Save System - Neo Geo CD/CDZ

Hi Guys,

Before I get accused of not using the Search feature on the Forum, I did and I came up with one error message after another. Google just gave me an undetailed explanation.

I wanted to know how does the Memory Save System differ from a Neo Geo AES and a Neo Geo CD/CDZ. I know that the AES uses an optional memory card.

How does the save system on the Neo Geo CD/CDZ work?

Do all AES/MVS games that offer a Save Feature also offer a Save Feature on their CD equivalents?

Which Save System is better? The Neo Geo AES Memory Card or the Save System on the Neo Geo CD/CDZ?

Thanks.

The Neo CD/CDZ have internal memory for saving games- don't know whether it saves high scores, but it definitely stores game position. The AES memory card only saves game position, but you can also transfer the data to an MVS arcade machine, which u obviously can't do with the Neo CD/CDZ.
Personally I think the AES/MVS save system is better as you can also use a new card if the one youre using wears out(maybe u can replace the battery?), you can use a newer high capacity card (eg 1mb), and it's interchangeable with MVS. Probably cost cutting is the reason the CD/CDZ doesn't have a memory card slot. Don't know how long the internal memory of the CD/CDZ would last, but it's probably a fairly long time. You would then need to replace the memory chip, which wouldn't be all that easy.

Generally the NGCD save system does not store highscores, except for a few games with extended save features like Gowcaizer or Stakes Winner. I never got why SNK didn't include a highscore save feature in the home systems, here the MVS is clearly superior.

Still, I prefer the NGCD save system because it already comes with the console. Yeah, it's not removeable but I never carried around my homecart memcard in the first place so that seems to be a non-issue.

The internal game save memory of the NGCD draws its power from a battery/caps system on the NGCD main pcb, theoretically there is no limit to that system (it gets recharched when the machine is running), unlike the memcard where the battery may die and all saves will be lost. A card with a dead battery will still work while plugged into the homecart/MVS system, though.

Mind you, if you don't switch on your NGCD console for a very long time, the internal saves may be lost as well. That happened to a spare NGCD console I used to have until a year ago, all my KoF and Slug save were gone after about a year. This won't happen if you keep your console plugged, btw.

So, powering on your NGCD unit every other month or so (if you don't play it regularly anyway) will prevent your saves from getting flushed.

i think the reason the aes/mvs cards don't save high scores, is to stop people from getting really high scores at home, then taking them to the arcade and expecting them to be transfered to the high score board. Or maybe it's just that u can save more games on one card if u don't save scores.