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                          \      HYPER NEOGEO 64 System and Games FAQ      /
                           >       by Chris Mullins, copyright 1999       <
                          /     VERSION 1.5c e-mail:[email protected]     \
                         / -------------------------------------------------\

                                       Last Updated 11/17/99

                                  Want to see my website?  Go here:
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                         Want to see my other FAQs I made? If so, then go here:
                          http://members.aol.com/CMull11217/private/index.htm

               This faq is made by Chris Mullins for reading to anyone
who wants to know about the Hyper Neo Geo 64 Arcade System, by SNK. Happy
reading!

  18 QUESTIONS INDEXED

Contents

  Frequently Asked Questions

   Game List:
  FIGHTING
  DRIVING
  GUN-based

  Market Prices
  Phone Numbers
  Past Updates
  Coming Soon To My FAQ!



Frequently Asked Questions

----What is the HYPER NEOGEO 64, and what are the specs for it?
      The HYPER NEOGEO 64 is SNK's newest hardware for the arcade. Capable of
accurately playing 2D AND 3D games, this is the board to watch.
       The board itself, is about as big as a CPS2 'A' board(13" by 18"), has
cartridges that plug into it(carts are brushed with aluminum, looks cool). There
are three types of the Hyper Neo board; Driving, Gun-based, and General(fighting, etc.).
You can't plug a Fighter into a Driving HNG board, but you can plug another Fighter into
the fighting board!
       There are no medium-resolution games, so they should play fine on your Super Gun,
no worries.
       Just check out the specs....you'll like them!

Processor:                           64-bit RISC Chip
                                    w/4Mb RAM and 64Mb Program Memory, built locally near CPU
Graphics---
Color Palette:                      Total Amount of Colors-16.7 Million
                                    Maximum of Colors Simultaneously-4,096

3D Branch:                          Vertex Memory-96Mb, Texture Memory-16Mb(maximum)
2D Sprite Branch:                   60 frames per second animation
                                    Character Memory-128Mb
                                    Main functions--Scaling, montage, chain, mosaic, mesh, action,
                                                    up/down, right/left reverse
2D Scrolling Branch:                Number of Game Planes--4
                                    Character Memory-64Mb
                                    Main functions--Scaling, revolution, morphing; horizontal/vertical
                                                    screen partitioning and line scrolling
Sound---                             Channels--32
                                    Maximum Sampling Frequency--44.1 KHz
                                    Wavetable RAM--32Mb


----What does the HYPER NEOGEO 64 system set look like?
        Well, imagine three sandwiched boards that are airbrushed in aluminum steel,
on top of each other.  There is a JAMMA connector, power supply connector, and
stereo sound connectors on the I/O board(the bottom board).  The middle board is the
Motherboard, which is the brains of the outfit.  They are the same for the 3 types
of games, the only thing that's different between the different types of games is the
I/O board.  The top board is the game, of course.  It resembles the Capcom CPS2 system,
rather than the Neo Geo MVS System. SNK made a second revision of this board, see the
question "Dammit, is there a Straight JAMMA board?".


----How much does a HYPER NEOGEO 64 cost?
         Even though the HYPER NEOGEO 64 has been out for over a year now, it's just
now started to get in full swing. So, the cost is kind of steep right now, and will be
for a long while.
         Expect a price tag for the Kit(you can mostly buy US kits, most Japanese dealers
sell the HNG in dedicated cabinets), which includes the HNG motherboard and a game, for
about $1,500($1,000 for Samurai Shodown 64), as of 2/2/99.  As of 11/12/99, HNG 64 kits
in America are still that much, although, for Jap kits, the price is about $700 with
Buriki One.


----Is the HYPER NEOGEO 64 JAMMA-compatible?
      The main connector on the Hyper Neo board is JAMMA, but there are some extra
connectors on the board, for stereo sound(like the QSound to CPS2) and for the Power
Supply. With a little wiring, or a converter(Video Connection can make one for you,
see their number below, at 'Phone Numbers'.)will be of use to you.


----Dammit, is there a straight JAMMA HNG 64 board?
      YES!  In Japan, SNK made a second revision of the Hyper Neo Geo 64 board, that
doesn't need an external power supply or extra Stereo sound connectors. But, in
America, you'll get the JAMMA+ board, which requires an external power supply and
stereo speakers.


