will there ever be a neogeo clone system?

[marurun]

It sounds like you've taken up a difficult project. Are you trying to use the FPGA for all of the Neo Geo's functions, or only for the ones you can't get through standard chips? Wish I knew more and could offer assistance, but I don't. I'm a jack of all trades, master of none.

[tcdev]

The idea is to implement it completely inside the FPGA.

[marurun]

Is this just for personal purposes/challenge or is there some intent to do something with this?

[tcdev]

A bit of both really.

If you've seen the PACEDEV website, you can see that I have either implemented or ported quite a number of different platforms, including arcade, console and microcomputer hardware. Up until recently, it has been a "prototyping" effort. However, a few colleagues and I have just started work on some hardware specifically designed for a certain microcomputer platform, although there's no reason you won't be able to run other projects on it.

The NeoGeo effort was another proof-of-concept. I was happy with the progress I had made, but the limitations of the hardware I was using has made further progress difficult, if not impossible. For this reason, I have yet to take it any further. Ultimately, I'd like to complete the design and also produce hardware specifically for running the NeoGeo implementation. That will be some time away though.

Regards,

[elvis]

This was the point I was trying to make. Custom chips are always a pain to replicate unless you can benefit from economies of scale.

Perhaps there's no need to reproduce the custom chips? Thinking outside the square, the NeoGeo is getting on a bit now. These custom ASICs won't be bleeding edge tech. There's a chance they can be simulated with modern embedded processors and some software.

We've seen plenty of these "Genesis in a box" style games that get pushed onto shelves for $20, albeit with simpler hardware. Similarly out there in the land of Chinese mutli-game systems, there are plenty of people selling hacked up emulation boxes for several hundred dollars a pop, which indicates there's at least a market for it (even if it does border the shadier side of things).

I'm sure someone somewhere will have one on the market in years to come. I quite look forward to it, given the rate at which real NeoGeo hardware is dying due to the poor design and poor upkeep of many collectors (I've lost count at how many MVS units I've seen destroyed due to leaking caps/batteries).


[edit] I didn't read tcdev's replies until after posting, but it seems he's already heading in this direction [/edit]

[marurun]

@Elvis,

Yeah, he seems headed there, though FPGAs are way too expensive for resale. It may be we'll get a Chinese hack job someday. Fingers crossed it'll be better than the early NOAC clones.