Neo Geo Pocket
SNK's handheld console line, competing with Game Boy and WonderSwan.
The Neo Geo Pocket was a line of handheld game consoles made by SNK, a Japanese video game company, from 1998 to 2001. The first version, a monochrome model simply called the Neo Geo Pocket, came out in Japan in October 1998. It was SNK’s first attempt at a handheld system, going up against Nintendo’s Game Boy. This original model didn’t sell well, so SNK quickly replaced it with the Neo Geo Pocket Color in 1999, which had a color screen and could play all the original games.
The Neo Geo Pocket Color launched in Japan in March 1999, then hit North America in August and parts of Europe in October. Reviewers liked its microswitched joystick and its library of games based on SNK franchises like *The King of Fighters*, *Samurai Shodown*, and *SNK vs. Capcom*. A smaller, lighter version called the New Neo Geo Pocket Color came out only in Japan in October 1999, with better ergonomics and minor technical tweaks.
Even though the system got good reviews, it struggled to sell. It had little support from third-party game developers, wasn’t widely available in stores, and faced tough competition from the Game Boy Color and Bandai’s WonderSwan. After SNK was bought by pachinko maker Aruze and then went bankrupt in October 2001, the Neo Geo Pocket line was discontinued. SNK never made another handheld console.
The first Neo Geo Pocket had a monochrome screen and was sold mainly in Japan and Hong Kong. It launched with eight games, including *Baseball Stars* (a port of the 1989 game) and *King of Fighters R-1*. It came in many colors, like Platinum Blue, Carbon Black, Camouflage Brown, and Crystal White. In 1998, it won the Good Design Award from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion. But limited sales led SNK to stop making it in favor of the color model.
SNK announced the Neo Geo Pocket Color in January 1999, responding to the market’s shift to color screens. It had a non-backlit color display and launched in Japan with seven games, including *Puzzle Link* and *Samurai Shodown! 2*. It was meant to compete with the Game Boy Color and the WonderSwan.
SNK never officially sold the monochrome Neo Geo Pocket in North America or Europe, though people could mail-order it from SNK’s website starting in April 1999. Only two units were sold before the color model came out in the U.S. in August 1999. The Neo Geo Pocket Color debuted in the U.S.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- SNK
- Family
- Neo Geo
- Generation
- Fifth
- Release Date
- Neo Geo Pocket: JP · October 28, 1998Neo Geo Pocket Color: JP · March 19, 1999 · NA · August 6, 1999 · EU · October 1, 1999New Neo Geo Pocket Color: JP · October 21, 1999
- Discontinued
- NA/EU · June 13, 2000 · JP · October 30, 2001
- Media
- ROM cartridge
- Cpu
- Toshiba TLCS900H core (16-bit) @ 6.144 MHz / Zilog Z80 @ 3.072 MHz for sound
- Memory
- 12 KB RAM for 900/H / 4 KB RAM for Z80 / 64 KB ROM
- Display
- 2.7", 160×152 resolution, 146 colors on screen out of a palette of 4,096
- Sound
- T6W28 (enhanced SN76489), 6-bit DACs
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
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 and King of Fighters R-1. 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.
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 was designed to compete with Nintendo's Game Boy Color and Bandai's WonderSwan. On October 21, 1999, SNK released a redesigned, slimmer version of the handheld, known as the New Neo Geo Pocket Color, exclusively in Japan. This model was 13% smaller than the original and featured improved sound output.
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. Following SNK’s acquisition by Aruze and the company’s bankruptcy in October 2001, the Neo Geo Pocket series was discontinued, marking the end of SNK's involvement in hardware manufacturing.
Reader's Guide
The Neo Geo Pocket line is notable as SNK's only foray into handheld hardware, representing a brief but distinctive chapter in late-1990s portable gaming. The system's microswitched thumb pad was generally regarded as more precise than conventional d-pads, and its library featured SNK's arcade franchises such as The King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown, and Metal Slug, as well as crossover titles with Capcom. The Neo Geo Pocket Color launched in the U.S. in August 1999 with an MSRP of $69.95, initially available exclusively through eToys.com, and sold 25,000 units in its first two months. SNK spent $4 million on television ads airing on MTV, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. By May 2000, the system held a modest 2% share of the American handheld console market, enough to turn a profit for SNK USA. However, limited third-party support, low retail visibility, and strong competition from the Game Boy Color and WonderSwan hampered its success. The line was discontinued after SNK's bankruptcy in 2001, and the company did not pursue further development of handheld consoles. A total of 73 games were released for the Neo Geo Pocket Color, with Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure cited as one of the best games produced for the system.
Did You Know?
- Only nine games were released for the original monochrome Neo Geo Pocket.
- The Neo Geo Pocket Color could link with the Dreamcast for certain games, as part of a partnership between SNK and Sega.
- A wireless adapter for the Neo Geo Pocket Color was unveiled at the September 1999 Tokyo Game Show.
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