Hey !Arcade!, status?
- Thread starter yuckydog
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metalslug2k
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Can someone explain to me why anyone would be so gung ho to lay down $500 for an MVS-> AES convertor? You could buy a Super Nova and an MVS board and actually SAVE money. Then you would have the freedom to use other PCBs as well. Oh well. To each his own.
Yah, an all in oneunit solution is one positive aspect. I also like the fact thatm you get home options when used on the home cart system. And unless you have your nova hooked up to an RGB monitor, the picture you get from one isn't the greatest.
Matt
Matt
Gunbu
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At www.gwtrading.com they have the HGA system that is supposed to be the newest version of a home game arcade system. Anyone have one or hear good things about it?
gunbu
gunbu
chimpmeister
Former Moderator
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A guy posted in a thread here about the HGA system. He ordered one, and got terrible service from the company, old product (not the new version), crappy joysticks, etc.
He was really pissed, and I believe he said he was going to return the HGA and get a MAS Super NOVA instead.
He was really pissed, and I believe he said he was going to return the HGA and get a MAS Super NOVA instead.
I own the HGA 1.1, and can safely recommend it. Here's my quick review of the system:
Composite output: TERRIBLE. The colors bleed, are blurry, and thin diagonal lines run along the screen. Don't even think about getting an HGA unless you have an S-Video TV. My TV does have S-Video, so the composite output isn't important to me.
S-Video output: Very good. Unfortunately, I don't have a home cart system to compare picture quality between that and an HGA. I do have a Neo CD, however. What I can say is that the S-Video output on the HGA is very good, but not quite as good as an S-Video picture coming from a Neo CD. So using the Neo CD as a reference, the HGA's S-Video is better than the Neo CD's composite, and almost as good as the Neo CD's S-Video output. Overall, I'm pleased with the picture quality.
Joysticks: Unfortunately, they do have the Capcom setup of 3 buttons on top, 3 on the bottom. The top row of buttons are A B C, and the 3rd button on the bottom row is D. It's like this:
A B C
x x D
The joystick itself was pretty stiff when I first got it, but after a few months of play, it's loosened a bit. I didn't like it very much at first, but now that I've broken it in a little bit, I like it much more. They joystick and buttons feel pretty solid. I like it more than my bean-style Neo CD joystick. My only complaint about the joystick now is the placement of the D button. I hope GW Trading releases a stick with a more Neo-friendly 4 button setup. It's not a fatal flaw, but it's not optimal either.
HGA unit itself: Pretty nice. It runs quietly when you have the lid closed. It also has independent Red, Green, and Blue controls, which is both a plus and a minus. It's good in that you can REALLY fine tune the color output, but it's bad in that it can be a bit of a pain finding the perfect blend of red, green, and blue. I eventually found a combination that I liked, and now I'm pleased with the color.
There's also a dial that's sort of like a picture adjust. If you turn it a little bit, not much happens. If you turn it a lot, the picture will really start to scramble. Just crank it all the way to the right and forget about it. It's not that useful on my TV, but may be crucial for other TVs. I don't know.
Overall: I think the HGA is a good purchase. Nice picture quality on S-Video, and everything seems to be built pretty well. I'm not sure how it compares to a Super Nova though. The main reason why I bought an HGA is because when I was looking for a system like this, I emailed both MAS and GW. GW responded to my emails; MAS did not. MAS didn't want my money, and GW did.
And I'm happy with my purchase!
Composite output: TERRIBLE. The colors bleed, are blurry, and thin diagonal lines run along the screen. Don't even think about getting an HGA unless you have an S-Video TV. My TV does have S-Video, so the composite output isn't important to me.
S-Video output: Very good. Unfortunately, I don't have a home cart system to compare picture quality between that and an HGA. I do have a Neo CD, however. What I can say is that the S-Video output on the HGA is very good, but not quite as good as an S-Video picture coming from a Neo CD. So using the Neo CD as a reference, the HGA's S-Video is better than the Neo CD's composite, and almost as good as the Neo CD's S-Video output. Overall, I'm pleased with the picture quality.
Joysticks: Unfortunately, they do have the Capcom setup of 3 buttons on top, 3 on the bottom. The top row of buttons are A B C, and the 3rd button on the bottom row is D. It's like this:
A B C
x x D
The joystick itself was pretty stiff when I first got it, but after a few months of play, it's loosened a bit. I didn't like it very much at first, but now that I've broken it in a little bit, I like it much more. They joystick and buttons feel pretty solid. I like it more than my bean-style Neo CD joystick. My only complaint about the joystick now is the placement of the D button. I hope GW Trading releases a stick with a more Neo-friendly 4 button setup. It's not a fatal flaw, but it's not optimal either.
HGA unit itself: Pretty nice. It runs quietly when you have the lid closed. It also has independent Red, Green, and Blue controls, which is both a plus and a minus. It's good in that you can REALLY fine tune the color output, but it's bad in that it can be a bit of a pain finding the perfect blend of red, green, and blue. I eventually found a combination that I liked, and now I'm pleased with the color.
Overall: I think the HGA is a good purchase. Nice picture quality on S-Video, and everything seems to be built pretty well. I'm not sure how it compares to a Super Nova though. The main reason why I bought an HGA is because when I was looking for a system like this, I emailed both MAS and GW. GW responded to my emails; MAS did not. MAS didn't want my money, and GW did.
And I'm happy with my purchase!
chimpmeister
Former Moderator
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Thanks a lot for posting that info, Eclipse. It's always good to have different points of view, and your detailed experiences are very helpful for all of us to have in this forum.
I have plenty of MVS carts, but still no HGA, Super NOVA, or arcade cabinet to play them in. I'm waiting for a full-blown 4-slot cabinet to fall into my lap . . . but that might actually hurt a bit!
But anyway, great info and thanks!
I have plenty of MVS carts, but still no HGA, Super NOVA, or arcade cabinet to play them in. I'm waiting for a full-blown 4-slot cabinet to fall into my lap . . . but that might actually hurt a bit!
But anyway, great info and thanks!
Yeah definitely, thanks Eclipse for posting that review, a LOT of people have been wanting one
Lee (garg7) http://www.neogeotemple.com
Lee (garg7) http://www.neogeotemple.com
Hey, you're welcome! I'm glad you found the info useful.
I also forgot to mention that the HGA comes with a test switch that you can press to change difficulty levels, turn blood on/off, etc. It's a nice touch. It's a lot more convenient than flipping the tiny dip switch on the MVS player to enter the setup mode. When I ordered my HGA, I specifically requested the test switch, and it was added for no extra charge. It might be standard on the HGA in the first place though. ^_^
I also forgot to mention that the HGA comes with a test switch that you can press to change difficulty levels, turn blood on/off, etc. It's a nice touch. It's a lot more convenient than flipping the tiny dip switch on the MVS player to enter the setup mode. When I ordered my HGA, I specifically requested the test switch, and it was added for no extra charge. It might be standard on the HGA in the first place though. ^_^