 SNK released the Neo Geo CD in Japan and shortly after in the U.S. The Neo Geo CD did the job of
making SNK titles affordable and the cheaper storage medium allowed new features to be added to existing titles such as improved
music, art galleries, hidden goodies and new play modes.
Even with the cheaper cost, the console was plagued with unbearable load times. The Neo Geo CD sported a single speed CD-ROM that had
trouble loading larger game titles. This hurt console sales severely. SNK attempted to reduce game sizes and load times by removing
some game frames, but in doing so also reduced the games overall quality. In 1996 SNK took steps to speed up the console by adding a
double speed CD-ROM. The redesigned unit called Neo Geo CDZ was released in limited quantities in Japan only. The console did speed
games up somewhat, but had a design flaw that caused the console to overheat after limited game play. |
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Eventually SNK would find the newer consoles better capable of handling ports of their games. Support for the console was
dropped soon after with the company later filing for bankruptcy.
The Neo Geo CD would have done better if released sooner. The console did however see a few exclusives never released in their arcade
cabinets. One such game called Samurai Spirits RPG took characters from their hit fighting title and placed them in turn based RPG
combat.
FACT: SNK's first Neo Geo CD designs was a front loading model. Only 25,000 units were distributed throughout Japan. It
is a hot rarity that is still being sought after by importing collectors.
|
 MODELS
Officially licensed releases |
Neo Geo CD - Front Loader
 |
Neo Geo CD - Top Loader
 |
Neo Geo CDZ
 |
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Neo Geo CDZ Tech Pictures |
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Courtesy of Charles Lee |
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|
 CLONES
Non-licensed hardware releases |
No clones were released for this system.
|
 FORMAT, PACKAGING & GENERAL INFO
Interesting facts on software for this system |
Software for the Neo Geo CD was distributed in the standard jewel case. There were only seven unique games released for this
system, with an additional title containing bonus content not found on other systems (Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits Bushidō Retsuden).
An additional five console exclusive ports from the Neo Geo MVS arcade platform were also available. All of the other titles for
this system were conversions of existing Neo Geo AES games. Screenshots for each of these games are provided below.
Neo Geo CD games are considerably less expensive than their Neo Geo AES counterparts - this was one of the main reasons that drove
the creation of this system. Graphically, the CD based games have a very slight advantage over their respective AES
cartridge version in terms of graphical output.
The unfortunate thing is that the price of this minor upgrade is quite
severe - extremely long and frequent loading times. Pricey AES ports for the Neo Geo CD console include Breakers, Magical
Drop 2, Metal Slug 2, Ninja Masters and OverTop. |
applemctom's Games that
Defined Compiliation
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Neo Geo CD Game Boxes - Exclusive Releases
     
      
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|
 SCREENSHOTS
Captured in-game images |
|
The eight (8) exclusive games for the Neo Geo CD |
ADK World
 |
Chotetsu Brikin'ger
 |
Crossed Swords II
 |
Idol Mahjong: Final Romance II
 |
King of Fighters 96 Collection
 |
Neo Geo CD Special
 |
Oshidashi Zentrix
 |
Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits Bushidō Retsuden
 |
|
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The five (5) exclusive Neo Geo MVS ports for the Neo Geo CD |
Futsal - 5-on-5 Mini Soccer
 |
Janshin Densetsu
 |
Neo Drift Out
 |
Power Spike 2
 |
Puzzle Bobble
|
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|
 EMULATION
First and third party system emulators |
NeoCD/SDL
 
Great Neo Geo CD emulator for Windows or Linux based systems.
|
 SPECS & MANUALS
For the hardware enthusiasts out there - all the detail you\we love. |
| Processor Type |
Processor
Speed |
Other
Processor Information |
RAM \ Video RAM |
16-bit Motorola 68000
& 8-bit Zilog Z80 |
12 MHz \ 4 MHz |
None |
2 MB Program \ 4 MB Graphics \
1 MB Sound \ 512 KB VRAM |
|
Screen Resolution
|
Color Palette
|
Polygons \ Sprites
|
Audio |
| 320 x 224 |
65,536 \ 4,096 On Screen |
380
sprites |
Yamaha YM2610 (13 Channels) |
|
Media Format
|
Media Capacity
|
Games Released
|
Other Supported Formats
|
|
CD-ROM (1x) |
700 MB |
97 (13 exclusive) |
Audio CD |
|
Internal Storage
|
External \ Removable Storage
|
Game Controllers
|
Other Game \ Peripheral Devices
|
|
56 Mbits |
None |
D-Pad + 6-button Control Pad |
None |
| Controller Ports |
Network Ports |
Other Ports
|
Audio \ Video
|
|
Two (2) |
None |
None |
Composite,
S-Video |
|
Power Supply - External
|
Other Outputs
|
Other Details \ Notes
|
Input: AC 100V 50\60Hz
Output: DC 5V 1A DC 10V 1A |
None |
The PAL
version has a switchable 100\240V power supply |
| Manuals |
SNK Neo Geo CD (Front Loader)
Owners Manual (PDF) - 17.9 MB
SNK Neo Geo CD (Top Loader)
Owners Manual (PDF) - 3.8 MB
SNK Neo Geo CDZ Owners Manual (PDF) - 0.4 MB |
|
 OTHER
MEDIA
Peripherals, Promotions, Commercials, Brochures, Etc. |
|
Neo Geo CD Commercials (Japan) |
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|
 WEB RESOURCES
Highly recommended websites for this system |
Neo-Geo.com
Everything Neo Geo related!! |
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2010s - NOTES
DISCUSS