Wikipedia

Neo Geo Pocket Color

TheNeo Geo Pocket Color[a](NGPC) is a 16-bithandheld game consoledeveloped and manufactured bySNK,released on March 19, 1999 in Japan with international markets following in August that year. It is an upgrade of the originalNeo Geo Pocket,which was released in 1998 and mainly sold in Japan; the Color features a color display instead of amonochromeone, and is fullybackward compatible.

Neo Geo Pocket Color
ManufacturerSNK
Product familyNeo Geo
TypeHandheld game console
GenerationSixth
Release dateNeo Geo Pocket
  • JP:October 28, 1998
Neo Geo Pocket Color
New Neo Geo Pocket Color
  • JP:October 21, 1999
Lifespan1998–2001
Introductory price
  • JP¥7,800 (Pocket)
  • JP¥8,900 (Pocket Color)
  • US$69.95
Discontinued
  • NA:June 13, 2000
  • EU:June 13, 2000
  • JP:October 30, 2001
MediaROM cartridge
CPUToshiba TLCS900Hcore (16-bit) @ 6.144 MHz
Zilog Z80@ 3.072 MHz for sound
Memory12 KBRAMfor 900/H
4 KB RAM for Z80
64 KBROM
Display2.7 ", 160x152 resolution, 146 colors on screen out of a palette of 4096
SoundT6W28 (enhancedSN76489), 6-bitDACs
Power2AA batteriesfor 40 hours of play,LithiumCR2032for backup memory and clock

The Pocket and Pocket Color were SNK's first handhelds; its library mainly consists of conversions from the company's well-knownarcadefranchises from theNeo Geo,such asSNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium,Samurai Shodown!andKing of Fighters R-1.The Neo Geo Pocket Color faced tough competition againstNintendo'sGame Boy Color,leading to the system's discontinuation in the West by mid-2000, and continued to be marketed in Japan until SNK's bankruptcy in October 2001. Despite being a commercial failure, the platform has been well regarded for a number of highly-acclaimed exclusive games, as well as the device's arcade-style microswitched joystick.

History

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Monochrome system

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SNK,creators of the hugely successfulNeo Geoand its franchises, announced the Neo Geo Pocket in1998as the company's first foray in the handheld video gaming market, which had been dominated at the time byNintendoand itsGame Boy.An SNK spokesperson commented that the Pocket's target audience was "slightly different" than Game Boy's.[3]

The original Neo Geo Pocket with a monochrome display, in camouflage brown color

The monochrome Neo Geo Pocket debuted inJapanin late 1998 and was primarily sold in Japan and Hong Kong.[4]It was sold with eight titles at launch.[5]The system and all five English games saw limited distribution in the west, where it could be ordered directly from SNK USA.[6]

SNK released the Neo Geo Pocket in eight color variations: Platinum Blue, Platinum Silver, Platinum White, Carbon Black, Maple Blue, Camouflage Blue, Camouflage Brown, and Crystal White.[7]The Neo Geo Pocket received the Good Design Award in 1998.[8]

Color model

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The Neo Geo Pocket only managed lower-than-expected sales[9]and after only a few months in the market was discontinued and replaced by the Neo Geo Pocket Color, an upgraded version featuring a non-backlit,full color display. The Color was announced in January 1999 and released in Japan in March 1999 with seven launch titles.[10]It was conceived shortly after Nintendo released the color display capableGame Boy Color.[11]In the domestic market it also competed againstBandai'sWonderSwan,a system that retailed for significantly cheaper than SNK's product.[9]

U.S. release and marketing

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The Neo Geo Pocket Color, in platinum silver color

The U.S. version of the Neo Geo Pocket Color had an exclusive launch on the websiteeToysin August 1999. eToys also sold the initial launch titles in the plastic snap lock cases. The system debuted in the United States with six launch titles (twenty promised by end of year) and retail price of $69.95. Six different unit colors were available: Camouflage Blue, Carbon Black, Crystal White, Platinum Blue, Platinum Silver, and Stone Blue. In its first two months, the NGPC sold a successful 25,000 units.[12]

