December 20, 2000
       KoF2000 limited edition is here

The King of Fighters 2000 

The time is here. NGF, as promised, has received the exclusive limited edition ENGLISH language version of the long awaited tournament fighting game known as "The King of Fighters 2000." NGF has gone through great lengths to secure and provide this exclusive and first in the line of "NGF exclusive" cartridges in direct association with SNK of Japan. We have many future plans on the upcoming release of NeoGeo titles to have a full AES production in ENGLISH language version.  So far, SNK has no further plans to support the AES market, but NGF will take responsibility for all the Neo fans. We will keep supporting the NeoGeo as long as we can and as long as games are being made. This is another historic landmark for NGF.

November 22, 2000
       Massive NeoGeo re-stock

NGF acquires the NOS stock from SNK 

For the last month, NGF has been making some ground breaking deals with Aruze and SNK on new distribution games and to secure a mass stock of NOS NeoGeo game stock. The stock is ranging from AES, CDs, and MVS software. We will be able to offer these titles to all customers soon. 
Click link to see the NGF stock pics

November 18, 2000
       Exporting and Importing

New rules 

No longer will Aruze allow Japanese distributors to illegally export games which goes against parallel importing and exporting laws. Aruze's push is if any retail company and distributor is found in violation of these laws, they can have their stock confiscated and they will not be allowed to handle SNK software.  If Aruze can pull this off, we may see a new and improved market penetration of SNK games for the NeoGeo and other platforms. Aruze is already considering reopening a SNK office in the United States to handle games. Aruze Group is seeking to gain some real international presence in video gaming, as they have in casino and pachinko gaming.

November 15, 2000
       New hardware and more games

News on games and hardware 

As we have said before, the future is looking great for the NeoGeo system. There is currently a "gun game" coming using a modified NeoGeo platform. This will be the same type of modification that was used in the making of "The Irritating Maze" which uses a special trackball controller. The new shooting game will use a special GUN to shoot at the game screen. The expected hardware is to have 2 other gun games released that same year on easy to use cartridge format so operators don't have to buy entire cabinets, just simply "plug and play."  In other news, here is a word for word quote from Centaur Publications in the United Kingdom. Amid ongoing speculation over its future video games strategy, SNK owner Aruze has revealed it is working on two dedicated machines. Games are not being developed by former SNK staff, many of who have been assigned pachinko development duties, but by a team of around 10 programmers hired from "major manufacturers." SNK's general manager of the international department, Hiroshi Miyajima, confirmed that games, thought to be a racing title and shoot-em-up, have been in development on a proprietary platform for the past six months. Launch dates are unconfirmed. Miyajima also moved to quell speculation that further Neo Geo developments would be sidelined as Aruze focuses developers' attentions on pachinko projects. "Yes, we have concentrated more on pachinko," he conceded. "But that will change."  More NeoGeo games will be coming in the next coming months said Miyajima. With a reported 1.8 million MVS units, we can see the future is indeed looking very bright.

November 12, 2000
       Freak Japan to end

NeoGeoFreak magazine in Japan to end 

For 5 years all NeoFreaks have had one sure place that would cover all their NeoGeo news, and it was from NeoGeoFreak magazine-Japan. Now it looks as though their last issue will be coming this December. There have been many NeoGeo magazines over the past years including 3 from the United States. The rumor is that this last outpost will be coming to an end because of low subscriptions and even lower sales. The decline in sales has really been hurting the Neo scene in general. For the last year and a half, the Japanese NeoGeoFreak magazine hasn't had much to write about in terms of the original NeoGeo MVS/AES. They started to turn to NeoPocket as well as Playstation and Dreamcast ports. They also stopped reporting on games until they were officially released. Originally the Japanese NeoGeoFreak magazine would show some screen shots of games before they were released, but SNK stopped that policy. Many games that have been released lately were never in the Japanese NeoGeoFreak magazine because they were not OFFICIALLY released. Games like Super Dodgeball, Ganryu, Puzzle de Pon R, Fight Fever, Goal Goal Goal, Pop 'n Bounce, and many others were never featured or even mentioned in the Japanese NeoGeoFreak magazine. It is really sad to see this last great publication close up shop. We at NeoGeoFreak will keep the NeoGeo alive as long as the true fans help us and continue to support the system and the software that keeps coming out. The staff at NGF will miss the monthly NeoGeoFreak magazine from Japan. For right now it is still just a rumor...but it's a strong rumor that NGF-USA thinks is worth mentioning.

