Neo Geo Pocket

Monochrome system SNK, known for its successful Neo Geo arcade and home console systems, entered the handheld gaming market for the first time with the release of the Neo Geo Pocket in 1998. The market had been dominated by Nintendo and its Game Boy, but SNK believed that the Pocket would target a "slightly different" audience. The device featured a monochrome display and was primarily released in Japan and Hong Kong. It was sold along eight titles at launch, including Baseball Stars, a port of the 1989 game, and King of Fighters R-1. SNK released the Neo Geo Pocket in various color variations, such as Platinum Blue, Platinum Silver, Platinum White, Carbon Black, Maple Blue, Camouflage Blue, Camouflage Brown, and Crystal White. The Neo Geo Pocket received the Good Design Award in 1998 from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion. The system experienced limited commercial success, leading SNK to discontinue it in favor of a color model. Color model In response to the market's shift towards color displays, SNK announced the Neo Geo Pocket Color in January 1999. This upgraded handheld featured a non-backlit, full-color screen and was released in Japan in March 1999 with seven launch titles, including Puzzle Link and Samurai Shodown! 2. The Neo Geo Pocket Color debuted in the U.S. in August 1999, initially available exclusively through the online retailer eToys.com. It launched with six titles and carried a price of . The U.S. version came in six colors: Camouflage Blue, Carbon Black, Crystal White, Platinum Blue, Platinum Silver, and Stone Blue. In its first two months, the Neo Geo Pocket Color sold 25,000 units. This model was 13% smaller than the original and featured improved sound output. Financial troubles Despite a good start to sales in both the U.S. and Japan, the Neo Geo Pocket Color faced challenges. The console had low retail support in the U.S., limited third-party support due to a lack of communication with third-party developers by SNK's American management, and stiff competition from other handhelds, driven by the popularity of Nintendo's Pokémon franchise, and strong competition from Bandai's WonderSwan in Japan. On June 13, 2000, Aruze ceased SNK's operations in North America and Europe. After emerging from bankruptcy, the company did not pursue further development of handheld consoles. == Features ==

The Neo Geo Pocket is a horizontally oriented handheld console, similar in form factor to the Sega's Game Gear, in contrast to Nintendo's vertically oriented Game Boy. The device features a finger groove on the back for improved grip, and game cartridges are inserted into a rear slot. Both models include two action buttons, along with "Power" and "Option" buttons. A notable feature is the microswitched thumb pad, which offers joystick-style eight-directional input and was generally regarded as more precise than conventional d-pads. == Technical specifications ==

File:Neo Geo Pocket Motherboard Back.jpg|Neo Geo Pocket motherboard File:Neo Geo Color Motherboard Bottom.jpg|Neo Geo Pocket Color motherboard == Game library ==

Only nine games were released for the original monochrome Neo Geo Pocket, all of which are backward compatible using the Neo Geo Pocket Color. Six of these nine games were later re-released in updated color versions for the Pocket Color. Some Pocket Color titles can also be played in monochrome on the original system. A total of 73 games were released for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. Most were developed by SNK, including entries from its established franchises such as Fatal Fury, Metal Slug and The King of Fighters. Some major third-party developers contributed to the library, including Sega with Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, a title based on Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that has been cited as one of the best games produced for the system. Cartridges Neo Geo Pocket cartridges are smaller than Game Boy cartridges. Games were initially packaged in small, clamshell-style plastic cases with colorful cover art, resembling the packaging of Neo Geo AES games. These cases were regarded by some fans as particularly distinctive. These re-releases were later compiled into Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 (2021) and Vol. 2 (2022), which were also released for Windows. == Reception ==

SNK sold over 25,000 Neo Geo Pocket Color units in Japan and more than 100,000 in Europe by the end of 1999. By May 2000, the system held a 2% share of the North American handheld market. Damien McFerran of Nintendo Life called the Neo Geo Pocket, alongside the WonderSwan, one of the most "interesting challengers" to Nintendo. He praised its library, clamshell packaging, hardware, and battery life, writing, "The Neo Geo Pocket Color may not have succeeded in its goal of wrestling market share away from Nintendo, but that doesn't automatically mean it was a failure. Many fans will argue that the quality of the software available was far in advance of that on the Game Boy Color, and the fantastic controls, amazing battery life, cool PDA features and excellent screen combine to make a system which is still hard to put down, even today." == See also ==