Prior to SNK's acquisition by Aruze, the Neo Geo Pocket Color was being advertised on U.S. television and units were being sold nationwide atWal-Mart,Best Buy,Toys "R" Us,and other major retail chains. For the Christmas Holiday season in 1999, SNK spent $4 million on television advertisements that aired on channels includingMTV,Comedy Central,Cartoon NetworkandNickelodeon.[12]

By May 2000, the NGPC had a 2% market share in the U.S. handheld console market; although tiny compared to the Game Boy andGame Boy Color,it was enough to turn a profit for SNK USA.[12]

New model

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The revised Japan-exclusiveNewNeo Geo Pocket Color, in translucent blue color

On 21 October 1999, a redesigned, slimmer version calledNew Neo Geo Pocket Colorwas released in Japan, selling at ¥6800.[13]It is 13% smaller than the original Neo Geo Pocket Color, with dimensions 125 x 73 x 27 mm, and also features improved sound output.[14]

Financial troubles and Aruze

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After a good sales start in both the U.S. and Japan with 14launch titles(a record at the time),[2]subsequent low retail support in the U.S.,[15]lack of communication with third-party developers by SNK's American management,[16]the popularity of Nintendo'sPokémonfranchise and anticipation of the 32-bitGame Boy Advance,[17]and strong competition fromBandai'sWonderSwanin Japan, led to a sales decline in both regions.[12]

Meanwhile, SNK had been in financial trouble for at least a year; the company soon collapsed, and was purchased by AmericanpachinkomanufacturerAruzein January 2000.[12]However, Aruze did not support SNK's video game business enough, leading to SNK's original founder and several other employees leaving to form a new company, BrezzaSoft.[12][18]Eventually on June 13, 2000, Aruze decided to quit the North American and European markets, marking the end of SNK's worldwide operations and the discontinuation of Neo Geo hardware and software there.[12]The Neo Geo Pocket Color (and other SNK/Neo Geo products) did however, last until 2001 in Japan. It was SNK's last video game console, as the company went bankrupt on October 30, 2001.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

Post-Western discontinuation

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In June 2000, Aruze (parent of SNK) decided to discontinue all SNK operations outside Japan. As a result, remaining stock was bought back by SNK for repackaging in Asia. SNK were recalling most of the back-stock of systems and games to beflashedand re-sold in Asia where the system would continue to be sold and supported. Some of the back-stock of American NGPC hardware and software began to resurface on the American and Asian markets in 2003. These units frequently appeared bundled with six games stripped of their cases and manuals. Two games often included,Faselei!andThe Last Blade: Beyond the Destinywere never previously released in United States, meaning that they have no U.S.-localized box or manual; however, these titles did receive a European release, incorporating an English translation.

After the bankruptcy of SNK on October 30, 2001, the intellectual property rights were collectively transferred to the successor company SNK Playmore (later the second generation SNK), but the development of Neo Geo Pocket Color was discontinued after bankruptcy.

Features

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The Neo Geo Pocket Color design sports two face buttons on the right hand side of the system, and an eight-direction microswitched digitalD-padon the left. It is horizontally designed like theGame Gear,as opposed to theGame Boy's vertical setup and theWonderSwan'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 andGame 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 theGamebefore it, the Neo Geo Pocket Color uses aCR2032battery to retain backup memory and keep the clock active, as well as the usualAA batteriesto power the system during usage. The Neo Geo Pocket Color has noregional lockout.

The link cable for linking systems together

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 customizedhoroscopeswhen one's birth date is entered.

Cables for linking multiple systems were available, as well as a cable to connect the NGPC and theDreamcast,as part of a partnership between SNK andSega.[3]Games that featured this option includeKing of Fighters R-2(links withKing of Fighters '99 Dream MatchandKing of Fighters Evolution);SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium(links withCapcom vs. SNK);SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash(links withKing of Fighters Evolution);SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters 2 Clash Expand Edition(links withCapcom vs SNK) andCool Cool Jam(links withCool Cool Toon).