----Are there any Third Party Game Manufacturers for the HYPER NEOGEO 64?
      There's only one so far that's made a HYPER NEOGEO 64 game, and that
is Alpha Denshi(ADK), who designed 'Beast Busters: Second Nightmare'. But, since
ADK and SNK are literally one, it doesn't really matter too much.


----How do I design a game for the HYPER NEOGEO 64?
      Whoa, whoa, settle down! Remember, this is a topic, which has a
lot more to it than the space I've devoted here on it. I'll give you the
rundown on the sequence of events, in order to program a game for the
Neo:
    1. Get a developers' kit from SNK, so you have the exact programs and
tools that SNK uses themselves to make games for the Neo(This
step can be sidestepped, but making a game compatible with the HNG later
can be quite a hassle). Make sure you have an EXTREMELY powerful computer,
or even trying to program a HNG game will be futile.
    2. Now, get some developers' programs, load your computer up with RAM,
and get a very good graphics card. Also, start learning to program in C
(ANSI C, or Objective C), because you'll have to program the game this way(maybe
Assembly code?).
    3. Get an EPROM burner, which programs the ROMs needed for a HNG cart.
You'll have to use a better, more finished ROM for the finished product,
and construct a cartridge.
    4. Playtesting. You have to playtest this game for bugs, and to test
certain spots in a game, a LOT! But, if you need to test something that's
far in the game, that's what codes are for, to get there in a flash(they are
programmed in the game). Afterwards, you're almost done, but you may need to
do a couple more steps.
    5. Design the artwork for the game. Make sure that it looks professional.
This is very important, as good artwork complements a good game, but bad
artwork will make a good game look bad.
    6. The final step, is to either send the EPROM to SNK, and they may buy
the rights to the game(for some good money), or you can pay the licensing
fee, and make HNG Carts as a company. But, the licensing fee will
run, on an average, over $500,000, so for most people, that is not a feasible
option anymore.
    Hope this helps, if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me,
I know some more about the subject, and I can share that with you, if you're
interested.


----How do I play the HYPER NEOGEO 64 setup on my TV?
         You need a machine called the Super NOVA(Super Gun), which is an RGB->NTSC
converter, and JAMMA harness all in one!  You get 2 heavy duty joysticks with it as well!
It comes with also the extra button wiring(if you don't have one, ask [email protected]
for one, he has many of them).
          How do you get one of these?  Well, for $295, you can get one from MAS Systems
(the innovator of the Super Gun), at (714)831-5760.  And sorry, you can't get a cheaper
model in the U.S.A. :(  I'd advise you to get an S-Video capable TV, otherwise your arcade
games will look like shit(yes, making it composite will make it look like pure dog poop.
Trust me on that one.  You need that special JAMMA connector from Video Connection to
make the game set work, however.  Or, you can just wire up separate speakers and a separate
power supply.


----Why can't I find my favorite HYPER NEOGEO 64 kit?
      Most arcade vendors still don't want to take a chance on getting a HNG kit,
but there are some places that do have them in stock.  Look below for places, or ask
on the newsgroups throughout the internet, and try to make good contacts. They will
most likely get the items you need.
      Getting cartridges is harder, rather because distributors want to sell kits,
to get rid of motherboards, and selling just the carts do not sell motherboards. ;(


----How come my HYPER NEOGEO 64 games don't work?
       Well, you have to clean the games! I can speak from experience, and
carts can get very dirty, and cleaning them shows you how much dirt
there is on them.  You take a solution of Isopropyl Alcohol and
water, and clean the contacts with a Q-Tip.  Also, if you just yank out
the games instead of taking them out carefully, contacts, over time,
will partly come off.  So treat your carts well, and they will last a long time!
        Or, you could have pushed the cartridge too far in, which
will make games screw up. Put the carts in ALMOST all the way, and push
them back up a LITTLE bit to make them work. Always put the cartridge in, game logo in
front, or else you may mess up the system contacts.
       Also, maybe the monitor you're using is not set for the right resolution, either
15 KHz, or 24 KHz....
       And, always check your power supply, and other connections. If that
doesn't work, return to your arcade distributor or SNK for repair.


