Neo Geo Pocket Color rules

[Jono1874 | 144]

So about a year and a half ago I bought a Neo Geo Pocket Color along with Sonic, SNK vs. Capcom Card Fighters, and King of Fighters R2. I gotta say, this thing is awesome. I used to see them being sold at EB Games (or whatever it was) when I was a kid and wrote it off because it was so inexpensive. I was a stupid kid because since getting it I've played it more than ever play my any of my other portables. If I'm going somewhere and I know I'll be bored at some point, I bring this thing with me.

Card Fighters Clash never gets old. If you've never played it, it's like this weird card game based around SNK and Capcom characters. You go around collecting cards, building decks, etc like any other card game. The difference is, this one has a lot of heart to it. You can go to the Resident Evil mansion and play cards against a zombie. The artwork for each card is really well done. Super crisp and colorful. You can really tell SNK put a lot of time into making this game special.  I'm not into TCG games usually so I can't really say whether or not it's unique or not.  From what others say online, it's like a mix between Yugioh and Pokemon, but I couldn't tell you if that's true or not.  it's a strategy game. if you show and start attacking indiscriminately,, you'll get your ass kicked. You've gotta really think about what you want to do here. The AI could be better and once you really know the ins and outs of the game, you're gonna be confused about some of it's decisions. Playing against other people is amazing. Sadly, I only know one other person who owns this game and I see them maybe once a year if I'm lucky.

Sonic is surprisingly good for a portable Sonic game of this era. It recycles Sonic 2 stage themes, but has Sonic 3 music.  It's kinda bizarre, but it works. The level design and physics are pretty good.  SNK added a few things to the game to give it longevity. Sometimes you'll run across puzzle pieces, which will be added to a collection that you can then access to put the various puzzles together. It's a good game. Definitely not the best on the console, but it's a good time killer.

King of Fighters R2 is a fighting game on a portable console. Now, most of the time, you'd think that's a death sentence. That's not the case here at all though. The Neo Geo Pocket Color is designed for fighting games. It doesn't have a D-Pad, it has a miniature joystick that acts similar to an analog stick but is micro switch driven. It's hard to describe but it works incredibly well for fighters. KoF-R2 is designed in a way that accommodates the fact that it's on a small screen. The attacks are very exaggerated so you'll know when they connect.  There are combos, specials, and super attacks that you can do just like in KoF98.  All of this is done with one joystick, and 2 buttons. You tap the button for a weak attack, and hold it down a little to do a strong attack. It's surprisingly intuitive. There are unlockable characters, and an RPG mode.   I haven't really touched the RPG mode, but it looks cool. Also, there are tons of settings to mess with. You can make the fights whatever you want, within reason. I was expecting nothing from this game and was pleasantly surprised.

Since COVID, they've jumped up in price. That being said, $120 isn't a bad price for one of these things. I've played the living crap out of mine, and would probably pay that much if I were to buy another one.  They also rereleased some of the games on the Switch. I got the King of Fighters R2 port, and it plays about as well as the real thing. Especially with a joycon, because the sticks range of movement is comparable to to the neo geos stick. I'm happy they rereleased it but I still prefer playing the Pocket Color over the Switch if I have a choice.

I didn't expect this post to turn into a mini review but I'm super stoked about this console so I'm not surprised either. You should play Neo Geo Pocket Color.

[cj_robot | 546]

Wow, this is interesting because I was actually just thinking about this for the first time in a long time.

I actually had one when it was new, with Pac-Man, Bust-A-Move, Sonic, Metal Slug 1st Mission, and Fatal Fury. Sadly, I sold it years ago, but I remember it was a very cool little portable. Very small library (at least in the US), but loaded with quality games. It was always very surprising how good the NeoGeo fighters played on it. The clicky joystick was cool.

Would have been nice to see it last longer and compete with the GameBoy Color.

[tbone3969 | 308]

I agree.  Very cool system.  SNK Vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium is amazing on it.  Worth it for that game alone IMO.  

[Nintegageo | 582]

39 minutes ago, tbone3969 said:

I agree.  Very cool system.  SNK Vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium is amazing on it.  Worth it for that game alone IMO.  

That's actually on the Switch. Pretty dope.

[tbone3969 | 308]

1 hour ago, Nintegageo said:

That's actually on the Switch. Pretty dope.

Can't beat the thumbstick on the Neo Geo Color though.  I also have the SNK to Dreamcast link cable for it.  You could link up to the SNK DC games to unlock some stuff.  I never tried it though.  Got it in a lot.

