"The Best Portable System Under 32-bits"

The first time I heard of the Neo Geo Pocket Color (henceforth referred to as the NGPC), I couldn't stop laughing. SNK was attempting to go against the mighty Nintendo? Impossible! But as time went along, I slowly paid more attention to the little box, and once I heard of Sonic Pocket Adventure, I immediately paid attention.

It was then that my opinion changed.

But you aren't reading this for my personal experiance with this impressive machine, are you? Here's my opinion of SNK's last system before fate claimed them...

Graphics - 9.0/10 (Like anime? Here ya go!)
Screenshots for this system, like any other system these days, do not do justice to the impressive hardware. The screen is color, and is capable of pushing graphics somewhere between the NES and Sega Master System. Compare this, if you will, to the very NES-like graphics of your average GBC title. The screen, unlike either the non-lit Game Boys or the Swan Crystal, is easily seen with even the least ammount of lighting. This is very crutial due to the fact that the games can become complicated, and seeing is a must. Typically, provided the game is programed correctly (and thus far, I have not seen one that wasn't), the backgrounds usually are animated, which is something that even the GBC couldn't do often (and in some cases, the GBA). The screen lacks any serious blurring, and the fact that the screen is easily seen makes this one of the most friendly non-backlit systems to use.

Sound - 8.0/10 (Impressive abilities. Let's see the GBC pull of actual voices...)
If you accept the fact that portable systems have lower sound abilities than their big cousins, then you will find that the NGPC is one of the best sound-capable systems in any market (only outclassed by the GP32 in my experiance). This system has pulled off remixes of both Sonic and Mega Man tunes faithfully, and the sound engine is nice enough to warrant the use of headphones. One interesting feature of this system is its ability to use voice synthesis. I have two games that use this (Rockman Battle and Fighters and Sonic Pocket Adventure), and though the voices are only at the intro, I have to say that given the hardware, they are impressive.

Game Library - 5.0/10 (Small variety of English games hurts this...)
I typically like to play games that I can understand, and the fact that most NGPC carts can do both English and Japanese is no small feat. However, a fairly large number of games have only Japanese (Rockman Battle and Fighters comes to mind...), which can hurt the player.

The actual genres available on the NGPC are as follows:

Fighing (I currently own three fighters, four if you count RMBF amongst this genre; Kind of Fighters and Gals Fighters)
Arcade (Pac-Man)
Puzzle (Puzzle Link)
Platformer (Sonic, Metal Slug)
Strategy/RPG (Dive Alert, Evolution)
Sports (Neo Cup 98, Baseball)
Casino (Neo 21)
Multiple (I don't know specific titles, but there are a few carts that have multiple mini-games)

Impressive genres, yes? The only problem is that there are close to seven fighting games (maybe more), and the number of other games are thin. There are a fair number of sports games, and the number of puzzle games are nice. There are a massive number of casino-like games, though I have never tried them due to my tastes. Platformers are few, but with Sonic and Metal Slug, you get what you pay for. The one genre that suprised me was the presence of RPGs and strategy titles. There are a few strategy RPGs, and the presence of Evolution makes this a nice platform if you are able to get games in your tounge. And here lies a problem - many of the RPGs available since SNK's pullout are in Japanese only. Due to this, I recommend that only hardcore gamers go for these, unless you get lucky and find an English version of Evolution.

I would estimate that around thirty NGPC games are available, many that are in English, and many more that don't require a degree in Japanese to enjoy.

Battery Life - 10/10 (Wow.)
If you thought that the Gameboy series were good at low battery lifes, meet the NGPC. This system has a wopping 40 HOUR battery life, perhaps longer with the sound off. And it only takes two AA batteries. In contrast, the only systems that come close are the old Gameboy, which used 4 AAs for 40 hours or so, and the Swan Crystal, which goes close to eighteen hours on one AA. Not bad.

Controls - 7.5/10 (I miss the D-Pad...)
Now, I have heard large ammounts of praise for the NGPC's ''control stick,'' but I personally prefer the D-Pad. But there is no denying the ease and quality that the pad is used. It is very comfortable, and the risk of blisters is near zero. The two buttons (A and B) are made of the same plastic as the pad, and are easy to use. The Option key is somewhat hard to use, due to its small size and material. The On/Off switch problems are eliminated by the use of a button on the righthand side of the NGPC which has to be pressed for two seconds to power the system. No more accidental powerons while in church or at work!

One quick note - powering up the NGPC without a cart brings up a menu with several options - a clock/alarm, a callander, a world time scale, and a horoscope. The latter is largely useless, but it is fun to play with.

Overall - 9/10 (Great if you can get it!)
Despite the Figher and Casino heavy genres for the system, the fact that the design is so perfect makes this one a keeper. From a terrific battery life to the nice lineup of games, this one is worth the investment.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/28/04