Neo Geo Top Loader Console (Japanese / 60Hz)
By SNK
CD-T01
4964808500048
Which Neo Geo CD console to get? Well, which one NOT to get is pretty easy: don't get the PAL one. 50Hz uselessness. That leaves the Japanese consoles: original Front Loader, CDZ or the trusty Top Loader; or the USA Top Loader. There's a strong argument for the USA one being the one to get, because MOST discs are dual language, so if you put a Japanese disc into an American system, not only is it fullscreen 60Hz but it will likely have English text (all Neo games have English speech, regardless of the console they're running on). Some games like Samurai Shodown RPG won't convert to English text though. As a general rule, if it came out in the West, it'll be in English. For example, if you put a Japanese Flying Power Disc into an American console, it will display as Windjammers. An argument for a Japanese console is that some of the games are censored on English (UK/Euro PAL or USA NTSC) consoles so playing on the Japanese console gives you potentially the best versions of the games. Plus, the Neo Geo is an arcade machine, so having a bit of Japanese text here and there isn't really going to cause problems. For example, when you watch the intro for Nam-1975, the intro story text on a Japanese console comes up in Japanese but the guy speaks it all in English! The only real Japanese 'problems' are maybe end of bout taunts in fighting games or 'how to play' tutorials where you might be watching a little joystick & buttons moving/firing, where you can see your character or ship doing stuff but it might tell you what it's doing in Japanese. But it's all visual so you can work it out and, as mentioned before, IT'S AN ARCADE MACHINE, SO WHO IS REALLY GOING TO BE STUCK BY A COUPLE OF SENTENCES IN JAPANESE?
If you decide on a Japanese console, then there's the original Front Loader, the re-released Top Loader, and the final Neo Geo CD console, the CDZ with the double speed drive. A lot of people like the Top Loader most. It's the original one, before SNK realised it could save money. It looks expensive, more so than the Top Loader. But I guess like the Mega CD1, there's more to go wrong with the Front Loader. The Top Loader is by far the most common (and the only one which got released outside of Japan), kinda looks the least special but it's a simpler device than the Front Loader and is usually the cheapest to buy. The CDZ is smaller, which may be beneficial, a lot of people love the way it looks (but it scratches REALLY easily - you've got to be careful of sneaky sellers trying to hide scratches with bad pictures, although pretty much every CDZ is going to have at least some tiny marks!). It's almost certainly the most expensive one to buy, unless you've magically found yourself a new Front Loader or Top Loader I guess. It doesn't seem to load TWICE as fast as the single speed drive consoles but it does load considerably faster.
Our only real opinion is if you're planning on playing mostly 1-on-1 fighting games, especially anything over 200-odd Meg, then seriously consider the CDZ. Otherwise, take your pick...
NOTE: This item will take an extra day to dispatch because it's in our new game store, which doesn't have facilities to pack it. It'll get transferred back to the mail-order department.
Pure Japanese 60Hz Neo-Geo CD Top Loader system with 1 joypad controller, RGB SCART Cable (wired for UK & European TVs) and a Japanese 100v SNK power supply. ACTUAL ITEM PICTURED. Serial number 0109507. Games shown on the TVs are NOT included. ALL output sockets on the back of the console have been tested. In the testing pictures, the monitor on the left always shows S-Video. If we remember correctly, the TV on the right in the first picture shows composite video output from the RCA phono socket (Yellow), the second picture is composite video from the AV socket. The third picture is RGB from the AV socket... via a SCART switchbox. Don't read too much into the picture quality from the pictures. They were taken to show the sockets all working more than to show you picture quality!
NOTE: If you would like to change the RGB SCART cable for AV cables &/or an S-Video, just let us know. The RGB SCART cable we are supplying is brand new and has therefore not been tested. If you'd like us to test it before sending, let us know.
Note that we only ever crop our photos. We never enhance/retouch them!
The power supply is 100v so you may need a step-down transformer (50W is fine).
If you'd like to swap the joypad to a joystick or add a second joypad or a joystick, let us know. If we have one available, we'll try to accommodate you.
NOTE: This item will take an extra day to dispatch because it's in our new game store, which doesn't have facilities to pack it. It'll get transferred back to the mail-order department.
