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{{short description|Handheld game console}}
{{Infobox CVG system
| title = Neo Geo X
| logo = [[File:Neo-Geo X official logo.jpg|250px|Neo-Geo X Logo]]
| image = File:SNK Neo-Geo X.png
| caption = A Neo Geo X running a game.
| developer = SNK Playmore
| manufacturer = [[Company:Tommo|Tommo]] - Blaze (in Europe)
| type = [[Engineering:Video game console|Hybrid video game console]]
| releasedate = December 18, 2012
| OS = {{ubl|OpenDingux}}
| SOC = [[Company:Ingenic Semiconductor|Ingenic Semiconductor]] Jz4770
| GPU = Vivante GC860
| CPU = XBurst@1GHz ([[MIPS architecture|MIPS]])
| media = [[Engineering:SD card|SD card]]
| units sold = 
| onlineservice = 
| topgame = 
| price = $199.99 USD
| display = 4.3" LCD 480 × 272
16:9 or 4:3 mode
| memory = 128MB DDR2 RAM<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sarkar |first1=Samit |title=Standalone Neo Geo X handheld to sell for $129.99, hardware specifications revealed |url=https://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/9/11/3317268/neo-geo-x-handheld-standalone-price-specifications |website=Polygon |access-date=1 December 2020 |language=en |date=11 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Neo Geo X Mods Nathan Dickman |url=https://www.nathandickman.com/tag/neo-geo-x-mods/ |access-date=1 December 2020}}</ref>
| storage = SanDisk 2GB Micro SD internal [[Flash memory|flash memory]]
| dimensions = 
| weight = 
| website = [http://neogeox.com/ www.neogeox.com]
| predecessor = Neo Geo Pocket Color
}}

The '''Neo Geo X''' (NGX) is a handheld video game console manufactured by [[Company:Tommo|Tommo]], licensed by SNK Playmore. Information about the Neo Geo X was first reported in January 2012 and later confirmed in March.<ref name=Kotaku>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5893761/the-new-neo-geo-handheld-goes-on-sale-very-soon|title=The "New" Neo Geo Handheld Goes on Sale Very Soon|last=Plunkett|first=Luke|date=March 15, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012|work=Kotaku|publisher=Gawker Media}}</ref><ref name=MCVUK>{{cite news | url=http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/new-neogeo-x-handheld-console-confirmed/092838 | title=New Neo Geo X handheld console confirmed | work=MCV | date=15 March 2012 | agency=McCormack & Morrison | access-date=17 March 2012 | author=Sacco, Dominic | publisher=Intent Media | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318023013/http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/new-neogeo-x-handheld-console-confirmed/092838 | archive-date=18 March 2012 }}</ref> It is the first Neo Geo system to be released since the discontinuation of the brand in 2004 and the third Neo Geo handheld device, following the 1999 release of the Neo Geo Pocket Color, which was supported until 2001.

The Neo Geo X features games that were on the popular original Neo Geo (the [[Engineering:Neo Geo (system)|MVS/AES]]) hardware, and comes built-in with 20 original Neo Geo games. Additional titles were available on game [[Memory card|cards]].

The system was released on December 18, 2012 as part of a bundle called the "Neo Geo X Gold Limited Edition", which includes a docking station, an arcade stick, and a bonus game card. The docking station is modeled after the original Neo Geo AES console and is used for charging the handheld as well as connecting it to a television. The arcade stick is a replica of the original Neo Geo AES arcade stick that can be used as a controller when the handheld is connected to a TV through the docking station.

== Release ==
Initially, the device was rumored to retail for about $700+, but the price of the Neo Geo X Gold package was revealed to be $199, far less than the original Neo Geo AES console.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://techland.time.com/2012/03/16/ridiculously-high-priced-neo-geo-x-handheld-announced-for-some-reason/|title=Ridiculously High-Priced ‘Neo-Geo X’ Handheld Announced for Some Reason|last=Wagstaff|first=Keith|date=March 16, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012|work=Time Techland|publisher=Time, Inc.}}</ref><ref name=MTV2/> The package was released in December 2012. A ''[[Software:Ninja Master's: Haō Ninpō Chō|Ninja Master's]]'' game card was offered as a bonus with the package.<ref name=Ars>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/09/portable-neo-geo-x-available-for-130-without-accessories/|title=Portable Neo Geo X available for $130 without accessories|first=Kyle|last=Orland|date=September 12, 2012|access-date=September 19, 2012|work=Ars Technica|publisher=Condé Nast}}</ref>

