Shito's humble vault

LoneSage

A Broken Man
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part 2 of the interview (because it was too long in the first post):

Spoiler:
What do you think is the difference between SNK and another manufacturer's fighting game?

I think that SNK is always a manufacturer sensitive to "attractiveness of products" to designs and users. In other words, rather than refining gaming, SNK thinks that aesthetic factors have been respected up to the limit. As an example, at Athena (ATHENA), as the design of the character clearly shows, we adopted the fashion called "Bikini Armor" which began with the boom of "Yendai war record Leda". In addition, at 'Psycho Soldier' ​​which is the sequel to 'Athena', SNK showed the song with the first singing voice in the history of the arcade game.

Terry キ Bogard's Yankee fashion, characters that fight in uniforms and school runs reminiscent of the 1990s, techno and gothic fashion listed by "KOF '99" and "KOF 2000", SNK is not only an enthusiastic geek but also a casual gamer I have made only characters that will get favorable. Through the aesthetic evolution of neo-geo games, you can estimate fashion and style that young people gather every year from Osaka's street.

When did the hobby named NeoGio collector began?

When I was a young man, it was impossible to buy neo - geo. Because, in consideration at the time of the day, one cartridge was over 60,000 yen. For me who was just a student, it was a dream I could not imagine very much. In high school and college years I was playing in the game NeoGeo in the gamesen. And I endured it with a ported version of Sega Saturn, my favorite game machine.

In 2000, I became a full-fledged social worker, started work and earned income. Since I had not gone to gohseen anymore, I started collecting NeoGeo cartridges in the second hand market to realize that dream of the past. The more the game software gathered, the stronger the desire of complete completion.

It seems that your collection is made up of Japanese version of game software and various items, but did not you think to collect game software of Western version, for example?

Neo Geo is an SNK game machine. In other words, it is a Japanese company, and all developers are Japanese. I know that there is an official Western version, but I think that it does not have originality or purity, that is, the original essence. What I am interested in is the most "telling the truth" of loved ones. In order to feel the essence, I had to go back to the origin by all means. Origin, that which symbolizes the truth. Speaking of Japanese video games, it was a Japanese game software.

Is it difficult to get the Japanese version of NeoGeo's game software etc in Italy?

As I said earlier, I started collecting the game of NeoGeo in 2000. At that time, the used market of the game was already very active on the Internet. Contacts with Japan that we have been building year by year also helped us. In that year, a retro game boom in Japan was about to start, for reasons related to gamer generation change. In the 1980s and 1990s gamers like myself became a fine society person, now I think that there was such a boom as the environment for setting up a hobby called the NeoGeo collection is in place.

Which items are most difficult to obtain as a collector and are proud?

Even now, it is a well-known fact that certain neo-geo game software is expensive. Obtaining such items was never easy. Also it was difficult to find very old game software in a good preservation state. Still, not only did he completed all the complete game software and hardware collection, but also the rare item named after Neo Geo was available.

For example, we have "RENTAL OPTION TOOLS" such as "Rental Plate" for stores and "Renting Rope". I believe this item has genuine historical value for me. I feel that owning that item gives the collection a museum-like added value. I am really proud.

I heard that I wrote a book called "NEO GEO COLLECTOR'S BIBLE", but would you explain what it is?

"NEO GEO COLLECTOR'S BIBLE" is a book I wrote amateurly. As the title suggests, it deals with many themes related to the NeoGeo collection. While collecting all the material, data and information related to neojyo year by year, I noticed that there are many data that would confuse the history of this game system on the Internet.

For example, many people in Europe and the United States seem to have misunderstood that MVS was released before the NeoGeo for home use. But that is wrong. The two systems are on sale at the same time. Actually, there seems to be unclear information in Japan.

So, I gathered formal information on my own and decided to put it in one book. In order to confirm each data, I gathered game magazines of the time, flyers for advertisement, documents and so on. While making full use of my publishing industry experience, I was able to realize graphically attractive books, working together with friends with the same hobby.

As for the layout of this book, I was inspired by the then Japanese Mook (a book between books and magazines). The goal of this book is to spread the culture called NeoGio in Italy. At this stage, I made more than 100 Vol. 1, but in order to complete the work I am planning to write Vol.

Do you have any proud knowledge about Neo Geo's world?

NeoGeo's enthusiastic fans knows everything and I think it's almost impossible to surprise. (Laugh) How about this? "Metal slug" will surely be inspired by Mr. Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata's work. Especially, I think that the influence of animation "seeing my mother and three thousand miles" was great.

