Yesterday, it was revealed that Tommo, the company responsible for the North American release of the upcoming “Neo Geo X Gold” handheld console, had officially come out with a release date for the system, with an updated retail price. For those that have yet to hear about this project as of yet, the Neo Geo X Gold is a new portable video game console, to be manufactured by Blaze, and officially licensed by SNK. The system is the first new Neo Geo console in 15 years, since the last Neo Geo home console was sold in 1997. So, what can we expect from this new generation of the marvel that was, the Neo Geo?

Neo Geo X Gold is currently scheduled to be made available on December 6, 2012. This system is going to mimic the original hardware, as well as the Neo Geo X Joystick Controller and the Neo Geo X Handheld. When the system was first made publicly known online (first as a concept this past January, and then later confirmed 2 months later), we couldn’t help but notice the similarities to the new system with the Apple iPhone, or even the PlayStation Portable or Vita. It is essentially a handheld console with all physical controls, with a screen very similar to the mobile devices that are now commonplace.

Features of the upcoming system are as follows:

4.3″ Color LCD Display

20 Pre-Loaded Licensed Game Titles

2GB of On-Board Storage

Expandable Game Card Slot

A/V & HDMI Output Jack

2200mAh Rechargable Battery

Full Stereo Sound

Headphone Jack

4 Face & Shoulder Buttons

Analog Joystick

It is still a little bit uncertain on whether or not this system will somehow be able to play previously released cartridges, or if this will be more of a “plug and play” system, one of the types that are very common today for retro gaming. The expandable game card slot may have something to do with this, but confirmed details are not available right now, but there has been word of games being downloadable from the internet. (More than likely just like Virtual Console.)

When the system was first announced, pricing was naturally a curiosity. Initially, the system was planned at an outrageous $785. Considering that a PS Vita is only $300, no one really knew what to expect. However, it was announced that the new retail price is less than that. A lot less. $585 less in fact, with a planned price now of just under $200. Still a little high, just like the original consoles are, both then and now. So to sweeten the pot a little bit, not only will you get 20 previously released and licensed games built-in, you will also get a replica of an original Neo Geo console and Joystick.

One of the features of the new system is an A/V Output jack. This will allow you to hook up the system to a standard television set. It has been said that you will be able to purchase an external joystick attachment to better emulate the original experience. (Some reports are saying that this joystick will come standard with the purchase of the actual system, but it is unknown at this time which story is fully correct.) It has also been rumored that an original joystick may even be able to be used as well if you have one in your possession. And even though it’s been claimed previously that it will be able to connect to the internet, there is no word just yet about the possibility of online multiplayer capability.

“Great game consoles don’t die; they’re just reborn in much more affordable and convenient packages,” said Jonathan Wan, Tommo CEO. “The Neo Geo X Gold is a love letter to one of my favorite consoles of all time, and working with SNK Playmore to acquire the Neo Geo license, Tommo Inc. looks to provide gaming and entertainment enthusiasts with a classic arcade experience both at home and on the go.”

For those that are curious, the list of games that are going to be included with the purchase price has changed slightly from when it was originally planned back in March. The current list of games that are scheduled to be included are:

3 Count Bout Alpha Mission II Baseball Stars II Cyber-Lip Fatal Fury Fatal Fury Special King Of Monsters Last Resort League Bowling Magician Lord Metal Slug Mutation Nation Nam-1975 Puzzled Real Bout – Fatal Fury Special Samurai Shodown II Super Sidekicks The Art Of Fighting II The King Of Fighters ’95 World Heroes

The Neo Geo console was originally produced in 1990 in Japan, and brought to the United States the following year. It featured a 16-bit Motorola processor as well as an 8-bit Zilog coprocessor. A custom video chipset gave the system the total ability to display 4,096 colors, with 380 individual sprites visible on-screen simultaneously. A Yamaha sound chip gave the system 15 channels of sound, seven of them being specially reserved for sound effects. The longevity of Neo Geo games kept it alive in the arcade setting, especially in Japan. SNK would eventually go bankrupt in 2001, 4 years before the last Neo Geo home console was released. However, new games for the console were released as late as 2004. SNK stopped official support for the system in 2007.

This entire product really makes you wonder. All of those years that the original Neo Geo was in production, it was a rather pricey system. Of course, with the excellent arcade style graphics and sound it offered at the time, if you had the money, it was quite an investment. This new system very well could be the ticket for all of those that always wanted one of them, but could never afford it. Even today, it is still a rather pricey system to collect for. But getting a system for $200, with 20 games built-in? Sounds like something to seriously consider if you’ve never had the chance to experiment with the console. As soon as we have more concrete information about its full abilities (as far as using actual cartridges, online multiplayer, etc) is concerned, we will be sure to update you. Please stay tuned!

Distribution of the Neo Geo X Gold system for European and Asian territories will be handled exclusively by Blaze and Success Company. North American distribution of the Neo Geo X Gold entertainment system will be handled exclusively by Tommo, Inc.

Official Site: http://www.neogeox.com

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8-pbHpcSqQ]