NeoGeo Pocket ColorThe Neo
Geo Pocket Color debuted in the United States on June 1, 1999 at the
retail price of $69.95. Seven months earlier, in November 1998,
Nintendo had released its successor to its world renown Game Boy
system with Game Boy Color.
SNK (Shin-Nihon Kikaku) first released the monochrome Neo Geo Pocket
on October 28, 1998 in Japan. The company rethought its strategy
when it came to releasing the system in the United States. SNK made
it available to American consumers only with a full color display,
most likely in an attempt to keep pace with Nintendo.
At the time of the US launch, 12 game titles were available at a
cost between $24.95 to 34.95. The six different case styles of Neo
Geo Pocket Color available at launch, were: platinum blue, platinum
silver, anthracite, aqua blue, stone blue and clear. Instead of the
standard practice of selling units through retail outlets, SNK made
Neo Geo Pocket Color available exclusively through its Internet web
site on its June 1, 1999 launch.
The layout for the Neo Geo Pocket Color is the same as its
monochrome counterpart, but unlike Nintendo's Game Boy, SNK's
portable system is held horizontally when played. An eight-position
thumb controller (also known as a D-pad) that utilizes microswitch
technology, is located on the left side of the unit, and the A and B
action buttons are located on the opposite side of the screen to the
right. The 2.6-inch LCD TFT screen is capable of simultaneously
displaying 146 colors out of a palette of 4096.
With two AA alkaline dry cell batteries, the unit is capable of
providing approximately 40 hours of nonstop continuous play. The Neo
Geo Pocket Color, like the Game Boy, does not provide a backlit
screen - which undoubtedly aids the system in achieving its
excellent battery economy. Consequently, games must be played in the
vicinity of an outside light source. The unit weighs approximately
145 grams or 195 with batteries.
Also like the Neo Geo Pocket, the color unit includes several
built-in features which are accessible through the Pocket Menu such
as a world clock (which tells users the time in major cities around
the globe), a calendar, a horoscope generator (which generates
astrological forecasts when users enter their birth dates) and an
alarm. The Pocket Menu can be accessed when the unit is activated
with no game cartridge inserted.
Both game data and Pocket Menu settings can both be stored within
the system. The Neo Geo Pocket Color's 16 KB system memory is backed
up by a lithium battery (the type found in wristwatches) and comes
included with the system.
The unit has three external outlets: a 5-pin connector for a link
cable, a stereo headphone jack and an AC adapter plug. The system's
link outlet - or external extensions connector, (located on the
upper right of the unit) is also designed for interaction with
Dreamcast console. This ability to communicate with Dreamcast
betters Sega's own handheld VMU (Visual Memory Unit). Unlike the Neo
Geo Pocket Color, the VMU is only capable of displaying games in
black and white.
As with the Game Boy Color, Neo Geo Pocket Color is backwards
compatible and will play the original monochrome cartridges (that
were released in Japan). The system provides a selection of five
different background analog colors that can be added when playing
the monochrome Neo Geo Pocket games. Neo Geo Pocket Color game
titles are also compatible on the monochrome Neo Geo Pocket system;
however, they can be played only in 8 shades of gray.
On June 13, 2000, SNK announced it was closing its offices in the
U.S. and Europe, effectively killing the Neo Geo Pocket Color in all
countries except Japan. Before its premature death, the system was
home to several notable releases, including Sonic the Hedgehog:
Pocket Adventure, SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium, Metal
Slug: 1st Mission, SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash and
Bust-A-Move Pocket.
— Dave Beuscher
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