November 10, 2000
       The name game

Proving to be a hard shot 

The pool game that we originally reported about on June 27 is back in the news scene. Originally titled Neo Pool Master, it was later changed to the tentative title of Kool Pool. It seems that the name has now been switched and confirmed back to the original title of Neo Pool Master and looks like it will be released this coming February or March for the trackball arcade kits.

October 22, 2000
       Action among us

Finally, Sengoku 3 and Metal Slug 4 

It seems the good is just getting better. With the complete success of Aruze's push to have SNK release their older games, Sengoku 3 will finally be seeing a release in the near future. This sword action game has been complete for 5 years and soon will be revamped and ready to roll in the next coming months. All of these "lost titles" finally being released is a blessing. And as we reported, Metal Slug 4 is approaching the final stages of game development and we can expect the game summer 2001. Mark the dates on when NGF first mentioned these games, and be on the lookout to see when they actually hit the streets. Here are the dates when NGF first mentioned these new NeoGeo games which have still not yet been released (year 2000):  early 1999 - MotW2, June 7th - Neo Pool Master,  July 10th - Bang Bead, July 15 - The Irritating Maze Returns (we also mentioned it in 1998), September 19 - Last Blade 3, September 24 - Nightmare in the Dark, October 8th - SNK vs. Capcom,  and October 22 we are announcing the release of Sengoku 3 and Metal Slug 4 (we reported the rumor on July 19th). No further information has been set forth on the old title Ghostlop and if it will be released. Keep checking www.NeoGeoFreak.com for more information on ALL these new Neo titles. And as always, NGF will bring all these titles to AES format for all the AES collectors out there. 

October 12, 2000
       2000 by 2001

King battles its way out 

The moment we have all been waiting for.....KoF2000 is confirmed from NGF. No more speculating on "supposed rumors." We have gotten word from our contacts at Aruze Group and SNK team branch that the AES version of their main marquee game "The King of Fighters" will have a December 21 sale date. 

October 08, 2000
       companies battle 2

Franchise Versus 

GREAT NEWS! With the complete success of Capcom vs. SNK on Capcom's Naomi system, Aruze/SNK is now making the final adjustments on their own NeoGeo version of the same game - titled: SNK vs. Cpcom (not to be confused with the Neo Pocket SNK vs. Capcom).  The game is about 95% complete and is expected to hit the arcade market coming in mid 2001. This deal has been done over a year ago and both companies agreed to have their own version of the game for their respected hardwares. The NeoGeo version was actually worked on mostly at Capcom, with both SNK and Capcom programmers. The joint effort is paying off and we can expect many more "cross-over" games to start appearing from both companies. We at NGF have always wanted a Neo version, and now we'll have it. And as always, NGF will provide the NeoGeo AES versions of the games for the true NGFers. 

September 24, 2000
       NeoGeo Forever

Games galore 

While other online sites will only talk about the "TGS"  toy show, we at NGF want to be the FIRST to confirm the complete success of the NeoGeo at the JAMMA show.  The JAMMA show is not accessible by regular fans, magazines, and/or PRESS. It is only open to a select special group. The special show invites are for ARCADE INDUSTRY INSIDERS and OPERATORS and special "WELCOMED GUESTS."  And there are no pictures or video footage allowed, even though pictures are sometimes taken. :)       (we will post some pics in the next day or two - keep checking back for updates)
SNK in partnership with Aruze has pumped out some incredible Pachinko and Slot machine games (as we first reported back 4 months ago in May 1, 2000) to be introduced to casinos around the world. Also, in NeoGeoFreak  news, we are extremely happy to once again be the FIRST to announce the new releases of Nightmare in the Dark, Ghostlop, and Last Blade 3.  When we saw and played these games, we were in utter amazement. Last Blade 3 is truly incredible and it was only 50% complete at the show. As for Nightmare in the Dark, you just have to see it to believe it.  It is one of the older games that will finally be released. We at NGF have known about this game for 2 years, but we never thought it would finally be released. It is a action platform game long the lines of Ghouls and Ghosts, but Neo style! Aruze seems to have the trend on releasing older games. This has been happening with Ganryu, Captain Tomaday, Flip Shot, and most recently with Diggerman, Nightmare in the Dark and Ghostlop. Hopefully this trend will continue and we will see more classic original titles for the NeoGeo. We have our list ready and we want to be able to check off the titles that we are waiting for.
King of Fighters 2000 was also shown on 6 machines and is still highly ranked in the arcade charts. When we asked about MotW2, a spokesman said they have not yet decided on a set release date, but the game is "in the works and ready."  SNK/Aruze will no longer offer to support the consumer market end of the NeoGeo, but we at NGF will continue to provide ALL of these future Neo titles on AES cartridges for the TRUE NeoGeoFreaks!!!!

