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History of video games/Platforms/Neo Geo Pocket

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  • The Neo Geo Pocket Color handheld console.
    The Neo Geo Pocket Color handheld console.

History

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Launch

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Neo Geo Pocket Logo.

The monochrome Neo Geo Pocket was released in 1998.[1] Few third parties developed for the Neo Geo Pocket,[2] though the company Dimps worked on many Neo Geo Pocket games.[3] It's most major third party IP to see a release on the system was Sonic, when Sega partnered with SNK to make a portable version of Sonic 2 for the system.[4]

SNK competed hard against the Game Boy line in the United States. This is especially true with the Neo Geo Pocket Color, which offered a console with superior technology compared to the Game Boy Color as wile also undercutting Nintendo, with the system costing only $69.95 at launch.[5] By the year 2000, the Neo Geo Pocket was slightly profitable in the United States, and held a two percent marketshare of handhelds.[6][7] For a new entrant to the market going against an entrenched company, those are quite good numbers given the small timeframe the system was available for sale. Unlike many consoles, internal problems with SNK in Japan rather then the console's market performance would lead to the withdraw of the console in American markets.[8]

Legacy

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Due to financial difficulties and new ownership of SNK by Aruze, including a rocky stint in the Pachinko business[9], the Neo Geo Pocket Color was discontinued in Canada and the United States on June 13th, 2000.[6][10]

After resuming operations in March, 2001 in October of 2001, SNK was again defunct.[11][12]

The Neo Geo Pocket sold two million consoles.[13] The Neo Geo Pocket Color sold under 200,000 systems.[2]

In 2020 SNK began rereleasing certain Neo Geo Pocket games on the Nintendo Switch.[14]

Technology

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Neo Geo Pocket

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The specs of the Neo Geo Pocket are close enough to the Neo Geo Pocket Color that most Neo Geo Pocket Color games will run on it.[15]

Neo Geo Pocket Color

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Compute

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The Neo Geo Pocket Color is powered by a primary 16-bit Toshiba TLCS900H processor clocked at 6.144 megahertz and 12 kilobytes of dedicated RAM.[16] A secondary 8-bit Z80 processor used for sound clocked at 3.072 megahertz with four kilobytes of dedicated RAM..[16]

The Neo Geo Pocket Color has 12 kilobytes of RAM, and four kilobytes of sound RAM.[17][6]

Hardware

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The system has a built in clock.[1]

A wireless link accessory for the Neo Geo Pocket Color was planned.[18]

Notable games

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1998

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  • Neo Geo Cup '98 Plus Color
  • Baseball Stars
  • King of Fighters R-1

1999

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Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure

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A portable version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 released for the Neo Geo Pocket Color.[4] The game was well received at the time and was seen as a major title for the system in a market dominated by the Nintendo GameBoy.[19]

Read more about Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure on Wikipedia.

2000

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2001

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  • SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighter's Clash 2 Expand Edition
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Original

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  • Note the two different battery bays.
    Note the two different battery bays.

Color

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  • Note the two different battery bays.
    Note the two different battery bays.

Accessories

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  • Neo Geo Pocket Link Cable.
    Neo Geo Pocket Link Cable.
  • Dreamcast link adapter for the Neo Geo Pocket.
    Dreamcast link adapter for the Neo Geo Pocket.

Interior

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Original Interior

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  • Motherboard Back
    Motherboard Back
  • Motherboard Front
    Motherboard Front

Color Interior

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  • Note the use of ABS plastic
    Note the use of ABS plastic

External Resources

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Wikipedia has related information at Neo Geo Pocket, Neo Geo Pocket Color, List of Neo Geo Pocket Color games  and SNK

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Neo Geo Pocket

References

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 Parts of this page are based on materials from:
 Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia.
  1. ↑ a b "Neo Geo Pocket Color: The Handheld That Helped Kill a Company". Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  2. ↑ a b Freeman, Jesse (11 May 2020). "Modernizing A Neo Geo Pocket Color". Medium. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  3. ↑ Robinson, Martin (6 September 2020). "The gaming archaeologist and his quest for a Neo Geo holy grail". Eurogamer. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  4. ↑ a b "Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure Gamebits". www.gamebits.net. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  5. ↑ Marriott, Michel (20 May 1999). "NEWS WATCH; An Upstart Unveils Rival to the Game Boy (Published 1999)". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/20/technology/news-watch-an-upstart-unveils-rival-to-the-game-boy.html. 
  6. ↑ a b c "The History of SNK". GameSpot. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  7. ↑ Axton, Gene (8 June 2019). "Retro collector review: Neo Geo Pocket Color". MintCondition.News. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  8. ↑ "Interview: Ben Herman, former SNK Playmore USA president SEGA Nerds". Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  9. ↑ "Ben Herman (SNK) - Interview". Arcade Attack. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  10. ↑ Kent, Steven. "NeoGeo surrenders -- is Sega next?" (in en). ZDNet. https://www.zdnet.com/article/neogeo-surrenders-is-sega-next/. 
  11. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (31 October 2001). "Rest in peace SNK". Eurogamer. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  12. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (14 February 2001). "SNK to Reopen?". Eurogamer. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  13. ↑ "The 10 Worst-Selling Handhelds of All Time Feature on GamePro.com". web.archive.org. 13 October 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  14. ↑ Byford, Sam (30 April 2020). "Turn your Switch into a Neo Geo Pocket Color with SNK Gals’ Fighters" (in en). The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/30/21242396/nintendo-switch-neo-geo-pocket-color-snk-gals-fighters. 
  15. ↑ "SNK Neo-Geo Pocket: A Beginner's Guide". RetroGaming with Racketboy. 4 January 2012.
  16. ↑ a b "Neo-Geo Pocket Color System Info". www.vgmuseum.com. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  17. ↑ "OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  18. ↑ EDT, Newsweek Staff On 9/5/99 at 8:00 PM (5 September 1999). "Who's Got Game?". Newsweek. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  19. ↑ Mullen, Micheal. "Sonic returns to handhelds" (in en). ZDNet. https://www.zdnet.com/article/sonic-returns-to-handhelds/. 
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