----What's the current status of the HYPER NEOGEO 64?
       The current status of the HNG is not too good. It's meaning, is
that motherboards and software are coming down in price drastically,
and arcade operators and distributors have extreme disdain for it as well.
         But where are the games? I mean, there hasn't been a game released
on the Hyper since Buriki One in April 1999, and there will not be one
released for a long time.  I think it's being slowly phased out.


----I want to get a HYPER NEOGEO 64 system(Arcade machine or Super Gun->HNG board),
but where, or how do I go about finding one?
       That's a tough call.  First, decide if you have enough money
($3000 or so for a new HYPER NEOGEO 64 with a 50" monitor), and the space
to hold a big arcade machine.  If not, you can purchase a Super Gun
system from MAS Systems, and attach a HNG board to it, in order to play
HNG carts on your TV(costs $1500+ for the package).
       If you want the Super Gun package, you can find it pretty
easily.  You call up MAS Systems, order the Super Gun, then you buy an
MVS board and cartridges from the places listed below. But, if you want
an arcade machine for HNG games, that's another matter......
       Call up all the "Amusement Machines" dealers in the phone book
in your area, and ask them these questions:
   1. Ask if there are any arcade auctions in the area.
   2. See if there are any machines for sale at the dealer.
   3. Ask if any other dealers in your area might have what you're
looking for.
       Then, you can check out the dealers(including the ones I listed
below, and across the internet), and see if buying used, or buying
one new makes sense.
       But, shipping is the most important deal, when it comes to
purchasing an arcade machine. And, it's not cheap, not at all.
Even if you buy one locally, you need to find a way to pick it up, and deliver
it safely to your destination. If you buy one from a dealer that's more than 100 or
so miles away, the most(seemingly)effective way of shipping is by freight truck.
Well, that adds about 2 weeks to your delivery time, and costs about $250 or so to
ship. It costs money to actually get the machine, you know.
       So, you can make the most cost-effective decision that way, by knowing
about your choices, and making the right one.  But, please remember, that
a video game is JUST a video game.....


----Aw come on!  I want cheap Japanese boards in my arcades!  It'll save me money....
        I'm sure it will save you money too.  But, the reason why it is comprehended as
copyright infringement, is that it's taking away from SNK Coin-Op of America's sales,
and giving some to the Japanese, which is something that SNK doesn't like.  Also, who
wants to see Japanese kanji in an American arcade, when 95% of the population has no
Japanese learning experience whatsoever?
        Some places it is allowed, when Japanese majority is over 75% of a certain place.
But when you get Japanese boards, SNK Coin-Op of America REFUSES to service them, so
there's another reason to get U.S.A. boards. If you're a collector, then Japanese or Asian
boards are right for you.  But, U.S.A. boards are worth the extra money, as they are easily
serviceable, don't depreciate as much, and are more lucrative as a whole.  Perfect for the
arcade, and for distinguished collectors.  In fact, I don't know if they even CAN work
in an American motherboard, or vice versa....


----I'm tired of my HYPER NEOGEO 64 cart. Where do I sell it?
        Well, I'm assuming that you don't know anyone else with
the HYPER NEOGEO 64. What you do, is follow this
checklist below:
    1. Make sure that you WANT to sell the game(s) in question.
    2. Try to determine a good market value for your game, by
checking out the various newsgroups associated with this( rec.games-
video.marketplace comes to mind), and go from there.
    3. Put Ads over the internet, telling how good of condition
it is in, the price, does it come w/ box or instructions, and other
general info that the people may need to make a judgment on the
game.
    4. Contact me! Depending on the game, I'll pay a good price
for the HYPER NEOGEO 64 game. Just ask!

       That should be enough to get you on your way to selling
games over the internet.


----Can I Contact SNK?
        Of course you can, I've included all the addresses and phone
numbers from all their branches, so you can write them and tell your story!
Don't expect a quick answer from SNK, or even an answer at all, however,
as they aren't the fastest responders to mail.

