Classic Game Room - NEO-GEO POCKET COLOR review
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- Опубліковано 28 сер 2024
- Classic Game Room reviews the SNK Neo-Geo Pocket Color handheld game console from 1999! This sequel to the black and white NeoGeo Pocket had color and higher hopes but still failed to gain a foothold against the Nintendo Game Boy and Sega Game Gear. Lack of a backlit screen and small software library kept the SNK Neo Geo Pocket Color to a niche market, but that doesn't mean it isn't awesome. The Neo-Geo Pocket Color is a 16-bit hand held videogame console with games like Samurai Shodown and Gals Fighters that have a catchy cartoony look and awesome gameplay. It has a thumbstick instead of a D-pad and two buttons. Because of the non-backlit screen the Neo Geo Pocket has excellent battery life. Its design is pleasing and the SNK NeoGeo Pocket Color has a handy portable size which fits your hands well and makes gameplay comfortable. CGR reviews Neo-Geo Pocket Color video games on Classic Game Room review show.
I remember my father took me to a Montgomery ward as a child and got me this for my birthday. I had KOF, Real Bout Fatal Fury, Capcom vs SNK... Good times..
Bet you were baller turning up with this compared to the others having gbc's
me too, i really love this neo geo handheld console, but i play on a emulator with 2 metal slug games a sonic game
and a snk vs capcom game, i love it but except the audio problem thats from my emulator neopop
I'm surprised Montgomery Ward
was still around during the Neo Geo Pocket days. I've always associated them with the Super Nintendo and PlayStation eras... by Dreamcast/PS2, I thought they'd gone out of business.
absolutely love this handheld. the back light issue wasn't a big deal to me since this came out when gameboy color was out and that lacked back lighting as well.
this handheld did offer some really awesome titles and the control on it was amazing, plus has some really good imports too
I think this is one the most forgotten hand helds in retro history (and was my favourite handheld system)
I got one of these last week. Perfect timing for a review. Great little system.
The best handheld console ever, in my opinion. Its size, price, battery life, library, SNK did everything right. The quality ratio and variety of games in its short 2-year lifespan was amazing.
2010: "iPod touch here, which is nice and thin"
2020: "UuuuUUhHH??!"
Mark and his distinctive classic video game voice. He also have an obsession with TRUCK-ston.
I couldn't help yelling "Neo-Geo!" And pretending a crowd was yelling it back at me when I saw this video in my subscriptions.
ScrewAttack and Classic Game Room FTW!
Full size console in a pocket?
JNCO jeans FTW
I own two of these.
I got the NGP when it came out back in 1999.
A couple of years later i managed to get my hands on a colour version.
This console is really cool, well designed, with a very responsive and reflectant screen despite not being lit... A nice and responsive controller, the cartridge boxes were absolutelly awesome, just in the way the original Neo Geo was...
The CPU was enough powerful and quite much over the GameBoy Colour back then... Larger sprites, faster paced games, and fluent animations.
The 2 batteries really lasted fro a very long time.
However this console has TWO serious drawbacks.
First, the use of a PSG sound chip instead some kind of FM one.
PSG melodies can be funny and sound cool in certain aspects, but at the end, the PSG is one of the poorest sound chips in videogame history.
It was the one used in the MSX and later in the Master System and Game Gear.
Even back in the day, the MSX showed disadvantages even compared with some other "not-so-good" music chips like the AY in the Spectrum or Amstrad CPC.
SNK should have went for a slightly better chip with better sound registers, not just beep beep and not much more. The YM in the Atari ST was way better and we're talking about 1986... Man.
The second serious drawback is the way the console managed sprites.
These can use a very limited amount of colours. So as a result, you can see really pale characters made of 4 bare colours over a well detailed background.
Some games like Metal Slug 2 tried to solve this problem using 2 sprites per character, making possible to see 8 colour characters... Not quite a good fix, but, well... That's what they did.
I love this system so much, its grossly underrated. That thumbstick allows for such incredible control. I have a pretty rare mega man game for this system (its in my 5 rarest games video if anyone cares to check it out.) This system has some of the greatest fighting games ever made for a handheld.
Thanks for the review, in brings back good memories since I bought one of these nearly 10 years ago and loved it.
