Neo Geo Pocket

The Neo Geo Pocket Colour (or NGPC) was released in 1998 in Japan. It was a 16-bit colour hand held game console designed by SNK, the makers of the Neo Geo home console and arcade machine. It came after SNK's original Neo Geo Pocket monochrome handheld, which debuted in 1998 in Japan (and was released in the USA in 1999). The U.S. version of the Neo Geo Pocket Colour had an exclusive launch on the website eToys in 1999. eToys also sold the initial launch titles in the preferred plastic snap lock cases.

In 2000 following SNK's purchase by Japanese Pachinko manufacturer Aruze, the Neo Geo Pocket Colour was dropped from both the United States and European markets, purportedly due to commercial failure. Remaining stock was bought back by SNK for repackaging in Asia. Before SNK was bought out, the Neo Geo Pocket Colour was being advertised on US television and units were being sold nationally in Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Toys "R" Us, and other large retail chains. In June 2000 SNK of America (and Europe) tried recalling most of the backstock of systems and games to be flashed and re-sold in Asia where the system would continue to be sold and supported. Some of the backstock of US NGPC hardware and software started showing up back on the marketplace in the US and Asia in 2003. These units frequently appear bundled with six games, and are readily available online, and are sometimes available in video game stores.

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The system seemed well on its way to being a success in the US. Indeed, it enjoyed a greater success than any Game Boy competitor since Sega's Game Gear. However, it was hurt by several factors, such as the Neo Geo heads' (the Barone family) legendary lack of communication with third-party developers, and anticipation of the Game Boy Advance. The decision to ship American games in cardboard boxes in a cost cutting move rather than the much loved hard plastic cases that Japanese and European releases were shipped in may have also hurt the American sales.

The system has a language setting on the handheld device, and games display text in the language selected (provided the cartridge supports that language). Other settings can be set on the handheld such as time and date, and the system can provide customized horoscopes when one's birthdate is entered.

Cables for linking multiple systems were available, as well as a cable to connect the NGPC and the Sega Dreamcast for Gundam and King of Fighters themed games. There was a wireless connector released in Japan that allowed several players in close proximity to play together, with some cartridge mouldings reshaped to hold it. An MP3 audio player add-on was developed but was not released due to SNK's closure.

The Neo Geo Pocket was SNK's original hand held system. It was released in Japan in late 1998, and discontinued in 1999, with the advent of the Neo Geo Pocket Colour, due to lower than expected sales with the Monochrome Neo Geo Pocket.

The system was only released within the Japanese and Hong Kong market. Even though it had a short life, there were some significant games released on the system such as Samurai Shodown, and King of Fighters R-1.

The Neo Geo Pocket can play many of the newer colour games. There are, however, notable exceptions such as Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure or SNK vs. Capcom: Match Of The Millennium. The newer Neo Geo Pocket Colour is fully backwards compatible, so it plays all Neo Geo Pocket cartridges.

Although no longer in production, the Neo Geo Pocket and its games have a large cult following. On the internet, generally, boxed games usually sell for hundreds of dollars and are found to be possibly the rarest and most sought out video game collectibles to date.

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