The handheld by itself, without the docking station and arcade stick, was later priced at $129.99 to come out in February 2013.<ref name=Ars /> However, links on the official website to the stand-alone handheld were subsequently removed and the FAQ stated that the docking station is required in order to charge the device.<ref name=NGXFaq>{{cite web|url=http://neogeox.com/FAQ|title=NEOGEO FAQ|access-date=October 13, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023224947/http://neogeox.com/FAQ|archive-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref>

In January 2013, SNK Playmore announced that manufacturing of the Gold Limited Edition package was ending with the last units arriving to retailers in April. However, they stated that the handheld would continue to be manufactured and that additional games and accessories would continue to be released.<ref name=IGN>{{cite web|title=NeoGeo X is Alive and Kicking, More Hardware and Games Coming|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/01/24/neogeo-x-is-alive-and-kicking-more-hardware-and-games-coming|last=Lowe|first=Scott|date=January 24, 2013|publisher=IGN|access-date=January 28, 2013}}</ref>

The system was distributed by [[Company:Tommo|Tommo]] in North America and Blaze in Europe.<ref name=MCVUK /><ref name=PCMag>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2408383,00.asp|title=Neo Geo Returns With $200 20th Anniversary Console|work=PC Magazine|publisher=Ziff Davis|date=August 13, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012|last=Greenwald|first=Will}}</ref>

==Games==
There were a total of 36 games for the Neo Geo X.

Twenty games came pre-loaded on the system including titles from signature SNK series such as ''Metal Slug'', ''Fatal Fury'' and ''[[Software:The King of Fighters|The King of Fighters]]'':<ref name=MTV1/>

{{col-begin|width=auto}}
{{col-2}}
*''[[Software:3 Count Bout|3 Count Bout]]''
*''[[Software:Alpha Mission II|Alpha Mission II]]''
*''[[Software:Art of Fighting|Art of Fighting]]''
*''[[Software:Baseball Stars 2|Baseball Stars 2]]''
*''[[Software:Cyber-Lip|Cyber-Lip]]''
*''[[Software:Fatal Fury: King of Fighters|Fatal Fury]]''
*''[[Software:Fatal Fury Special|Fatal Fury Special]]''
*''[[Software:The King of Fighters '95|The King of Fighters '95]]''
*''[[Software:King of the Monsters (video game)|King of the Monsters]]''
*''[[Software:Last Resort (video game)|Last Resort]]''
{{col-2}}
*''[[Software:League Bowling|League Bowling]]''
*''[[Software:Magician Lord|Magician Lord]]''
*''[[Software:Metal Slug|Metal Slug]]''
*''[[Software:Mutation Nation|Mutation Nation]]''
*''[[Software:NAM-1975|NAM-1975]]''
*''[[Software:Puzzled (video game)|Puzzled]]'' 
*''[[Software:Real Bout Fatal Fury Special|Real Bout Fatal Fury Special]]''
*''[[Software:Samurai Shodown II|Samurai Shodown II]]''
*''[[Software:Super Sidekicks|Super Sidekicks]]''
*''[[Software:World Heroes Perfect|World Heroes Perfect]]''
{{col-end}}

''[[Software:Ninja Master's|Ninja Master's]]'' is included as a bonus game card in the Gold Limited Edition package.

Additional game cards were announced in February 2013. A five-volume set called "Neo Geo X Classics" features five game cards with three games on each making a total of 15 games. The volumes were released in June 2013 and feature the following games:

{{col-begin|width=auto}}

{{col-5}}
Volume 1
*''[[Software:Metal Slug 2|Metal Slug 2]]''
*''[[Software:Sengoku (1991 video game)|Sengoku]]'' 
*''Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy''

{{col-5}}
Volume 2
*''[[Software:Samurai Shodown III|Samurai Shodown III]]''
*''[[Software:Savage Reign|Savage Reign]]''
*''[[Software:Super Sidekicks|Super Sidekicks 3]]''

{{col-5}}
Volume 3
*''[[Software:The King of Fighters '96|The King of Fighters '96]]''
*''[[Software:Blazing Star|Blazing Star]]''
*''[[Software:Kizuna Encounter|Kizuna Encounter]]''

{{col-5}}
Volume 4
*''[[Software:Garou: Mark of the Wolves|Garou]]''
*''[[Software:Shock Troopers|Shock Troopers]]''
*''[[Software:World Heroes 2 Jet|World Heroes 2 Jet]]''

{{col-5}}
Volume 5
*''[[Software:The Last Blade|The Last Blade]]''
*''[[Software:Blue's Journey|Blue's Journey]]''
*''Art of Fighting 3''

{{col-end}}

Each volume came bundled with a charging/data transfer cable for the handheld.<ref name=Polygon>{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/2/21/4014578/neogeo-x-classics-game-bundle-series-launches-in-april|title=Neo Geo X Classics game bundle series launches in April|date=February 21, 2013|access-date=March 13, 2013|first=Alexa Ray|last=Corriea|publisher=Vox Media|work=Polygon}}</ref> The game cards include a [[Patch (computing)|firmware update]] for the Neo Geo X that updates the handheld to firmware v500. See the "Firmware Update" section of this article for update details.

