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SNK Dropping Traditional NeoGeo Hardware

Posted by simoniker on from the another-end-of-an-era dept.

Thanks to GameSpot for its news discussing SNK's decision to shift its arcade development platform from the original NeoGeo MVS cartridge format to Sammy's Atomiswave. A spokesperson for Sammy commented: "The NeoGeo's games have been played worldwide, but it ran on a 16-bit board that had reached its limits", and the SNK Playmore development chief lamented: "There have been talks in the past about when we'll stop supporting the NeoGeo, but this is going to be the real end. And that's really an indescribable feeling." Fan site NeoGeo For Life points out current NeoGeo MVS title Samurai Spirits Zero Special, the last in an era for SNK, while the GameSpot article explains: "Three new titles have been announced for release on the Atomiswave: The King of Fighters 2004, Samurai Spirits AW, and Metal Slug 6."

6 of 39 comments (clear)

  1. Farewell. by cableshaft · · Score: 4, Insightful

    *plays Taps* It was bound to happen sometime. Farewell, Neo Geo. You lasted longer than most of the consoles out there. You'll be missed. And played :).

    --
    Creator of the popular web game Proximity
  2. Remakes please? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Considering the cost of a NeoGeo system and the games, its not suprising it didn't catch on too easier (ease up on the flames).

    I hope Playmore gets around to making remakes and selling them on more mainstream systems since they stand up to well even against modern graphics.

    1. Re:Remakes please? by Jeff+Reed · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The problem is that they've been trying to release a lot of their newer games (Samurai Shodown 5, SvC Chaos, Metal Slug 3) on the Playstation 2 in the US, but Sony has told them to take their 2D games and shove 'em, from all indications. This is, of course, business as usual for Sony. Why approve some excellent 2D games, after all, when you can approve the latest movie-licensed shoveware?

      SNK did somehow convince Sony to let them release The King of Fighters 2000 & 2001 as a bundle pack for PS2 recently, but I doubt they'll be able to do that for many more of the games they want to release, sadly.

      Last I heard, though, Microsoft wasn't against 2D games if they were good, so SNK's porting them to X-Box for a US release. Kind of bad news for someone like me who lacks an X-Box, but at least there'll be a legal way to play SNK's games and still support their US operations.

  3. MSGC by paradesign · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I want metal slug for GC, and i want it now! And i want it 2D, none of this cheesy 3D stuff should mess up a good 2D classic, ya hear that Nintendo?

    --
    I want 2D games back.
  4. Re:I suppose it was inevitable... by Ayaress · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Actually, the NES (Famicom/FDS) and SNES (SFC) were both discontinued in 2003, around September or so. They didn't sell outside of Japan, but you can still find new games comming out for the Famicom Disk System in Japan. They're mostly cheap two-week development cycle Hentai games, but still, when it comes down to it, the Famicom wins.

  5. re: no really by bile · · Score: 1, Insightful

    68000 not 6800... and actually... the M68K had a 24bit address bus. 16 bit data bus. and 32bit data registers.