AES System Prices

Hi. I am new to the neo scene but always wanted one since the good ol' days. What justifies getting a Japanese cart sys versus an american one? The price difference is substantial but JPN versions seem to be in better condition. Is spending $370 for a Mint AES japanese worth it with the controller or is Ebay the best place? If I get it at that price, is the system susceptible to failure?

Jap cart systems are not censored, meaning you can see blood on some games and view Mai's "bounce," but they do play games in Japanese by default. The U.S. system is censored and plays games in English by default. All home cartridges play depending on what your system is. English carts are usually more expensive because they are higher in demand.

Hey, I see you are in Irvine, that is pretty close to me <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

Is spending $370 for a Mint AES japanese worth it

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I would say no.
For that price, get an early US system for as cheap as you can find.
Then have someone Modify it for you,
with svideo-out, stereo jacks, & the debug chip.
That'll cost you around the same, & its a lot nicer than a stock Japanese system for 370.

Agreed.

That price is very high. Just buy a US system and get it modified with a Debug chip by JM Kurtz or MAS systems.

As for condition, the Neo Geo is a very robust game system. It is very sturdy, even if you are very rough with it. Just dont pound it with a mallet. <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0"> I've owned/sold several Neo systems, some as old as 10+ years old and they are all in perfect working order.

About $300 seems par for a U.S. or Japanese system.