Hardware Heaven: Neo Geo CD

» MANUFACTURER: SNK » YEAR: 1994 » COST: £399 (launch), £220+ (today, boxed), £150+ (today, unboxed)

We take the briefest of looks at SNK’S cheaper alternative to its pricey AES console

The Neo Geo had always been a desirable piece of kit, but its reliance on expensive high-capacity ROM cartridges meant that it was a luxury few gamers could afford. CD-ROM had the potential to change all this, offering many times the capacity of even the largest Neo Geo cartridge for a fraction of the cost. To encourage adoption, the CD system was given some exclusive games, as well as arcade ports that never received home cartridge releases. But despite SNK’S efforts, mainstream success was still not on the cards. The machine arrived just months before the Saturn and Playstation, and lacked the 3D graphics capabilities of both. It was also more expensive than both machines due to the enormous seven megabytes of RAM used, and loading that RAM with game code was painfully slow due to the system’s single-speed CD-ROM drive. This model of Neo Geo CD is the only one to have been released worldwide.

The black console features a flip-top disc tray lid and two standard Neo Geo control ports, allowing players to use either the included pads or their favourite Neo Geo sticks. Support for standard composite and S-video are included, as well as a port for RGB cables.