Neo Geo CD - Thoughts & General Discussion

[wingzrow]

I'm looking at the system, & aside from a few arranged soundtracks, is there any reason to own this thing? Crossed swords 2 has an MVS conversion, & there doesn't seem to be any interest in mod work either. I DID find someone who managed to fix load times on youtube , but is this a commonly available mod?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPdUaTscbe0

I can't find any documentation on it

 

[FilthyRear]

Some people prefer the CD because of the soundtracks.

IMO, it's all the same to me. The games I play are just like the MVS or AES versions, obvious exception of the loading times.

 

[GohanX]

I prefer it mostly due to the compact size. The system is fairly small, and I can keep a stack of games nearby without any fuss. Keeping more than a few home or mvs carts around is annoying.

Btw, Puzzle Bobble is a terrible game to use a test, it's very tiny and loads fast on any system. I'd be more interested in something like Real Bout Special, which is pretty much unplayable on the regular system but ok on the cdz.

 

[BlackaneseNiNjA]

Owning the CDZ version of the neo cd is definitely worthwhile imho. The cd system can be a great way to supplement your neo game library for a lot cheaper than both mvs and aes. With the cdz, loading times are comparable to the sega saturn/playstation era for many of the fighters. However, there are a lot of titles that load surprisingly quick, such as Fighters History Dynamite, Sonic Wings 2 and 3, etc.

 

[ChuChu Flamingo]

 

[FilthyRear]

View attachment 41858

Leave it to Bret Hart to bring the negativity.

 

[wingzrow]

I prefer it mostly due to the compact size.

Doesn't the CDZ overheat for that exact reason? Also, how many titles were released in the U.S. for the system? I know it got an english release, but I've personally never seen an english copy of anything for the system. at least I saw pocket color games at toys R us in the wild, but I didn't even know the CD was a thing until years later. Did it get a wide release?

 

[GohanX]

No, it overheats because the brilliant minds at SNK put an RF shield over the bottom that blocks air flow out of the bottom of the system.

As far as how many US releases? I don't know or care, I don't get into the collectard bullshit. Most of my games are Japanese games I bought cheap off of Rakuten.

 

[NGCDFreak]

I preferred the Neo Cd because the games were affordable than the AES carts ,but I didn't like the loading time.

 

[famicommander]

As long as you avoid fighting games the Neo Geo CD is fantastic. Especially if you get the UNIBIOS installed.

For my money, the best Neo Geo combo is a UNIBIOS CD system and an Omega. That's the way I go.

There are so many games on CD that are just as good as their AES/MVS counterparts, but cost a fraction of the price. It's just the fighting games that have intolerable loading times and sometimes missing animation frames. Get fighting games on MVS or AES.

 

[Gyrian]

It's the remaining sensible way to build a Neo Geo home library these days, if you care for that sort of thing.

Completely agree with what's been said about the CDZ, no regrets here. The vast majority of the library is pretty accessible, and the CD based music really shines in a few cases. Another plus not yet mentioned is that it's very easy to get great picture quality out of these to a CRT thanks to the included S-video out.

 

[xsq]

You get some exclusives with the NGCD - like the Scotland course in Turf Masters, the Training School in Metal Slug 1&2, Samurai Shodown RPG (JPN only), King of Fighters 96 Collection (JPN only and just showcasing material) - and the arranged soundtracks for some games are cool (the CS2 conversion features the sounds of CS1 btw.). Games are often cheaper, too (or easily burned). But the consoles are getting more expensive.

I'd just emulate for the stuff you'd otherwise miss and stick with MVS. Not worth the hassle & loading times IMHO.

As to mods: You can add a region switch, a Unibios has been released (NeoBiosMasta CD) and there is always the PC2NEO stuffz....


//EDIT: Beat to some of it

 

[wingzrow]

PC2NEO seems cool, but we need a full on usbloader at this point. Such a shame the system doesn't have enough RAM to load the later releases. Maybe some madman will replace the RAM with something larger one day & we can turn it into a usbloading machine. I'm probably asking for too much. I love the design of the first model, so it's a shame the system is relegated to obscurity, even within the NEO GEO community.

