Neo Geo Announce MVSX, the Multi Video System X Arcade Cabinet with 50 Games

Having an arcade cabinet in any form is the ultimate way to enjoy retro-gaming for many classic titles. While making a custom emulation cabinet can be the most inclusive way to pursue this, many companies have been offering ways to bring the arcade experience home. Seemingly inspired by the work of Arcade1Up, Neo Geo announced that they are putting out their spin on slightly smaller than official cabinet designs. Featuring 50 games packed in at about $500, the MVSX or the Multi Video System X could make for an excellent purchase for fans of the Neo Geo aesthetic and library. 

Of course, the games are what most people will be looking at first when determining if this unit is right for them but I actually gravitate towards the other features as many of these games are readily available on console collections or digital marketplaces. First up, the MVSX utilizes a 17-inch LCD display at a 1280x1024 resolution, featuring what their website calls pixel to pixel scale. The unit also can emulate scanlines for those that enjoy the CRT style image. Additionally, each game features both an MVS and AES mode which means that players can enjoy the arcade or the home versions of each game. The bar top unit stands at 25 inches tall and a 32-inch tall base can bring the unit closer to the size of a full cabinet. The base can be purchased separately for 99.99 USD or as a bundle with the machine for 499.99 USD. If one would rather just use this as a bar top machine it costs 449.99 USD. 

Most of the Neo Geo ports of legacy titles on consoles today do have features like alternate languages, image scaling, and button remapping but it’s unclear what sort of tinkering can be done with these games. I also would have loved to see online support as that has been a touted feature on a few contemporary units. 

Unfortunately, there is not a cartridge port to play original MVS games but there does appear to be a USB port that could support firmware updates and could be the gateway to further emulation, likely unofficially. What’s interesting is that listed in the box’s contents are two figures, one for Terry Bogard and another for Iori Yagami, both of whom are iconic characters from King of Fighters, a flagship franchise that’s well-represented in the games list. This may be only for the bundle price but it would be great if those figures came with either option. 

As for the 50 Neo Geo titles included: 

• The King Of Fighters 1994

• The King Of Fighters 1995

• The King Of Fighters 1996

• The King Of Fighters 1997

• The King Of Fighters 1998

• The King Of Fighters 1999

• The King Of Fighters 2000

• The King Of Fighters 2001

• The King Of Fighters 2002

• The King Of Fighters 2003

• Metal Slug

• Metal Slug 2

• Metal Slug 3

• Metal Slug 4

• Metal Slug 5

• Metal Slug X

• Samurai Shodown

• Samurai Shodown II

• Samurai Shodown III

• Samurai Shodown IV

• Samurai Shodown V

• Samurai Shodown V Special

• Fatal Fury

• Fatal Fury 2

• Fatal Fury 3

• Fatal Fury Special

• Real Bout Fatal Fury

• Real Bout Fatal Fury Special

• Real Bout Fatal Fury 2

• Garou: Mark Of The Wolves

• World Heroes

• World Heroes 2

• World Heroes 2 Jet

• World Heroes Perfect

• Art Of Fighting

• Art Of Fighting 3

• Sengoku

• Sengoku 2

• Sengoku 3

• Savage Reign

• Magician Lord

• The Last Blade

• The Last Blade 2

• Kizuna Encounter

• Shock Troopers

• Super Sidekicks

• Top Player’s Golf

• Count Bout

• Baseball Stars Professional

• Football Frenzy

Overall, it is interesting to see Neo Geo continue to bring their games both digitally and through dedicated hardware. Not long ago we saw the Neo Geo Mini and then there’s the higher-end Neo Geo X which featured a handheld device. There was also the recent release of the Samurai Showdown Neo Geo Collection on just about every modern platform and the modern take on the franchise which now has a character from For Honor of all things. Neo Geo may be long gone out of the console wars but it continues to be a driving force in modern game development while keeping their legacy content alive and well. 

The Neo Geo MVSX is available for pre-order now and will be shipping sometime in November. More information can be found on the official website.