The Neo Geo X Mega Pack Volume 1 was also released in June 2013. It came with one game card that contains all 15 games featured in Neo Geo X Classics Volumes 1-5. The Mega Pack was packaged in a similar case used for the original Neo Geo AES game cartridges, which can also be used as a carrying case for the Neo Geo X handheld. The charging/data transfer cable was included as well.<ref name=megapack>{{cite web|url=http://neogeox.com/neogeo-x-mega-pack|title=Neo Geo X Mega Pack|access-date=August 27, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723053216/http://neogeox.com/neogeo-x-mega-pack|archive-date=July 23, 2013}}</ref>

== Hardware ==
[[File:Neo-Geo X and Neo-Geo AES resolution comparision.png|thumbnail|Comparison of Neo Geo X and Neo Geo AES resolution.]] The device included a 4.3-inch LCD screen, SD card slot, A/V output, internal stereo speakers with a 3.5mm headphone jack.<ref name=MTV1>{{cite web|url=http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2012/03/19/neo-geo-x-console-confirmed/|title=Handheld Neo-Geo X Console Confirmed For Q2 Release!|last=Hatfield|first=Don|date=March 19, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012|work=MTV Multiplayer|publisher=Viacom}}</ref> A micro USB port on the system is used for charging the battery.<ref name=T3>{{cite web|url=http://www.t3.com/reviews/neo-geo-x-gold-review|title=Neo Geo X Gold Limited Edition review: Hands-on|first=Michael|last=Sawh|publisher=Future Media|work=T3|date=January 18, 2013|access-date=January 28, 2013}}</ref> The screen's 480×272 pixels resolution is the same as the original PlayStation Portable and is close to the 16:9 [[Aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]].<ref name=Ars />

The system was released as part of the Gold package, which includes the "Neo Geo X Station", a replica of the original Neo Geo AES console that functions as a charging/[[Engineering:Docking station|docking station]] with its own [[Composite video|composite video]] out and [[Engineering:HDMI|HDMI]] output along with a functioning replica of the original Neo Geo AES arcade stick controller.<ref name=MTV2>{{cite web|url=http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2012/08/13/neogeo-x-gold-will-set-you-back-199-out-in-december/|title=NEOGEO X Gold Will Set You Back $199, Out in December|last=Webb|first=Charles|work=MTV Multiplayer|publisher=Viacom|date=August 13, 2012|access-date=August 13, 2012}}</ref><ref name=SE>{{cite web|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2012/12/04/neogeo-x-gold-portable-out-this-week/|title= NeoGeo X Gold Portable Out On December 18|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=Silicon Era}}</ref>

The Neo Geo X arcade stick controllers connect to the docking station via two USB ports.<ref name=T3 /> Original Neo Geo AES controllers, game cartridges and memory cards are not compatible with the Neo Geo X.

The handheld has an 8-way thumbstick for directional control, menu and start buttons, four face buttons and four shoulder buttons: L1, L2, R1, R2. The shoulder buttons are used for changing screen aspect ratio and pausing games. Buttons to adjust volume and brightness are located under the handheld.<ref name=KotakuAu>{{cite web|url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2012/03/new-neo-geo-console-details-revealed/|title=New Neo Geo Console — Details Revealed|first=Mark|last=Serrels|date=March 16, 2012|access-date=October 13, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/10/26/neo-geo-x-hands-on/|title=Neo Geo X hands-on at Engadget|access-date=August 28, 2013}}</ref>

The unit's BIOS and pre-installed games were initially stored on an internal SanDisk 2GB micro SD card; later hardware revisions use a chip installed directly on the motherboard. This chip has yet to be documented.