If I order a CDZ from someone, is there anything I can do to keep it from overheating? Is it as much of an issue as I've heard about? Another issue I hear is the CD controllers are prone to breaking, but I guess that's a non issue considering how many controllers the CD accepts (really want to try one of the PS1 controller adapters one day)

 

[GohanX]

Remove the rf shielding on the bottom and you'll be good to go. Don't place it in an enclosed space.



One other thing worth noting is the audio and video quality of the cd systems is superior to the home cart system.

 

[cat]

I've had my toploader for year's and it's never given me any overheating problems.
Some of the fighting games have annoying loading times, but i'm not big on these type of games so not really a big deal to me.
Play's the rest of the neo cd releases i've got pretty sweet with some loading delay's but bearable.

 

[NGCDFreak]

Playing KOF 98 on the Neo Cd stressed me out alot.

 

[Black_Tiger]

It's an extravagance if you have a cart setup, but it's worth it to me for the best version of Samurai Spirits RPG and the novelty of differences in many CD games compared to cart versions.

I got a CD system originally as my entry to the world of Neo Geo, but still keep it around now that I have an Omega and neosd since it's not worth a lot of money and it's cool to compare games.

 

[NGCDFreak]

I got a CD system originally as my entry to the world of Neo Geo,

Same here and I'll probably never ever get one again.

 

[kaironman]

I went to Japan last march on honeymoon and got a Front Loader system. I've been playing Neo Geo for decades (emulators, ) and not being a fighting games fan, it was the perfect choice for me, as loading time in other genres games is not that terrible. And considering the MVS and AES cart prices, being able to use CD-Rs is a plus, too. Arranged soundtracks are amazing.

Super Sidekicks series, Neo Turf Masters, Windjammers, Street Hoops, Metal Slug 1 & 2, Aero Fighters 2 & 3, Last Resort, Pulstar...

I've ordered an MVS NeoSD to use with my recently purchased MV-1FS + Supergun, and I should receive it within some weeks, but the wait is not that bad having my Neo Geo CD.

 

[xsq]

Arranged soundtracks are amazing.

not all of them are better than their cart counterparts though. But I agree it's nice to have the choice

 

[oliverclaude]

NTM on CDZ is worth the trouble, so are other favorites, but on the whole, the CD is only good, if you forget that it's part of the SNK family. An arcade machine that went vegan.

 

[GohanX]

Remove the rf shielding on the bottom and you'll be good to go.

Ha, I had to take my own advice. I was playing Metal Slug and started to get glitchy graphics in the last level, which I think is from overheating. I took it apart, removed the rf shield, and I greased the gears and rail on the CD drive while I was at it. I played through Slug again with no issues, and the cd drive is quiet as a mouse now.

 

[Gyrian]

Ha, I had to take my own advice. I was playing Metal Slug and started to get glitchy graphics in the last level, which I think is from overheating. I took it apart, removed the rf shield, and I greased the gears and rail on the CD drive while I was at it. I played through Slug again with no issues, and the cd drive is quiet as a mouse now.

I'm thinking to take this advice, too.
Never had issues, but I'd prefer for it breather better.
How much of a pain in the ass was it to remove?

 

[xsq]

An arcade machine that went vegan.

 

[BlackaneseNiNjA]

I'm thinking to take this advice, too.
Never had issues, but I'd prefer for it breather better.
How much of a pain in the ass was it to remove?

I'll add another +1 for the rf shield removal advice. I removed the plate from my cdz unit thanks to advice I read on this forum some years ago. Never had any issues (just keep the unit in a relatively dust free environment). Removing the plate is super easy.

1. Remove the four bottom screws and lift the top covering/shell from the unit.
2. Carefully remove all visible screws that hold the board to the bottom shell.
3. Lift the laser assembly and remove all screws you see underneath where the laser assembly was and beneath the small pcb to the left of the laser assembly.
4. Remove the metal plates that were seated below the laser assembly and the smaller pcb.
5. Lift the board out of the plastic shell and discard the rf sheilding plate that resides below it.
6. Reassemble the unit.