By SNK
CD-T01
4964808500048
Which Neo Geo CD console to get? Well, which one NOT to get is pretty easy: don't get the PAL one. 50Hz uselessness. That leaves the Japanese consoles: original Front Loader, CDZ or the trusty Top Loader; or the USA Top Loader. There's a strong argument for the USA one being the one to get, because MOST discs are dual language, so if you put a Japanese disc into an American system, not only is it fullscreen 60Hz but it will likely have English text (all Neo games have English speech, regardless of the console they're running on). Some games like Samurai Shodown RPG won't convert to English text though. As a general rule, if it came out in the West, it'll be in English. For example, if you put a Japanese Flying Power Disc into an American console, it will display as Windjammers. An argument for a Japanese console is that some of the games are censored on English (UK/Euro PAL or USA NTSC) consoles so playing on the Japanese console gives you potentially the best versions of the games. Plus, the Neo Geo is an arcade machine, so having a bit of Japanese text here and there isn't really going to cause problems. For example, when you watch the intro for Nam-1975, the intro story text on a Japanese console comes up in Japanese but the guy speaks it all in English! The only real Japanese 'problems' are maybe end of bout taunts in fighting games or 'how to play' tutorials where you might be watching a little joystick & buttons moving/firing, where you can see your character or ship doing stuff but it might tell you what it's doing in Japanese. But it's all visual so you can work it out and, as mentioned before, IT'S AN ARCADE MACHINE, SO WHO IS REALLY GOING TO BE STUCK BY A COUPLE OF SENTENCES IN JAPANESE?
If you decide on a Japanese console, then there's the original Front Loader, the re-released Top Loader, and the final Neo Geo CD console, the CDZ with the double speed drive. A lot of people like the Top Loader most. It's the original one, before SNK realised it could save money. It looks expensive, more so than the Top Loader. But I guess like the Mega CD1, there's more to go wrong with the Front Loader. The Top Loader is by far the most common (and the only one which got released outside of Japan), kinda looks the least special but it's a simpler device than the Front Loader and is usually the cheapest to buy. The CDZ is smaller, which may be beneficial, a lot of people love the way it looks (but it scratches REALLY easily - you've got to be careful of sneaky sellers trying to hide scratches with bad pictures, although pretty much every CDZ is going to have at least some tiny marks!). It's almost certainly the most expensive one to buy, unless you've magically found yourself a new Front Loader or Top Loader I guess. It doesn't seem to load TWICE as fast as the single speed drive consoles but it does load considerably faster.
Our only real opinion is if you're planning on playing mostly 1-on-1 fighting games, especially anything over 200-odd Meg, then seriously consider the CDZ. Otherwise, take your pick...
NOTE: This item will take an extra day to dispatch because it's in our new game store, which doesn't have facilities to pack it. It'll get transferred back to the mail-order department.
Pure Japanese 60Hz Neo-Geo CD Top Loader system with 1 joypad controller, RGB SCART Cable (wired for UK & European TVs) and a Japanese 100v SNK power supply. ACTUAL ITEM PICTURED. Serial number 0109507. Games shown on the TVs are NOT included. ALL output sockets on the back of the console have been tested. In the testing pictures, the monitor on the left always shows S-Video. If we remember correctly, the TV on the right in the first picture shows composite video output from the RCA phono socket (Yellow), the second picture is composite video from the AV socket. The third picture is RGB from the AV socket... via a SCART switchbox. Don't read too much into the picture quality from the pictures. They were taken to show the sockets all working more than to show you picture quality!
NOTE: If you would like to change the RGB SCART cable for AV cables &/or an S-Video, just let us know. The RGB SCART cable we are supplying is brand new and has therefore not been tested. If you'd like us to test it before sending, let us know.
Note that we only ever crop our photos. We never enhance/retouch them!
The power supply is 100v so you may need a step-down transformer (50W is fine).
If you'd like to swap the joypad to a joystick or add a second joypad or a joystick, let us know. If we have one available, we'll try to accommodate you.
NOTE: This item will take an extra day to dispatch because it's in our new game store, which doesn't have facilities to pack it. It'll get transferred back to the mail-order department.