At the September 1999Tokyo Game Show,SNK presented a wireless adaptor for Neo Geo Pocket Color units towirelessly communicatewith one another.[26]

Technical specifications and Comparison table

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Model Neo Geo Pocket Neo Geo Pocket Color New Neo Geo Pocket Color
Logo
Console
CPUs Toshiba TLCS-900/Hcore (16/32-bit CISC based onZ80), up to 6.144 MHz, Z80 at 3.072 MHz dedicated to sound
RAM 12 KB for 900/H, 4 KB for Z80 (shared with the 900/H), 4 KB of tilemap RAM, 8 KB of character RAM
ROM 64 KB BIOS
Interfaces SIO 1 channel 19200 bit/s, 5-pin serial port
Display size 2.6-inch
Resolution 160x152 (256x256 virtual screen)
DMA 4 channels, integrated in TLCS-900/H core
Colors N/A 146 (or 20 in monochrome mode) on-screen out of 4096
Palettes 16 palettes per plane, 64 sprites per frame 16 for sprites, 16 per scrolling plane, additional 8 sets of 8 colors each assigned to the 6 monochrome-mode palettes (2 for sprites, 2 per scrolling plane), backdrop, and window
Characters 512 8x8 characters, transparency + 3 colors per character
Sprites 64 8x8 sprites, each can be placed behind, in-between, or above the scrolling planes, no arbitrary scanline limitation
Scrolling 2 scrolling planes, 32x32 tilemaps with 8x8 character tiles
Special effects Character flipping, sprite chaining, sprite coordinate offsetting, windowing, color inversion
Sound T6W28 (enhancedSN76489with 3 square-wave tone generators + 1 noise generator, stereo capability), dual 6-bitdigital-to-analog converters
Cartridges Maximum 4 MB (32 Mbit) with 4 to 16 Mbit flash memory
Batteries 40 hours on twoAAA batteries,LithiumCR2032for backup memory and clock 40 hours on twoAA batteries,Lithium CR2032 battery for memory and clock
Physical dimensions / weight 122mm × 74mm × 24mm, 130 grams (0.29 lb) 130mm × 80mm × 30mm, 145 grams (0.320 lb) 126mm × 74mm × 30mm, 120 grams (0.26 lb) without battery
  • Neo Geo Pocket motherboard
  • Neo Geo Pocket Color motherboard

Game library

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Main article:List of Neo Geo Pocket Color games
Close-up of theFaselei!game cartridge

Only nine games were released for the original monochrome Neo Geo Pocket model, all of which are playable on the Neo Geo Pocket Color throughbackward compatibility.Six of these nine games later received updated color re-releases for the Pocket Color. A selection of Pocket Color games can also be played in monochrome on the original system.

A total of 73 games were released for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. Most of the system's games were produced by SNK themselves, featuring well-received titles from franchises such asFatal Fury,Metal SlugandThe King of Fighters.[27]Several large third-party developers also contributed to the system; the most well known of these isSega'sSonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure,a title heavily based onSonic the Hedgehog 2that is often considered one of the greatest games produced for the system.[28][29][30]Taitocontributed a port of their successful arcade gameDensha de Go! 2andPuzzle Bobble Mini,also known asBust-A-Move Pocket.[27]Capcomworked in conjunction with SNK on several crossover games featuring their characters, includingSNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millenniumand theSNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clashseries of games.Namcopublished a conversion ofPac-Man,which came with a plastic cross ring that restricted the system's clicky stick to four directions; this version is often seen as one of the best home ports of the game to be released.[29][31]Compile,Data EastandADKalso produced ports ofPuyo Pop,Magical DropandCrush Rollerrespectively.SuccesspublishedCotton: Fantastic Night Dreams,a successful port of the arcade game of the same name.