I was 17 when I purchased this, and now I'm 26.
I really hope one day that Neo Geo Pocket Color games come to the 3ds/ new 3ds eshop
Your dream came true on Switch 😌
I love this handheld to bits, if the screen was lit ( even front lit gba sp version ags001 style ) It would have been a hit.
Hi there mate
I bought one of these back in 1999 for about £30 and picked up a few random games. Can't say how damn awesome they all are.
King of fighters r2, Biomotor unitron, Sonic pocket adventure, Neo geo cup 98.
For such a limited lifespan it had a huge amount of great games.
The SNK vs CAPCOM -match of the millenium- was an awesome, and really complete game!
Unlocking characters, mini games, new specials moves to purchase, weird and funny dialogues, with a fluid animation and great music, made this game a master piece!
I lost my beloved NGPC, but im still playing it on my psp (it is not the same), but i love it
Yo can see special art, if you put the game on a NGP! A great box of surprises!!
Thanks 4 this awesome review!! =)
Loved my NGPC!!! Metal Slug on the go back in the day was friggin awesome. It may not have been backlit, but the battery life was INSANELY good. As in 40 hours off of 2 AAs. Still smokes everything out there in that dept. Was by far the best handheld in '99. A shame it never caught on. Imagine what handhelds SNK would have today if it was successful.
4:27 = No BACKLIT and LOOK at how GOOD, CRISP and CLEAR The SCREEN IS !
This is the absolute best "non backlit" screen I've ever seen.
If you add the extreme portability and ergonomy of the machine (it just fits perfectly in the hands), the best "D-PAD-Joypad-stick" in HISTORY and an enormour battery life, you have , in my opinion, the best handheld ever created.
The icing on the cake being its look, its also the cutiest console ever.
Mad props to SNK for this overlooked gem of a machine.
We need a homebrew scene for this system
Such a great system. Every title for it is a gem.
"In fact the games are extremely affordable"
Gals Fighters is now over $120 rip
Oh wow, this is the first comment I've seen on any of this guy's older review videos that was under 5 years old. Congrats
I always enjoy your reviews Mark. Looks like a nice little handheld. It's kind of funny since I was planning on picking up a GBA or GB color this Sunday coming up at the flea market.
i really like the Neo Geo Pocket system's for their 8-way thumb stick. i've talked to some people who don't like it but i rather enjoy the feel it has. while most D-pads have 8 directions on them they leave me wishing i had an arcade stick for some games. Neo Geo Pocket gives me that feeling of using an arcade joystick while playing, and that just puts me in a good mood without having to actually play a game with it. you know it's a good system if you simply enjoy holding it.
Damn you, I just went through your old videos and found this. I had two NeoGeo Pocket colors at different times and they both were stolen. After seeing this I had to go to eBay and re-buy one, a cool see through one from Japan. At least I still have all my games with exception of Gal's Fighters. But props for the video
Very nice system. I have two of these, along with the canvas carry case and a few games. Definitely pick one up if you like fighting games, as there is no shortage of those for the NGPC. There are other cool non-fighting games too, like Dark Arms, Faselei, Sonic Pocket Adventure, and two Metal Slug games. Absolutely worth owning. The only problem I have is the lack of a backlit screen. If there isn't enough light where you are, it's gonna be tough to see anything.
The killer app for this system is SNK vs Capcom Match of the Millennium. Although it's obviously a little scaled down from the arcade, it still has an impressive roster of characters from many different games on the SNK side. Unfortunately the Capcom roster is a little disappointing, consisting only of Street Fighter characters plus three from Darkstalkers. Still an amazing game though, and loaded with unlockables, minigames, and other content.
My buddy had one of these. Pretty cool, but very limited.
I still have mine, dunno why the hell i bought it, but i loved it :D
I definitely want this console, and for only one reason: Biomotor Unitron.
@NodakJo2010 I agree, this was practically doomed from the start. On one hand you got SNK making a 16-bit handheld that only offered bite-sized versions of SNK arcade classics. On the other hand, you got Nintendo offering a 32-bit handheld that offered not only great Nintendo classics, but a whole lot of excellent games from third-party as well. We all know who won that battle.
