Super mvs converter mk2 for the neo geo aes : eBay Guides

This guide is to advise people who want to play all neo geo MVS arcade carts on there neo geo aes system what to buy and where to look and to not fall into the pitful of over paying for this equipment.I have also provided links and tips on avoiding fake or bootleg mvs carts which are common.

I only recently got back into the neo geo gaming having sold my aes system years ago due to the release of the much more powerful games consoles and the seduction of high end 3d graphics,but as time went on part of me was hankering for yesteryear and that razor sharp 2d gameplay of old.I tryed various ports of neo geo games and emulations but something felt lost.I decided only dedicated snk hardware would do.I had no choice purchase a cheap used aes system and a few of the better games,surely 10 years down the line this should be relatively inexpensive,i only want metal slug,x,3,strikers1945,garou mak of the wolves and possibly viewpoint.I quickly accertained this was not going to possible on my budget not because of the cost of a aes system but the games metal slug 500 pounds plus for a original aes cart and strikers 1945 plus 300 pounds for a aes conversion as it was never released on the aes console.I did a little research and realised MVS games where my only root to affordable cheap carts but they will not play on my aes console without a adaptor.I then had two options buy a mvs motherboard convert it to use on my tv or buy a phantom 1 adapter.Option one was not viable as i wanted the timeless looking aes console sitting under my telly and option two the phantom 1 adapter, i had read good and bad comments about these adapters comments like they where flimsy,where prone to getting stuck had sound and video problems and i knew any mvs game post 1999 was encryted and would not work plus the phantom 1 converter was expensive and hard to find.Then i came across the super mvs converter mk2 by neoteam 2006,i purchased one paid 100 pounds inclusive of express shipping found all my mvs carts worked fine via the converter on my aes console without sound or graphical glitches and was easy to insert and use including metal slug,x,3,snk vs capcom,garou mark of the wolves,tophunter,puzzle bobble,strikers 1945 plus.

I purchased a japanese aes console for 92.00 pounds which is 60hz in mint condition with a original neo geo arcade stick with none of the print faded and samuri spirits 1 and 2 and ryu ken by being patient and shopping around on ebay,please dont be sucked in and over spend condition is everything .I had to purchase a memory card and rgb cable as the standard picture through the s-video av cable that comes with the aes console is poor where as a rgb scart cable will give you a image as clear as component on a modern lcd or plasma tv as low serial numbered aes consoles output a true rgb signal as the av port is directly hardwired to the motherboard just like the arcade unlike later model aes consoles where it was bypassed infavour of better s-video output,any console with a serial number of below 200,000 is generally true rgb.The memory card is essenttial as it saves your progress allowing you to always start at the last point at which your previous game finished if you wish giving neo gaming a 21st century feel.My total spend with accessories and the super mvs mk2 converter and mvs carts was the price of a next gen games console around 300.00 pounds thats a aes console.rgb cable,memory card,3 aes carts,mvs converter and 8 mvs carts..