Like the "metal slug", the hero of this animation is called Marco Rossi and Fio? Germi. Even Peppino, Mark's white monkey, will appear in "Metal Slug". Moreover, the original tells the story of Mark coming to the Andean. The Andean has a plateau called "Nasca". That is the name of the manufacturer who developed it.

There are others. Probably the style of the design of rides of World War II seen in "metal slag" may have been influenced by Miyazaki Hayao's manga "Miscellaneous Note" published in the magazine "Model Graphix" I am thinking.

In addition, developers of "Metal Slug" are working on "KOF '94" before that, I think that the background of the Italian team stage is reminiscent of the last scene of "Red Pig". By the way, the main character also said Marco and Fio with this animation. It's a coincidence! (Lol).

How are you envisioning the future of the famous game series of Neo Geo and SNK Playmore?

Neo Geo occupies a very important position in the history of game history in the heart of the same generation of the Gersen tribe. Neo Geo's heritage is in charming characters and game series that SNK has created.

However, since the masterpieces are very strong with stylistic traces and are deeply rooted in the background at the time, I think that it is very difficult to peel off the classicality and modernize it.

In that sense, "KOFXIII" is a game like a miracle that is impressed every time you play. I hope that "KOFX III" is the foundation for continuing the tradition of fighting 2D fight fighting from now on.

Finally, please give me your message to Japan's most respectable game creator!

This is the message I would like to send to all Japanese game designers. I do not want you to think that the first condition for Japanese work to succeed all over the world is to focus on overseas. I think exactly the opposite. Think of it as a Japanese, always have the courage to make! Westerners like me caught up with Japanese animation, manga, and games because there was a unique "taste" by the matrix of Japan.

For example, Mr. Hayao Miyazaki, who is loved all over the world, is always thinking as a Japanese artist and has offered his creativity to Japanese audiences. That is why his work keeps a unique taste. We believe that purity of every recipe should be preserved and protected.

Even cuisine will be so. If you add a lot of ingredients and seasonings, you can only make mixtures with unknown taste. Even paintings, if you have too many colors, you will get the same results. I would like Japanese video games to continue to be "Japanese video games" with their own "color" and "taste" all the time! Through Japanese games, I hope that Westerners will continue to find Japanese culture and enrich as human beings. Like me! (Lol).

Mr. Guertiero, thank you very much for today! Keep on playing with your favorite Neo Geo!
 

Shito

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I finally managed to gather all the converts I've always been interested in, plus some extras. :-)

Converts.jpg

One day I will display my NEO·GEO hardware collection somewhere and post some pics for that as well.

Meanwhile, I'm someway proceeding towards a paper printed release of my funny mook. :-)

Photo Mar 28, 17 25 36.jpg

Photo Mar 28, 17 26 21.jpg

Just some early test-prints though. The ugly red binding is my very personal adhesive tape-work in fact. ^^;
 
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oliverclaude

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View attachment 52309

Just some early test-prints though. The ugly red binding is my very personal adhesive tape-work in fact. ^^;

Wow, simply WOW! Finally... put me down for one with exactly the same adhesive tape-work binding. It's so authentic and fits perfectly. Also, tell me you did include your famous treatise of the various NGH baggies (big & cut for carton, big & short-fold for vinyl, small & short-fold for later releases and small & long-fold since KoF2K etc.)
 

evil wasabi

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The layout of the mook is on point. Reminds me of classic KoF mooks.
 

Shito

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Oliver: actually the story with the different baggies is longer. Keep in mind the "big ones" used up to GarouDen3 were basically MVS paperworks baggies.

They had and used quite some different generation of those, let's call 'em just "production runs", ahah.

SNK never ever trashed stuff up to their very original bankruptcy sold-out. Figure this: when they first ceased the rental market in the beginning of 1991, to re-release the whole system and game line-up for consumer sale on 1991 7/1, as we all know they used the infamous "carton boxes" to distinguish the new batch of carts from the older, right? Yeah, and they had obviously to change every game barcode, for the original one where lined with different product-pice tags. Once the carton boxed cart ran out, they just switched back to plastic cases as we al know... just stickering the barcode on the inserts, ahaha.

And now the real fun: just the very first 5 (4+1) games had the writing "RENTAL" on their spine. Yeah, 超ド級レンタルゲーム「ネオ·ゲオ」instead of 超ド級ゲーム「ネオ·ゲオ」- this is common knowledge by now. But you now what? When they started to re-market the plastic-boxed leftovers for those very first 5 games after the carton boxed batch, they literally SCRAPED AWAY the black ink for the "RENTAL" line from the spines. This is pure comedy, almost NGF-USA worthy, I'm serious. Coming to speak of which, when Dion and Chris bought out the former SNK storage of old stock, they still had some NOS of carton boxed games there. I know for I bought myself some from Chris. Brand spanking new. And of course you already know those where carts for those "never released with plastic case" games, right? Yeah, they never run out of the carton boxed batch and so never re-printed them in plastic box versions.

