SNK announces Neo Geo Mini, packing 40 games into a tiny arcade system

The console miniaturization trend is sweeping the video game industry, and everyone seems to be jumping on it. Nintendo was first to the party with the NES Classic Edition, but then Sega decided it was indeed time for a mini Mega Drive and Genesis.

The console miniaturization trend is sweeping the video game industry, and everyone seems to be jumping on it. Nintendo was first to the party with the NES Classic Edition, but then Sega decided it was indeed time for a mini Mega Drive and Genesis.

Now, Japanese gaming company SNK has joined the party, with the announcement of the upcoming Neo Geo Mini. This one might very well be the coolest of the tiny consoles yet—it’s a mini arcade cabinet, rather than just a smaller version of an old console. 

The Neo Geo Mini is meant to be played as a handheld unit rather than connected to a display like other mini consoles. To that end, it’ll include a 3.5-inch LED screen that should display the colorful little pixelated graphics nicely. If that doesn’t sound like the optimal retro gaming experience to you, you can of course hook it up via HDMI to a TV or monitor instead. 

The tiny little arcade system will come with a 40 games preloaded on it, likely including hits such as Metal Slug and King of Fighters, but SNK hasn’t revealed anything definite yet.

There are two versions being released, though there’s no pricing information or a release date planned at this time for either one.

The US, Canada, Europe, South America, and several “other” regions will get the blue, black, and white version, while those in the Asia region get a red, white, and blue model. It’s a little snazzier than the US version and it’s lame that we don’t get our choice between colors, but at least we know a US release is happening. 

Go to brush up on your Neo Geo knowledge, and save up those pennies to pick up a console!