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Retro review: Neo Geo Pocket Color

​In the 1990s, Nintendo had a vice grip on the handheld console market.

The original black-and-white model of the company’s revolutionary Game Boy remained viable for almost an entire decade—from 1989 to 1998, when competition from handhelds like SNK’s Neo Geo Pocket convinced Nintendo to release an updated color model.

As a response, SNK released a color version of its NGP, the aptly-named Neo Geo Pocket Color, in August 1999. Unlike its predecessor, NGPC received a western release—first through the website eToys.com, then at most retailers that carried video games. It was a bold push into the Big N’s turf, but the fighting wouldn’t last long. In June 2000, SNK’s venture ended with its sale to Aruze, a company best-known for video gambling machines.

SNK’s wager against Nintendo didn’t work out, but it did give the US its first serious non-Nintendo handheld. Today, NGPC is championed by retro enthusiasts. After spending some time with the console myself, I can see why.

The hardware

To put it simply, NGPC is more impressive than GBC in all the ways that matter.

SNK’s handheld included a 16-bit processor two years before Nintendo would bring its own 16-bit portable, Game Boy Advance, to market. NGPC used that extra horsepower to display nearly three times the variety of on-screen colors (146 versus GBC’s 56) and 24 more simultaneous sprites. In short, NGPC looked better than its toughest competition—but graphics alone do not make a gaming experience.

Luckily, NGPC is also a joy to play. Informed by its experience as an arcade cabinet manufacturer, SNK chose to forego the then-standard directional pad for a responsive analog stick that feels a lot like the 3DS family’s circle pad. Inputs are made via the stick, two face buttons and an option button that’s usually used to move through menus or pause games.

Thanks to the inclusion of an analog stick, SNK fighting franchises like Samurai Showdown and King of Fighters feel at home on NGPC. The minimal input options may suggest a shallow experience, but limiting actions to two buttons gave the games an appealing accessibility. They’re still fun to play today, and their chibi art styles (more on that later) help them feel less dated than the average GBC title.

NGPC also includes a system menu, which handles simple tasks like choosing a theme or setting date and time. The system features are persistently powered by a watch battery, while two AA batteries are required to access system menus and play games. NGPC users can expect to get around 40 hours of gameplay from each pair of batteries compared to GBC’s 15 hour average.

That’s a lot of gaming, but NGPC makes it feasible thanks to a comfortable design. Buttons are well-placed around the console’s 2.7-inch screen and gripping the unit is easy thanks to protrusions sticking out from the back of both sides. Other features include a headphone jack and an extension slot for the NGPC link cable, used for multiplayer gaming and connectivity with a number of SNK Sega Dreamcast games.

My only complaints about the hardware are its cheap-feeling A and B buttons and the lack of backlighting. The former is just an opinion, but the missing light definitely dates this otherwise forward-thinking handheld console—finding the perfect angle to play by lamplight isn’t exactly a skill I thought I’d use after childhood, but here I am. Good thing the games are worth playing.

The software

There were 14 titles available for NGPC at launch, with first-party offerings like Metal Slug 1st Mission and Fatal Fury: First Contact leading the charge. Over the course of its short life, NGPC also received support from Namco in the form of an impressive Pac-Man port, as well as Sega, which contributed the second Sonic the Hedgehog game to release on a non-Sega console (the first was on Tiger Electronic’s Game.com handheld).

Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure received glowing reviews from critics and stands as a testament to NGPC’s power. That power wasn’t quite enough to run arcade-perfect ports of SNK heavy-hitters, but the company adjusted its approach and, whether inadvertent or not, gave NGPC one of its defining characteristics.

Titles like the aforementioned Samurai Showdown II and King of Fighters R-2 feature large chibi (cute) character sprites that leap off the NGPC screen. The shift in artistic style scaled down SNK arcade brawlers for the system’s 16-bit processor, created a marketable kid-friendly look for traditionally gritty franchises and gave SNK’s handheld fighters a distinct flare that withstands the test of time.

One of NGPC’s rarest carts, SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium, utilizes the chibi art style and tight controls to deliver a tour de force in portable fighting. SNK’s partnership with Capcom also produced SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash, a critically acclaimed card battle game that plays like Magic: The Gathering lite. Two versions of the game were released for NGPC (SNK and Capcom), each featuring exclusive cards.

