[ Retro Scan of the Week ] Get Pocket Power!
March 5th, 2012 by Benj Edwards
Why 146 simultaneous colors? Because it’s one more than 145!
I previously wrote about the Neo Geo Pocket Color in a Retro Scan of the Week from 2010, but I ran across this colorful 1999 ad for the console recently and couldn’t resist. I’ve always had a soft spot for this would-be Game Boy killer that never lived up to its true potential.
Discussion Topic of the Week: Why do you think the Neo Geo Pocket Color failed to achieve long-term success?
March 5th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
I have 2 NGPCs. I bought one and Sonic Adventure. Then I saw a bundle with a few games being sold for cheap in Gamestop back in the early 2000s. I’d say the quality is somewhere between the Game Boy Color and GBA. It has some good Neo Geo licensed games like Samurai Showdown and King of Fighters. My personal favorite games were Sonic, Metal Slug and Neo Turf Masters.
March 8th, 2012 at 9:16 am
I think the biggest problem the Neo Geo Pocket Color had was that it wasn’t enough to support SNK.
Marketwise, I understand it was doing pretty well for itself. It didn’t change the fact that SNK was still loosing a lot of money from declining arcade revenues and the aging Neo Geo console.
Definitely a fun system though. I picked up one maybe ten years ago at Gamestop and never regretted the decision. Still would love to play a round of versus in Capcom Vs. SNK some day.
March 8th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
I always loved this system design, even though I never owned one. I still play Dark Arms: Beast Buster for it in emulation. Speaking personally, I was never much of a fighting game guy and (true or not) it always seemed like there was a preponderance of fighting games for it that kept me away.
March 21st, 2012 at 10:13 pm
The Neo Geo Pocket Color hit just about the time Pokémon was coming into power. Even though the Game Boy had outlasted its competitors with its long battery life and Tetris, it needed something new to boost flagging sales in the late 1990s (as Tetris had worn pretty dry).
So, the Game Boy revived with Pokémon, but NGPC died. Too bad: it had some neat features that would not be seen for years (a joystick, for one)
May 24th, 2012 at 12:14 pm
I have the blue camouflage one. It’s a lovely little console, I am definitely proud to own one. It just has so many unique features, like the Pocket Menu that loads up when you turn the device on without a cartridge inserted, the cool colours you can get it in and best of all, that little joystick that clicks. I enjoy the music and the graphics of the games. The games are simple, although incredibly fun. Cardfighters Clash is an incredibly addictive game!