September 19, 2000
       Bakamatsu lives

Last Blade 3 

We have just received special word that Aruze will have a special advanced screening of Last Blade 3 at the upcoming JAMMA show. This is indeed giving us something to really look forward to. The Last Blade series has captured the heart of ALL Neo fans, and now it looks like the long awaited 3rd chapter is finally here. We hope to see and report more good news.

September 13, 2000
       Super GIGA

Aruze brings new power 

NGF members on location in New Jersey report this breaking news and we would like to be the first to mention that Aruze has announced a new chip for the NeoGeo. It is called the "Super GIGA Chip."  An official from Aruze says it can handle twice the memory of the original GIGA boards and chipsets. As for the Neo games, it says the Super GIGA Chip will make the games faster and show more graphical advancements.  This sounds very promising. Hopefully some new prototype games will be at the coming JAMMA show in Japan showing off this new Super GIGA Chip technology.

September 08, 2000
       The final rush?

Aruze blasts the JAMMA show 

In an NGF exclusive meeting with the current president of what was once SNK Corporation of America, Mitsushita Tanaka, we learned of some very interesting news and surprises. The upcoming JAMMA show this September will hold what is the absolute biggest NeoGeo booth ever. Aruze is really making a big effort in showing off their new acquisition and strategies for future gaming. The Aruze booth will be the biggest booth at the show. Booth sizes are in lots of "1" and each lot measures at 3x3 meters in size.  The top 4 booths sizes this show will be Aruze (125), Sega (120), Capcom (100), and Namco (80). 
When NGF was told of this we were awed, but wondering what was to be shown? Mitsushita Tanaka replied that even he was surprised when he learned of the huge booth that Aruze had reserved. Mitsushita Tanaka said they will be showing The King of Fighters 2000 and Mark of the Wolves 2, as well as many other third party games including Diggerman, but Mitsushita said he had not received word on the other game titles or genres. Mitsushita also said Aruze will be showing various pachinko and slot machines (as reported by NGF in May 2000). When asked about other older games that have been rumored for future release such as Ghostlop and Mystic Wand and future titles such as Metal Slug 4, Neo Turfmasters 2, Neo Pool Master, and Samurai Shodown 5 - Mitsushita replied: "The future is looking extremely bright for the NeoGeo. Aruze has opened many doors and is currently looking into many aspects of the marketplace. The NeoGeo will be supported for many years to come. We have an installed NeoGeo user base of 1.8 million coin-op units (only 500,000 AES systems). Those numbers alone show the significance the NeoGeo coin-op has. The NeoGeo has many fans of their series and characters as well. We have made agreements with Capcom and have released "Capcom vs. SNK" which has had a great success. Currently we have some plans on featuring some of our most popular characters in new games of their own....and not just fighting games. (smiles from Mitsushita). Aruze has also opened the doors for other third party companies to come in and develop and market games for the NeoGeo. Aruze has lowered the development fees, licensing fees, and minimum unit order requirements. As for games, I cannot mention any games until I am allowed (smiles). Aruze thinks that the older games that are developed should either be marketed or sold. Some have been sold out, but some will be marketed by Aruze. Aruze will keep the top franchise titles such as The King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, and Last Blade series and already has games in development for all those series. 

