| Price | Scanline City |
| Release | July 31, 2022 |
| Compatibility | PS5 / PS4 / PS3 / PSC / XSX / XB1 / X360 / NS / WU / PC |
Other Edition
Introduction
Scanline City is back with two new arcade sticks that have American and Japanese joysticks, with one named the MAS Neo. Is that a Matrix reference? We may never know…
The Neo is an attempt by Scanline City at modernizing the MAS arcade stick while retaining positive classical features. The idea came about when discussing the ultimate MAS arcade stick with the original creator before his passing.
Performance
Those who have had experience with the Perfect 360 Optical Joystick’s circular gate should feel right at home with the Neo. We are talking about smooth movements with little sound.
The joystick itself has no mounting bolts, and that is because the standoff was welded to the backside of the steel, giving you freedom to install the joystick lever of your choice if needed with an adapter/mounting plate and proper spacer kit from Scanline City.
The American buttons feel good and provide ample auditory feedback. As for the button layouts, they include:
- Street Fighter II straight 6
- Street Fighter II straight 8
- Sega 2P 6
- Sega 2P 8
- Vewlix 8
- Noir 8
The Neo is heavy but not too heavy to place on your lap. However, the bottom panel may be slippery on your lap unless you install something like anti-slip padding. Regardless, after the Neo is fully assembled, it is as good as an American arcade stick can be.
Hardware
The Neo is a hardware powerhouse. It is primarily made of MDF wood, and a seemingly new addition is that the side is made of Formica laminate with no paint. The steel is 16 gauge, laser cut, and engraved. Custom engravement is available for a premium. The bottom is steel.
While the steel is cut for 30 mm buttons, you can choose plexiglass for 30 mm Japanese or 28.6 mm American buttons. It is up to you whether to have three or six buttons on the back.
More than a dozen screws have to be taken out in order to access the bottom panel and then the interior. If you wire the Neo yourself, be careful not to cut your hands and/or fingers. Putting together the other parts requires precision too because American parts are bigger and tougher to handle than, say, Japanese or Korean parts.
Appearance
Something that the Neo does right is that it has a modernized look while retaining the classic MAS feel. There are 18 colors to choose from. The side walls can be black or white. You can also choose to have a pattern around the joystick and buttons. The Classic edition is more reminiscent of the original MAS.
The plexiglass is ⅛ inch, which you can remove by simply taking out the four corner bolts, allowing for custom artwork, which we at The Arcade Stick can provide through our custom art service.
If you want to add custom art, a few plexiglass nuts need to be removed as well the lever, buttons, and so on. Dust may also accumulate under the plexiglass.
On the bright side, the nuts, bolts, and screws probably explain why the Neo is a hardware powerhouse: everything is secured in place during play.
Conclusion
The MAS Neo is a hardware powerhouse that resembles its classic predecessors while adding modern touches.
- Hardware powerhouse
- Two editions
- Different layouts
- Color choices
- Custom engravement
- Customizable art
- Authentic look
- Slippery bottom panel
- Installation & modding difficulty
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