Analysis of Hyper Neo Geo 64 completed after 20 years of improvements, sound also reproduced on emulator
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After 2 decades of tinkering, MAME finally cracks the Hyper Neo Geo 64
https://www.readonlymemo.com/mame-hyper-neo-geo-support-sound-emulation/
The Hyper Neo Geo 64 was originally developed as a successor to the Neo Geo, aiming to produce higher quality 2D games, but because it had the capabilities to create 3D games that the Neo Geo couldn't, 3D games were prioritized. However, because the hardware wasn't originally designed to support 3D display, there were many problems, such as rough polygons and heavy game processing, and development of new titles was discontinued earlier than for the previous generation Neo Geo.
Only seven games were released for the Hyper Neo Geo 64: 'Offbeat Racer,' 'Round Trip RV,' 'Beast Busters: Second Nightmare,' 'SAMURAI SPIRITS: Samurai Spirits,' 'SAMURAI SPIRITS 2: Asura Zanmaden,' 'Garou Densetsu: Wild Ambition,' and 'Buriki One.' It only ran in arcades for two years, from 1997 to 1999. Below is a photo of the Hyper Neo Geo 64 posted by Nicole Express , a blog specializing in retro game consoles. According to the blog, it was 'enormous, even for a game console.' The blog analyzes the harsh reviews of the Hyper Neo Geo 64, stating that 'its performance lacked the value it deserved at the time.'
David Heywood, a developer of the emulator MAME, began considering adding support for the Hyper Neo Geo 64 to MAME around 2004. However, the PC he was using at the time had barely enough memory to load 2D graphics and code, making it difficult to run the Hyper Neo Geo 64, which handled 3D graphics.
And in September 2025, more than 20 years after starting to investigate the system, Heywood achieved a state where Hyper Neo Geo 64 games could run on MAME. Heywood says that advances in the microcontrollers used in emulators and improvements in other components also played a major role in achieving this.
However, while the game only worked, proper sound emulation was not yet available. Heywood worked with several developers, including longtime MAME contributor R. Belmont, to bring the game's sound closer to the original.
Below is the sound of Hyper Neo Geo 64 in MAME 0.281, released in September 2025. It plays all seven games released for Hyper Neo Geo 64, and you can enjoy the sound that includes the noise unique to retro arcade games.
Hyper NeoGeo 64 Sound Improvements in MAME 0.281 (from R.Belmont and Happy) - YouTube
Furthermore, MAME 0.282, scheduled for release in October 2025, is expected to bring even greater improvements. In particular, audio issues with Offbeat Racer, which was difficult to improve to a level where sound could be played comfortably without straining the ears, have been fixed. Other games, such as Beast Busters: Second Nightmare, have also seen significant improvements.
Below is a gameplay video of Offbeat Racer in MAME 0.282. The update also includes some improvements to address incorrect sounds that were playing in certain parts of the game. However, there are still some graphical issues that need to be fixed, such as the fog in tunnels.
Hyper NeoGeo 64 'Xtreme Rally' Sound Improvements for MAME 0.282 (from R.Belmont) - YouTube
'It's been a long, slow process,' Heywood said. 'We've made incremental progress over the years, and the code around MAME has gotten better and more performant, and with each step we've been able to make further progress.'
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