6 Slot Neo-Geo Arcade Machines

Hi all

Well tommorow I will be receaving my Neo-Geo 6 slot arcade machine (it's a converted Jamma, but has all the artwork). So hopfully I will be on this forum regular now.
I read somewhere that 6 slots are not so hot, can anybody tell why, and what I can do to keep mine in tip top shape.
Also, emulation, I see it's a bad work on here, but without it I would have never grown to love Neo-Geo and therefore purchased a machine, so is it a bad thing, or just not for this forum?
Carts that come from Japan & USA is there any differance?? I have a KOF95 in my hands, but the cart is from Japan, is that good, or bad??

Thanks for reading.
Led*Zep

Ive read that 6slots are less reliable and that 2 and 4 slots are the best multi boards. I don't know the particulars on what makes the 6 slot less reliable though. Try <a href="http://www.hardMVS.com" target="_blank">www.hardMVS.com</a> the owner of that site may know more. As far as the English or Jap carts goes, I would say it depends on if your a collector of rare games or not. Other wise if you have a english 6slot then it will play english no matter what if I'm right.

Heya - I'll try and answer what I can

I hear that 6 slots can be a bit unreliable compared to the 1,2 and 4 slot boards - I'm still sticking with my trusty old style 1 slot (they rule) so I don't know from personal experience.

As for maintaining it, I'd definitely say be careful each time your remove a cart to make sure you don't damage the board. Cleaning the carts can be a good idea too, I've lost count of the amount of times I bought an MVS cart from someone and it didnt work when I first plugged it in (corrupt gfx etc) - but then I cleaned it and it was fine. For more info on this, you REALLY should visit a site called <a href="http://www.hardmvs.com" target="_blank">HardMVS</a>, as there is TONNES of info on cleaning carts and many other useful things

I guess the reason people here get mad about emulation is because so many people use it to just play games for free... those types of people are the ones that would never even THINK about paying for any of their games and don't support SNK in any way... as most of us here care a lot about SNK, I guess that's why people get mad. I know Neo carts are expensive, but most of these rom hoarders wouldn't even think about paying for anything, even if they had the chance.

Don't get me wrong though - emulation can be useful - I lost touch with the Neo scene for a year or so, but after the system got emulated I got ineterested in it again... since then I bought myself an MVS and a Neo Geo pocket, as well as some Neo CD's, and I am still buying stuff like crazy even now! It is also great for taking screenshots and ripping gfx, as well as trying a game before you buy it (provided you really DO buy it ). If emulation also got you back into the Neo scene, then thats great - at least you are one of the good people that doesnt just use it as a tool for freeloading Besides, I can personally say that I find playing Neo games is SO much more fun on a real machine, be it an AES or MVS than it is through emulation

As for the Japanese/USA carts, there is no real difference. The language you get on screen is determined by the MVS board you have - if you have an English MVS 6 slot, then you will get English text, even if the cart you use is Japanese (and vice versa). The only games that this doesnt apply to are Quiz and Mahjong games - they are all Japanese language only...

Hope that helps!

[ February 14, 2002: Message edited by: Kazuya_UK ]</p>

Hey Thanks for the info

I have been looking at <a href="http://www.HardMVS.com" target="_blank">www.HardMVS.com</a> lots of stuff there. I am just wondering if the 6 slot thing is like the tumble dryers built into washing machines, everyone say's they are rubbish, but nobody had one that was, just one of those storys eveybody once heard!! Well bet you don't get Washing Machine storys on here everyday.
Kazuya_UK, nice website, been there a lot, it rocks like Led Zeppelin. (and thats lots)

Thanks again, Led*Zep

I have a 6-slot, and have never had any problems with it so far...but then I've not had it long

Where you buying from? Is it a cab or a supergun type thing?

If you got a english MVS mother board then your set .

