What was NGH buying like in 2003?

[HeavyMachineGoob]

Since we recently had a necrobump from 2003 here, it got me thinking about the used homecart market back then. Any old timers want to share some stories, prices and purchases or even sales from back then?

How much did a Sonic Wings 2 go for? Did new releases that year feel expensive? Where was Metal Slug 1 US at? Was Riding Hero once the cheapest homecart available?

 

[HornheaDD]

Put it to you this way - I got Windjammers AES for like $80 from Tonk.

 

[Xavier]

The Neo Store here had NOS from $40-200

Rough time buying Neo games was around 1998-2001
They were still making new games but nobody really had any stock.
I had inventory email updates from SNK constantly but al they ever had in stock seemed to be FF2 KOF94 and some Neo-Cd games.

Maybe it was NeoFreak but I remember seeing releases from time to time like Blazing Star and wondering if it was an official release or homebrew.

 

[Niko]

The Neo Store here had NOS from $40-200

Rough time buying Neo games was around 1998-2001
They were still making new games but nobody really had any stock.
I had inventory email updates from SNK constantly but al they ever had in stock seemed to be FF2 KOF94 and some Neo-Cd games.

Maybe it was NeoFreak but I remember seeing releases from time to time like Blazing Star and wondering if it was an official release or homebrew.

Thats interesting, it kinda feels like that today. Most of what you see for sale is the same old games like FF2, AOF2, FHD, etc.

 

[HeavyMachineGoob]

Thats interesting, it kinda feels like that today. Most of what you see for sale is the same old games like FF2, AOF2, FHD, etc.

Only thing that really seems to have changed is NOS early titles have nearly completely dried up aside from Riding Hero and nearly all prices have multiplied exponentially. What was $200 is now $2000.

 

[Heinz]

Calm down Mr Goobo

 

[Ralfakick]

Since we recently had a necrobump from 2003 here, it got me thinking about the used homecart market back then. Any old timers want to share some stories, prices and purchases or even sales from back then?

How much did a Sonic Wings 2 go for? Did new releases that year feel expensive? Where was Metal Slug 1 US at? Was Riding Hero once the cheapest homecart available?

I think I paid $250-$350 for Aerofighters 2 AES from McVan’s video games circa 2001 if that helps

Ghost Pilots, Fatal Fury Special, Riding Hero seemed like the cheapest AES games for a while. Magician Lord was plentiful as well as Nam 1975, don’t know their scarcity now at all haven’t looked in a while but I think I paid sub $100 back then for them US.

 

[Ralfakick]

Calm down Mr Goobo

Domo Arigato Mr Gooboto

 

[Heinz]

Domo Arigato Mr Gooboto

Arigoobo Goobaimasushita

 

[terry.330]

There was a sweet spot when no one cared about the Neo except the hardcore fans and people used to just dump stuff since they considered the system dead. You could find really good deals on eBay and oddball gaming message boards from like 98-01.

I remember getting a lot of less common US games pretty cheap, $50-100. Stuff that you hardly see at all anymore.

Viewpoint
Aero Fighters 2
Andro Dunos
Last Resort
FF3
Windjammers
Top Hunter

Boxed systems for around $150

Obviously some games were still expensive but that was like $300-500 or maybe $1k for US Slug 1.

 

[Ralfakick]

There was a sweet spot when no one cared about the Neo except the hardcore fans and people used to just dump stuff since they considered the system dead. You could find really good deals on eBay and oddball gaming message boards from like 98-01.

I remember getting a lot of less common US games pretty cheap, $50-100. Stuff that you hardly see at all anymore.

Viewpoint
Aero Fighters 2
Andro Dunos
Last Resort
FF3
Windjammers
Top Hunter

Boxed systems for around $150

Obviously some games were still expensive but that was like $300-500 or maybe $1k for US Slug 1.

Dolphin lord’s message boards before neo-Geo.com

I got my US AES for $200-$250 with KOF 94 and two sticks circa 1997/1998 good times

NCSX had Metal Slug x for like $350-$450 and I remember thinking that was expensive at the time but again I was a college student/ recent grad. Metal Slug 1 was the infamous $1k game back then.

 

[HeavyMachineGoob]

I remember getting a lot of less common US games pretty cheap, $50-100. Stuff that you hardly see at all anymore.

FF3

Probably poached to death in MVS conversions.

