In 1989, SNK released a 16-bit machine called Neo-Geo. The cartridges were actual arcade boards inside a plastic casing; games were quickly port to the console from the Neo-Geo arcade units, known as the MVS. The Neo-Geo was far ahead of it's time, and incredibly expensive, which kept it from meeting the mainstream. New cartridges would cost in the $200-$300 range. In the mid-1990's, SNK released the Neo-Geo CD to make games more affordable to the consumer. Practically all games are available on both cartridge and CD format. The one negative side of the Neo-Geo CD is the incredibly high loading times the user experiences. For this reason, a double-speed model, the Neo-Geo CDZ, was introduced. Loading times are still too great for many even with the CDZ, however. The CD and Cartridge Neo-Geo units were released in both Japan and the US, but the CDZ was only available in Japan.