Neo Geo Pocket Color

The Neo Geo Pocket series is a line of handheld game consoles developed and manufactured by SNK between 1998 and 2001. It began with the monochrome released in Japan on October 28, 1998 as SNK's first handheld system and a direct competitor to Nintendo's long-running Game Boy line. In response to the growing popularity of color handhelds, SNK released the upgraded on March 19, 1999 in Japan, featuring a color screen and full backward compatibility with games for the original model.

The Neo Geo Pocket Color rolled out internationally throughout 1999, reaching North America on August 6 and parts of Europe on October 1, and briefly gained traction thanks to its innovative microswitched joystick, strong launch titles, and popular SNK franchises such as ''The King of Fighters'', '' Samurai Shodown'', and '' SNK vs. Capcom''. On October 21, 1999, a smaller and lighter revision of the hardware was released exclusively in Japan as the New Neo Geo Pocket Color, offering improved ergonomics and minor technical enhancements.

Despite a favorable critical reception, the series struggled commercially due to limited third-party support, low retail visibility, and intense competition from the Game Boy Color and WonderSwan in Japan. Following SNK's acquisition by Aruze and its bankruptcy in 2001, the Neo Geo Pocket line was discontinued, marking SNK's final venture into hardware.

History

Monochrome system

SNK, known for its successful Neo Geo arcade and home console systems, entered the handheld gaming market for the first time with the release of the Neo Geo Pocket in 1998. The market had been dominated by Nintendo and its Game Boy, but SNK believed that the Pocket would target a "slightly different" audience.

The device featured a monochrome display and was primarily released in Japan and Hong Kong. It was sold along eight titles at launch, including '' Baseball Stars'', a port of the 1989 game, and '' King of Fighters R-1''.

SNK released the Neo Geo Pocket in various color variations, such as Platinum Blue, Platinum Silver, Platinum White, Carbon Black, Maple Blue, Camouflage Blue, Camouflage Brown, and Crystal White. The Neo Geo Pocket received the Good Design Award in 1998. The system experienced limited commercial success, leading SNK to discontinue it in favor of a color model.

Color model

In response to the market's shift towards color displays, SNK announced the Neo Geo Pocket Color in January 1999. This upgraded handheld featured a non- backlit, full-color screen and was released in Japan in March 1999 with seven launch titles, including , and '' Puzzle Link'' and '' Samurai Shodown! 2''. The Neo Geo Pocket Color was designed to compete with Nintendo's Game Boy Color and Bandai's WonderSwan.

U.S. release and marketing

SNK never officially released the monochrome Neo Geo Pocket in North America or Europe, though customers in these regions could mail-order the system and its games through SNK’s website beginning in April 1999. However, just two units were sold before the launch of the Neo Geo Pocket Color in the United States in August 1999.

The Neo Geo Pocket Color debuted in the U.S. in August 1999, initially available exclusively through the online retailer eToys.com. It launched with six titles and carried a price of . The U.S. version came in six colors: Camouflage Blue, Carbon Black, Crystal White, Platinum Blue, Platinum Silver, and Stone Blue. In its first two months, the Neo Geo Pocket Color sold 25,000 units. Ahead of the 1999 holiday season, distribution expanded to major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Toys "R" Us, and other national chains. SNK also spent US$4million (equivalent to $million in ) on television ads airing on MTV, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.

By May 2000, the system held a modest 2% share of the U.S. handheld console market, tiny compared to Nintendo's dominant Game Boy and Game Boy Color, but enough to turn a profit for SNK USA.

Revision

On October 21, 1999, SNK released a redesigned, slimmer version of the handheld, known as the New Neo Geo Pocket Color, exclusively in Japan, selling at . This model was 13% smaller than the original and featured improved sound output.

Financial troubles

Despite a good start to sales in both the U.S. and Japan, the Neo Geo Pocket Color faced challenges. The console had low retail support in the U.S., limited third-party support due to a lack of communication with third-party developers by SNK's American management,
and stiff competition from other handhelds, driven by the popularity of Nintendo's ''Pokémon'' franchise, and strong competition from Bandai's WonderSwan in Japan.

Meanwhile, SNK, had been in financial trouble for at least a year, and in January 2000, the company was acquired by pachinko manufacturer Aruze. Conflicts with the new Aruze leadership led to the departure of SNK's founder and several employees, who formed a new company, BrezzaSoft. On June 13, 2000, Aruze ceased SNK's operations in North America and Europe. The handheld continued to be sold in Japan until SNK declared bankruptcy on October 30, 2001. After emerging from bankruptcy, the company did not pursue further development of handheld consoles.

Features

The Neo Geo Pocket Color design sports two face buttons on the right hand side of the system, and an eight-direction microswitched digital D-pad on the left. It is horizontally designed like the Game Gear, as opposed to the Game Boy's vertical setup and the WonderSwan's hybrid of both. Upgraded from the Neo Geo Pocket, it has a color screen in the middle.