All of this (and so much more) I can say for: SNK treated their consumer stuff almost as warehouse dealer. You can't find any consistency in their use of cases, bags, seals, etc. Stickering and re-stickering was like normal for them. Recalling unsold stuff from western distributors to market in on their domestic Japan was also pretty common.

SNK production line was soooo about handcraft-ship I'm almost surprised we never found dead mice in them. :-)
 

oliverclaude

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Excellent insights, Shito. Thank you for indulging my curiosity. This one made me wonder, though...

SNK treated their consumer stuff almost as warehouse dealer. You can't find any consistency in their use of cases, bags, seals, etc. Stickering and re-stickering was like normal for them. Recalling unsold stuff from western distributors to market in on their domestic Japan was also pretty common.

SNK production line was soooo about handcraft-ship I'm almost surprised we never found dead mice in them. :-)

No consistency, capricious sell-outs, no regard for their customers whatsoever, yet, inexplicably, puking brilliance all over... ? There's a name for that: It's called a Diva.

...all the while, somewhere in Osaka's deepest peripheries, a nameless, myopic, lazy SNK employee hums to himself in his baddishly illuminated cubicle:

♪ We skipped the light fandango
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kinda seasick
But the crowd called out for more ♪
 

16-bit

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Recalling unsold stuff from western distributors to market in on their domestic Japan was also pretty common.

Hence, the extreme rarity (in the single and double digits) of select US/Euro titles.
 

FTL

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No consistency, capricious sell-outs, no regard for their customers whatsoever, yet, inexplicably, puking brilliance all over... ? There's a name for that: It's called a Diva.

. [/I]

Actually the real name for it is MVS.

The worldwide arcade market was company main focus and I do understand that now even more as I'm collecting japanese mvs kits.

Infact, japanese arcade mvs carts are way more difficult to find compared to their english counterpart and some good and hot games are mvs english only releases even in Japan.

Tha reflects the real spirit of the machine, trying to be a regular presence in the arcades worldwide.
 

oliverclaude

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Tha reflects the real spirit of the machine, trying to be a regular presence in the arcades worldwide.

That is very nicely put, but this is also the case for other arcade companies. What is significant for SNK, is their regular presence in our homes worldwide. To my knowledge, they only made losses here, yet, they stubbornly persisted to continue releasing their NGH line. What's wrong with them, right? That is not the thinking of a warehouse dealer. So in the end, it's exactly that, what reflects the real spirit of the machine to me: SKNs lossy but brilliant caprice, the NGH.
 

Shito

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♪ We skipped the light fandango
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kinda seasick
But the crowd called out for more ♪

Now that quote was classy.

Indeed Hammond Organ/Keyboard was and still is something. I know a couple of collectors down here.

So, basically, is the NEO·GEO a blacker shade of dark? :-)
 

Shito

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Deftty made some very nice inserts.

Indeed. He basically had the skill, the passion, and the chance to create original-SNK-consistent inserts. I've been lucky enough to befriend him, and enjoy a some nice information exchange and maniac-designing chat with him, plus being able to buy his stuff. All my "MVS-only" converts are made with original MVS chips, also. :-)

I see you're from Singapore too, are you a friend of his? :-)
 
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Knud

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Thanks for pushing this to the first page
It was a very good read this interview
Also a really nice collection
 

Shito

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Wow, simply WOW! Finally... put me down for one with exactly the same adhesive tape-work binding. It's so authentic and fits perfectly. Also, tell me you did include your famous treatise of the various NGH baggies (big & cut for carton, big & short-fold for vinyl, small & short-fold for later releases and small & long-fold since KoF2K etc.)

As you can see we eventually adopted a similar red-spine design in the final print layout. :-)
 

Shito

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Yeah, Italian only. I guess the only parts that are truly "internationally readable" are the very complete and triple-checked AES complete release list, some other lists here and there, plus the very book title. :-/
 

Shito

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Latest update (2022). Low quality pic, top quality inserts.

photo_2023-02-05 21.29.44.jpeg
 

Shito

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Ah ah, simple answer: that's just a light-banned vault, or "dark room" if you like. With no flash, for the previous version was also plagued due to ugly reflections. :-)

I finally managed to gather all the converts I've always been interested in, plus some extras. :-)

View attachment 40789

One day I will display my NEO·GEO hardware collection somewhere and post some pics for that as well.
 
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