The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly!
In 1998 I began my initial interest with NEO-GEO protos. I had already acquired
a few protos for several other game systems such as Atari, Coleco, and Nintendo but
since NEO-GEO games were primarily developed and tested overseas in Japan, finding
protos for the system was and is extremely difficult. The first one that was brought
to my attention was Fun Fun Brothers. I soon found out that someone actually had the
game in their collection and I pursued the lead. Times have changed. With the introduction of NEO-GEO.COM the flood gates opened.
The problem is that only about 10% of the claims made since that time have turned
out to be of any use. To date the only 100% CONFIRMED proto to have ever been found is GHOSTLOP. Also,
not only has the game been found but it has been safely dumped and made freely
available to everyone. This due to the fact that it remains the only proto so-far
for which I personally had/have complete control over. Throughout the years I have received several tips and leads through my website,
email, and other venues regarding NEO-GEO protos. I decided to go ahead and document
the three most infamous ones. USA / Dion Dakis & Chis Ray This dynamic duo has made several claims throughout the years. Not a single one
of them has ever been proven. The only REAL things that have come from their camp
are the following: 1. VIDEOS: They provided video footage of several protos. CANADA / Ray Young Mr. Ray Young once claimed to have acquired two protos. He also stated that he
was allegedly working on some CD to CART conversions. He did provide screenshots
for the latter, but never for the former. Reportedly, I was last told by someone
that he was indeed just pulling my leg. JAPAN / Xacrow A fellow by the name of Xacrow who is a member of the MAME emulation community
is the latest of the proto claimers. Unlike others before him however, he has
actually provided several pictures and screenshots to back up his claims. The
problem is that he has failed to provide any SOLID evidence. Furthermore, his
cooperation is by far the WORSE of the others before him. They all at least
responded to questions and emails but Xacrow cannot even be reached.
FUTURE ENTRY TEXT / DESCRIPTION FOR FUTURE ENTRY Mickey Mantle - $32,000.00 CLOSING ARGUMENT Well that's it! Next time someone shows up laying claims to
having this or that go ahead and link them to this article so they can take a
number and stand in line! As I mentioned in another article that I wrote for
SNK-CAPCOM.COM: "Excuses mean NOTHING. It's the year 2005. Any moron can buy a
digital camera for $30 at Wal-Mart. Any moron who has a computer can download
a free copy of neo rage and the universal bios. Therefore, a claimers inability
to provide a picture, a particular screenshot, or even a game code number is
INEXCUSEABLE. It takes seconds of their time and it requires no investment." A seller wouldn't try to sell a Mickey Mantle Baseball Card without
providing a picture! And, a buyer certainly wouldn't buy one without a picture
either! Use your head and think about it. Usually if something sounds to good
to be true, it's because it usually is.
Disclaimer:
The following article was written solely for the purpose
of entertainment. Although it is accurate and factual in its content, it does not
allow for those mentioned in the article to defend themselves. However, I have
assumed the absence of an honest, cooperative and timely response from those
individuals to be interpreted as their official statements. In each and every case,
the individuals have had months if not years to corroborate their claims with proof
yet they have failed to do so. Therefore, until they are able to provide evidence
which proves otherwise, their claims are considered to be false.
2. BOXES: They provided pics of homemade boxes of a couple protos.
3. SALES: They claimed to have sold some of these protos.
