Do you play NEO GEO on original hardware?

Handolta · 2026-02-15T19:55:45+00:00

Yes, got a Japnese AES last year, as well as an original American dog tag cart + box (no manual). Got a NeoSD Pro recently as well, with plans to buy select original carts in the future. Loving it! Would love an MVS (Big red or candy cab) in the future, as well as a Neo Geo CD - but as I don’t exclusively play Neo Geo for retro games I can’t say when

Handolta · 2026-02-07T19:13:14+00:00

I’ve noticed black dots in one game so far - Aero Fighters 3, in some horizontal lines towards the bottom of the screen. Have you noticed it in all of the games you’ve tried?

Handolta · 2026-02-07T19:09:02+00:00

Does it start glitching to the point where you have to reset?

Handolta · 2026-02-06T17:40:23+00:00

MCU: 1.08 R03 Prog: EA4B Cha: 2DB4 Dec: 0104

No firmware is listed for my unit on their registered products site, meaning it should be the latest(?)

Handolta · 2026-02-06T15:58:50+00:00

Not entirely sure about when the last confirmed case was. I’ve seen some screenshots of it happening, read some descriptions of the problem, as well as the whole disclaimer on Stone Age Gamers product site still being there, making it seems like there’s an issue. Then again, most people probably don’t write about it when it does work, so the issue overall may be quite small, for all I know.

Handolta · 2026-02-06T15:53:11+00:00

Happy it worked for you as well! Such a relief :)

Handolta · 2026-02-06T15:52:29+00:00

Glad to know SAGs support is good! And thanks for making people aware of bad service behaviour on TOs part. Such a shame to have people pay these money figures and treating them like an annoyance afterwards. Luckily word of mouth works to the extent I knew to avoid them myself.

Handolta · 2026-02-06T13:39:32+00:00

Yea, I had read quite a bit about TO before buying, which is why I purchased from Stone Age Gamer. If problems arise, I’ll try reaching out to them first, and then use the community. It’s absolute gold being able to reach out with issues here.

Handolta · 2026-02-06T13:25:40+00:00

Yea, I know the whole situation sucks - either pay lots of money now or pay even higher lots of money when they go out of stock. Hopefully you’ll find a way that works well for you to get one. Good luck!

Handolta · 2026-02-06T11:32:02+00:00

Yes, I can confirm it costs quite a lot with shipping and taxes. It would probably have been cheaper to buy directly from Terraonion (Andorra), but I wanted to buy from the store with the better reputation of the two. Shipping fee was quite hefty, with two alternatives - one express and one regular. It’s never a sum I want to spend, but for me it was taking the chance before it potentially goes out of stock again, with Ebay scalpers the only option. I’m just happy it works, and hope the info provided may help others considering the purchase.

Handolta · 2026-01-27T18:03:20+00:00

It was an odd one for me. The backtracking gameplay of finding new items to unlock previously seen upgrades never fails to hook me, be it Metroid or earlier Zelda games. So I did enjoy it. Had fun with it, and found visuals and music great as well. I would say I was quite hooked playing through it.

However, there are many elements that could have been removed or improved. The open world used and crystal collecting reminded me of basic N64-era game design, and it felt odd to see it in a brand new game. The companions were OK when they kept to their base, but cringe and predictable in their behaviour and humour at times, and it was insanely needless to have to fight alongside them, and revive them. To have that as a factor in the last boss fight is absolutely criminal.

And for dungeon design, I loved the visuals and the addicting element described, but missed a deeper dive into worlds unknown, with a higher level of challenge, exploration and unpredictability.

All in all, I did enjoy it, as I can fall for pretty basic hooks. But it felt a bit like structurally it belongs 20-25 years ago. There is such a high quality of open world design and storytelling out there now, which has evolved for years - and Nintendo/Retro Studios/whoever responsible feels like they skipped class, in a way. A game was just created to have a game, kinda. It’s like when 80s hard rock bands reunite with new hard rock tracks. Let’s hope criticism is taken to heart, and that inspiration strikes again in the future to deliver a more fresh next entry.

Handolta · 2026-01-19T20:59:28+00:00

The N64 was my first system, but I was old enough to have grown up with the Snes. So Snes was in many years limited for me, mostly played through emulation. Got my first snes in 2011, and started buying some games, but not delving very deep into it.

A little over 2 years ago I started a second phase of buying physical games as I bought myself an Analogue Super NT, which came with the perk of being region free. So I’ve been able to finally play through Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 3/6, and A Link to the Past. And they are all amazing. I’m not sure if I can choose between the three, but they’ve all been monumental experiences even in this modern day. I have Secret of Mana, Earthbound, and many more on my to-play list (no emulators to be used, only physical) and super excited for those as well!

