The Neo Geo may be 30 years old now, but the console has enjoyed a pretty healthy lifespan as far as releases are concerned. Sure, SNK abandoned its most famous console quite some time ago, but companies like NG:Dev.Team have been producing software for the console for quite some time, giving us hits like Gunlord, Kraut Buster and Fast Striker.
Gunlord has already made the leap to Switch, and we've now got confirmation that another of NG:Dev.Team's Neo Geo titles, Razion, is coming to Nintendo's console.
This is especially good news when you consider that the original Neo Geo version of the game sells for exorbitant sums today; there's a copy currently on eBay which is up for an eye-watering £1,732.16 / $2,403.61.
As you can see from the tweet at the bottom of the page, this isn't just a digital release, either – just as it did with Gunlord X, NG:Dev.Team has plans to release Razion EX in physical form.
If you're excited by the news, then be sure to let us know with a comment below.
Thanks to Will Freeman for the tip!
[source twitter.com]
Comments 43
This is cool, my brother is a huge fan of all things Neo Geo and explained to me that this particular NGDEV game never got a Dreamcast version released, and that the Neo Geo version's ROM has never been leaked online out of respect for the developer.
The physical and digital eShop release of this game will make the game widely accessible for the first time. I'm looking forward to ordering a copy to go alongside my physical copy of Gunlord X.
Good..now waiting for who knows how much to be able to play Kraut Buster!
@RupeeClock from what I know there aren't any roms out there mostly because they are heavily encrypted, also because the Dreamcast iso of Gunlord was available on the web since day 1 of the release (the reason why they don't make Dreamcast releases anymore)
Kraut... Buster...?!
That... does not sound well....
I know they really love the NeoGeo hardware but it boggles my mind how one would just released a new game for an obscured system like the NeoGeo AES. You literally make a new game where unless it's just for collector's purpose would make you no money back in revenue. Good that they are bringing it to Switch.
This actually looks pretty good!
The enemy explosion looks pretty bad though It just disappears in the last frame? It's also too red somehow.
@COVIDberry why?
@Ghost_of_Hasashi well NGDEV exist since 2001, so I guess they have made enough money in the last 20 years at least to keep going...
@Whitestrider
No doubt the Switch versions of NGDEV releases will also become widely available online, such is the current situation with the Switch.
There will have been people who have successfully dumped the ROM from their Neo Geo Razion cartridges anyway, but may've still opted not to share it.
@RupeeClock You can’t dump it, because all NG:Dev boards after the original Last Hope use a FPGA on the boards. This makes it impossible to just dump the rom.
@Rebel81
Well, it sounds as though you may still be able to dump the actual ROM banks, but you won't be able to do anything with the ROM because it relies on the FPGA on the board.
Or is the FPGA used specifically to inhibit ROM dumping? There have been creative solutions to circumventing ROM dumping protections in the past.
This reminds me of Rikki & Vikki for the Atari 7200. That too uses custom hardware, which is accounted for in the PC Steam release as it uses an emulator with extended support just for that one ROM.
Give it widescreen support and I’ll buy this post-haste. Otherwise, that 4:3 ratio ain’t happening on my 75”
@Whitestrider
I think because the word Kraut can be used as a racial term to describe Germans since World War 2.
Is the physical copy a limited run?
@HIGHscores85 well the developers are german, so...
@Ghost_of_Hasashi
Collectors market. Absolutely guaranteed to sell several hundred units at approx £450.00 to the hardcore Neo collectors. If they can afford to hold a few back until it becomes really scarce, even better.
@Gamer_Griff
Yeah, NGDEV publish these releases independently.
They are unusual in that they are a developer that doesn't publish through a small company like Limited Run Games or Super Rare Games, they likely have their own experience having done their own Neo Geo and Dreamcast game physical releases.
Hopefully we'll see a port of Viewpoint soon. As I recall, along with some cool isometric visuals it had a great soundtrack.
@RupeeClock Thank you; I'll be sure to check it out.
I don't get it. I consider myself a collector of sorts. But I could never justify spending thus kind of money on something like this. It just seems so wasteful.