    SNK CORPORATION OF AMERICA, Torrance
    20603 EARL ST.
    Torrance, CA 90503 U.S.A
    Phone#: (310)371-7100
    Fax#: (310)371-0969

    SNK CORPORATION OF AMERICA, San Jose
    17 Great Oaks Boulevard
    San Jose, CA 95119 U.S.A
    Phone#:(408)292-4550
    Fax#:(408)292-4271

    SNK ASIA LIMITED
    SUITE 807, TOWER 1, THE GATEWAY
    25 CANTON ROAD
    TSIM SHA TSUI KOWLOON,HONG KONG
    Phone#: (852)2730-0420
    Fax#: (852)2375-3203

    SNK SINGAPORE LIMITED
    7 TAMASEK BOULEVARD #12-02A
    SUNTEC CITY , TOWER ONE SINGAPORE 038987
    Phone#: (65)336-7877
    Fax#: (65)336-2270

    SNK EUROPE LIMITED
    2ND FLOOR, MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, 298 REGENTS PARK ROAD,
    LONDON, N3 2SZ
    ENGLAND
    Phone#: (44)181-371-9911
    Fax#: (44)181-371-9890

    SNK CORPORATION MIDDLE EAST
    P.O.BOX 17306
    JEBEL ALI FREE ZONE, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
    Phone#: (971)4-814602
    Fax#: (971)4-814605

    NEO GEO DO BRASIL LTDA.
    AV. EUCLIDES, 64/68, JABAQUARA
    CEP 04326-080, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL
    Phone#: (55)11-5588-2300
    Fax#: (55)11-5588-2790

    NEO-CREATION, INC.
    2919 KAPIOLANI BOULEVARD #1
    HONOLULU, HAWAII 96826 U.S.A
    Phone#: (808)737-1912
    Fax#: (808)737-1905


----What's this about HYPER NEOGEO 64 Emulation?
         Forget about it, this will never happen, unless the new 64-bit Intel/HP Merced
chip actually makes it happen.  And even then, it may be too confusing to emulate, because
of the 3-board setup.


----What games do you own for the HYPER NEOGEO 64 Hardware?
         I do not own any right now, although I plan to get Warrior's Rage very soon.
I can answer questions pertaining to it, and even more when I get a setup of my very own. ;)
As of 11/12/99, I have had 6 HNG 64 motherboards, and am not really pleased with it.  I am
pleased with the driving games and Beast Busters, but not the others...


----Do you plan on giving technical information about the Hyper NEOGEO 64 anytime soon?
         I might, however I am concentrating on NAOMI/CPS3 right now, I might give more info
related to the Hyper Neo 64 and its test features, troubleshooting, etc.


Game List
    This is a list of all the HYPER NEOGEO 64 games out now, or are coming out soon.
Beside them, are ratings for the games...all names in JAPANESE.


7 Separate Games Indexed
                                            Rating(1 worst-10 best)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIGHTING:

Buriki One ~world grapple tournament '99~(870 Megs)     8
Garou Densetsu 64 ~wild ambition~(839 Megs)             8
Samurai Spirits 64(518 Megs)                            6
Samurai Spirits II ~asura zanmaden~(598 Megs)           7

DRIVING:

Off Beat Racer(678 Megs)                                7
Round Trip RV(524 Megs)                                 6

GUN-Based:

Beast Busters ~second nightmare~(802 Megs)              9
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Japanese-American Name Translations: following, are translations to American:

Garou Densetsu 64 ~wild ambition~=Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition
Off Beat Racer=Xtreme Rally
Round Trip RV=Road's Edge
Samurai Spirits 64=Samurai Shodown 64
Samurai Spirits II ~asura zanmaden~=Samurai Shodown: Warrior's Rage

----------
Market Prices

This is an accurate listing of what HYPER NEOGEO 64 Hardware and software run, pricewise I mean.

First price is BUY price, second is SELL USED price, third is BUY NEW price(all PCB), and fourth is
when if it is a dedicated CABINET, complete, full-size(50" screen, or sit-down driving) arcade game,
SELL PRICE. NAMES ARE IN AMERICAN.....