The super mvs converter mk2 is of excellent quality and design and looks like half a aes cartridge allowing easy insertion for mvs carts and entry into the aes console and comes complete with blue l.e.d that lights when in use and is robust and well manufactured making the whole set up very neat and pleasing on the eye with the convenience of having a small console like setup over roomy ugly arcade motherboards that are fragile If you want to enjoy the delights of some mvs only exclusives or cheap mvs games over expensive aes carts buy this converter but please note if you have a ac adapter for your aes console that outputs less then 3amps purchase the replacement neo geo aes ac adapter that suppliers of this converter will stock as most european and american neo geo aes systems have ac adapters that output between 700ma-1.2amps which is not enough power for a number of mvs carts where as generally japanese aes consoles are fine,just look at your ac adapter its printed on the label.The converter can be purchased directly from the ic2005 shop.com and i advise anyone to make sure they only buy genuine SNK mvs carts for 100% compatibility.You pay a bit more for the real thing but all original mvs games will play in home mode or freeplay on the aes console with the ones that play in home mode giving you extras like a practise mode and options ie difficulty and dont have missing sprites and sound problems and will only increase in value as originally aes carts where cheaper then mvs carts back in 90s.Most sellers on ebay declare if there carts are original but i recommend NEOAMUSEMENT on ebay who are based in japan who only sell original mvs games ship cheaply via ems plus you will not have to pay duty due to the cartridge weight plus there fairly priced and in top condition.I do not own one bootleg or copy and as a general rule most mvs carts have to be opened to check this even if they have genuine looking stickers and serial numbers unless the case is clear alowing you to see the chips which most games post 1999 are.Dont get me wrong some copys are as a good as the originals and work fine and if you pay peanuts for them its not such a bad thing although when it comes to re-sale value there practically worth nothing and can get you into hot water with buyers and ebay as they are illegal and go against ebays selling genuine goods policy.Your know if you have a copy because all genuine mvs cart chips are numbered and can be checked for authenticity through the HARDMVS.COM list under mvs label project main list as each game has the same chip numbers in every manufactued copy of the game.For example every GENUINE strikers 1945 plus will have chips with the number 254 and metal slug x 250.All genuine mvs snk games will generally have toshiba main chips inside or various other chips that have snk printed on them or are plain but numbered but do not be fooled by snk circuit boards as nearly all fakes will have these.If you have chips that have mx printed on them there bootleg or copys although some genuine snk carts do use eproms and may use reclaimed chips from older mvs games which was performed by snk on less popular games(power spikes)or independent collectors and traders on dead carts as repairs or conversions.Remember the neo geo is retro so you want to play the games how snk intended you want them to be genuine i never pay more then between 10-60 pounds unless the mvs cart is rare like blazing star or strikers 1945 and is in immaculate condition with  a shockbox or with the snk full kit.The metal slug games are cheap to obtain and dont pay more then 15-45 pounds.You will find most mvs games are heavily worn with missing or unstuck labels and have dirty contacts(golden fingers) although if your willing to shop around or get lucky they can be purchased in quite exceptional condition but if you do get one with dirty contacts always clean these by carefully opening the cart removing the boards and use a tiny dot of washing up liquid in warm water and clean the contacts with a cotton bud and allow to dry before using.Never touch the chips and always handle the boards in the corners they are robust but can be damaged by static from your hands.I do prefer aes games as i like the boxes and general top condition they can be brought in but only a fool would pay 500 pounds plus for a genuine metal slug aes cart which can be completed in around  25 minutes and can be brought for between 10-35 pounds on the mvs format and is identical plus when you consider stake winners which in my opinion is poor and can be brought on the mvs format for 10 pounds but sells for 900 pounds on the aes format you begin to question some peoples sanity.Sadly because of rich collectors who may or may not play there aes games the common man like me or you are keeped out of the loop unless where prepared to re-mortgage the house.Your probably have your favourite neo geo games but i will list what i consider to be the best games and essential purchases-viewpoint,blazing star,strikers 1945 plus,samuri showdown/spirits,metal slug,x,3,garou mark of the wolves,puzzle bobble,the last blade and pulstar.Its also worth noteing that compared to most retro 2d consoles the neo geo was and still is way ahead of everything else interms of its 2d sprite scaling capabilitys and ability to render hand drawn backrounds with cart size and circuit board size being the only difference between the mvs and aes format as both contain the same chips thats why you will see a lot of mvs chips re-soldered onto aes circuit boards and sold as aes conversions.The aes consoles motherboard is the same as the mvs motherboard giving the true arcade experience in the home but with the luxury of a stylish self contained console and though rgb scart on a modern tv can provide as sharp a image and as good a experience as any modern video game.

So there you have it you know what to do and where to look and this guide is to save people money,time and the headaches i went through not to endorse any seller or company only to stop people paying more then 100 pounds for this converter and to much for mvs carts.My soul intension is to get as many people enjoying neo geo gaming to give it back to the people and take it out of the hands of collectors and hobbyists who just drive neo prices up making it less acessible as currently everything neo has a stupid price on it.As a gamer for over 25 years i want everybody to have the snk experience ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.