Graphics
320×224
- Colors on screen
- 3,840
- Palette
- 65,536 colors
- Sprites
- 380
Neo Geo CD
Also known as NeoCD · Neo Geo CDZ
- SNK
- Home console
- Fourth generation
77 Neo Geo CD games, all playable free in your browser.
The Neo Geo CD is SNK's CD-ROM version of its Neo Geo home system. It went on sale in Japan on September 9, 1994, reached Europe and Australia in December 1994 and North America in January 1996. The hardware platform is the same as the cartridge-based Neo Geo, so arcade games could be released on discs priced at US$49–79 instead of cartridges that cost up to US$300.
- First released · Japan
- 1994
- Units sold
- 570,000
- CPU
- 16-bit
- Games in the library · all playable
- 77
TIMELINE
1994–1997
- JPJapan
- EUEurope
- AUAustralia
- NANorth America
- ENDDiscontinued
Games per release year
| Year | Games |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 29 |
| 1995 | 28 |
| 1996 | 10 |
| 1997 | 3 |
| 1998 | 5 |
| 1999 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
- Game GearSega Game Gear: Oct 6, 1990 – Apr 30, 1997
- SNESSuper Nintendo: Nov 21, 1990 – Sep 25, 2003
- Sega CDSega CD / Mega-CD: Dec 12, 1991 – 1996
- CPS-2Capcom CPS-2: Sep 10, 1993 – Dec 22, 2003
- Neo Geo CDNeo Geo CD: Sep 9, 1994 – 1997
- 32XSega 32X: Nov 1994 – 1996
- PS1PlayStation: Dec 3, 1994 – Mar 23, 2006
- N64Nintendo 64: Jun 23, 1996 – 2002
- CPS-3Capcom CPS-3: Nov 21, 1996 – end not recorded
All 36 systems
- Atari 2600Atari 2600: Sep 1977 – 1992
- SpectrumZX Spectrum: Apr 23, 1982 – 1992
- ColecoColecoVision: Aug 1982 – 1985
- Atari 5200Atari 5200: Oct 1982 – May 21, 1984
- VectrexVectrex: Oct 1982 – Feb 1984
- NESNintendo Entertainment System: Jul 15, 1983 – Sep 25, 2003
- SG-1000Sega SG-1000: Jul 15, 1983 – Oct 1985
- MSXMSX: Oct 21, 1983 – 1993
- Amstrad CPCAmstrad CPC: Jun 21, 1984 – 1990
- Master SystemSega Master System: Oct 20, 1985 – 1996
- Atari 7800Atari 7800: May 1986 – 1992
- X68000Sharp X68000: Mar 28, 1987 – end not recorded
- PC EnginePC Engine / TurboGrafx-16: Oct 30, 1987 – Dec 16, 1994
- CPS-1Capcom CPS-1: May 13, 1988 – May 11, 1995
- GenesisSega Genesis / Mega Drive: Oct 29, 1988 – 1997
- PCE CDPC Engine CD / TurboGrafx-CD: Dec 4, 1988 – end not recorded
- Game BoyGame Boy: Apr 21, 1989 – Mar 31, 2003
- LynxAtari Lynx: Sep 1, 1989 – 1995
- Neo GeoNeo Geo: Apr 16, 1990 – 2004
- Game GearSega Game Gear: Oct 6, 1990 – Apr 30, 1997
- SNESSuper Nintendo: Nov 21, 1990 – Sep 25, 2003
- Sega CDSega CD / Mega-CD: Dec 12, 1991 – 1996
- CPS-2Capcom CPS-2: Sep 10, 1993 – Dec 22, 2003
- Neo Geo CDNeo Geo CD: Sep 9, 1994 – 1997
- 32XSega 32X: Nov 1994 – 1996
- PS1PlayStation: Dec 3, 1994 – Mar 23, 2006
- N64Nintendo 64: Jun 23, 1996 – 2002
- CPS-3Capcom CPS-3: Nov 21, 1996 – end not recorded
- NAOMISega NAOMI: 1998 – end not recorded
- GBCGame Boy Color: Oct 21, 1998 – Mar 31, 2003
- NGPCNeo Geo Pocket Color: Mar 19, 1999 – Oct 30, 2001
- PS2PlayStation 2: Mar 4, 2000 – Jan 4, 2013
- WonderSwanWonderSwan Color: Dec 9, 2000 – 2003
- GBAGame Boy Advance: Mar 21, 2001 – 2010
- OpenBOROpenBOR: 2004 – today
- TIC-80TIC-80: Mar 22, 2017 – today
A bar that fades out means the end date is unknown. Fantasy consoles and game engines are still available.
UNDER THE HOOD
Technical specifications
Processor
12MHz
- CPU
- Motorola 68000
- Core
- Motorola 68000; most commonly the Toshiba TMP68HC000
- Word size
- 16-bit
- Zilog Z80 — co-processor · 4 MHz
Memory
2MB
- Main RAM
- 2 MB
- Video RAM
- 64 KB
- Graphics RAM
- 4 MB
- Sound sample RAM
- 1 MB
- Fix layer RAM
- 128 KB
- Z80 program RAM
- 64 KB
- Save SRAM
- 2 KB
Sound
- Chip
- Yamaha YM2610 + CD audio
Same YM2610 as the Neo Geo, with the variable-rate ADPCM-B channel disabled; Red Book CD audio is used for music
Sales
570,000
- Scope
- Worldwide (as of 1997-09-30)
- Best-selling game
- The King of Fighters '95 · 180,000
Below: Neo Geo 410,000 · Above: WonderSwan 1.1 million
Media
CD-ROM
Launch price
¥49,800
- Japan
- ¥49,800
- North America
- $399
Family line
- Before
- Neo Geo
- This system
- Neo Geo CD
THE STORY
About the Neo Geo CD
The console shipped with a control pad but also accepts AES controllers, and it stores saves in internal memory instead of on memory cards. Its single-speed drive meant loading times of 30 to 60 seconds, and it had no 3D capability at a time when 3D graphics were spreading. Three models were made: a front-loader sold only in Japan, a top-loader sold worldwide and, from December 1995, the Japan-only Neo Geo CDZ with a double-speed drive.
By September 30, 1997, 570,000 units had been sold, and console production ended that year. The library numbers 97 games, mostly ports of MVS and AES titles, with a handful made only for the CD system.
- 56 Mbit (7 MB) of RAM, including 4 MB for graphics and 1 MB for sound samples.
- Software sold for US$49–79 per disc, against up to US$300 for the equivalent cartridge.
- The first shipment of 50,000 units sold out about a month after launch.
- Plays standard audio CDs, and many games use CD audio for their music.
- Eight games were released only on the Neo Geo CD, never on MVS or AES.
- None of the three models is region-locked.
THE LIBRARY
77 Neo Geo CD games on Back2OldGames
77
games, all playable right in your browser
Release years 1994–2012
<p class="lib-span">14 developers</p>Genres
Top developers
Players
76 games with a known number of players.
Regions
THE GAMES
The Neo Geo CD library
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Sources
Specifications and history from the sources below (Wikipedia text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; facts summarized in our own words). Library numbers come from the Back2OldGames catalog.
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