The Neo Geo Pocket Color - Review - Game Sack

Episode 131 - Like many other companies, SNK tried to take on the GameBoy in the late 90's with this interesting handlheld. It didn't last long but it was pretty cool while it was around. So let's look at the system and a bunch of games for it!

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[TockTockTock]

The Neo Geo Pocket Color was an excellently made handheld. It was affordable, comfortable to hold, had a solid internal architecture, and possessed a great lineup of games. It should have been successful, but SNK was already financially in the hole by that time. It's kind of similar to the Dreamcast's situation if you think about it.

[kameoosama]

Very nice episode, this had a ton of great fighters. I'm surprised you didn't mention how the NGPC version of Last Blade is essentially 2 games. Once you finish arcade/story with the Last Blade 1 characters, you start unlocking characters from Last Blade 2 and it even gives you the 2nd game's ending and opening screens and the 2nd game's final boss. All in all I think it's actually only missing a couple characters from the Neo Geo version of Last Blade 2.

[TheInfiniteMiseryJumper]

Waking up on a lazy Sunday morning here in the UK, with the sun pouring through my window, something suitably unhealthy for breakfast and a new episode of GameSack on the TV...does it get any better than this?

Thank-you guys, for consistently putting out such interesting, informative and brilliantly crafted content.

[crüdeband]

0:37 “This was a black and white system with only 10 games that were ever released for it.” That’s a half truth. Only 10 games were made in monochrome but a lot of the color games worked on the original model.

[neothex]

Great review ( from an original team member SNK USA) we had to build the games because N-tendo put heavy pressure on the publishers, but we still had great mobile titles and did it right especially Capcom vs SNK, and card fighters i still have both my color and b/w and unreleased demos at the time in landscape mode 16bit. b/w gboy got worried, but wasn't meant to be.... and dive alert was good, faseli was great, head 2 head, dreamcast connections ....

[hdofu]

Rockman Battle and Fighter actually was a double whammy port of the two Mega Man Arcade titles... which it surprisingly captures a lot of the original feel of the games albeit looking more like the game boy sprites

[mylifeingaming]

[Couy] I had a NGPC but the only games I had for it was SNK vs Capcom and Metal Slug 2nd Mission. Both amazing games.

The thing that got me in this video is that I never realized just how much the system sounds like the Master System. It's great!

[goodkaji]

Hey guys, you forgot to mention the cool clamshell packaging for the games themselves.  That in of itself makes collecting games for the system that much more fun.  The packaging is really well made and it gives the games a charm all on their own.  For anyone out there that hasn't seen one, it's not a typical clamshell.  They have these cool latches that keep them shut.  I know it sounds weird that I'm getting worked up on packaging, but if you have tried to collect complete games for other handhelds of the past, you can appreciate how sturdy the packaging is.

[MetalJesusRocks]

I love the motion tracked 3D text in this episode... Very nice looking.

[SatoshiMatrix]

I really, really love the Neo-Geo Pocket Color. The click-stick is a dream to use, and is even better than the Neo-Geo CD's clickstick or the Neo-Geo Pad2/USB made years later.

That click-stick made all the difference when compared to its rival, the GameBoy Color. While the GBC is also awesome, home to several of the best 8-bit games ever made including the amazingly underrated Shantae, it's the Neo-Geo Pocket Color's library that truly amazes me.

If you were to take every Neo-Geo Pocket game ever made, put them in a stack and randomly pull one out, chances are you'll have pulled out an outstanding game. The library may be small, but that also means its free from the shovelware the GBC saw.

Ultimately, I feel the NGPC had so much untapped potential, especially when it comes to shmups, platformers and RPGs.

I'm holding out hope that someday there will be enough interest that homebrew games  will start to give it a second life, what has been happening with the 2600 and NES for many years now.

I love the NGPC. Truly one of the greatest systems ever made.

[BrasilGT]

Just one note, guys: The Samurai Shodown is based on the 4th game, not the 1st. Excellent episode!

[GeekCritique]

SEGA didn't develop Pocket Adventure, they just licensed it to SNK. Sonic Team did oversee development, however. Also, calling it a "stripped down Sonic 2" is kind of misleading. The art assets are mostly from Sonic 2, but the music hails from Sonic 3, and most importantly, the level layouts and bosses are all new. As a final note, the etymology is "Special Stage." Sorry to be pedantic, I really enjoy these videos!

SOURCE: My own petulant Sonic nerdiness. Also, I recently did a video with a more in-depth critique of Sonic Pocket Adventure, so check that out if you're interested!

[sewart]

I always thought it was cool that Pac-Man came with a little ring you affixed to the control pad in order to limit motion to the four cardinal directions. Such an odd but cool thing to include.

[brichan]

Such an underrated, under appreciated system. I’m SO glad I have (physical copies) of the Neo Geo Pocket Collection vol(s) 1&2 for my Switch. Fantastic!

[ShinobiNeon]

I have two of these little babies I bought on ebay a few years ago, well after the system's official lifespan ended. This thing was way ahead of its time with some amazing games that would've blew my mind back when I was a little kid in the 90s. If I had Match of the Millennium back then, I never would've stopped playing it. Hell, it's still my favorite NGPC game to this day, easily.

[josevelajr]

Recently picked this console up with a stack of games and thus far every game that I've tried has been solid. The fighting games are hands down the best handheld fighting games I have ever played which makes perfect sense coming from SNK.

[RoseWrestlingNetwork]

That Mega Man game is a port of an arcade game called "The Power Fighters", it's a Mega Man themed fighter with an interesting story that ties the original games to the X series. And it did get a console release on the Anniversary Collection.

[mattskelton]

Just want to thank you guys for your videos, they are the highlight of my Sunday mornings. Never really comment on YT but I'm making an exception as I wanted you to know I really appreciate the effort you guys put in. It really shows in your videos, looking forward to many more!

[scoringrubric]

These videos are always so interesting. This is the best channel for classic and forgotten games. I hope you don't stop anytime soon!

[christopherwriight]

Around the 13:30 mark that's the Queen of the Night aria by Mozart, familiar if you've seen the movie Amadeus. Great video as always, guys.