The NGPC library covered genres ranging from fighters and card battle games to sports (Pocket Tennis, Neo Turf Masters), puzzle (Bust-a-Move Pocket, Puzzle Link series) and RPGs (Evolution: Eternal Dungeons, Faselei!). Sadly, most of the games released for the console would never make it to US shores—when NGPC was discontinued in June 2000, 30 games were available in the United States, slightly double the number sold at launch.

Most of those games received high marks from contemporary critics for balancing technically impressive features with fun, accessible gameplay. Based on my experience with the console’s catalog, I tend to agree.

NGPC 101

Despite NGPC’s low market share (its peak penetration was two percent), systems aren’t impossible to procure.

I had little luck finding NGPC items at used game shops, so I recommend starting online. I purchased my system on eBay and, after a slight delay due to special shipping regulations regarding the console’s internal battery, my metallic blue NGPC console arrived in great condition. I was worried about screen scratches and other damage common of used handhelds, but I’ve found that most NGPC-related auctions are by collectors who value their products and are happy to answer questions.

Collecting is also made easier due to NGPC’s region-free status—an American system can play any NGPC game released in any country, and any system can play an American NGPC game. This comes in handy if collectors want one of the Japanese exclusive colors of NGPC or its slimmer (by 13 percent) counterpart, New Neo Geo Pocket Color. NNGPC models can be spotted easily—the word “color” appears in print at the top-right corner of NGPC’s screen, while the slim model features the word in the same spot in cursive.

As for games, it’s feasible to own the system’s entire US library without breaking the bank if the words complete-in-box aren’t important.

Most titles can be found at eBay or Neo Geo Store for reasonable prices, and at time of print, sellers on Amazon are still offering sealed four-packs of games. These were released alongside a six-game bundle that hit discount retailers in 2003 and included the NGPC hardware.

Two of NGPC’s rarest North American releases, Faselei! and Samurai Showdown-esque fighter The Last Blade, were part of the six-game bundle despite neither receiving an official US release. Japanese versions of both—and other rarer NGPC titles—are easier to find than their American counterparts, but require a working knowledge of kana, the Japanese alphabet.

When considering items found in the US market, collectors who are vigilant and patient should be able to obtain a NGPC and at least half its US library for approximately $150. The price increases if original boxes and instructions come into play.

Verdict

SNK’s NGPC is a unique piece of gaming history and any enthusiast owes it to themselves to play these games. It’s an affordable alternative to GBC collecting—top first party titles can be purchased at a fraction of the cost—and the hardware is technically superior. It may not be a household name with a catalog full of recognizable franchises, but NGPC had a hell of a year, and it’ll take you less than that to track down every one of its games.

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Super Nintendo Curator Classic

Judging by the SNES Classic pre-order frenzy, Nintendo has another throwback hit on its hands this holiday season. Since its reveal, the new all-in-one console has received praise for its faithful SNES design, included second controller and impressive list of 21 built-in titles. However, that game list also inspired a bit of criticism. SNES Classic retails for $79.99—$20 more than NES Classic, which included 9 more games than this year’s nostalgia-tinged gray box. That price point could be attributed to the extra controller and added cord length (a common gripe among NES Classic owners), but rationalization didn’t stop some from wondering why more games weren’t included to further represent Nintendo’s 16-bit era.

Let’s pretend those complaints were taken to heart. You are a curator for SNES Classic and Nintendo brass has asked you to choose four more Super Nintendo Entertainment System games to include, bringing the total to 25. You can choose any game released for the console in North America, regardless of developer, publisher or content. The higher-ups only ask that you consider fun factor, historical significance and marketability equally during your decision making process.

 Which four games do you add to SNES Classic?I’ve included my choices after the jump, but I’d love to hear from you. I’m always looking for new games to try, and nothing beats a personal recommendation.

Game #22: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time

I’m a huge fan of beat ‘em ups, particularly Konami’s late ‘80s-early ‘90s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles releases. The company’s second Turtles arcade beat 'em Up, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, was ported to Super Nintendo in 1992 as a numbered entry in Konami’s TMNT series for home consoles. Since then, the SNES version of Turtles in Time has been heralded as the epitome of the beat 'em up genre.

This blog may be named after the game’s introductory level, but I’m not playing favorites—Turtles IV is a varied adventure that has, no pun intended, withstood the test of time. Playing as one of four titular Turtles, gamers took on level after side-scrolling level of enemies serving the nefarious Shredder and his part-octopus, part-human brain partner in crime, Krang. The first half of the game is standard fare, taking the teenage heroes from the streets of New York City to the Technodrome, our antagonist’s lair.

