Ever since I was a kid, I knew I wanted to have arcade games… Maybe even an arcade room in my house. Yesterday, I began fulfilling that dream with the purchase of a <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo_Geo_%28console%29″ target=”_blank”>Neo-Geo</a> <a href=”http://www.hardmvs.com/xml/usa/usCabs.htm” target=”_blank”>MVS-4-25.3</a>.<br/><br/><div style=”text-align: center;”><img src=”../gallery/?displaypic=miscellaneous%2Fneo-geo.jpg&amp;non_lr=” style=”width: 195px; height: 293px;”/></div><br/>The Neo-Geo was a system that was far ahead of its time. Even before <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_nintendo” target=”_blank”>Super Nintendo</a> and right when <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_genesis” target=”_blank”>Sega Genesis</a> were available with 16-bits, the Neo-Geo boasted 24, which is open to interpretation (it had 16+8 in two processors), but anyone with half a clue can clearly see how advanced this system was for 1990.<br/><br/>I had a friend with the home version (AES, not MVS) way back in the day, and I was really jealous, but games were several hundred dollars apiece! I couldn’t handle that so I didn’t lose much sleep over it.<br/><br/>Fast forward nearly two decades and you’re able to get a 4-slot (it is cartridge based, you can have 4 games in it at once) with a great monitor for just a couple hundred DELIVERED!<br/><br/>My system came with <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Slug_2″ target=”_blank”>Metal Slug 2</a>, a side-scrolling shooter, <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puzzle_De_Pon” target=”_blank”>Puzzle De Pon</a> (aka Bust-a-Move), a Snood-like puzzle game, <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heroes#World_Heroes_2_Jet” target=”_blank”>World Heroes 2: Jet</a>, a crappy 2D fighter that I plan on replacing, and <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Shodown_III” target=”_blank”>Samurai Shodown 3</a>, another, better fighter. Immediately, I plan on replacing World Heroes with <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_Stars_2″ target=”_blank”>Baseball Stars 2</a>. Eventually, I hope to swap Samurai Shodown 3 with <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Shodown_V” target=”_blank”>Samurai Shodown 5</a> and Metal Slug 2 with <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Slug_5″ target=”_blank”>Metal Slug 5</a> or <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Slug_6″ target=”_blank”>6</a> (I need to research which is better). Even further down the line, I’ll probably drop the puzzle game for <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_Fighters_3″ target=”_blank”>AeroFighters 3</a>, but that is way down the line since I think people will enjoy the puzzle game.<br/><br/>Since I don’t have room at home, this machine will be staying at work where it’ll likely receive 5x as much play as if it were at home; I’ve got enough games there.<br/>