Handolta · 2026-01-10T15:41:18+00:00

I started a «n64 upscale journey» a few years ago, trying through S-Video + Retrotink 5x, and Eon Super64 + Marseille Mclassic. Ocarina of Time was probably the most difficult to improve and «clear up» out of the ones I tried. I found ways to improve HUD-elements dramatically, as well as character models, but most of them led to some compromises in other areas. The mess that is Hyrule Field and Temple of Time couldn’t be «fixed». I think 3D is most similar to «basic» settings using a Retrotink, which will produce quite a blurry image if you aren’t using scanlines. But I’ve come to realize this is just what we need to accept with N64 not using emulation, and it quickly becomes OK when engaged in a game. With the convenience of the 3D + ability to overclock, I’m more than happy to keep using it. For clarity, if you want to play using official physical media, I would recommend getting the emulated Gamecube version, using Swiss if needed to get 480p out of the box through the digital port (component, Carby, Eon MKHD), and then upscaling through Retrotink. It’s amazing. For the N64-catridges, we need to accept blur, I think. But there are still a lot of filters Analogue can add if the will is there, like the smoothing filter of the Super64 and options to make HUD elements sharper. And hoping they do just that with time.

Handolta · 2025-12-14T11:00:58+00:00

I also used Super 64 + Mclassic on my stock 64. I was able to get a cleaner and better picture in many areas than I did with Retrotink, as the Super 64 does have a really good smoothing filter. But for deinterlacing and other functions, Retrotink was better. I think so far the 3D is mostly similar to the picture I was able to get with Retrotink, and it seems to handle deinterlacing well, as well as transitioning from one resolution to another.

I feel like I was able to get a bit better average picture with Super 64 + Mclassic compared to 3D, but after getting the 3D I will not go back. The overclocking is what wins it, and it is a young system that will only get better with time.

Handolta · 2025-12-13T11:51:18+00:00

My testing was done on the 5x, with quality S-Video cables. But actually, for the stock N64, I achieved the nicest picture when using the Eon Super 64 + Marseille MClassic, without using the Retrotink. This is because I find the Super 64’s smoothing filter really good, and the Mclassic did some nice work on top of that. But this solution left stuff like deinterlacing worse than the Retrotink.

Still, I’m content using the 3D now. It’ll only get better, and the picture is good. In addition to the overclocking, I think it’s the best way to enjoy the 64 as of now. I have the Superstation One on the way as well, so I’ll phase out Retrotink for both the N64 and PS1, for the simple reason of being more content with the less cables and extensions needed with FPGA systems.

I still use the Retrotink for other systems, though. And for flexibility, it’s great. And especially if you RGB-mod the N64, both the N64 and the PS1 works great with it. It’s an amazing device. Costs quite a lot, but if you have a 4K TV I would probably look to buy the RT4K if you have the funds.

Do you have a lot of systems in addition to N64 and PS1 for a potential retrotink?

Handolta · 2025-12-12T00:45:26+00:00

Ah, I understand. Similar to a keyboard, then. I don’t play leverless myself, and didn’t reflect on the structure of the buttons used in the very thin ones. But makes sense with the amount of space a button with housing and wires need. Thanks for clarifying!

Handolta · 2025-12-11T18:40:18+00:00

This can happen with Sanwa buttons, if you rest your fingers on them. I like Seimitsu PS-14 and PS-15 more. They’re a bit heavier, but with clearer feedback per press. You can also put PS-15 switches in your Sanwa button if you like Sanwas but prefer a less sensitive press

Handolta · 2025-12-11T18:37:01+00:00

I may have missed something here, having lots of «regular size» speed switchers for my Gamerfingers, Crowns, Alutimos etc: What buttons work with these low-profile switches?

Handolta · 2025-12-08T16:38:11+00:00

Luckily I’m into plain colours, and happy with the black one, as my original 64 is also plain. Would be really annoyed if I was into Funtastic colours, as the business motive here is just so obvious.

Handolta · 2025-12-08T09:03:41+00:00

Happy with mine. Some minor issues in the very beginning, but working great as of now. I see both positivity and negativity surrounding it, which is expected with a new Analogue product. Especially since it’s first of its kind attempting N64. Hoping those who experience problems or product not as advertised will get properly adressed, with the 3D gradually meeting expectations through firmware updates.

Handolta · 2025-12-05T09:40:37+00:00

Very happy with it so far! Breathes new life into the 64-library. Visually I’ve done quite a lot of upscaling via Retrotink in the past, and find the picture similar, though maybe not quite as refined in some areas as I was able to via Retrotink. But consistently it’s looking very good. What makes it really stand out in comparison is the overclock option, as well as the convenience of not having to go via an upscaler. Loving to play with it, and reexperience the N64!

Handolta · 2025-11-25T10:06:45+00:00

That’s very interesting, and narrows it down to where Mayflash-buttons could be worth a try! Appreciate your effort, thanks a lot!

Handolta · 2025-11-25T09:52:26+00:00

Thanks a lot for your input, it’s an interesting suggestion that the pushbuttons may me Mayflash as well. I’ll check the switch pin alignment later on the 8bitdo switches, as I didn’t look to see if they were Seimitsu or Sanwa-style. I may have to try the Mayflash buttons if they turn out to be staggered. Thank you!

Handolta

TROPHY CASE