Review: The {Neo 29} is a wonderful cabinet considering its age. This was the first candy I ever got a hold of; before then I knew about candy cabs but wasn't particularly interested in them, and this cabinet changed my mind completely. First off, the monitor. The chassis is a Hitachi, but don't let the obscurity worry you. The 29" picture is lovely and it does medium res with a jumper setting. Unlike earlier SNK candies, the monitor is rotatable although I've never attempted it myself. As for the rest of the cabinet, everything is easily accessible. The monitor adjustments are inside the CP, the test switches (including degauss) are inside the coin door, the CP and marquee area unlocks with a key, and the monitor bolts are easy to get to. In the cabinet itself there's more than ample room for any PCB you can imagine, times 5. No tables or haphazardly-placed PSUs in the middle of the cabinet, just vast empty space. No worries about where to mount your 6-slot Neo-Geo here. A few bad points. The monitor tube gets gaussed easily. Move it two feet and I guarantee you'll have to degauss it. Luckily, the button is right there on the PSU, so that's not really an issue. The biggest issue of all is the inherent susceptibility to yellowing, at least with the upper monitor section. It's basically unavoidable, just like the original SNES yellowing. The good news is it can be fixed with various polishes, Retr0brite, etc. The cabinet artwork may or may not be a problem for you. It basically screams "1992" with the squiggles and bright colors. Personally I think it's rad, but others might disagree. The shape is also a little boxy compared to more recent candies, which you may or may not dig. The harness might also be a problem. It is wired for MVS standard, so if you plan to play JAMMA games on it, either get the "Candy" version of the Neo 29 ({Neo Candy 29}), rewire it permanently, or purchase an MVS -> JAMMA adaptor. All in all, if you come across this cabinet or it's little brother the Neo 25, it's definitely worth picking up, especially if you're into Neo-Geo games.

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