After a novel boss fight against Shredder which requires players to hurl enemies at a large machine, the turtles are sent through time to take on the Foot Clan aboard dinosaurs, old west train cars and futuristic highways.

Time-hopping provided an opportunity for unique characters and settings, all made to look strikingly authentic to the Saturday morning cartoon’s art style through the power of SNES’ hardware. That power was also used to add extra touches like the ability to throw enemies at the television screen, a flourish that played into gameplay during the aforementioned Technodrome boss battle. In an era filled with “look-what-we-can-do” design philosophy, Konami’s decision to throw enemies directly at the player fell in line with the show’s radical, bodacious aesthetic.

All of this is in addition to satisfying combat, impressive vehicle-based levels and a catchy soundtrack. Turtles in Time may be the most prolific beat 'em up ever made, and it should be included in SNES Classic (if licensing fees aren’t lofty).

Game #23: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

The 1996 SNES port of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 lost a few features during its journey from arcade board to cartridge, but it’s still the de facto MK experience on the console.

Sporting positive tweaks to MK3’s fighting engine, new interactive stages and an overhauled roster featuring almost every fighter from the series’ first three entries, UMC3 was the content-heavy high-point in the MK catalog (until MK Trilogy released for the PlayStation months later).

Nintendo’s choice to omit UMK3 from SNES Classic is an easy one—the game isn’t the most family-friendly experience, and the fighting genre is already represented in SNES Classic’s game library by the also excellent (and gore-free) Street Fighter II Turbo. However, it’d be just as easy to argue for the game’s inclusion. MK was a cultural phenomena that the Classic’s key demographic has nostalgic memories of, and judging by the franchise’s inclusion in AtGame’s disappointingly cheap Sega Genesis classic systems, licensing the product wouldn’t be outside Nintendo’s budget.

Game #24: Chrono Trigger

You knew it was coming.

Designed by an all-star team that included the creators of Final Fantasy, Dragon Ball and then-competitor Enix’s Dragon Quest, SquareSoft’s Chrono Trigger shot to the top of best-ever lists soon after its 1995 release and remains in the conversation to this day.

The game’s success is often attributed to its innovation—multiple endings, robust side quests and a battle system that didn’t shift players to a second screen melded with established genre conventions to create something that felt impressive yet familiar. The beautiful art style, memorable soundtrack and engrossing story only served to pull players further into a world torn asunder by the alien entity Lavos.

Chrono Trigger’s absence from SNES Classic was pointed out online when the system was announced, and it remains a perplexing decision from the perspective of both Square Enix and Nintendo. The overall SNES Classic package is already RPG-heavy, with Square Enix’s own Final Fantasy III and Secret of Mana joining Nintendo’s Super Mario RPG and Earthbound as built-in offerings, but CT could be considered a killer-app for the retro console—a must-have to move systems—and it could be argued that the game is even more important to the SNES library than FFIII.

Maybe Nintendo knew it didn’t need CT to sell SNES Classic. Maybe Square Enix wanted too much for the game, but was willing to negotiate on Secret of Mana, a title it’d love to shine a light on in advance of its 2018 PS4/Vita remake.

Whatever the case, SNES Classic is shipping sans one of the best interactive experiences of the 16-bit era.

Game #25: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest

The theme of 1995 platformer Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest was more. Better graphics, steeper difficulty and a larger variety in gameplay put this sequel on the same level as its predecessor—arguably, it may be better. So why was it left out of the nostalgia party while the original Donkey Kong Country barrels into stores Sept. 29? It looks like Diddy’s starring vehicle was just a victim of circumstance.

Donkey Kong Country is an iconic platformer that reinvented the character for a new generation. The game’s two sequels may have pushed the SNES to its limits to realize the vision of trilogy developer Rare, but no experience can trump the memories of Mine Cart Carnage.

Alternatively, SNES Classic’s robust offering of platformers may be to blame. What if including Diddy’s moment in the sun is overkill on 2D’s favorite genre?

At least Diddy’s fans can look forward to reliving the simian’s supporting appearance in the rightfully-acclaimed original DKC—until Nintendo 64 Classic gives us a new way to play Diddy Kong Racing.