Help: Lots of questions concerning buying a AES Neo Geo System

Hello,

I am thinking about buying a Neo-Geo AES system but I have a lot of questions before I decide to take the plunge with a home AES system. Hopefully someone can answer these questions for me as they will be of great help:

Does the AES system come with stereo av out connections? I have heard that lots of people get their systems modded to get two audio out connections.

I know AES systems have no regional lockout but I am wondering, if I have a japanese system with a AES japanese game (ex Samurai Spirits) will I be able to change the language on the cartridge such as how you can change a dip switch on an MVS machine to change it to english text?

If I have a japanese AES system and have a USA AES cart like samurai showdown, will I be able to play the game in its uncensored glory like having blood or because it is an AES USA cart will it be toned down because it is a USA cart?

Does the AES system have S-video cables that have stereo av connections instead of a monoural?

What special features can a modded bios chip do to your AES system?

Are there places in the Los Angeles area that repair and or modify NEO GEO AES systems as well as provide spare parts to repair items like the joystick controllers?

Thank You very much to the person who can answer me with these questions.

If I am not mistaken, if you have a JPN game and a JPN system, you can change languages (if they have the option, which I believe most do). It will be the uncensored version on a JPN system. If you have a US game and a JPN system, the game will play JUST like the JPN game as it looks at the BIOS to decide how the game should be played (censored/uncensored for Sam Sho/ Sam Spirits). If you play the US Sam Sho on a JPN system, it plays as the Japanese Samurai Spirits (same game, different name).

If you want stereo sound, you gotta get a modded system. If you want S/Video, you gotta get a modded system. NO Neo Geo had these options fresh from the factory. JM Kurtz (in Ohio) does both mods in, from what I have read, a very professional manner. You send him the system and the $$$, he does the mods and sends it back. Lots of people have had it done before (I have the MVS system and I purchased a 4X BIOS from him. He does a wonderful job and I highly recommend him).

The modded BIOS sort of gives you access to the MVS features, such as free play. I recommend this, as most AES games only allow for 5 continues/credits... if you play unmodded you better be DAMN good. JM Kurtz will do this for you as well. So send him your system and ask for the Debug BIOS, S-video connections and stereo sound. Not sure what he charges, but they are all worth the time and money to have done.

STAY AWAY FROM Neo Geo Freak games!!! They fuck up the inserts and have been known to sell converted MVS carts (basically, you take a cheap cart and take MVS innards adn rewire them to play on the AES). They supposedly do a VERY crappy job from what I have read/heard.

If you don't want to shell out the cash for the AES system and tons more cash for the games, you can go the MVS system board ($120-$300 depending on how many slots you want 1-6)/Super Gun (you can get one from MAS Systems or Great Western Trading for roughly $300) route instead. This way, you can play just as you would in the arcade and still hook it up to your TV. Plus, with the 4X Bios you can switch between AES and MVS and Japanese and English.

MVS carts are almost always cheaper to an AES conunterpart (if an AES version even exists, which some don't. Most popular games are available though). Even though you pay more money at the outset for the system ($120 (for a used 1 slot + $300 for the super gun), you will save all kinds of cash if you plan on buying any more than like 5 games. And if something happens to the board, you can always send it to an arcade repair shop (or JM Kurtz, I think) to have it repaired.

[ June 01, 2002: Message edited by: slerch666 ]

[ June 01, 2002: Message edited by: slerch666 ]</p>

Thank you very much for the info, but who is this JM Kurtz person? Does he have a web site so I can see what kind of services and items are offered. So would a majority of the popular Neo Geo games like the King of Fighters, Real Bout, Samurai Shodown series would have an option for english text if it is the Japanese cart and it is running on a Japanese or American Aes machine?

Jeff Kurtz is a regular on the forums here. He doesn't have a site that I am aware of. Read around on the Tech Support area here in the forums and you should be able to spot a couple of posts from him and a LOT of questions to him. You can email him here: mailto:jmkurtz@Macola.com to find out about pricing and such.

