Platform / Neo Geo Pocket

3 Following

The Pocket was released in 1998, in Japan, Hong Kong, and Europe, but not in North America most likely due to the Game Boy Color releasing. It didn't sell well, so it was replaced one year later by the Pocket Color. This had a wider release, including North America, and sold two million units. It was a good handheld, with a 16-bit CPU, 4096 colors, and 40 hours on two AA batteries for $70. It was cancelled in 2000 after SNK was bought by a pachinko company, though it lasted until 2001 in Japan.

The Pocket's claim to fame over the Game Boy line was the fact that instead of rubber pads, the D-pad used microswitches to sense directional movement. This difference allowed competitive fighting games to be played effortlessly on such a small unit. There was also a link cable that allowed the NGPC to interface with a Sega Dreamcast.

Specifications:

Processors

• CPU: Toshiba TLCS900H, 16-bit, just over 6 MHz.
• Z80, 3 MHz, sound controller.
• One (Pocket) or two (Pocket Color) Texas Instruments SN76489 sound chips.

Memory

• 12K RAM for TLCS900H.
• 4K RAM for Z80.

Display

• 160*152 resolution.
• 146 out of 4096 colors.
• 64 sprites.

Sound

• One or two sound chips, 3 square waves plus 1 noise wave per chip.

Games:

• Bikkuriman 2000 Viva! Pocket Festival!
• Biomotor Unitron
• Cool Boarders Pocket
• Densha de Go! 2
• Evolution: Eternal Dungeons
• Fantastic Night Dreams: Cotton
• Fatal Fury: First Contact (loose port of Real Bout Fatal Fury 2)
• Ganbare Neo Poke-Kun
• Infinity Cure
• The King of Fighters:
  • King Of Fighters R-1
  • King Of Fighters R-2
  • King Of Fighters: Battle de Paradise
• Koi Koi Mahjong
• The Last Blade: Beyond the Destiny (a combined port of the following):
  • The Last Blade
  • The Last Blade 2
• Magical Drop Pocket
• Memories Off: Pure
• Metal Slug:
  • Metal Slug: 1st Mission
  • Metal Slug: 2nd Mission
• Ogre Battle: Legend Of The Zenobia Prince
• Pac-Man (1980)
• Puyo Pop
• Puzzle Bobble
• Rockman Battle & Fighters (a combined, stripped-down port of the following):
  • Mega Man: The Power Battle
  • Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
• Samurai Shodown:
  • Samurai Shodown! (port of Samurai Shodown IV)
  • Samurai Shodown! 2 (loose port of Samurai Shodown 64: Warrior's Rage)
• Shanghai Mini
• SNK Gals Fighters
• SNK vs. Capcom:
  • SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash:
    • SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash
    • SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash 2 - Expand Edition
  • SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium
• Sonic Pocket Adventure
• Super Real Mahjong Premium Collection