To buy a Neo Geo CD or Neo Geo CD-Z?

MikeCabrera · Oct 16, 2000

Screw the PS2. I'm not affected by the hype of it at all.

I'm looking to buy a Neo Geo CD or Neo Geo CD-Z at this time. Is the CD-Z really that much better to own over the standard CD? I've noticed that Super Sellers has CD-Z systems for $350. Here's a couple questions that I have:

1) Is the load time on the CD-Z much better than the standard CD?
2) Is the CD-Z reliable? I've heard of it having lesser than par quality than the standard CD system.
3) Is $350 a good price to purchase the CD-Z?
4) Can anyone please give me any other significant info on the CD-Z to help me make a final decision?

Thanks!!

Mike

Asmoday · Oct 16, 2000

If I were in your shoes I would avoid the CD systems entirely. The load times take forever and a month. If you are looking to play KoF or some of the other fighters post '96 get a cart system or a MVS you will be MUCH happier with your purchase. If you want an idea of load times and how much they can kill a game go pick up Sam Sho 3 or KoF 95 for the PSX. You will find spending more time loading than playing gets real old, real fast. I know cart stuff is expensive, but it is well worth the extra cost, trust me. If you are looking for cheap games get an MVS. Sure you have to wait for prices to come down, but it doesn't take that long and the initial startup cost isn't but a hundred or two more than a CD-Z if you get an old cab at an arcade auction and fix it up a bit.

Fran · Oct 16, 2000

the cdz is a colossal rip off

350 aint much i reckon

but heck no
it is not worth it

it loads faster
like
instead of 40 seconds of wait,
you only have to wait for 35

great eh?

it is simply SLIGHTLY faster

a shame
a real shame

one thing's for sure tho

that stupid irritatin monkey aint there

and

FACT
this is a bonus

might seem like something irrilevant
but sure as hell it is not !

so aye
go for it

buy it with neo turf masters
and think about the fact
that i'll never have that game on me
neo cart system

not even if i offered 1000 $,
me house,me car and me arse

NOT THAT I'D sell my arse for a cart....
aye

i'd never do that.....

*ponders*

naaah
fuck that

hands off me arse

my holy place

Fran
(the "what the fuck i ended up saying anyway" dpt )

Iori · Oct 16, 2000

Neither, go cart, trust me on this one.

gargoyle7 · Oct 16, 2000

You ARE the man Fran.

Always a great post from this bloke, ay?

Greetings from the States - Home of biscuits and gravy, apple pie, and consumors

Lee (garg7) http://www.neogeotemple.com

Viewpoint · Oct 16, 2000

Man, Talk about some hate. I had owned a NeoCDZ before I even got into cart at all. The CDZ is a better choice of the 2 for NeoCD systems. Overall the only real advantage to owning a CD system is that the games seem*to me at least*have a higgher resolution and the music in the CD games are arranged versions of the Neo cart music. Some people hate the arranged stuff but I like both equally. Overall I do admit the price on a CDZ system is high but, If you're pinching on the bucks and want some great games to play for some classic 2D fun, then go for it. Nothing new was released for the NeoCD system after KoF 99 so don't expect anything on the horizon tho. Either way, I still pop in a CD games once in awhile just for the heck of it. ^_^

BonusKun

VinylBoy · Oct 16, 2000

If anything, it may be cool to have the NeoCD for a game like the Samurai Shodown RPG. I've always wanted to play this, but would never want to play an RPG unless the text is in English. I've already tried to play Waku Waku Puyo Dungeon in Japanese, and yes it IS impossible.

Eclipse · Oct 16, 2000

If you really want a CD system, go with the regular Neo CD. Like you mentioned, I've heard that the CDZ is much more prone to breaking down than the CD. And like fran said, the loading isn't much faster.

One nice touch the CD system provides is that some games have extra art galleries and game modes, like the Combat School mode in Metal Slug 1 & 2.

Still, the loading is awful for the newer games. For KOF '99, the loading is something like 30-45 seconds between each match!

For older games, loading isn't nearly as bad, and in some cases, the whole game gets loaded in one shot, like Crossed Swords.

The CD system is OK, but you're probably better off getting an MVS. In the short run, it will be more expensive, but MVS games are pretty inexpensive for the most part, and you will be more happy with your purchase in the end.

I still don't plan on selling my CD system though. ^_^

chimpmeister · Oct 16, 2000

I had a CDZ for a short time, but it had problems with i/o errors and then just stopped working. Luckily, the store I got it from gave me a full refund!

Seriously, as Eclipse just said the newer games take a LONG time to load, but older ones can play OK. The music is very clean on many of the CD games, higher quality, and the systems do have s-video output built right in.

If you're thinking about getting one, I have a brand new U.S. NeoCD for sale . . . just check the Selling forum for the post . . .