==Software==
The console used the FB Alpha emulator running on a [[Software:Linux|Linux-based]] operating system to play [[ROM image]]s of Neo Geo games. The internal memory has no copy protection, allowing third party BIOS and additional games to be directly installed on the unit. The operating system OpenDingux is used to load Final Burn Alpha, then runs .fba files when a game is selected. The system can be modified to run most emulators that will run on OpenDingux. The BIOS can also be modified to get a region-free BIOS (called Unibios), and the BIOS has many features which can be found on the website (http://unibios.free.fr/).<ref name=Engadget>{{cite web|title=Neo Geo X hacked to run Unibios, unofficial game ROMS |last=Buckey|first=Sean|publisher=AOL|work=Engadget|url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/12/24/neo-geo-x-hacked-to-run-unibios-unofficial-game-roms|date=December 24, 2012|access-date=January 28, 2012}}</ref>
The SD card slot could also be used to load other ROMs, but this requires modifying the SD card contact points.<ref name=ashens>{{cite web|last=Ashen|first=Stuart |title=Neo Geo X Gold Review {{!}} Ashens|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iHoOK5HCHA|work=YouTube|access-date=10 March 2013}}</ref>

==Reception==
Consumer Reports recommended the system for enthusiasts of older games, but criticized the device's video quality on modern televisions.<ref name=CR>{{cite web|url=http://news.consumerreports.org/electronics/2013/01/neo-geo-x-gold-limited-edition-reviewed-bring-back-console-games-of-the-90s.html|title=Neo Geo X Gold Limited Edition reviewed: Bring back console games of the 90s|first=Matt|last=Ferretti|publisher=Consumer Reports|date=January 10, 2013|access-date=2013-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122221651/http://news.consumerreports.org/electronics/2013/01/neo-geo-x-gold-limited-edition-reviewed-bring-back-console-games-of-the-90s.html|archive-date=2013-01-22|url-status=dead}}</ref> T3 commented that the replica AES docking station and included joystick added to the "overall retro charm" of the Gold package, but the handheld by itself might not be worth the money as Neo Geo games are now easily playable through other means.

Damien McFerran, writing for Eurogamer reacted positively to the quality of the handheld's gamepad and face buttons. He also complimented details such as the unit's packaging, which remained faithful to the original AES. However, he criticized the quality of the display, calling it "washed out" and writing that the scaling made games look "fuzzy and ill-defined." He also criticized the image quality of the outputs on the docking station, calling the HDMI output "muddy" and commenting that the composite output suffered from color bleeding and a hazing effect. McFerran also lamented that games were being distributed exclusively on physical media instead of being downloadable via [[Wi-Fi]] or through a connection to a PC. In addition, he mentioned that the emulated games were prone to [[Engineering:Screen tearing|screen tearing]] and audio issues. Concluding that it was not worth the premium price, he wrote "This is a console which has been created with the right intentions but the execution is sadly lacking."<ref name=Eurogamer>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/df-hardware-neo-geo-x-review|title=Neo Geo X review|last=McFerran|first=Damien|date=February 24, 2013|access-date=March 13, 2013|publisher=Eurogamer}}</ref>

==Controversy==

Reportedly due to the low manufacturing standards employed by Tommo, in October 2013, SNK Playmore has publicly ordered Tommo to cease not only manufacture of the Neo Geo X, but to pull all existing stock from store shelves.<ref name=snkblock>{{cite web|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/10/05/snk-blocks-the-sale-and-manufacture-of-neogeo-x.aspx|title=SNK Blocks The Manufacture Of NeoGeo X|date=October 5, 2013|access-date=May 16, 2015|publisher=GameInformer}}</ref> Tommo in response claimed to be in compliance with the contract between the companies, which had recently been extended until 2016, and demanding that SNK retract the cease and desist claim.<ref name=snkblockreply>{{cite web|url=http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/10/neogeo-xs-manufacturer-responds-to-snk-playmores-cease-and-desist/|title=NeoGeo X’s Manufacturer Responds To SNK Playmore’s Cease And Desist|date=October 10, 2013|access-date=May 16, 2015|publisher=Ubergizmo}}</ref>

In early 2014, in a press statement sent to gaming website ''Polygon'', Tommo once again claimed full contractual compliance, and accused SNK Playmore of using underhanded tactics to undermine sales of their product, while failing to follow the routes of resolution put forward in the contract in the first place, and declining Tommo's offers of peaceful resolution. The CEO of the manufacturer said they were planning on "taking action" against SNK to protect their contractual rights.<ref name=snkblock2014>{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/10/5296008/tommo-planning-to-take-action-in-neo-geo-x-sales-feud-with-snk|title=Tommo planning to take action in Neo Geo X sales feud with SNK|date=January 10, 2014|access-date=May 16, 2015|publisher=Polygon}}</ref>

==See also==

*Dingoo A320
*GCW Zero
*[[Engineering:Atari Flashback|Atari Flashback]]
*[[Engineering:NES Classic Edition|NES Classic Edition]]
*[[Engineering:Coleco Sonic|Coleco Sonic]]
*SNES Classic Edition

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==

{{Neo Geo}}
{{SNK}}

[[Category:MIPS architecture]]

{{Sourceattribution|Neo Geo X|1}}