NeoGeo Pocket Color

[Nando]

Been talking to a few folks about this little machine. I've been more than impressed by the quality of animation in the fighting games and I'm about to try out a machine for the first time, this weekend, hopefully. Maybe even buy one in the near future, since they are SO INEXPENSIVE!

Do any of you own this fantastic little piece of hardware?

So far I have my eyes on Fight of the Millenium and Gals Fighter.

Classic Game Room - GALS' FIGHTERS for Neo-Geo Pocket Color review

[bob]

I bought one with 15 games at a local shop a couple years ago. Really didn't like it, but I'm the last person who will ever advocate for NEO anything. Just a thing I have, that I don't feel like explaining. Anyway, it wasn't backlit and suffered from terrible blur. I think something may have been wrong with it. I traded all the games for some NES carts and tossed the machine. Very satisfying.

[ccovell]

Very overrated.  The good thing is that they're dirt cheap, the bad is that the screen is the same flickery dark one as the Gameboy Color, it barely competes against the Game Gear for onscreen colour count, and the games you'll find are SD fighters and slot machine games.  If you like that sort of thing.

(I do have both Metal Slugs, and Sonic.  Not much more to collect, really.)

[Mzo]

O-overrated?  No...

It's the best little system!  The clicky stick is so good!

There are a lot of different game types to play on there you didn't mention:  Biomotor Unitron (RPG), Faselei and Ogre Battle (SRPG), Cool Cool Toon (rhythm RPG), Rockman the Power Battles (arcade port), Baseball Stars (baseball), Neo Geo Cup '98 (soccer), Neo Turf Masters (golf), the amazing Card Fighters' Clash (CCG), Bust-A-Move Pocket and Magical Drop Pocket (puzzle), and the maze games Pac-Man and Crush Roller.

The SD fighters are great, too!   Match of the Millenium, Gals Fighter, Last Blade, SamSho 2...  they're cute and a lot of fun.

Not bad for its short life span and lack of dev support.

[Nando]

I was looking for GBA fighters and the neo pocket came into my radar. I've read the thing about the screen. Apparently there are kits to upgrade the screen to an AGS 101. Still looking into that. The system and the games are pretty inexpensive.

[roflmao]

I purchased one around launch and only recently (within the past year or two) sold it on these forums. I think if it had a back-lit screen, it would have been the bees knees, but I found mine hard to play for more than a few minutes, unless I was stuck on an airplane and had nothing else to do.

Over the years, I ended up putting the most time into Match of the Millenium, Bio-Motor Unitron, and Metal Slug.  Sonic was also really good, imo.  I found Puyo Pop nearly impossible to differentiate between some of the colors to play very well, otherwise it would have ranked highly.  Pac Man was hard as all getup.

Since they are relatively cheap, I'd say go ahead and pick one up and try it out.  It's worth playing around with.  But it doesn't hold a candle to an Express or a GBA SP, let alone any of the newer handhelds.

[Nando]

 I have an AGS 001 and really enjoy it. However I've started to look for a used DS / DS lite. I want that brighter screen.

[Mzo]

I have to keep around an original GBA for Boktai and Boktai 2.  You can't play the newer models in the sun; those screens are like black holes.

[megatron-uk]

Brilliant little system. One of my favourite handhelds - the battery lasts for ages, the screen is very sharp (although not backlit) and the controls, as with the original AES control stick, rock solid.
I have an almost-complete UK clamshell NGPC game collection (including Faselei, Last Blade, Gals Fighters, Cotton, Cool Boards, Dynamite Slugger etc.) - only a couple of the gambling games left and that would complete it.

[Nando]

so how bad is the screen, really?

[bob]

think first gen GBA.  thats what it reminded me of.

[GohanX]

It's reflective, so it looks great if you have plenty of light, if it's dim you are in trouble. I'd kill for a proper backlit version.

[Nando]

Well, there's always this

http://www.jamma-nation-x.com/jammax/files/light_ngpc.pdf

[JoshTurboTrollX]

think first gen GBA.  thats what it reminded me of.

I'd say one step back from that actually.  It's a slightly more powered GameBoy Colour.  The best games are CardFighters Clash, Metal Slug and Sonic.  Then go from there.  Lots of really fun titles to be had for very low prices.  Yes it's worth it. 

Kof, Qof, MotM, Fatal Fury and all the rest are totally great SD fighter games.  The Stick/clicker pad work amazingly with pulling off moves.

[Bloufo]

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Works fine for me. I'd obviously though much prefer to have my system modded to solve the lighting issue.

[Nando]

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Works fine for me. I'd obviously though much prefer to have my system modded to solve the lighting issue.

