I've always been a huge fan of Neo-Geo games, whether it be experiencing them on MVS arcade cabinets in the 90's/early 2000's or via emulation and ports to modern systems. For some of the system's best games (e.g. King of Fighters series, Samurai Shodown series, Last Blade, Garou, Metal Slug, etc.) I've double- and triple-dipped on various ports across multiple console generations just because I love them so much. I've been particularly into taking advantage of all the Hamster ACA ports on my Switch, which is rapidly amassing quite the Neo-Geo library as a handheld solution.
But all of this makes me a Neo-Geo dilettante compared to the real ballers out there who've actually owned a real Neo-Geo and its games. The Neo-Geo is one of gaming's most illustrious and interesting collector propositions, as it started out extremely expensive and has only grown more so over the years since its discontinuation. I personally could never justify funding a real Neo-Geo collection of any sort, but I definitely love to live vicariously through those who do.
The Neo-Geo was the ultimate 2D sprite-art machine, and SNK's developers were masters of the craft.
That's why I've made this thread. I want to hear from people on ERA who either have owned or currently own Neo-Geo systems and games, whether it be in MVS arcade form or the even more expensive AES console. Is it as awesome as it seems? How do you handle outputting to modern displays in this day and age? Or do you still use CRT? What are some of your most prized games in your collection?
I'm hoping to see some nice pictures of Neo-Geo cabinets, carts, and collections in here. The AES cartridge boxes in particular had some truly excellent box art. I'm a huge fan of all the King of Fighters box covers.
Wide shot of the artwork used for the KOF '98 AES box art. So classy.