Neo Geo X Magic SD Card Adapter Review

Neo Geo X Magic SD Card Adapter

A great way to leverage the NGX hardware without modding
 

 

With the future of the Neo Geo X uncertain as SNK remove their blessing, Tommo has a harder job than ever keeping the Neo Geo X afloat. I really enjoy the system. I wish I had more chances to support it but I am really glad products like the Neo Geo X Magic SD Card/SD Key Card have emerged to give gamers more control over their hardware. You can check out my video review of the SD Key Card here (including the Neo Geo games that keep me coming back to play this handheld). It’s worth mentioning since I’ve purchased it, other (possible cheaper) options have been made available. Look around, do your research and find a solution that works for you.
The Neo Geo X has a very simple anti-piracy method. It accepts SD-shaped cards but inside, four of the metal prongs have been crossed. This means regular SD cards cannot be read on the Neo Geo X and Neo Geo X game cards cannot be read on a PC.

 

Swapped Pins on the Neo Geo X Cards
The Magic SD card is just a micro SD card adapter with the pins crossed so the Neo Geo X handheld can read it. By correctly formatting a micro SD card on a PC, adding any of the Neo Geo games you want to play, inserting it into the Magic SD Card adapter you can then use it on the Neo Geo X. This is an unofficial device and there’s no way to guarantee compatibility. After researching the Mega Pack and individual Classic Volumes for the Neo Geo X it appears that the Firmware Update 500 installs a new anti-piracy method and blocks the Magic SD Adapter with ROMS.

I bought mine from Spain, but needless to say an item like this is particularly niche and sellers seem to continuously come and go. I found mine via eBay (30 Euro including Postage to Australia) but you may have luck through online marketplaces and certain web stores.

Neo Geo X Handheld and Magic SD Card Adapter

The Neo Geo X Magic SD Card Adapter I received looks great. The printed label looks homemade but the card is thin and there’s no visible scuffs or marks. A lot of ‘homemade’ adapters have extra bulk due to the work required internally to cross the pins. In the envelope I received the adapter, a micro SD card (wrapped in bubble wrap) and a slip with instructions on where to download the Neo Geo X library.

It came with 50 games pre-installed on the Micro SD card but I promptly formatted it after checking it worked correctly with the Neo Geo X handheld. Though some users have chosen to save all the available games across multiple cards. The Neo Geo X will only recognise 50 games at a time so it’s not currently possible to have the entire library on the one card.


 

NGX SD Key card Front and Back

The games that were provided were converted using a European BIOS that allows the R2 button to function as a credit. For a lot of the games that came pre-installed on the Neo Geo X, the credit limit made them virtually un-winnable for the casual gamer but by having a credit button, you might risk making the game too easy with unlimited lives. With some self control you can set a much more fair challenge for yourself.

By purchasing this item, It was assumed I had some knowledge of the device and its function (eg. won’t work in a PC, won’t work with more than 50 games).

The Neo Geo X Magic SD Card adapter is an ugly solution, especially considering how collectible and well packaged the Neo Geo X is but it is a means to leverage the awesome hardware. The games that were initially provided on the Micro SD didn’t have consistent title graphics either, again, making the adapter look like a rough solution.

Even though the Magic SD Card doesn’t appear to work with the new 500 Firmware update, I still maintain the Neo Geo X is a great system and the controls alone beat trying to emulate the Neo Geo on a PC, PSP or anything else.

The main hurdle collecting for the Neo Geo X is going to be the price. Living in Australia, the official games will cost me $25 per card (of three games) plus $15 postage & handling through Amazon. Tommo have also announced a mega-collection with all 15 games in the package for $80 (+ $15 p&h), but that’s still a lot of bread for a collection of games from the 90’s. Living stateside with free postage makes this a much more enticing package, especially with the extras and goodies included with the official releases (updates, charging cables, etc).

There’s obviously an inherited risk purchasing ‘tampered’ adapters and trawling the forums, there’s been complaints about a variety of cards that just stop working, won’t recognise more than 10 games or even cards that have arrived too fat to slot into a Neo Geo X.

Buy at your own risk and continue to support Tommo and the Neo Geo X. I can say, at least in my case, that the Neo Geo X Magic SD Card Adapter works well, feels well built and has totally lived up and beyond my expectations.

NGX-And-Magic-SD-Adapter


 

Want more Neo Geo X? Check out the full video review here or my article; Neo Geo X: Is it Worth it?