Similar to the Game Boy and its successors, the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance, the Neo Geo Pocket Color does not have a back-lit screen, and games can only be played in a well-lit area. Like the Game.com before it, the Neo Geo Pocket Color uses a CR2032 battery to retain backup memory and keep the clock active, as well as the usual AA batteries to power the system during usage. The Neo Geo Pocket Color has no regional lockout.

The system has an on-board language setting, and games display text in the language selected (provided the cartridge supports that language). Other settings include time and date, and the system can provide customized horoscopes when one's birth date is entered.

Cables for linking multiple systems were available, as well as a cable to connect the NGPC and the Dreamcast, as part of a partnership between SNK and Sega. Games that featured this option include '' King of Fighters R-2'' (links with '' King of Fighters '99 Dream Match'' and '' King of Fighters Evolution''); '' SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium'' (links with '' Capcom vs. SNK''); '' SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash'' (links with '' King of Fighters Evolution''); '' SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters 2 Expand Edition'' (links with '' Capcom vs SNK'') and ''Cool Cool Jam'' (links with '' Cool Cool Toon'').

At the September 1999 Tokyo Game Show, SNK presented a wireless adaptor for Neo Geo Pocket Color units to wirelessly communicate with one another.

Technical specifications

File:Neo Geo Pocket Motherboard Back.jpg, Neo Geo Pocket motherboard
File:Neo Geo Color Motherboard Bottom.jpg, Neo Geo Pocket Color motherboard

Game library

Only nine games were released for the original monochrome Neo Geo Pocket, all of which are backward compatible with the Neo Geo Pocket Color. Six of these nine games were later re-released in updated color versions for the Pocket Color. Some Pocket Color titles can also be played in monochrome on the original system.

A total of 73 games were released for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. Most were developed by SNK, including entries from its established franchises such as ''Fatal Fury'', '' Metal Slug'' and ''The King of Fighters''.

Several major third-party developers contributed to the library, including Sega with '' Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure'', a title based on '' Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' that has been cited as one of the best games produced for the system. Capcom collaborated with SNK on several crossover titles, including '' SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium'' and the '' SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters'' series. Namco published a version of ''Pac-Man'' that included a plastic cross ring designed to restrict the system's microswitched joystick to four directions; this version has been regarded as one of the best home ports of the game.

Cartridges

Neo Geo Pocket cartridges are smaller than Game Boy cartridges. Games were initially packaged in small, clamshell-style plastic cases with colorful cover art, resembling the packaging of Neo Geo AES games. These cases were regarded by some fans as particularly distinctive. In an effort to reduce costs, SNK USA adopted cardboard packaging for the North American market, a decision that reportedly angered SNK's leadership in Japan. Japanese releases later shifted to cardboard boxes as well, while European titles continued to be sold in clamshell cases until the system was discontinued in that region. Toward the end of the system's lifespan in North America, games were frequently bundled in blister packs to clear remaining inventory, sometimes including previously unreleased titles such as ''Faselei!''.

Re-releases

Several Neo Geo Pocket Color games were re-released via emulation on the Nintendo Switch, beginning with ''Samurai Shodown! 2'' as a pre-order incentive for the 2019 '' Samurai Shodown'' reboot . These re-releases were later compiled into '' Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1'' (2021) and ''Vol. 2'' (2022), which were also released for Windows.

Reception

SNK sold over 25,000 Neo Geo Pocket Color units in Japan and more than 100,000 in Europe by the end of 1999. By May 2000, the system held a 2% share of the North American handheld market.

Retrospective reviews of the Neo Geo Pocket have been largely positive.

Jeremy Parish of ''USGamer'' called it an influential handheld, describing it as a "technological bridge" between the 8-bit portable era and the Game Boy Advance, commended its robust build quality, and noting that its distinctive "clicky stick" was a precursor to features in later consoles. He praised the system’s diverse library, highlighting titles like '' SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash'', '' Sonic Pocket Adventure'', '' Magical Drop'', and ''Pac-Man''. Parish attributed its commercial failure to SNK's limited retail presence and the acquisition by Aruze in 2000, concluding, "Neo Geo Pocket Color’s life may have been painfully brief, but it was nevertheless memorable for those who experienced it."

Ryan Lambie of ''Den of Geek'' called the Neo Geo Pocket one of Nintendo’s strongest competitors, praising its "brilliant" game library, design, and quality. He lamented its early market exit, writing, "It was a premature end for a system that, although doomed to remain a distant second to the Game Boy, could have forged a great little niche of its own."

Damien McFerran of ''Nintendo Life'' called the Neo Geo Pocket, alongside the WonderSwan, one of the most "interesting challengers" to Nintendo. He praised its library, clamshell packaging, hardware, and battery life, writing, "The Neo Geo Pocket Color may not have succeeded in its goal of wrestling market share away from Nintendo, but that doesn't automatically mean it was a failure. Many fans will argue that the quality of the software available was far in advance of that on the Game Boy Color, and the fantastic controls, amazing battery life, cool PDA features and excellent screen combine to make a system which is still hard to put down, even today."

See also

* List of Neo Geo Pocket Color games

Notes

References

{{Handheld game consoles

1990s toys
2000s toys
Backward-compatible video game consoles
Sixth-generation video game consoles
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Products introduced in 1999
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