Cartridges

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Similar to theNeo Geo AESconsole, Neo Geo Pocket Color games were packaged in large clamshell-like black cases, fitted with bright, colorful cover art on them. As a way to reduce costs, in North America the games were instead shipped in cardboard boxes, a move that has been negatively received due to their general poor quality.[citation needed]Japanese games were later released in the same cardboard boxes, while all European releases used the clamshell cases.[12][29]Towards the end of the system's short lifespan in North America, games were often bundled together in blister packs and sold in stores to clear out inventory, often including previously-unreleased titles such asFaselei!.[28]Neo Geo Pocket cartridges are smaller than Game Boy cartridges.[32]

Re-releases

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Several Neo Geo Pocket Color games were re-released for the first time viaemulationonNintendo Switch,beginning withSamurai Shodown! 2in 2019 as apre-order incentiveforSamurai Shodown(2019).[33]These re-releases were later compiled intoNeo Geo Pocket Color SelectionVol. 1(2021) andVol. 2(2022), which were also released forWindows.[34][35]

Reception

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SNK sold over 25,000 Neo Geo Pocket Color systems in Japan and over 100,000 in Europe by the end of 1999.[12]By May of 2000, the Neo Geo Pocket Color retained a 2% market share in the North American handheld market; although minuscule compared to the Nintendo'sGame Boy Color,it was enough to turn a profit for SNK America.[12]

Retrospective feedback for the Neo Geo Pocket Color has been positive.USGamerwriter Jeremy Parish considers it an important and influential handheld for being a "technological bridge" between the 8-bit portable era and theGame Boy Advance,and for its "clicky stick" having been used for modern video game consoles.[28]He praised the game's small library for its quality and wide selection of genres, specifically titles such asSNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash,Sonic Pocket Adventure,Magical DropandPac-Man,and for the system's build quality being robust and well-built.[28]Parish blamed the system's commercial failure on both SNK's large lack of retail presence and forAruzeacquiring the company in 2000, concluding the article with: "Neo Geo Pocket Color's life may have been painfully brief, but it was nevertheless memorable for those who experienced it. Perhaps all the more so for the system's brevity, in fact."[28]Ryan Lamble ofDen of Geekfelt that the Neo Geo Pocket Color was the best rival to Nintendo's Game Boy Color for its "brilliant" game library, design and overall quality.[30]Lamble expressed somber towards the system's early defeat in the handheld market, saying: "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."[30]NintendoLife's Damien McFerran said that both it and the WonderSwan served as some of the most "interesting challengers" towards Nintendo.[29]He commended the system for its game library and clamshell boxes, hardware capabilities, battery life and lasting legacy on future systems, writing: "Like the WonderSwan, 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."[29]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Japanese:ネオジオポケットカラー,Hepburn:Neo Jio Poketto Karā

