It's official: The Neo Geo is making a comeback in Q2
The device will be distributed by game wholesaler Tommo in the U.S., and will come with 20 Neo Geo classics, including Metal Slug and Fatal Fury.
It was just a few months ago that talk of a new Neo Geo handheld game player surfaced. Now, we can confirm it will.
Dubbed the Neo Geo X, the upcoming portable won't attempt to compete with 3D features in the Nintendo 3DS or the PlayStation Vita's horsepower. Instead, the device will give old-school gamers the chance to play some of their favorite Neo Geo classics while on-the-go.
According to Tommo and Blaze, the companies that will be distributing the device in the U.S. and Europe, respectively, it'll come with a 3.5-inch LCD and stereo speakers. The device comes with a single thumbstick and four action buttons to the right of the display, as well as an SD card expansion slot. SNK Playmore, which owns the Neo Geo trademark, will have its logo emblazoned on the front of the black device.
Back in January, Japanese gaming site Famicom-Plaza reported that SNK was planning to launch a new Neo Geo portable sometime this year. Although the publication got much of the device's features right, it had reported that the portable would launch with 4.3-inch LCD. That obviously hasn't happened.
On the software side, Neo Geo X will launch with 20 Neo Geo classic titles built-in, including Baseball Stars, Fatal Fury, and Metal Slug.
Neo Geo X's launch comes more than 20 years after the first Neo Geo AES console launched. That device, which shipped with a $650 price tag, had trouble gaining traction, and was followed in 1994 by the similarly ill-fated Neo Geo CD. Throughout the years, SNK has tried to reignite the Neo Geo name, but has generally failed. Even Neo Geo classic titles available in Sony's PlayStation Store have been largely ignored by users.
The Neo Geo X is slated to hit store shelves in the second quarter. The device's pricing and release date will be announced at a later time.