 

[HornheaDD]

Boxed systems for around $150

I bought my very first neo off a guy on Zophar.net for $160. Came with 2 CD pads, Fatal Fury 2, World Heroes and King of the Monsters.

$160 man. This was 99, I think.

Remember when Rage of the Dragons first came out and you could get a brand new sealed MVS kit for $35 off the Neo store? Damn.

 

[HeavyMachineGoob]

Dolphin lord’s message boards before neo-Geo.com

I got my US AES for $200-$250 with KOF 94 and two sticks circa 1997/1998 good times

NCSX had Metal Slug x for like $350-$450 and I remember thinking that was expensive at the time but again I was a college student/ recent grad. Metal Slug 1 was the infamous $1k game back then.

If it makes you feel any better, $450 USD in 1998 would be almost $850 today in 2023.

 

[Ralfakick]

If it makes you feel any better, $450 USD in 1998 would be almost $850 today in 2023.

I’d probably pay $850 now just to achieve big tymer status if I knew it was legit

Craziest thing though the more money I have/ make the less I care about this stuff even though I have more money to buy x amount of stuff, think that’s called middle age

 

[Ralfakick]

I bought my very first neo off a guy on Zophar.net for $160. Came with 2 CD pads, Fatal Fury 2, World Heroes and King of the Monsters.

$160 man. This was 99, I think.

Remember when Rage of the Dragons first came out and you could get a brand new sealed MVS kit for $35 off the Neo store? Damn.

I payed $20 for US Neo Turfmasters Neo Geo US CD from the Neo store last I checked like three years ago that was selling for $1k. In hindsight wish I bought a few.

I remember super dodgeball mvs kit was cheap too that was after I knowingly bought a bootleg from MD Gamesales on EBay when it was rareZ and then the Neo store had all thes NOS kits all of a sudden, I did buy one and got rid of the bootleg later.

 

[wyo]

If it makes you feel any better, $450 USD in 1998 would be almost $850 today in 2023.

Not sure I buy those inflation calculators. More like 2018-2023.

 

[Neo Alec]

Your experience doesn't count for shit. It never happened. Every Youtuber and reddit post is telling me the console was "OMG $699" in its time and the games cost thousands.

 

[HornheaDD]

I payed $20 for US Neo Turfmasters Neo Geo US CD from the Neo store last I checked like three years ago that was selling for $1k. In hindsight wish I bought a few.

I remember super dodgeball mvs kit was cheap too that was after I knowingly bought a bootleg from MD Gamesales on EBay when it was rareZ and then the Neo store had all thes NOS kits all of a sudden, I did buy one and got rid of the bootleg later.

The NeoCD version is $1k??

 

[Ralfakick]

The NeoCD version is $1k??

Last time I checked that’s what I was seeing, but the at was listings not necessarily what people are paying

 

[butthurt coconut]

I regret learning how to read instead of buying AES games in 2000.

 

[Neo Alec]

The NeoCD version is $1k??

I am looking for this game, but that's what people on ebay have been asking for at least a few years now. That price is definitely inflated, because it's obviously not rare, judging by the number of listings. It's just a desirable title.

 

[Tw3ek]

I regret learning how to read instead of buying AES games in 2000.

To be fair, I also regret you learning to read

 

[Ralfakick]

I bought my very first neo off a guy on Zophar.net for $160. Came with 2 CD pads, Fatal Fury 2, World Heroes and King of the Monsters.

$160 man. This was 99, I think.

Remember when Rage of the Dragons first came out and you could get a brand new sealed MVS kit for $35 off the Neo store? Damn.

Snk USA themselves had a Neo CD top loader, games and pads for $200/$250 circa 1997/ 1998 I’d say, I almost bought that before someone offered me his AES and KOf 94 for $150 before he changed his mind and asked for more. I ended up getting my cd system from the Neo store.

 

[Neodogg]

I think I paid $250-$350 for Aerofighters 2 AES from McVan’s video games circa 2001 if that helps

Ghost Pilots, Fatal Fury Special, Riding Hero seemed like the cheapest AES games for a while. Magician Lord was plentiful as well as Nam 1975, don’t know their scarcity now at all haven’t looked in a while but I think I paid sub $100 back then for them US.

I wonder if that was the same McVan's that was in Evansville & Ft.Wayne in Indiana I used to visit. I remember seeing a US KoF 98 there for $330 in 2005.