[nrslam | 477]

For those not in the know, there is an SD flash cart for this system.  US link: https://stoneagegamer.com/neopocket-gamedrive-ngpc-style.html

Google it if you want it somewhere else.

[TDIRunner | 2,774]

You beat me to it, but I was going to say the same thing about the NeoPocket GameDrive.  It's a fantastic flash cart.  Everything Saint does over at Retro HQ is excellent.  Highly recommended.  

I also highly recommend the two Metal Slug games for the NGPC.  Both are really good.  

[Renmauzo | 1,205]

I love the NGPC! I bought one new from Japan about 20 years ago, and another from one of my buddies on the N-G.com forum 2 years ago. I remember when SNK sold those blister pack bundles of a console with 6 or 8 loose games for something like $70; I went halvsies with a buddy who wanted the console and one of the games and I kept the rest.

Hooking up to the Dreamcast is cool with KOF: Dream Match '99, and battling with the link cable is just as easy as with GBAs. The library is great, and some of the more esoteric titles like Crush Roller really shine.

Nowadays, there's more reason than ever to get on an NGPC with the new drop in IPS displays, and the just-over-the-horizon NGPC Consolizer (the GBA Consolizer is a staple in my game room) for tv play, not to mention the dockable Analogue pocket for the same.

Even for those priced out of getting the games, picking up a system and getting a flash cart like nrslam and TDIRunner mentioned is 100% worth it in 2021 considering how deep the bench is with this library!

[Tanooki | 4,952]

Well this came out around the time the Dreamcast hit in 1999.  I was in college then, and working a campus job so I had a little extra and having loved the big red for nearly a decade by then I was all over that as it wasn't a sickening arcade price at home experiment AES was.

I loved the thing, got the Sonic bundle in silver, and I owned it until my big collection losses in 05.  Originally I had 15-20 games for it, including the 2 heavy hitters I still love and can't stomach the price on now (Rockman and Cotton.)  A few years back when I did get my own big red it inspired me to return it to my hands.  I got the same model (silver) I had before and most of the games I had, got a few I didn't before too (like Dark Arms.)  I don't have those heavy ones sadly now, price was and is (even more now) so crappy I was one of the very first to pre-order sign up for the RetroHQ NGPC SD kit which is now (as linked posts before mine at stone age gamer) more widely for sale.  Despite that kit I do have 15 games for mine, sadly only one is complete, all the others do have dust clips at least and I have 2 spares.  The fun thing is all those arcade side story spinoff games are so excellently executed.  I fell in love with Neo Turf Masters due to the NGPC, not the arcade as it came second.  Metal Slug(both) are amazing joys, not really easier, despite the life bar as they're just deceptively tricky.

I've got for mine the system complete in box, the flash kit, and biomotor unitron is the complete one.  The others are and all english releases: Baseball Stars Color, Dark Arms, Fatal Fury, KOF R2, Last Blade, Metal Slug 1st & 2nd Mission(s), Neo Turf Masters, Pac-Man, Puzzle Bobble, Samurai Shodown 2, SNK Gals Fighter, SNK vs Capcom MOTM, and Sonic.

I did have but didn't keep dive alert, did nothing for me.  I could see getting a few of the cheap puzzles still (one being picross), brush roller if it wasn't expensive, obviously rock man and cotton too.  I may just eat it on rockman, but cotton is nauseatingly badly priced now.

The kit in the end helps.  The heavy stuff isn't an issue with that, so you can do Big Bang Wrestling, Rockman, Cotton, the english release of Faselei and Evolution, and others.

[Tanooki | 4,952]

5 hours ago, Renmauzo said:

Nowadays, there's more reason than ever to get on an NGPC with the new drop in IPS displays, and the just-over-the-horizon NGPC Consolizer (the GBA Consolizer is a staple in my game room) for tv play, not to mention the dockable Analogue pocket for the same.

Hey I was wondering, are you aware of if the newest NGPC IPS panel that came out later last year resolved the shorting out issue the original one could do on various PCB models of the system?  Between that potential burn out and the 30% smaller viewing area I left my system stock.  I saw the new one seems to work ok, hadn't seen any complaints, but I also was wondering about the shorting.  ...also if someone made an internal bracket to mount the panel so it doesn't slide.  I don't really ever use the NGPC anymore because of the no light issue, it sucks having to just sit hunched over my desk lamp.

[Renmauzo | 1,205]

59 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

Hey I was wondering, are you aware of if the newest NGPC IPS panel that came out later last year resolved the shorting out issue the original one could do on various PCB models of the system?  Between that potential burn out and the 30% smaller viewing area I left my system stock.  I saw the new one seems to work ok, hadn't seen any complaints, but I also was wondering about the shorting.  ...also if someone made an internal bracket to mount the panel so it doesn't slide.  I don't really ever use the NGPC anymore because of the no light issue, it sucks having to just sit hunched over my desk lamp.

