Neo Geo X Gold

Release Date:  12/6/2012

SNK announced earlier in January that they would be returning with a new console, unveiling the Neo Geo X Gold portable gaming unit, capable of playing all the classic SNK titles. The only problem? Well, this handheld system will cost you about $200 USD, which is quite the asking price considering the portable gaming market that SNK is making their reappearance for. Is playing your favorite Neo Geo titles worth the asking price or is this just another pitfall waiting for SNK?

The last time most gamers in the U.S. have seen SNK release any Neo Geo system was the release of the Neo Geo Pocket Color Handheld in 1999, while most of their earlier home consoles were limited to Japan. The home consoles boasted some nice technical specs at the time, offered arcade perfect ports, and contained any SNK fan's favorite titles such as Fatal Fury, King of Fighters, Metal Slug, etc. However, the only problems that arose were with the prices of their consoles and games, which were astronomically high (The Neo Geo AES home system debuted around $650 dollars, with games ranging around $200 USD and up).

So what does this new system come with exactly? Included in the package is a charging dock and a replica Neo Geo style arcade stick, which looks great if you're itching to play all your favorite SNK titles in true arcade fashion. This system also comes with 20 pre-installed games which include:

• 3 Count Bout
• League of Bowling
• Art of Fighting II
• Magician Lord
• Alpha Mission II
• Metal Slug
• Baseball Stars II
• Mutation Nation
• Cyber Lip
• Nam 1975
• Fatal Fury
• Puzzled
• Fatal Fury Special
• Real Bout - Fatal Fury Special
• The King of Fighters '95
• Samurai Shodown II
• King Of The Monsters
• Super Sidekicks
• Last Resort
• World Heroes Perfect 

The specs of the handheld include a 4.3" LCD screen, headphone jack, and expandable card slot. The Neo Geo X Gold can also be used just like a home console, as the handheld device can hook up to your TV through HDMI or RCA connectors. The option to play the handheld system on larger monitors is quite neat and handy if you decide to bring the system over to a friends house or a different room.

With these offerings that SNK is bringing to the table with their latest system, is it worth having to buy a $200 handheld gaming device that plays games which are over 15-20 years old? Well, that depends on whether or not you find playing older SNK games valuable, or perhaps if you are a hardcore SNK fan who wishes to relive SNK's 16-bit glory days with some of the best arcade ports.

The Neo Geo X Gold will be available worldwide on December 6.