I bought this for my birthday along with a few other things. Wow what an awesome birthday that was.
Got this (camo blue) along with metal slug 1st mission, Capcom Vs SNk and Bust a love pocket all Complete for only 150$ I got lucky!!!
I just picked onr up for 50 bucks mint in box with sonic the hedgehog! Not a bad deal and so far i really like it! Great video
when i was born so was this legend
I actually have this game system. Bought it years ago with one game, called 'Dark Arms'. At the time of my buying this system there were quite a few games for it but the problem is definitely the lack of a back light.
Other than that, there is a charm to this system and, as typical of SNK, most of their games are fighting games. The games are cheap, much more so compared to all other consoles out there now.
So, if you are looking for a cheap alternative pocket game system, and you can handle the lack of a back light, then the Neo Geo Pocket could be just what you are looking for.
Despite lack of a backlit screen it is nevertheless still easy to see. Much easier than the original Gameboy Advance. I really don't have much of a problem with this console not having back light. And yeah the styling is lovely.
I've always dreamed of owning a Neo Geo Pocket system, and sadly I still dream of trying to find a store or someone who I know who owns one. I will definitely buy it for a valuable price.
Ebay is your friend.
Great little handheld. Not surprisingly, the system had a longer life in Japan, with something like 85 or 90 game titles. Worth looking into, if you don't mind Japanese text in the games.
Had this when it came out. Got it at a gamestop but games were hard to find. Had it for a year or two.
I know this is an eleven year old video, but man, prices have changed. Over 200 dollars for metal slug 2nd mission, 399.99 for evolution eternal dungeons, 1400 dollars for cotton, 600 dollars for that one wrestling game. I got lucky and found 4 games (dark arms , biomotor unitron, kof r2, and sonic) that were under 70 dollars. Looks like I'm only gonna have around 6 to 8 games total. The ones I REALLY want are way too expensive.
didnt know handheld existed.
watched your video
fell in love
bought a neo geo pocket color
fell in love even more
conclusion - WHAT HAVE I BEEN SPENDING MY MONEY AT FOR NOT NOTICING THIS CONSOLE!
Sonic Pocket Adventure is easily one of the best Sonic games.
how i miss the classic game room
I don't have Neo Geo AES/CD sized pocket now so I'll just get the Neo Geo Pocket Color instead,the only thing from SNK that
didn't get overpriced to death well at least the console part,the games for it are still expensive.
The only thing I remember hearing about the Neo Geo Pocket was while playing Capcom vs SNK on the Dreamcast which had a feature where you could link the portable to the console to transfer data of some sort... that's all I knew about it.
Yes! I've been wondering if you were going to review the NGPC. I love this console and so many of its titles can't be played anywhere else. My favorite games are Gal Fighters, Fatal Fury, Card Fighters Blue and Yellow, Faselei! and Metal Slug.
Lord Karnage was the only reviewer of this system so far (*That I've seen) that mentioned the less than amazing screen! The rest all gush over the clicky stick and never mention that it's not backlit; ...(and the fact that getting a half decent library for this is a pain in the ass) which is a major point for CGR :) ...Being impartial and insightful, and fun....thanks again for all the hard work....huge fan from Ireland :)
The screen is good buddy I’ve got gameboy colour , GBA (1stmodel) And Neogeo pocket color ... the Neogeo screen is by far the BEST the reason it’s not backlit is because SNK wanted 40 hours battery life which is what they managed
I wish there Neo geo pocket games on the 3DS eshop!
Definitely agree
we also need gba and snes games on 3ds virtual console.
BMO on the wii they have some of the metal slug games but im not sure about the 3ds
Troll4ever31 ._. gba games are on ads, but not snes
I think it's happening on the Nintendo Switch!
Cool handheld. I came across someone selling a few of these recently but every single one was missing one of the two battery covers.
Man I miss watching these ^_^
@TheVillainOfThisTale Last comment: The Neo-Geo Pocket Color looks great in good light, feels great in your hands(just a tiny bit below my favorite handheld, the Gameboy Advance), the buttons and . . . digital-stick? . . . feel great(L and R buttons, triggers, or bumpers would've been great, too), and the only problems I found in it were two obvious ones: battery life, and lack of light. Just like Sega with the Dreamcast, SNK was one step ahead, with one giant leap about to pass them.