August 30, 2000
        Gone

SNK Japan closing 

The news now is that SNK offices will be closing down this coming October. SNK has been in business since 1978 and has had a pretty good run at the arcade and video game business. SNK produced the NeoGeo in 1990 and has had a good 10 year run with the system. It will be sad to see SNK go, but as long as the NeoGeo is still supported and keeps getting more games, that is all we will care about.  We care for the NeoGeo. It doesn't matter who or where the games come from, as long as more NeoGeo games are made and released.  Long live the NeoGeo. 

August 23, 2000
        NGF only

Games by NGF 

NGF is proud to announce a new batch of AES games that are being put together especially for NGF for sale to all Neo fans and Neo Freaks soon. This will be the first of many NGF exclusive AES cartridge games coming with new deals from Aruze. SNK will be making games EXCLUSIVELY for NGF. IN more news, NGF has  lined a deal for the Neo AES development system and we will be bringing many new games into the Neo world. Be watching for exclusive news on pictures on future NGF games. NGF is the NeoGeo Future!

August 22, 2000
        JAMMA and TGS

Aruze brings it on

NGF has been cordially invited to attend the major JAMMA show "PRESS and DISTRIBUTORS ONLY" gathering in Tokyo, Japan this coming Sept 21. Aruze will be showing some new games for their NeoGeo systems. One of the key titles will be the unveiling of "Mark of the Wolves 2" and a rumored new "sword fighting game." (Could this be the long anticipated SS5 or LB3??)  Also some other 3rd party games will be shown (possibly Ghostlop and a few other new titles). Also being held that same weekend will be the Tokyo Game Show.  NGF will be at the TGS for the "PRESS and DISTRIBUTORS ONLY" day that Friday to see what, if any, new games will be showcased for the Neo AES. Hopefully we will see if  KoF 2000 will be marketed for the Neo AES.  NGF will report back with exclusive pictures, highlights, news and reviews of both shows. The future is looking good for NGF and the NeoGeo. The JAMMA show is really holding our interest for seeing some new NeoGeo games. And as you know, NGF will bring out all games for the AES system in English as we have done with all the games. NGF will also be picking up major restocks of games such as Metal Slug 3 and Diggerman selling them for the same price of our original $350.00 tag.  The time is now here for all Neo collectors to celebrate in this great new era of specialized NGF/NeoGeo gaming.

August 21, 2000
        Collectors chant

Specials on unreleased cartridges

We at NGF are offering many unreleased carts to the Neo fans for special prices. Be sure to check our NGF Stock page (coming soon) for details on games such as Breaker's Revenge and Captain Tomaday for the low price of only $400 each, with many other unreleased games also available at special prices. This is a special introductory offer to all NeoGeo fans to help jump start your collection with some of the biggest and best games that can be played on the Neo AES.  NGF is glad to be here to help all the current and new Neo/NGF customers. We will also do all mod jobs to make these AES cartridges for people for the new low price of only $70.00 per cartridge* - if all the parts are supplied. This will help people who want to pick up all the parts on their own time, and then just send them to us at NGF for the conversion work. This tends to make it easier for people since they won't have to have all the money at time of order. Just buy the parts and send them to us for the work to be done. With all the new business and orders, we are happy to be able to offer these new low prices to all the NeoGeoFreaks.

July 24, 2000
        KoF 2000

New high MVS

The release of the new King of Fighters 2000 has reached an all time high for NeoGeo MVS cartridges. The title is supposed to be released in Japan this month on July 26, for 169,000 YEN ($1550.00 ). The AES version tentatively will be released on September 28 for 38,000 YEN ($350.00). These are new highs for initial release prices.

July 19, 2000
        Shakeup overseas

Moving along

This is a word for word copy of some interesting NeoGeo news direct from the what we consider to be the best arcade source, Replay Magazine,  which can be seen/read online at www.replaymagazine.com 

BIG SHAKEUP AT SNK JAPAN; NEO-GEO WILL CONTINUE

(posted Tuesday, July 18, 2000 - 7:30PM)