JRock917 · Oct 16, 2000

I did not get a neo cd system or a cart system- I got BOTH! The us cd system is about as slow as your standard playstation as far as load time, and is probably similiar in some ways as far as technology is concerned. It is high quality and I am quite fond of it. Since I am one of those people who does not have a money tree growing in the backyard, I cant always afford carts so I get the cds instead; aside from having to load, the games are still the exact same awsome wonders of neo power that they ever were. I am used to having load times from all the other platforms I use that have load times associated with them. My japanese cart system, though, is my favorite, and yes, if you can afford them cars are better than cds, if for having no load time if nothing else; especially considering that newer games (ie KOF 2000) are cart-only releases, it is nice to know you can still get those and have money to spend on cheaper cd games, just a thought.

DIY · Oct 16, 2000

NeoCD? Stay away, trust me, either get a NeoCarts or just buy the ports.

Fran · Oct 16, 2000

hey jrock

just wanted to say

mind if i butt in?

cheers

wanted to say that i'd rather have
ONE cart than 30 cds

if only cos i cant imagine meself playing a game,knowing that it AINT the same...
like...
different from its mvs counterpart

thatd spoil it all for me

from savage reign forward,
each and every of them "big games"
had something removed

savage reign itself
and it still was a "small" game
like...190 megs

had part of the opening scene removed
and also stuff like some small things in the
backgrounds simply didnt make the cut...

memory problems y'know

and to cap it all...THE MONKEY !!

now i know people are gonna be like
but neo turf masters's so much better
on the neo cd

cos of the extra course and all

you can say that

and i'd be like
thumbs up
yer right

but i cba

i want my carts.....
so badly and all

i know i need specialistic help
but guess what

i cba

Fran

MikeCabrera · Oct 16, 2000

Thanks to everyone who responded to my thread. Now, I'm really having second thoughts of buying a Neo CD system.

I already own the cartridge system, but am on a serious budget and was thinking that the Neo CD was the best alternative to playing SNK games.

I'm a huge Samurai Shodown fan, and it would be such a turn-off to wait as long as 40 seconds per ROUND?!?! Is Samurai 3 on Sony PSX the same comparison of how Neo CD's really are?

I can't believe that there's such a huge price difference in the CD-Z over the standard Neo CD just because of a minor 5 seconds of loading speeds.

A few more questions I have are:

1) What is a decent price range to pay for a standard Neo CD system?
2) How much different are the versions of Samurai CD's vs. Carts?
3) Is loading only between the fights or actually between the rounds? ewwww!
4) Are there any modifications that can be done to speed up the reading of the CD's?

Thanks again!!

Mike

JRock917 · Oct 16, 2000

I think Supersellers has used neo cd systems in the $100 to $200 range, I have seen them new averaging around $300. The loading occurs between fights; between rounds would be like Mortal Kombat on the Sega CD, unbearable. If you take out the load time, you have virtually the same game as far as the differences between cart and cd versions of the same game go, at least from what I have played. I dont know of any mods that can be done to speed up load times; thats probably a question better suited to the resident expert here on mods, Jeff Kurtz. Hope that helps.

shroudz · Oct 16, 2000

I have a Neo CD and Cart system, I think the neo CD Compliments the cart system very well if u want to save money and get the best value for your dollar and minimal space.I buy
the older games low meg count games, which I still enjoy a lot but cannot afford on cart
,the loading time is only a drag on the fighting games and newer games,I wouldn't go past 200 for a cd system.Personally I would rather play the Emu for Last Blade 2 than play it on neo geo cd (Just to painful to Contemplate)

MikeCabrera · Oct 16, 2000

Hey guys,

Supersellers has the Neo Geo CD systems for good prices. These are the offers that interest me:

- Front loading Neo CD used - $90
- Top loading Neo CD used w/6 games - $120

1) Which is better to get? A top loader or front loader? What are the advantages/disadvantages and/or worries to look out for?
2) The top loading system with 6 games deal looks really good. Which one would you guys recommend?
3) Shipping is $60!! Is this shipping price a rip off or do they have alternative shipping methods? What do you guys think?
4) Does the Neo CD have the same exact AV cords as the cart system? Or does it have the newer yellow red & white AV cord?
5) Are my cartridge system's joysticks compatible with the controller ports of the Neo CD?

vincewy · Oct 16, 2000

Me too, CD system let you play a few games not on AES or MVS, such as:

Cross Sword 2
Zintriks
Samurai RPG
Brikinger
couple CD compilation games

but for the recent fighters, get MVS or home carts, the reasons? Most of the MVS games cost less than their CD counterparts, you can get Last Blade 1/2, Real Bout 1,2,Special, and many more popular fighters for less than $50 from Cosmic or Chloe.

Certain games are better off on CDs for people who just want to play the games and don't want to overspend, such as earlier titles with low megs, such as Nam 75, Magician Lord, Viewpoint.

Another tip is, the higher the meg doesn't always mean longer loading time, SNK managed to organize the loading time for KOF 99 very well, IMO, consider the size of the game and also compared to Last Blade 2. LB2 is by far the most atrocious in loading. How bad is it? It loads 5 times between fighting 2 characters, character select, it loads, intro screen, it loads, for a dialogue/taunt, it loads, to do a pose before fighting, it loads, to start the real game, it...., well, I don't need to say it any more.

vincewy · Oct 16, 2000

Mike:

Sorry I got carried away and forgot your ??

