Just how slow ?

Everyone always talks about how slow the CD systems are but I am curious. I have an MVS set up but I wouldn't mind having backups at my other place.

I have heard that it ranges from 30 sec. to one full minute.

So if I were playing let's say...Samurai Showdown 4 or Metal Slug 2 would it take the 30 sec. to a minute to load BETWEEN levels and rounds or are we talking just one long ass load at the start of the game..?

Thanks..

The fighting games load between rounds. Metal Slug 2 loads between stages and even in the middle of the stage on a couple of instances. The only games that will load once at the beginning and never again are the very early games that had less than 54 megabits of data.

I have an MVS, Neo Cart, and a CD-Z and many many games. I have to say that even though the CD-Z is "double speed" (it seems more like 1.3 times speed =P) it's a painful experience to play the games that you're normally used to playing on cart. For me, the CD-Z just rots while the other two (particularly MVS) get played. I don't think the Neo CD or CD-Z would be so bad if you weren't used to a cart based system. But you are, and that's bad. =)

Cheers,
TK

I have a Neo CD system, and I don't think the loads are all that bad until you try playing KOF 95 and up (loads between the characters really hurt the flow of the fights), Last Blade 2, Art of Fighting 3, and SSRPG. For the most part, besides the games just mentioned, the loads are bearable and not anything to go crying about. You're looking at maybe 30-35 seconds for a start up load for most games, then maybe 10-15 seconds for the interval loads. I'd recommend the Neo CD unit to just about anybody, 'cause of the affordability of games, the beautifully remastered soundtracks, and the extras the carts don't have (like Combat School in Metal Slugs, art galleries in KOF's and Last Blades, Blue Mary's music video in RBS, etc). If you can get one for a decent price, go for it. You'll have a lot of fun with it!


Brigette Bardot
My Barefoot Muse

The best example of how BAD a neo geo cd game can be is KOF99. Oh my goodness, the loading takes FOREVER. Like the others said.. most of the older games are ok, but I mean for the price, its better to just go the mvs route.

SS 4 & MS 2 loading times are fairly tolerable--that's with a cdz, though. Having owned both Neo Geo cd systems, at most, I would give that the cdz's speed is like 1.5x faster.

Personally, I found KOF 99 to have decent loading times for a Neo Geo cd. But even with cdz, the loading time is longer than the PS version.

For cd's defense, as other's pointed out, most older (except that 94 had long loading time, because they have just one big loading for new teams as oppposed to each match--like that they did with KOF 95 & on.) and non fighting games have tolearable loading times. Even some newer fighting games, like RB titles are decent (stay away from LB 2 & SSRPG, though. They have load times of a molass--even with short cut on). Also, I much prefered the remixed soundtrack than that of the original. And you can listen them on computers (if they don't play, just put the reg music cd in, then take that cd out and put Neo Geo cd game), and on cd players. Extra bonuses like the gallery mode are cool as well.

Originally posted by Mike:
<STRONG>Everyone always talks about how slow the CD systems are but I am curious. I have an MVS set up but I wouldn't mind having backups at my other place.

I have heard that it ranges from 30 sec. to one full minute.

So if I were playing let's say...Samurai Showdown 4 or Metal Slug 2 would it take the 30 sec. to a minute to load BETWEEN levels and rounds or are we talking just one long ass load at the start of the game..?

Thanks..</STRONG>

Click to expand...

I used to have a NEO*GEO CD Single Speed setup. A traded it shortly after Metal Slug came out for the unit. I found that the Saturn version loaded faster. Today, I wished that I never traded it though. At the time it seemed like a great deal. My NEO*GEO CD Single Speed with 5 games for practically new N64 with 5 Controllers, 2 memory cards, 007, Wave Race, Mario and about 8 other N64 titles, 10 plastic storage boxes, et al. Now I just feel stupid.

If I ever get the chance to find a CD setup cheap I'll jump on the deal.

I'm still a "cart-man" at heart though.

TEST

It really sucks !!!!!!!!!! <IMG SRC="smilies/ohno.gif" border="0">