As readers know, SNK Corp. was purchased earlier this year along with Sigma by new parent company Aruze (a big maker of pachinkos, slots, etc.). SNK is now being merged into a single entity with Sigma and Aruze, resulting in physical
relocation within Japan, serious reorganization and possibly a new name for the coin-op division. This from Apple Industries prexy Allen Weisberg, who reps the company's Neo-Geo videos in the USA. Freshly returned from a trip to Japan, Allen said the Neo-Geo division reportedly remains profitable, although less so than last year. Game Machine magazine (Osaka) reported SNK's coin-op division revenues dropped 36% for the fiscal year ended March 30. But SNK will continue making coin-op game software -- possibly under the name Neo-Geo and not SNK, Allen said.
Weisberg partially confirmed reports that Aruze is shedding some of SNK's video game R&D teams. The R&D effort is being shifted from Osaka to Tokyo, where Aruze can supervise more closely. "In the moving process, you do lose some employees who simply won't relocate," Weisberg admitted. But 10 former Sega R&D staffers have been hired, he said.
As part of the shakeup, NeoGeo's team-type setup for game creation is being replaced by a "modular" method. SNK anticipates one of its strongest-ever games in King of Fighters 2000, shipping to the U.S. in late August or early September (it includes a new update for the giga-chip that was originally added a year ago; this update will enable state-of-the-art fast gameplay). The near-term coming lineup for Neo-Geo includes Ghost Lop, Mark of the Wolves 2, Metal Slug 4, Neo Turf Golf 2, SNK vs. Capcom and others. Within six months, 16-bit Neo-Geo systems should be bolstered by even more new technology and resulting new types of games, Apple Industries expects.

July 15, 2000
        New trackball games

Pool and Maze 2

When we at NGF reported about the Neo pool game called "Neo Pool Master," we had no idea whether or not it was a new game or an older game that has been held back....well now we know. It must be an older title because no new games are being developed for the NeoGeo, let alone for the trackball hardware. Also we are hearing and waiting for confirmation on a part 2 to "The Irritating Maze" titled as "The Irritating Maze Returns." Both these new games require the special NeoGeo trackball controller. 

July 10, 2000
        new game announced

Bang Bead

The games seem to be just pouring in these days. We are truly at the dawn of a new Neo era, or hopefully at the 1996 Neo time frame (the year the neo had the most releases). Bang Bead may be one of the other "lost titles" that is finally making it's way to the Neo system.  We haven't seen the screen shots, so we are not 100% sure. We'll post more info as we get it and we'll see if we can get meg counts, maker info, and confirmation on if it is a new or older title.

July 9, 2000
        Pool title change

Kool Pool or Neo Pool Master

As we reported about the new and rumored pool title for the Neo, the name has now been changed from Neo Pool Master to Kool Pool. We have no word on meg count and we have not yet seen screen shots, but this title does sound promising (as does any non Neo fighter). Maybe this will actually make it to the MVS and AES and not get dropped as a "lost game."

June 27, 2000
        8 ball anyone?

Pool on the NeoGeo

A great and classic game is coming to the Neo. As you may have guessed in the title, it is a Neo Pool game.  The game's title is Neo Pool Master.

June 21, 2000
        2 new titles may be coming? 

Digger Man and KoF 2000

The newest games to surface for a tentative release for the NeoGeo are the much anticipated King of Fighters 2000 and a release of an older title called Diggerman by Face. We all new about KoF2000, but the surprise is the acquisition and release of Diggerman, which could be the start of a trend of having many other older and completed titles finally released to both MVS and possibly AES systems. 

June 7, 2000
        The new breed.

SNK odyssey

As NGF had lost out on our "promised" commitments with SNK-USA, we don't seem to be upset anymore. SNK-USA dropped all MVS sales and AES releases. No more "NeoGeo." Welcome SNK Entertainment.  We'll see how everything turns around. It should be far better than what it has been for the last "4 years" with the former SNK-USA. We posted on January 7 news that there would be a complete restructuring of SNK after April 1 (their fiscal year date). There have been many new people there, and we heard their new plans, but we'll only post about the NeoGeo when we get news. The new team at SNK has many great plans for their new arcade and gaming ports, but nothing for the longest lasting, fully officially supported home gaming system, the "NeoGeo AES."  The Neo is at just over 10 years this year, with still many 3rd party Neo games yet to come. And NGF will have ALL of these games available for the AES.

June 2, 2000
        No more English AES?

NGF is the only source for English AES cartridges!