As I understand it (again, I don't have the AES system, only going by what I've read here and elsewhere on the 'net), the insides of every AES cart is the same, be it a JPN or UK or US AES cart.If you put the US game in a JPN system, it plays in Japanese by default. If you put a JPN cart in an English system (UK or US) it plays in English by default. Generally all the cartridges DO give you the option to change the language of choice in the option menu. If it starts in Japanese you may have to play around 'til you find the option menu, but it most definitely SHOULD be there. Using Samurai Shodown as an example, if one were to play the game on a US AES, in English, it would be censored. If you played Sam Sho on a US AES, but changed the language to Japanese in the options, it would no longer be censored, but everything would be in Japanese (text... voices are always Japanese). I beleive the debug BIOS also allows you to play the uncensored US version of Sam Sho in English (PLEASE keep in mind that I don't have one, so I am not 100% certain).

If you are set on getting an AES, I say go with a JPN system (if you can get it) with a debug BIOS/Svideo/Stereo mod. Every game you mentioned should have the English language (for text) option if you play on a JPN system. On a side note, no matter which way you play Sam Sho 3 (JPN or US), the opening text is in Japanese no matter what. Kind of a pain in the ass, but from what I understand SNK America got lazy around that time as I think they realized they were going to be shut down.

On a side note, if you search on ebay for the AES, there is almost always a system that has been modified by Jeff (JM Kurtz). Here is a PERFECT example: <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1356517513" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1356517513</a> Read the description and you'll see who did the mods.

Depending on who/from where you want to buy, you may also want to check the selling forum here to see what kind of feedback sellers have gotten, if any, from others in the community.

I have a Jap. system and a Jap. copy of FF2. Where the hell is the option screen in this game? All I get is the difficulty level when I begin playing.

I'm not sure about FF2. Like I said, I am only going by what I have read about the Neo on the 'net. I'm sure not all games have a Japanese?English option, maybe FF2 is one of them? I don't have the MVS FF2, only FF Special, but I can put it in and set it to AES/Japanese and see if you can swap languages on that one in the option menu. If I figure it out, I'll let you know.

Using the 4X BIOS and setting it to AES/English, I CAN tell you that Sam Sho, Last Blade 1&2, and Sam Sho 3&4 give you the option to choose English. (At least I THINK 3 had it...)

[ June 01, 2002: Message edited by: slerch666 ]</p>

alright let's begin by saying that all carts are the same like samurai showdown(us),samurai showdown(euro)and samurai spirts (jap)are all the same exact exept for 1 differince that is the label,manual and insert the system decides how the game will play like the us and euro are virtuly the same exept they run on different formats like ntsc(us)and pal(euro) on the other hand the (jap) is fully uncencorded and as for ff2 i think it can be done but i do not know how i think it is with a debug bios chip installed and as for the stereo there are 2 ways one is to get it modded and 2 is to buy a stereo y-cable i believe it is cald and get stereo thru the headphone jacks the only downfall for this method is that the sound is not only controlled thru your tv but the volume on the front of the neo-geo aes and for s-video you need to get it modded to support s-video which if you get s-video on the neo i reccomend also getting the stereo rca' in the back of it as well as the debug bios and you can also have unlimited credits for games like metal slug because the average amount of credits on the neo aes is 4-5 and that depends on the game as for a place that can repair a neo in L.A. i do not know i would ask some of the other members that are from california and i hope this helps sorry for trhe long post good luck and there are some neo that you can buy that are already modded.at the neo store and the selling fourms and e-bitch ofcource.

hmm...isn't there a stereo a/v cable for the system? I may be seeing things but I am pretty sure I have seen a stereo A/V cable.

$hockwave you said theres a headphones port available on the system? If so that is perfect for the time being while I try to get more information to modify the system. In addition, I have read over at gamefaqs that Mas Systems in Santa Ana, California (Near Disneyland) offers services on modifying Neo Geos. I know the faq may be old but I will email Mas Systems to see if they still offer such services.

no the neo only has a mono rca jack with a composite video jack as i said before ther only way is to use the strereo headphone cable to get stereo check this site has a lot of info of what you need to know <a href="http://nickthfury.cjb.net/" target="_blank">http://nickthfury.cjb.net/</a> i hope this helps it tell you how all the mods work and the stereo on the neo works.

Thank you, I will take a look at it.

On a final note, splitting a mono signal into two seperate channels does not create stereo sound but rather two mono channels. Buy a modded JP system. I just bought the Ultra system from the neogeo store and couldn't be happier with the video and sound quality (thanks !arcade! and Shawn )