References

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  1. ^"Game Machine, March 1999 Issue"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on January 12, 2023.
  2. ^ab"Neo Geo Pocket Color".Archived fromthe originalon February 29, 2000.
  3. ^ab"New handheld from arcade masters".Computer & Video Games.No. 202. September 1998. p. 7.
  4. ^Kotaku (February 12, 2012)."Screw the Vita, Let's Talk About the Other NGP".Kotaku.RetrievedSeptember 6,2023.
  5. ^"“SNK “ネオジオポケット” モノクロ bản は ngày 22 tháng 10 đồng thời phát bán ソフトは cách đấu ゲームなど8 làm” "(PDF).Game Machine(in Japanese). No. 571. September 1, 1998.RetrievedJune 12,2024.
  6. ^"NEOGEO POCKET".SNK USA.October 5, 1999. Archived fromthe originalon October 5, 1999.RetrievedFebruary 19,2024.
  7. ^ネオジオポケット[Neo Geo Pocket].ハンディゲームマシンコンプリートガイドデラックス ゲームギア・ワンダースワン・ネオジオポケットEdition[Handy Game Machine Complete Guide Deluxe: Game Gear, WonderSwan, Neo Geo Pocket Edition] (in Japanese). Shufunotomo. October 2020. p. 142, 143.ISBN9784074447602.
  8. ^"Neo Geo Pocket NEOP 10010".Japan Design Promotion Association(in Japanese). 1998. Archived fromthe originalon May 14, 2015.RetrievedJuly 6,2021.
  9. ^abStaff, I. G. N. (March 20, 1999)."TGS: Handhelds Aplenty".IGN.RetrievedJanuary 25,2025.
  10. ^https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19990301p.pdf
  11. ^"SNK Aims At Handheld Gaming".GameSpot.RetrievedJanuary 25,2025.
  12. ^abcdefghij"The History of SNK".
  13. ^"New Archives - September 1999".
  14. ^"Neo Geo Pocket COLOR specs".
  15. ^"The end of an era: a cruel look at what we missed: Part 2".June 2000.
  16. ^"NeoGeo Pocket Color Feature".RetrievedOctober 9,2010.
  17. ^"Neo Geo Pocket Color 101, A beginner's guide".racket BOY.January 4, 2012.
  18. ^http:// mobygames /company/snk-corporation/historyArchivedMarch 20, 2016, at theWayback MachineHistory for SNK Corporation
  19. ^"SNKフォーエバー".エス • エヌ • ケイ.October 29, 2001. Archived fromthe originalon June 2, 2002.RetrievedOctober 31,2023.
  20. ^"SNK FOR EVER".SNK.October 29, 2001.RetrievedNovember 12,2023.
  21. ^"SNKが Osaka mà tài から phá sản tuyên cáo".ZDNet JAPAN(in Japanese). November 2, 2001. Archived fromthe originalon November 19, 2001.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  22. ^"アルゼがSNK cây chủ より tổn hại bồi thường thỉnh cầu".Gpara(in Japanese). November 2, 2001. Archived fromthe originalon December 24, 2001.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
  23. ^"SNK Waves Goodbye".IGN.October 30, 2001.RetrievedJune 11,2023.
  24. ^Seyoon Park, Andrew (October 29, 2001)."SNK Corporation closes its doors".GameSpot.Archived fromthe originalon November 2, 2001.RetrievedOctober 31,2023.
  25. ^[1]ArchivedAugust 6, 2019, at theWayback Machine
  26. ^Staff, I. G. N. (September 21, 1999)."TGS: SNK and NeoGeo Pocket Color".IGN.RetrievedJanuary 25,2025.
  27. ^abVidegame Hardware Handbook Vol. 1.United Kingdom:Imagine Publishing.2016. pp.252–253.ISBN978-1906078447.RetrievedFebruary 12,2020.
  28. ^abcdeParish, Jeremy (October 28, 2014)."Neo Geo Pocket Color: The Portable That Changed Everything".USGamer.Archived fromthe originalon May 6, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 12,2020.
  29. ^abcdeMcFerran, Damien (March 26, 2014)."Hardware Classics: SNK Neo Geo Pocket Color".Nintendo Life.Archived fromthe originalon July 25, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 12,2020.
  30. ^abcLamble, Ryan (January 25, 2012)."The life and times of the Neo Geo Pocket Color".Den of Geek.Archived fromthe originalon October 21, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 12,2020.
  31. ^Hannley, Steve (July 6, 2013)."Pocket Power: Pac-Man".Hardcore Gamer.Archived fromthe originalon December 7, 2017.RetrievedFebruary 2,2020.
  32. ^IGN Staff (September 15, 2000)."NeoGeo Pocket Color".IGN.RetrievedJuly 26,2018.
  33. ^Romano, Sal (August 28, 2019)."Samurai Shodown for Switch debut trailer, screenshots".Gematsu.RetrievedSeptember 20,2023.
  34. ^Miller, Zachary (March 31, 2021)."NeoGeo Pocket Color Collection Vol. 1 (Switch eShop) Review".NintendoWorldReport.RetrievedSeptember 20,2023.
  35. ^Massey, Tom (November 15, 2022)."Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol.2 Review".Nintendo Life.RetrievedSeptember 20,2023.
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