With all the commotion about SNK-USA just giving up on the Neo AES, we at NGF are well pleased and happy to pick up where they left off. We have had a complete success with a total sell out of the NGF Metal Slug 3 cartridges. We don't even associate or acknowledge SNK-USA, as they have nothing to do with the NeoGeo anymore. We have nothing to do with them and we have no need to. From this point on, it is NGF all the way! The cartridges are all official NGF and not from SNK. We even list our cartridges as NGF carts. Our distributors in Japan have sourced many Japanese style NeoGeo AES cartridges and we have them in stock. We are happy to help all people build their Neo AES collection with any SNK-Japan and NGF versions, as well as some older SNK-USA/Europe NeoGeo cartridges. As stated, we will be posting information on the new KoF 2000 soon. This game is still kept behind closed doors (as SNK likes to do), but hopefully some news will leak out soon.

May 30, 2000
        KoF 2000 for NeoGeo

Clearing up the false rumors

NGF STILL stands by the statement that KOF 2000 will be an MVS title. We just want to go on record and not back peddling 1 inch on this. I am sure though, as soon as people find out it will, it will be another one of those "lucky" guesses by NGF. Kind of like the MS3 not coming out on AES cart in English format.

Once again, www.NEOGEOFREAK.com, the most accurate and popular Neo related site on the web, reconfirms that the new KOF 2000 will be released on the MVS hardware. The scheduled release is for mid August (11th) for the MVS with the AES coming by NGF in October. We will be accepting preorders as soon as we get our confirmation arrangements from Japan. Don't listen to other places with wrong info. Everyone can now relax. NGF all the way!

May 12, 2000
        Strange E3 announcements 

Stories being told

Members of NGF attended the E3 and  went to the SNK booth. SNK had some "trade show people" to work their booth. The NGF members showed interest about the NeoGeo AES and Neo MVS and asked some serious questions......and we got some serious "inside" answers. We asked what Neo MVS games (if any) were being made and if they will be coming to the home system. SNK said "We don't have any information right now on future NeoGeo MVS games being released."     

NGF members also asked about games like Prehistoric Isle 2, Captain Tomaday, Ganryu, Strikers, Flip Shot, and of course Metal Slug 3. The SNK-USA "representative" said that SNK-USA plans to release these games soon to the AES and Neo CD. We found it very strange because they didn't have any Neo AES cartridges at their booth. Then some "suit" came and said "We (SNK-USA) want to concentrate mainly on the Neo Pocket and not "confuse" the consumers with too many games. We have had a lot of people asking us about the NeoGeo home cartridge system and we have been told to tell people that we will be releasing more games in the near future."  Well, we are still waiting from the time SNK said this about Prehistoric Isle 2 and Strikers 1945 PLUS in their January 2000 edition of their online "Warhouse" news....."Expect these titles soon for the NEOGEO Home Cartridge System and the NEOGEO CD System."     We guess if SNK-USA says they will be releasing them to home soon it must be true, right????  

May 1, 2000
        SNK-USA gives up 

SNK-USA no longer to distribute MVS

As SNK Corporation of America moves from San Jose, California back to Torrance, California a very interesting turn of events took place. For some strange reason they will not support, carry, or distribute NeoGeo MVS cartridges anymore. We at NGF have been contemplating and negotiating to take over North American distribution, but as things turned out - we lost the MVS contract. It also doesn't look like new SNK-LasVegas business branch will come into effect, but we will be the only distributor with the US/English AES cartridges around the world. We are still having meetings and discussing the further possibilities. SNK of Japan is still insisting that they are fully supporting the Neo MVS in Japan. As it looks these days, SNK-USA - oops, we mean, the new business branch might even release LESS of the MVS titles than SNK-USA did (if that were possible). On Pocket news, SNK-USA will now only be concentrating on the Pocket, but get this.... out of the 20 or so games that we saw featured at the TGS supposedly coming to the Pocket, less than half will be released in the USA. And by now there have been another 4 titles announced. We wonder if those titles will be released in the States. Interesting news in Japan though, SNK of Japan is to release 3 different Pachinko machines under the SNK/Aruze name. These new styled machines will be fully "video game" interfaced, much like the gaming machines now featured in many casinos around the world. We think this will be pretty interesting and we'll try to get more info on these and hopefully some pictures.  

