Monday, June 10, 2013
Neo Geo. SNK. These words carry the power to transport you back to a bygone age. The days when Arcade was king. For the uninitiated, the name may not be instantly recognizable, but odds are you’ve played at least one or two Neo Geo games, and you most likely loved every minute of it. Metal Slug. Bust-A-Move. Samurai Shodown. The King of Fighters. Fatal Fury. From across the arcade, the beautiful red cabinet would call out to your quarters. Unfortunately, we now have to admit something to ourselves; It’s 2013. The arcade scene is dead. Your local pizza shop doesn’t have that old Neo Geo cabinet anymore. Your local pizza shop probably doesn’t have any arcade cabinets anymore. So what’s one to do when they wake up in the morning with an irresistible itch to play a round (Or two... or ten) of Windjammers? Well, the folks over at Arcade Works have a solution. And a beautiful solution it is.
A BIT OF HISTORY
In 1990, a little company called SNK introduced their masterpiece, the Neo Geo MVS, to the booming arcade industry. The MVS (Or Multi Video System) came with a killer hook. SNK offered cabinets that could hold as many as six games, and the games could easily be interchanged at any time due to being released in a cartridge format. We’ll talk more about this later.
Shortly afterward, SNK released what was known as the AES, or Advanced Entertainment System, into the home console market. The AES was identical to its big brother, the only home console at the time with such capabilities. With great power comes great price, and the AES released at a price point of roughly $650, including a game and a controller. While the MVS and the AES played the same games, SNK used different cartridge formats to prevent arcade owners from purchasing the cheaper AES carts, and vice versa. To add insult to injury, the “cheaper” AES carts retailed for $200+ at release, making them nearly unattainable to the average gamer.
As the years went on, Neo Geo released a CD version of the console at a much lower price point. The AES cartridges that had been purchased eventually disappeared from the market. Neo Geo continued to support the MVS until 2004, a whole 14 years, eventually discontinuing the production of new titles.
COLLECTOR’S WOES
It’s at this point that things become interesting. Without any sort of successor console, collectors are forced to hunt down remaining AES consoles. The high price of both the consoles and cartridges had made the market incredibly small, and AES cartridges reached an astronomical price point. Neo Geo MVS cabinets remained readily available, as did the carts for them, but where would one put an arcade cabinet in their homes? SNK proceeded to release compilations for the PS2, Wii and other various systems, but they were simply emulated versions of the games, and not true to the original hardware. So what was one to do?
ENTER: THE CONSOLIZED MVS
As we all know, once the internet has an idea, it will make it a reality. A niche group of SNK enthusiasts took a look around and realized “Hey, there are a ton of MVS cabinets and carts floating around!” Soon, internet message boards were ablaze. Could an MVS be shrunk down to the size of a console? No, that’s silly...
But there they were. Some resembled computers. Some were a bit more Frankenstein. Yet they existed, and a whole new world of collecting opened up to fans of the Neo Geo. Now, you only had to learn how to build one.
ENTER: OMEGA ENTERTAINMENT MACHINE
Many of us realized quickly that we simply didn’t have the skills, or resources, to build our own consolized MVS. So we sulked in the background, feeling jealous any time we saw someone with their very own. This is where the folks over at Arcade Works come in. Not only can we experience the joy of having our own Neo Geo MVS, but we can have a bitchin’ one.
The Omega Entertainment Machine has a custom-molded shell, designed to look reminiscent of the AES console. It uses the same controller ports as the AES, so you can use either a traditional Neo Geo Joystick, or a Neo Geo CD controller. The console you see above is my personal system. It is, quite honestly, the new centerpiece of my entertainment center.
As one would expect, the Omega is made with parts of a discarded Neo Geo MVS. Yes, that means that the board has the SNK stamp on it. That also means that this system is 100% arcade accurate. This isn’t an emulator. This is the real deal. 
As was mentioned before, the MVS was a cartridge based system, and the market is flooded with affordable cartridges. Where a Metal Slug 2 AES cart may run you upwards of $800, the MVS version is usually no more than $80. Admittedly, still a bit pricey, but nothing compared to what building a library of AES games will run you. You can also find MVS Multi-Carts online, but the legality is a bit gray, and the carts often come filled with bootleg variations and clones. It’s an easy and cheap way to quickly add 100+ games to your library, though.
The Omega Entertainment System comes pre-loaded with the newest Neo Geo firmware the community has put together. Currently, Universe Bios 3.1 comes on board, and is packed with features. DIP switches are accessible for all titles, allowing you to change difficulty, violence, scoring and many other options from a software standpoint. The Region of the console can be changed at any time, and games can be switched between MVS and AES mode with the press of a button. The Omega can be plugged into your TV via Composite, Component or RGB, lacking only HDMI support (but honestly, even with Composite cables the video output is fantastic).
IN CLOSING
The Omega Entertainment Machine is a Neo Geo collector’s dream. The console is sturdy and looks fantastic alongside a PS3 or an Xbox 360. It’s incredibly easy to plug in and play, and to operate. I’ve never felt the system get warm, or had any issues with freezing or glitching. The carts fit into the slot with a nice firm click, and everything about it feels sturdy. I’ve played the system for hours on end using the classic Neo Geo joystick, and simply cannot find anything to complain about.
If you find yourself in the market for Neo Geo and simply can’t find yourself settling with emulation, the Omega Entertainment Machine is the best way to bring the arcade into your home. Literally. The initial investment of $499 may seem a bit steep, but the console feels like it will hold together in the way nothing since the Sega Genesis has. So go ahead, be the envy of the neighborhood. Give a Neo Geo a good home.