1) Which is better to get? A top loader or front loader? What are the advantages/disadvantages and/or worries to look out for?

Avoid the front loader due to durability issue and that's why the prices of such system didn't go up (it's a limited edition unit).

2) The top loading system with 6 games deal looks really good. Which one would you guys recommend?

If you don't have any of the 6 games, go for the system and games deal, it works out like $5 a game, cheaper than CDR.

3) Shipping is $60!! Is this shipping price a rip off or do they have alternative shipping methods? What do you guys think?

This is the standard rate to ship a system, no, don't use any other shipping methods and Shinichirou won't use it due to ease of breakage.

4) Does the Neo CD have the same exact AV cords as the cart system? Or does it have the newer yellow red & white AV cord?

I use the same for cart and CD systems.

5) Are my cartridge system's joysticks compatible with the controller ports of the Neo CD?

You bet, you can also use the joypads that come with the cd system on your home cart system, it works better on certain nonfighting games.

Big Bruno · Oct 17, 2000

Originally posted by vincewy:
Mike:

Sorry I got carried away and forgot your ??

1) Which is better to get? A top loader or front loader? What are the advantages/disadvantages and/or worries to look out for?

Avoid the front loader due to durability issue and that's why the prices of such system didn't go up (it's a limited edition unit).

also you can not mod the front loading to play in english. I have a front loading neo, I do not use it though. I think it is built a little better then the other neos though. the pop out try is really the only part that you would have to worry about. and only if you eject your cds all the time and push it in.

Samurai Showdown RPG is incrediable easy to play even though it is in japanese. it is linear in design for the most part, there are not many places to go and no Puzzles to speak of. As long as you get the FAQ on it that tells you what the menu is, it is a piece of cake to play. Some of the visuals on it are really cool to see. especial the guardian of the tunnel, she looked pretty cool. The bonus rpg is pretty cool also.

hmmmm,

well I still like the cds for some games, Iron clad, metal slug, twinkle star sprites, neo turf masters, puzzle bobble, magical drop 2.....these are the games a play primarly on the system. of course I played SSRPG till i finshed it then have not played it since. oh and if you get ssrpg new it comes with a sticker (yee haw) Fighters really suck though, I buy them but never play them on the cd aside from seeing the extra cut scenes once through or playing the drama for the ssrpg announcement.

Eclipse · Oct 17, 2000

Re: Load times

You asked about loading times for games like Samurai Shodown. I have SS1 for the CD system, and loading isn't anywhere near as bad as KOF '99. It loads once per match, not once per round, and load time is about maybe 15-20 seconds or so. If you want a more exact idea, I can fire up my copy of SS1.

NeoLord · Oct 21, 2000

Another disadvantage of owning a Neo CD is the apparent lack of animation in some
titles (this is done to reduce load times). For example, the cart version of SamSho4 has character animations in the character select screen while the Neo CD version has still sprites. Still, you can't get SamSho R.P.G. in cart format (okay, okay -- its no good unless you can read Japanese),
but what the hell. =)

I never had any problems with my Neo CD. Those I/O errors occur when the system
overheats, and as long as you keep the CDZ clean (I cover my Neo CDZ with a cover when not in use) and well ventilated while in use, everything should be fine.

[This message has been edited by NeoLord (edited October 21, 2000).]

benares · Oct 21, 2000

Still, with all these negatives.. For some reason I still want to own one. I can't explain it.. Too much money in my pocket? Too turned on by the sexy looks of the Neo CD? Too curious about how the Neo CD runs? I don't know...

I'd love to have one still though... Certainly alot less expensive to collect stuff for.

Eclipse · Oct 21, 2000

Well, if you have an AES/MVS, trust me, you'll like those better than the Neo CD. As I've said before though, I'm not quite ready to give up my Neo CD quite yet!

But if it's any consolation, the extra art galleries and game modes that some CD games have are pretty cool! That's the only reason to get a Neo CD, IMO.

MVS carts are generally in the same price range as CDs. ...and you get the choice of 8 difficulty levels and you can have games with red blood and in English with no mods, etc.

benares · Oct 21, 2000

Well as my CompSci teacher says "It Depends."

I wouldn't play fighting games on it. Probably shooters and puzzle games and those rare games that just are not available conversion or otherwise. Thinks like Samurai Shodown RPG for example.

If a game like Puzzle Bobble or Magical Drop or Last Resort loads about the same as a PSX equivilent so what?

JRock917 · Oct 21, 2000

I guess it really just depends on what you want to spend. One of these days when I win the lottery I am going to get a full library of neo carts, and then I will never have to buy another neo cd again. Some people get the systems because they are collectors, some merely because they are cheap. I guess I fall into the latter category. I want carts, but I also have other systems with games I really want, and buying carts on top of trying to have a decent collection for all my systems just becomes too expensive. If you really want a cd system, I would get one and then get a cart system too if you really want to have the best of both worlds. Neo carts are the pretty much the most enjoyable way to play neo geo, but not always the most affordable.

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