HYPER NEOGEO 64 Motherboard  100  250  499  n/a

<For FIGHTING/GENERAL PCB's>

Buriki One               150   300   699  2099
Fatal Fury:Wild Ambition  60   150   599  1699
Samurai Shodown 64        50   100   499  1299
Warrior's Rage           120   250   699  1399

<For Driving PCB's, if it was PCB only, since most come as Dedicated>

Road's Edge              250   450   799  1499
Xtreme Rally             450   800   999  1799

<For Gun-based PCB's, if it was PCB only, since most come as Dedicated>

Beast Busters:Second Nightmare  350  800  1299  3699

------------
Phone Numbers


      These are all retailers that should carry the HYPER NEOGEO 64 system, or has at
one time carried it. Please enjoy!
      You can ask SNK of a list of arcade distributors that carry HYPER NEOGEO 64 products,
which is recommended.

50th State Coin-op:(800)424-5050 (doesn't have a good selection at all)"www.gamegod.com"
Automaticos Valls:(34)96-291-7026 (this place in Spain has got the goods)"www.automaticosvalls.com"
Bondeal: no phone # (a great source for arcade stuff)"www.bondeal.com.hk"
Bumper:(61)3-9696-9690 (Australia's best Source)"www.bumper.com.au"
Coinop International:(612)321-9632 (very good source of HNG stuff, great to deal with)"www.coinopintl.com"
Cosmic Amusements: (852)2388-2101 (great Hong Kong source for HNG 64 equipment)"home.netvigator.com/~cosmicco"
Creideas: no phone # (great foreign source for HNG 64 equipment)"www.vnet.es/creideas"
Fuuki: no phone # (excellent Japanese HNG 64 Source)"www.mediawars.or.jp/~fuukico/"
Game City:(626)573-3832 (has HNG 64 boards and other video games)"www.gamescity.com"
Great Western Trading:(541)726-1813 (has some HNG 64 boards)"www.gwtrading.com"
Hugo Neumann:(800)998-4846 (good, but high priced HNG 64 carts sometimes)
Kimble:(353)42-36574 (Ireland's finest supplier of arcade equipment)"www.kimble.ie"
MAS Systems:(714)831-5760 (accessories, and the Super NOVA dealer!)"www.massystems.com"
Midwest Amusements:(847)364-7722 (has some HNG 64 carts, a couple rare ones)"www.midwestamusement.com"
MHP Ent. Ltd.:(44)125-45-6029 (another HNG 64 source in the UK, call for info)"www.mhpuk.mcmail.com"
Mondial Group:(914)738-7411 (is a little high in the price department)"www.mondialgroup.com"
Outer Limits Amusements:(800)474-2637 (has some decent CPS2 stuff, nothing special)"www.outerlimitsgames.com"
Rent-A-Game:(416)650-3718 (Canadian supplier of HNG 64 units)"www.rent-a-game.com"
Sage Electronik AG:(41)61-691-1555 (Swiss dealer in HNG 64)"www.sage-ag.ch"
State Sales and Coin:(410)646-4100 (HNG 64 boards, complete machines)"www.sscoin.com"
Tuning:(49)89-311073 (Germany's source of good HNG 64 boards, quality, and sometimes high priced)"www.tuning.com/english"
Video Connection:(800)444-6854 (HNG 64 everything, board prices are good)"www.videoconnect.com"


Past Updates

v.1.0-1.0f: This is the first iteration of my Hyper NeoGeo 64 FAQ! (10/2/98-10/16/98)
v.1.1: More background info will be here as well...(12/1/98)
v.1.2-1.2a: Extensive details, megabit counts, will be here....(1/5/99)
v.1.3-1.5c: More questions added! (current)

Coming Soon to my FAQ!

v.2.0: More questions added as I get the system!

THIS FAQ IS NOT ENDORSED OR MADE BY SNK ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION!!!!!!

I would wish to thank MAS Systems, Guile Gambhir, Steve Eisner, and Video Connection.
Any comments or questions about this FAQ and the HYPER NEOGEO 64?  E-mail me at
[email protected].  Happy gaming!

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<Copyrighted 1997, 1998, 1999 by Chris Mullins, all rights reserved. Any republication of>
<this material, without written consent from myself(Chris Mullins), and credit to myself,>
<will be subject to fines and/or sentencing due to plagiarism.                           >
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

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