If you have worked on the incredible selection of games offered by NES and SNES Classic editions, you may be in luck: SNK, the legendary arcade game creator behind Metal Slug and Samurai Shodown, like his own little arcade cabinet.
Killed as part of the company's 40th anniversary, the wrapped gadget certainly does not look like a NEO-GEO, or even a NEO-GEO pocket. Gizmodo notes that the description mentions a "new game machine", but no details beyond it. The large framed outline suggests a small arcade cabinet, and the slab in front of it looks a lot like an arcade controller.
This would not be a particularly original creation – there are dozens of small arcade cabinets with built-in games, but the truth is that none of them is especially good. These are novelties, perfectly fun to laugh at, but the hardware – compared to the impressive solidity of the true arcade controllers and the NEO-GEO itself – is just not there.
If I had to guess, I would say that there is a cabinet-style arcade console with upgraded internals, a decent screen to accommodate games newer than 1996 , and a separate arcade controller, maybe even wirelessly. Price … I would put it at $ 200 or $ 250. Extra controller (and you want it), my estimate is $ 60. I could easily be away, however. Maybe they would even let us plug our old Tanksticks?
An original NEO-GEO controller. You can feel the sturdiness of where you sit.
Inside, you'll probably find a lot of SNK classics, probably limited to arcade and NEO-GEO games. Even without the classic SNK games for home consoles like the NES. My eyes were watering as I scrolled through the list of games that the company had benched out and which could end up on this device.
King of monsters 2? Last resort? Twinkle Star Sprites? King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown and all other fighters? Not to mention Metal Slug and its suites. The number of quarters in which I have plunged into these fantastic games is indomountable.
If SNK is smart, it will also allow to add new games to the system. There are many choices because the company catered to a number of niches. Having them available for a few dollars each would be a dream – and anyway, if that's not a possibility, people will just hack new ROMs on the system.
No matter what, you can be sure that I am already walking around to check the position. I will let you know the second that I hear something.