The most expensive collectibles I have ever bought only push a couple hundred dollars. And those only in a very few specific and special cases. And I felt guilty doing it. Lol
@Rebel81 I'm sure that if it passes data through the cartridge port to the console, it's dumpable somehow. Someone just needs to figure out how.
There's surely plenty of arcade boards, like CPS2/3, that thought they were undumpable too.
Can’t go wrong with more Neo Geo games on Switch.
@Heavyarms55
It didn't used to be so bad. I had a Neo maybe 20 years ago - my most expensive purchases were Waku Waku 7 at £250.00 and Metal Slug 3 at £150.00. I had some 25 carts, and the most expensive of the rest only edged three figures. Had to get rid of it, think I got around £2500.00 for the lot. To depress myself, I worked out what it's worth now. A deposit on a decent-sized family house, or a new car.
From the title pic here alone they could call it Big Breasted Shooter Girls.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS THIS IS THE GREATEST NEWS EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. I've been bothering them on the forums for years to release this to the Switch. God bless everyone who bought Gunlord as it was you that made this possible. This game is incredible.
Holy smokes, this is great news! I usually wait for sales, but for this it’s day 1.
NINJA APPROVED
Great! But where do we preorder?
Any idea on the whereabouts to order from in the future? Is this a Japanese exclusive release either way I'm fine with importing.
@Grail_Quest https://www.ngdevdirect.com/ looks like they'll be selling when available.
@turnmebackwards Thank you!!
Looks like insta-download written all over it.
Good, i always through it was weird that they started their Switch support with Gunlord X instead of a shmup.
What's with clickbaity thumbnail? Are those characters even related to the game?
OMG was looking at this game last week always wanted this on Neo. But silly money, supposedly the Dreamcast was getting Razion but never materialised. Will be getting this for Switch!!
@DrDaisy Yep, they are the pilots of the different ships in the game.
Loving the music. Gonna have to get this.
Be careful with NG Dev though now. They went crazy after Brexit and announced that all UK buyers must make a minimum order of about £200 to justify the tax and shipping costs now. They really got angry about Brexit, and just decided to exploit the whole thing and now are intent on 'literally' making UK customers pay. So you will have to buy a minimum of two games in order to get your order through. Get the wallets ready. Here is the actual text from the NG Dev store
"Based on 1x Switch regular edition videogame
Deutschland: 6,18 EUR / DHL Paket 2 KG Altersichtprüfung 18 Jahre.
EU: 8,57 EUR / Deutsche Post Warenpost International EU Tracked
USA: 8.49 EUR / USPS and Deutsche Post Warenpost International Tracked
World: 8.49 EUR / Deutsche Post Warenpost International Tracked
UK (Brexit): 26.90 EUR / DHL
Minimal order value 135 GBP ~165 EUR for UK due to new bureaucracy by HMCR.
We recommend to do group orders or use mail forwarding Germany to UK.
At this point we regrettably can't comply with the new customs/tax bureaucracy of UK for export with a value below 135 GBP which require us to register with UK and forward taxes to a foreign country. We hope once we got our GB VAT registration approved to be able to ship again below 135 GBP orders.
With UK orders above a value of 135 GBP normal international export rules apply and the importer/customer pays customs and taxes."
So, if you want to purchase just a £30 or £40 game, you must spend a minimun of 165 Euro + 26.90 euro shipping and then the huge tax when it arrives in the UK, because they forced the value of the order to be 165 Euro. It's basically criminal. No other European based retailer is doing this.
It is deliberate, uneccesary and perhaps also a little sadistic if you ask me. And a real slap in the face to their loyal UK customer base.
@Grail_Quest Just remember, that with NG Dev now you must spend a minimun of 165 Euro + 26.90 euro shipping
@turnmebackwards If you are in the UK you must spend a minimun of 165 Euro + 26.90 euro shipping to get the game.
@BloodNinja If you are in the UK remember you must spend a minimun of 165 Euro + 26.90 euro shipping to get Raizon from NG Dev.
@Mark-number-12 Wow!!
@Mark-number-12 That's terrible business practice thanks for the information looks like I'll be avoiding this release then
How about some Viewpoint love?!
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