"Neo Geo AES+": The luxury console of the 90s returns
SNK and Plaion Replai are reissuing the "NeoGeo AES" as an authentic new edition. The retro console comes with a true-to-original hardware design, ASIC technology instead of emulation and support for old cartridges.
SNK is bringing back a legendary games console from the 1990s. Together with the publisher Plaion Replai, the Japanese manufacturer is announcing the Neo Geo AES+. This is a modern remake of the original Advanced Entertainment System.
The myth of the unattainable console
The original NeoGeo AES was launched in Japan in 1990 and a year later in the USA and followed an unusual concept: it used the same technology as SNK's MVS arcade system. This meant that games could be played at home almost like in an arcade, while other consoles often only offered stripped-down versions.
This approach made the console the dream machine of an entire generation and a luxury product at the same time. In the USA, it cost around 650 US dollars. Adjusted for inflation, this corresponds to around 1500 dollars today. Individual games cost between 180 and 300 US dollars and were therefore many times more expensive than titles for competing systems.
In Europe, the system also came onto the market in 1991, but with even higher prices and patchy distribution. In Germany and other Western European countries, the console was well known in games magazines, but hardly ever found in living rooms.
It remained an object of desire that could only be seen in specialised electronics retailers at best and could only be afforded by a very small group of people. This inaccessibility is one of the main reasons why the NeoGeo brand enjoys an almost mythical reputation in Europe to this day.
New technology instead of a mini console
The new edition should not only be reminiscent of the original, but also continue its basic idea. Instead of a miniaturised plug-and-play console with a permanently installed game collection, SNK is bringing back a system that continues to rely on cartridges. Both newly produced and original Neo Geo AES modules run natively on the console. Anyone who still owns games from the 1990s can use them directly.
Source: Plaion / SNK
According to the manufacturer, newly developed ASIC chips are used inside, which replicate the behaviour of the original hardware. This sets the device apart from many retro reissues that use software emulation to reproduce old games. FPGA technology is also not used.
However, the «Neo Geo AES+» does not remain entirely in the nineties. The console offers HDMI output with up to 1080p, but also supports analogue image output for older displays. There are also DIP switches for language, display and other system options. Overclocking is also provided to reduce possible slowdowns in old games.
Ten classics to start
Ten titles are available at launch: «Metal Slug», «The King of Fighters 2002», «Garou: Brand of the Wolves», «Big Tournament Golf», «Shock Troopers», «Samurai Shodown V Special», «Pulstar», «Twinkle Star Sprites», «Magician Lord» and «Over Top». All games will be released as physical cartridges in original packaging.
Source: Plaion / SNK
Prices, editions and availability
The regular edition in black comes with an arcade stick and costs 199.99 euros. The white «Anniversary Edition» costs €299.99 and includes «Metal Slug» on an included cartridge. Individual games cost around 80 euros each.
The Ultimate Edition with all ten games and all accessories can be pre-ordered for 899 euros. All pre-orders are already available via the Plaion Replai webshop.
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