If I took a shot for every time he said neo Geo pocket colour i would be dead !
If you took a shot of water every time he said neo Geo pocket color you'd be very well hydrated
childhood right there, metal slug and sonic... ahhh memories
These must have been as expensive as the neo geo when it came out - I've never met somebody who had one of these, and I've only seen them online. It's a shame I only just now heard of this! I might have to try and find one in the near future.
I had one of these back in the day. It was nice enough, but games were har dot find. Now? Yeah... expensive and not really worth it. There are plenty of SNK collections even on Switch., So, unless you're a die hard fan of Neo Geo...
The Neo-Geo Pocket also has an internal clock powered by a separate button cell. It can turned on without any games in it, to access its' home menu. The system language can be changed, you can select the type of monochrome color tones for original Neo-Geo Pocket software (like sepia, or true black and white), it even tells your horoscope!
Loved the joystick on the NGPC, tons of fun games on it.
I stumbled upon one on ebay a while back, with many great games (including -but not limited to- samurai showdown 2, kof r2, metal slug first mission, fatal fury, sonic,...), all complete and boxed, for i believe €80. don't look for it now though, it's been mine for a while now.
I had one of these. I let one of my friends borrow it and haven't seen it in close to a decade -_- I had completely forgotten these things existed.
Finally a CGR review of this system.
I'm not a handheld gamer, but I want one of those...hell, I have already a WonderSwan Color (FF Edition)
You just made me want to go buy a Neo-Geo Pocket... COLOR. Thank you, Mark.
Good thing so many Neo-Geo games were ported to the Sony PSP, such as Metal Slug Anthology, Samurai Shodown Anthology, etc. as well as PSN downloads in the NEOGEO Station such as many King of Fighters games, Baseball Stars, Shock Troopers, etc. Those Neo-Geo arcade classics translates well to the small screen of the PlayStation Portable.
THIS GUY WAS BORN TO REVIEW STUFF!!
the pocket versions of this console from fatal fury,king of fighters, samurai showdown, sonic and metal slug were fun and detailed for one of the best handhelds out next to the nintendo 3DS and GameboySP
I love how when people show something that uses Batteries, its always Duracell batteries :D.
Neo Geo Pocket Color is awesome, i played it once.
And i love that comment about either having a big enough pocket to put the Neo Geo CD in and having to carry, a TV with you :D.
I had the blue camo version, very nice little console with an excellent joy stick. I only had three games for it as I just couldn't find them anywhere.
In 1999 I was... 8 and was definitely more interested in Pokemon than any other video game. Pokemon was my introduction to video games in fact. So I had no idea the NGPC existed then. But I definitely want one now.
that little thing is gorgeous.
I like this handheld. Wish I had one with a front light mod so I could play it more often and in a relaxed position that wasn't under a lamp. Even without it being modded the screen is surprisingly reflective of light and will show everything quite well.
I also love SNK vs Capcom Match of the Millenium. Great fighting game on there.
@ChicoEdge i meant this part "so many of its titles can't be played anywhere else" it can on the psp but i see what your getting at. its style of games were very different than gameboy, gamegear whether your playing it with an emu or whatever you can't "find" them anywhere else, true that....but my point is they can still all be "played" perfectly on the psp, even in the dark.
Yes! There are RPGs like Dive Alert or Dark Arms. There is also a Ogre Battle game but it was released only in japan
I remember buying this. Played with it for a couple of months, then gave it away.
If SNK ever made a new console it would be a neo geo pocket color.......with modern day lcd........online wifi ......and rechargable build in battery with ENTERNITY HOURS! of FUN!.......please god make it happen
The clicks on the thumbstick are rotational clicks, which is NeoGeo's trademark. There are 8 directional clicks, I believe.
I wouldn't say it's "hard" to play fighting games with 2 buttons; the games are designed to best accommodate that interface.
Compared to its competition? It's competitor was the gba. Which also didn't have a backlit screen.
i remember playing the living hell out of King of Fighters on the NGP (it was a bit cut down version but it was still awesome :D )
Gal Fighters is the best game for it IMO
Though there is also an awesome submarine game.
