SNK Hyper Neo Geo 64 converts / preservation¶
The Hyper Neo Geo 64 (1997) is SNK's 3D attempt — a cartridge system based on the MIPS VR4300 (a cousin of the N64). Very few games (7), rare and expensive hardware, and long-incomplete emulation: here "conversion" is mostly a matter of preservation (dumping the cartridges).
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Platform | SNK Hyper Neo Geo 64 (1997) |
| Type | cartridge (ROM board); preservation first |
| Difficulty | 🔴 (poorly documented, 3D customs) |
| Suicide? | no "battery"; the stake is dumping/archiving |
Architecture¶
| Block | Chip |
|---|---|
| CPU | NEC VR4300 (64-bit MIPS III, @ 100 MHz) — same family as the N64 |
| Program RAM | 4 MB |
| 3D/texture memory | 64 MB |
| 2D memory (characters/backgrounds) | 128 MB |
| Auxiliary | dedicated audio and I/O processors |
| Media | cartridge (ROM board) |
It's an ambitious 2D/3D hybrid machine but underused: the 3D hardware of the era (Model 2/3, System 11/12) eclipsed it.
The library (only 7 games)¶
Road's Edge (Round Trip RV), Samurai Shodown 64, Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage, Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition, Buriki One, Xtreme Rally / Off Beat Racer!, Beast Busters: Second Nightmare.
→ With so few games and rare hardware, there's no active conversion scene like on CPS/Neo-Geo. The interest is heritage.
Preservation¶
- Cartridge dumping: the ROM sets of the 7 games are archived (preservation for research/emulation).
- Emulation: long incomplete (poorly understood 3D customs); recent progress (MAME) improves the situation.
- Rare hardware: cartridges often >$200, few cabinets/PCBs → imaging/saving what exists is the priority.
Settings (DIP / soft-dip)¶
Configuration via a test menu (soft-dip) and/or DIP depending on the cabinet; the settings follow the game. See the general DIP convention.
"Convert"?¶
In practice, no in the CPS/Neo-Geo sense: no large-scale documented ROM swapping between games, proprietary 3D customs, a tiny library. The useful work is preservation (verified dumps, cartridge imaging, emulation).
Where to read more¶
- 8bitplus — Hyper Neo-Geo 64 (hardware, cartridges) — https://8bitplus.co.uk/articles/hyper-neo-geo-64/
- MAME — driver
neogeo/hng64.cpp(VR4300, customs, emulation state) — https://github.com/mamedev/mame - SNK Wiki — Hyper Neo Geo 64 — https://snk.fandom.com/wiki/Hyper_Neo_Geo_64
Sources & attribution¶
- 8bitplus / SNK Wiki — Hyper Neo Geo 64 (VR4300 @ 100 MHz, 4/64/128 MB, cartridge, 7 games) — https://8bitplus.co.uk/articles/hyper-neo-geo-64/
- MAME —
hng64.cpp(emulation, 3D customs) — https://github.com/mamedev/mame
Review & corrections
How this space is used
Spotted a wrong value, an outdated procedure, a chip reference that does not match your board? Say so here, with what you observed (model, board revision, serial number, measurement). Every report is cross-checked against a source before anything changes — an unverifiable correction is published as “reported by …, not cross-checked” rather than silently applied.
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