Nice! I wonder if I can find one of those on the evilbays

[pulstar]

I loved the NGPC and it does have a small, pretty decent game library. The fighters are awesome and it does have a few RPGs/SRPGs that are worth your time. If you don't mind Japanese then the Wonderswan is awesome...all kinds of vertical/horizontal awesomenss.

[PukeSter]

Nice handheld. But hard to see screen, and the very loud clicking stick, made it bad to play in public.

Fantastic library, though. Maybe a consolized version would be better for me.

[pulstar]

Maybe a consolized version would be better for me.

That would be one hell of a mod to perform and it'd probably look headache-inducing on such a big screen.

[Nando]

Nice handheld. But hard to see screen, and the very loud clicking stick, made it bad to play in public.

Fantastic library, though. Maybe a consolized version would be better for me.

The appeal to me is the hardware/game mix. I want to try that joystiq!

If you have an android device, I would recommend http://www.explusalpha.com/home/ngp-emu
at least to try out the games.

Robert does some FANTASTIC emu work. His PCE emu is the best out there IMO.

[Xak]

Metal Slug was my favorite game by far on the system. Its also completely original not a port

[PukeSter]

Yes the joystick is fantastic. Same one as neo geo cd.

I had dark arms, PAC-man, kof 2, metal slug 2 and delta warp. All great games.

[Xak]

i had Fatal Fury and KoF as well, i thinke Fatal Fury was funner. KoF was just as  hard as the arcade pretty much the last boss

[o.pwuaioc]

Nice handheld. But hard to see screen, and the very loud clicking stick, made it bad to play in public.

Fantastic library, though. Maybe a consolized version would be better for me.

I love the clicking! That stick is seriously the best stick my thumb has ever moved. It makes moves in fighters a real pleasure. I can't say that about any other controller or handheld.

It's library is pretty cool, too. Love playing Pac-Man, Bust a Move, Sonic, SNK vs. Capcom. I even got Faselei! for half of what it goes. Now if only someone would make a translated ROM hack of Ogre Battle, I'd be set.

[GohanX]

Well, there's always this

http://www.jamma-nation-x.com/jammax/files/light_ngpc.pdf

I've done this. It's...okay.

[Nando]

Well, there's always this

http://www.jamma-nation-x.com/jammax/files/light_ngpc.pdf

I've done this. It's...okay.

any drawbacks?

[GohanX]

It gets the job done, but the colors of the screen look a bit washed out. Also, you are going to be missing a few lines of pixels since the GBA light isn't quite big enough for the NGPC screen, although it's barely noticeable. What it needs is some kind of film to go over the NGPC screen to evenly distribute the light, IIRC the old GBA afterburner kits had something to this effect.

That being said, it's handy to have. It beats the heck out of those stupid Worm Lights. I installed the light into an old POS system as an experiment, I wouldn't mind having one installed into a nicer system. I just think it could be much better if someone designed something specifically for the system.

[DragonmasterDan]

It gets the job done, but the colors of the screen look a bit washed out. Also, you are going to be missing a few lines of pixels since the GBA light isn't quite big enough for the NGPC screen, although it's barely noticeable. What it needs is some kind of film to go over the NGPC screen to evenly distribute the light, IIRC the old GBA afterburner kits had something to this effect.

That being said, it's handy to have. It beats the heck out of those stupid Worm Lights. I installed the light into an old POS system as an experiment, I wouldn't mind having one installed into a nicer system. I just think it could be much better if someone designed something specifically for the system.

I have both the Nyko Wormlight and a "Cow Light" for the NGPC. The Naki wormlight comes with a battery pack, the cow light plugs into the link cable port. Both suck. The best peripheral for the NGPC that I've come across is the shock n rock which gives it vibration and much louder sound. It also makes it a bit easier to hold. Unfortunately it won't work with the later slim Neo Geo Pocket color that came out in Japan.

[Nando]

Got to try one last night. Love the hardware, the screen isn't as bad as I thought and oh my goddess, that stick is brilliant. Also had a go at a wonder swan color. Really cool as well, and the landscape and portrait "modes" are awesome. I'd like to add both to my collection at some point.

The sprite work on the SNK machine is superb!

[Mzo]

I'm glad you liked it!  It's such a cool little machine.  The clicky stick was my first introduction to something like it and I absolutely loved it.  I think the NG CD system used something similar for its controller, and I know there's an official USB version out there.  I'd love to try it.

[GohanX]

It's nice, I actually like the ps3 pad a little better than the Neo original. I like the NGPC stick the best though, I would love that stick in a regular controller.

[Nando]

I must find this USB version.