Not sure why, but I've got some kind of fascination with outdated technology. Maybe it has something to do with curiosity about times past and how we used to do things, you know?
lol does he has a bag on his head? if you look in the revlection of the screen
+Pepijn Mommersteeg That's the camera
hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Seriously considering buying one of these.
Shermie FTW.
i love the emphasis on the color aspect. lol
Im so happy now, not only did I get a free NeoGeo with 5 games plus a free dreamcast and games, i also got a free NeoGeo pocket color with 3 games blue color.i am proud to be a user worthy of the best joystick ever made!!
I remember seeing commericals for this when it came out and wanting one
i had a neo-geo pocket color. the only game i had for it was sonic but that was all i needed for a days worth of fun. i still have alot of accessories for it tho.
@5duckz i remember when i was a kid a department store sold external lights for the neo geo pocket. I never owned one since back then i played with wonder swan. but i remember the neo-geo being hype as hell.
@TheDominionOfElites
It's a portable console, that makes more sense then the term handheld in itself,
which just mean that you hold it in your hand, so it can be a brick, too.
SNK made excellent, quality stuff. I'd also recommend the Neo Geo X. It functions as a nice handheld AND can be hooked up to the TV, using HD quality picture and sound.
smoothALOE do you know how bad the sound quality is on the X? And when on the tv, the picture it grainy and slightly stretched
I've been playing the hell out of the Sonic rom for this console on my tablet and damn its pretty smooth n fun. Almost like it better than the originals which its pretty much like level wise but def worth playing! 😃
Didn't that lack of a back light also mean that the battery life is longer than any other handheld console to date?
i have a neo-geo pocket, will the color games play on it, how do tell the differents
between the 2 cartridges.
I remember I bought a silly little book-light-ish thing for my GBA that you hooked on to the back to light up the screen.
I can't help but notice that there seems to be a click when you actually press down the thumb stick. Is that another button? Also, is it kind of hard to play fighting games without like six buttons?
Loved thisReview. Looks like a Pretty Kickass Console TBH
I LOVED Samuri Showdown 2! I used to play that with my best friend over the summer months! A few years ago I found it in a EB store mixed in with the used PC games. I still have it. But up until then I never knew they made for PC. I bought a Logitech game pad and every now and then I have some fun. I built an older P4 system just to run older games like that. I try to keep my modern system i7 system separate from the older stuff.
Dec 2012 saw the release of the 3rd Neo-Geo handheld, the Neo Geo X. Came loaded with 20 games for $200. Other games are loaded on separate game cards for sale, 3 games per card. It has a 4.3-inch LCD screen 480x272 pixel resolution that is the same as the original PlayStation Portable and is close to the 16:9 aspect ratio. Just get a PSP 3000 and download or buy discs of classic Neo-Geo games, like Metal Slug Anthology, Samurai Showdown Anthology, King of Fighters Collection, etc.
@ICTB51: Neo-Geo struck gold in the arcades by being super cheap. ($100 a game and, I think, $1,000 for the cabinet console. "Cheap" in contrast to other, $3,000-$5,000 titles.) The home option had $100 games and a core console for over $500. The "100-Mega Shock" held little bite to the $20-$60 games and $100-$300 Nintendo/Sega domination.
Neo-Geo arcades are still common to this day.
Really like the NGPC! Mainly got this for "Sonic Pocket Adventure", but some other games I got shortly afterwards (including SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium) are pretty great for the handheld! Dat clicky thumbstick, tho... :)
NICE! looking forward to your game reviews for this!
@eurohim You must not have played with a NGPC. It just isn't that easy to power down the system in the middle of a game. That's a recessed power button and it takes a bit of pressure to turn the system off or on. A thumb slip in the middle of gameplay wouldn't turn off the NGPC.
So whats the difference between the different versions of the NGPC? The camo version looks bigger. Is the differences between all Pocket colors purely aesthetic?
Ive read something about a slim version of the NGPC is that maybe what ive seen next to a standard version?
I wish more handhelds had that 8 direction digital nub, much more useful than a d-pad in my opinion