April 24, 2000
        SNK finds lint in their Pocket 

SNK's empty Pocket

SNK said that they will be slowing down on the Pocket games and concentrating more on being a 3rd party developer for other gaming platforms such as the Dreamcast, PSX and PSX2. We heard that many of the scheduled Pocket games will be held back until a proper analysis of the current market situation can determined. The direction of SNK-USA is basically to drop the unit. They are giving it till early next year (April). We may see a Japanese and Euro market only for the Pocket (like the NeoGeo AES). We are very surprised to hear this because SNK was so heavy into the Pocket and the TGS show was basically ALL Pocket. WE at NGF  think the Neo Pocket is great and that it's the best portable system currently available on the market. If it were up to us, the system would be keep going.

March 31, 2000
        SNK at the TGS 

SNK rallies around Pocket

SNK is heavily pushing the Neo Pocket as well as carrying games over to the Dreamcast, Playstation, and also announced plans to develop for the new Sony PSX2, but nothing was new for the NeoGeo AES systems. Only video footage of Metal Slug 3 was shown. Metal Slug 3 is scheduled for a May 25th release on AES home cartridge. No news at all of any future Neo AES titles. We asked about KoF2000 but SNK officials had no reply. SNK's big push at the TGS was for their new Dreamcast game "Cool Cool Tunes" and "Cool Cool Jam" for the Pocket, but even those titles were only seen by video footage. These games are a type of music game in the style of "Parappa." To us at NGF, the SNK booth was a flop. Most of the games we had either already played or seen from other sites or magazines. Nothing was new, other than seeing the "dancers" for the "Cool Cool" games. Hopefully some third party companies will surprise us with some unannounced Neo MVS titles.

March 29, 2000
        No SNK at the ASI 

SNK vacant from Arcade show

Speculation and rumors of how SNK is dropping from the arcade hardware scene is becoming more evident everyday. SNK was a no show at a major arcade convention known as the Amusement Showcase International.  The ASI was held in LasVegas (as usual) from March 29 through March 31, and is a must for any and all arcade companies to show off or at least make their presence felt. SNK was nowhere to be seen, found, or heard of. SNK has always been an active member in the arcade shows held by the AAMA and the AMOA. When we spoke to SNK representatives, they gave hints to us that they (SNK) are planning to drop the NeoGeo and the hardware division and move onto becoming a 3rd party software company due to lack of NeoGeo MVS and especially NeoGeo AES home sales. SNK is currently planning and marketing game ports and original game titles for other systems such as the Naomi and Dreamcast from SEGA and to the Playstation and PSX2 from Sony. So far, the only long term plans SNK has for their "in house" system is for the NeoGeo Pocket first and MVS second. The only confirmed NeoGeo MVS and NeoGeo AES title from SNK is Metal Slug 3. Why Metal Slug 3 wasn't shown at the ASI is strange, but SNK can't stay competitive with only one to 4 titles a year. The rumored King of Fighters 2000 is still only in the early development stages. Only time will tell us if KoF2000 will make it to MVS and Neo AES systems. SNK still confirms and insists that they will support the Neo MVS for many years to come.

March 17, 2000
        No show for Slug3 

Metal Slug 3 NOT to be shown at the TGS

After we had heard of this game 9 months ago, we thought we would finally get to see it first hand at the Tokyo Game Show being held March 31 - April 2 in Japan, but now we have heard direct from SNK of Japan that there are no plans to show Metal Slug 3 at the TGS. There are currently 3 versions of the Metal Slug games released on the NeoGeo so far, Metal Slug, Metal Slug 2, and the infamous Metal Slug X.  Slug X was nothing more than the corrected version of Slug2 which should have never been released when it was, but was literally forced out by SNK to show off in time for the early 1998 arcade show. Many people complained about the bugs and slowdowns that were apparent in Slug2. Arcade operators were not too pleased with how fast SlugX was released after Slug2 and sales were down in both MVS and Neo AES home cartridge market. Even the release of SlugX on CD was cancelled due to the slow sales of SlugX on home cartridge. Hopefully SNK will reconsider and maybe release Slug3 on AES cartridge.

March 6, 2000
        An end of the AES system era.

SNK announces no more NeoGeo AES cartridges!

