the neo geo cd fans

the.com/neo geo cd fans

Collectors who paid $700 for loading screens and still defend it.

means A devoted subculture of retro gaming enthusiasts who own or revere the Neo Geo CD, SNK's 1994 attempt to make arcade-perfect home gaming affordable—which it sort of wasn't, and definitely wasn't fast.

from Born from SNK's decision to release the Neo Geo CD console in 1994 as a cheaper alternative to the cartridge-based Neo Geo MVS, which cost $200+ per game. CD technology promised affordability; it delivered 10–30 second load times instead. The niche crystallized around gamers who either couldn't afford cartridges or believed in the platform despite its flaws.

load time realityPressing start to playing: often 30 seconds, felt like forever

price pain pointConsole cost $700 at launch in 1994; arcade cabinets stayed cheaper

library sizeOnly 51 games released; cartridge Neo Geo had 200+

collector premiumBoxed Neo Geo CD games now fetch $200–500 on secondary market

for instance

metal slug series — Neo Geo CD exclusive versions with extra content that cartridge lacked

retro collectors japan — Japanese import market kept console alive far longer than West

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