There was a video I watched recently by...Macho Nacho Productions (or something like that) by a fellow who does console mod tutorials and reviews. This video was on the latest IPS screen that supposedly doesn't have the shorting issue, and he also lists the .stl file to 3D print a bracket designed for the mod. 

I still have the other IPS screens, but I'll likely swap them out for the new ones and use the old ones for other Arduino board projects so they won't go to waste.

[fcgamer | 4,753]

I have a few (maybe less than ten) games for this thing, I want to get an actual machine and give this a go.

I love the portable machines.

[Tanooki | 4,952]

On 3/12/2021 at 9:38 PM, Renmauzo said:

There was a video I watched recently by...Macho Nacho Productions (or something like that) by a fellow who does console mod tutorials and reviews. This video was on the latest IPS screen that supposedly doesn't have the shorting issue, and he also lists the .stl file to 3D print a bracket designed for the mod. 

I still have the other IPS screens, but I'll likely swap them out for the new ones and use the old ones for other Arduino board projects so they won't go to waste.

Never heard of him, but that's good to know.  The only downer, I don't and can't do 3D printing, so I'd have to find a supplier of the bracket so I can get a flush pre-aligned up setup or it would be trouble.  I always drop that added $1.50-2 for the brackets when doing the gameboy family of upgrades and it's so worth it.

15 hours ago, fcgamer said:

I have a few (maybe less than ten) games for this thing, I want to get an actual machine and give this a go.

I love the portable machines.

Yes, yes you should. Despite the GBC era output it does, not that that is a bad thing as it's not, the library is fantastic.  Sure it isn't into the 100s or better, well maybe it is but I don't count all of Aruze's shitty gambling simulators considering they're the ones who ruined SNK almost completely for years, but it's got hard up quality where it matters.  It's rare to find a library with a higher percentage of good to crap releases.

[RpgCollector | 912]

Very fun system. I like the unique Metal Slug games the most

[fox | 1,673]

 

[Tanooki | 4,952]

Physical and digital which is good.  Since they got Capcom on board, I hope maybe they can coax Sega (Sonic, Evolution) into it, maybe Namco (Pac-Man Brush Roller) and Taito (Puzzle Bobble Mini) into going along with it too.

Since capcom already helped, maybe it's a stretch but Rockman Battle & Fighters would be fantastic.  I don't see Cotton, ever, already getting the big re-release going on now anyway so it would be competition.

[WhyNotZoidberg | 586]

I'm glad you mentionned Sonic because it's a fantastic port!

The only game that disappointed me on the system, and that might be due to my high expectations, is Samurai Shodown 2.

[Tanooki | 4,952]

One of the few Sonic games I still find enjoyable, it just was so well done, far better than most Sega first party titles, all gamegear for certain.

[TDIRunner | 2,774]

20 hours ago, fox said:

 

Pretty solid lineup for a "volume 1."  Any announcement on price?

[asmikace | 68]

I played it many years ago but love the clicky thumbstick.

[Tanooki | 4,952]

If I get the time I'll have to share what I have, wouldn't be hard to stuff it all into one nice picture.

[drxandy | 3,236]

I had a neo geo pocket but the non color version that I picked up cheap from lik-sang (memoriessss) years and years ago, that thumbstick with the tactile switches is just so killer and super satisfying.

Always wanted a color, ended up selling the pocket when I cut down my collection.

[Jono1874 | 144]

On 3/18/2021 at 2:07 PM, TDIRunner said:

Pretty solid lineup for a "volume 1."  Any announcement on price?

I think it was $40? That's not a bad deal considering the carts for several of the games on this thing surpass that on their own.

[nrslam | 477]

My NGPC (all my stuff, actually) is still packed up from an ongoing move, but here's a picture of my collection from a few years ago. Don't think anything new has been added since then.

This is actually multiple pictures photoshopped (badly) together.

[Tanooki | 4,952]

Ugh got me beat, this is a restoration of sorts of what I had originally until the big loss years ago.  A few changes, have Dark Arms but didn't before, sadly lack Cotton and Rockman, and obviously almost nothing here is complete in the box which once was before.  Same system, but before was the Sonic bundle of it.

I wish I had the boxes and manuals but it would get into the thousands, fast.   I'm just glad I have one of the first off the line retrohq ngpc sd kits which now has another name and sells the same through stone age gamer ($100.)  It's a fantastic kit if anyone wants to get in without taking a beating.