We all new the time would one day come, but now it's official. A representative for SNK of Japan has announced that SNK will no longer be releasing or carrying over titles from their MVS systems to the NeoGeo AES systems. All further AES releases will cease after this years summary. There might not be any more games coming after the new game "Mark of the Wolves," but that is still undecided. The upcoming "Metal Slug 3" has yet to gain full access to a AES market production. All market titles may just be held to Japan territory only. This will force people to have to order import Japanese versions of the newer games, if any. There is a rumored King of Fighters 2000 also scheduled for AES.

We spoke to one of the sales members at SNK Corp of America who had this to say: "Recent lackluster sales in all (AES) cartridges have sealed the fate for the beloved NeoGeo consumer (AES) systems. A system that claims to have the most devoted fans still has an overwhelming under sale of any and all newly released titles. Our fans keep asking us for new home cartridges, but when we get them in, they just sit on the shelves. We can't keep stocking $250 home cartridges for the so called fans that won't even buy them. We still have a lot of overstock of games like Shock Troopers:2nd Squad, NeoGeo Cup 98, Metal Slug X, and even Last Blade. We had to offer these at RED TAG SALE prices just to get a few more sold, and then finally selling out to independent distributors. This has just forced us to realize that we can't afford to offer these games to a non-buying market. But you may be glad to know that SNK will still support and release games for the NeoGeo MVS arcade systems. We've had nothing but great success in that department because of the pricing and availability of easy to use plug in cartridges for the arcade venders/operators. The  MVS will continue to be supported for quite a long while. There are still complete home cartridges made available (from NGF). (NGF) provides a service and we're all for it and thankful. All of the fans can just contact (NGF) and be happy that they can still have the home carts. This way both markets are supported and we can finally get back to reading normal emails that don't ask "What's the new NeoGeo game?" or "Where can I buy NeoGeo games?" (laughing).

February 9, 2000
       Mark of the Wolves

The latest South Town fighter is here!

The highly anticipated new fighter from SNK will be released for the NeoAES this Feb 25th. Mark of the Wolves will take some familiar characters to new levels of fighting. Returning to the screen is Terry Bogard along with Geese Howard's son, Rock. It has been programmed and worked on by the AoF team and resembles the Last Blade series in both style and animation. This game is sure to be a classic as it takes the South Town series into a twist of direction with new techniques and story lines.
                                    

January 7, 2000
      The NEW SNK 

The biggest news that has surfaced recently is the buy-out of SNK by pachinko machine giants, Aruze (pronounced Aruzay). One of the biggest gaming companies in Japan has outright bought SNK-Japan  and all former SNK branch offices for a reported 48 million US dollars. The former president of SNK, Yoshiko Kodo, is also out from SNK as well. Aruze has now taken full control and is over seeing the management and marketing of all SNK divisions. Starting with a complete restructuring of SNK's sales force after April 1, 2000, which is the beginning of SNK's new fiscal year. One of Aruze's first steps in the United States is to start by moving SNK Corp of America back to their Torrance location. A new president has not been assigned to SNK-USA as of yet. The 2 head guys are Mr.Y and Mr.T and that is all we at NGF are allowed to say at this time per Aruze/SNK/NGF agreements. Aruze will be breaking SNK sales into separate divisions in hopes of better market sales for both Neo MVS, Neo AES, and Neo Pocket. Word is pending on if Aruze/SNK will continue to support the NeoGeo MVS, NeoGeo AES market, or Neo CD. We predict NOT.

January 3, 2000
      Metal Slug 3, Strikers 1945 PLUS, Ganryu 

That's right, even though SNK Corporation of America is listing the game as Metal Slug 4, we at NeoGeoFreak have been told and know it will be called Metal Slug 3. The new game will feature some stages that were programmed and accessed from Metal Slug X. Also making big waves in the NeoGeo scene is the new shooter Strikers 1945 PLUS and the long awaited Ganryu from Visco. Ganryu, aka Musashi Ganryuki in Japan, has been showed back since around 1997. We at NGF have been wondering if Ganryu would ever make it past the developers test cartridges. Luckily for us, Ganryu has been bought by an independent distributor and marketed for sale in Asia. It is a very high action/adventure game along the lines of Ninja Gaiden and Bionic Commando. It is a must have for Neo collectors and players alike.