I have a six-slot and it has given me no trouble at all over the past year. Its in a dedicated cab that dates from '91 or so and as far as I know its the original motherboard. Its also extremely handy, and it cycles through the six games' intros when in attract mode which looks damn cool

I am well gutted , fella turned up but the machine had fell over in the back of the van, breaking a peace out of the cab. He has more so should have it by middle of next week... Hows that for bad luck, I even had my hands on it. I am assuming its a UK board, no reason why not as it is from here.
<a href="http://www.vektorlogic.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.vektorlogic.co.uk/</a>
Is where I am getting it from, I think it is a really good price, £195 for a 6 slot 20" Cab, as I said it is not a Neo original, but it look quite nice, no red on it though. It is nice to see that lots of people have 6 slots with no trouble.

Led*Zep

Speaking as the proud owner of two 6 slot cabs,my twins, I have to say reliability has not been a problem, I beleive that its a myth that 6 slots are troublesome. Im not saying they dont break down.
The more slots you have the more cart/slot broblems you are likely to encounter. But as long as you keep your cart and slot conntacts clean you shouldnt have a prob.
Ive seen it posted that 6 slot boards draw more current, I do not think so as the unused carts are switched out of circuit.If they do it would only be marginal.
The only slight problem I have experienced is a poor contact on the 5 volt JAMMA connect (pins 3&4) it gets quite hot around there and the pcb track can overheat, discolour and lead to intermittent connection, its plain to see on the board. Its easily fixed anyway.
For me the 6 slot is the way to go, afterall its just a 4 slot with two added on, the reliabity is just about the same IMHO, and 50% more fun without changing carts )

Didnt realise there was a region issue with the boards ???

Correct me if I'm wrong here but I don't think those 6-slot red cabs were ever released in UK/Europe. I also got my cab from vektorlogic, its probably the same model. I wonder how many cabs they have - I picture a warehouse filled with 100s of six slots. Built for SNK by Electrocoin, AFAIK these are the "official" cabs for this region. I don't think SNK ever manufactured their own MVS cabs outside of Japan, production was always farmed out to a third party(in our case electrocoin). This is the cab that takes 5 mini-marquees right ? It's undoubtably the best gaming purchase I've ever made, for less than the price of a PS2 - and with a free ashtray - BONUS ! The next thing you are going to have to sort out is the sound, the standard speakers are complete shite. Throw a set of powered speakers into it (PC speakers or the like) and youll be rocking. I have the manuals for the monitor and cab, if they don't supply you with a set srop me a line and I'll scan them for you. You will probably have to fine tune the monitor when it arrives.

My twins were manufactured by Leisure & Allied Industries in Brisbane, Australia, for the Australasian market, Im in Papua New Guinea. I dont think you will see these cabs elswhere.
As for the Euro market Im not sure, almost all of the US Neo cabs Ive seen are red with the white chevrons on the control panel.
As mentioned in a previous post, outside of Japan the design and manufacture of the cabinets was farmed out under licence in other regions.
There are a lot of conversions around that could be any colour of the rainbow.

[ February 16, 2002: Message edited by: ttooddddyy ]</p>

Fine tune the monitor, that sounds nasty, is that easy?? how would I know it needs tuning, would it be fuzzy??? Thanks for the offer of the manual, I do not think it comes with one, as I said on a earlier post I had my hand on the machine but it was damaged, lets hope I get one by the end of this week.

Led*Zep

tttttooooooddddddyyyyy ,

Does the marquee on your cabs light up to show what game you are playing ?

They are suposed to, but sadly dont. There have been several posts regarding this.
The light panels seem to have a limited life span, they use a high freq ac supply from a dc-ac convertor, you can see pics of them at Briggs MVS site <a href="http://www.hardmvs.com/" target="_blank">http://www.hardmvs.com/</a> parts/lightpanels.
I think they work on an electro chemical principal. Dont know of any MVS cab where they work 100%, they are usually dim or like in my case dont work, period. At one stage I had 3 six slots and of 18 panels not one worked !!!

Led Zep, I feel for you man, it must have been a great disapointment. Hang on you will be delighted soon