Neo Geo Pocket

Lifespan1998–99DiscontinuedMediaROM cartridgeCPUToshiba TLCS900H @ 6.144 MHzSoundZ80 & SN76489 compatiblePowerTwo AAA batteries for 40 hours of play, CR2032 for backup memory and clockSuccessorNeo Geo Pocket Color

The Neo Geo Pocket (NGP) is a monochrome handheld game console released by SNK. It was the company's first handheld system and is part of the Neo Geo family. It debuted in Japan in late 1998 and was primarily sold in Japan and Hong Kong.^[1] The system and all five English games saw limited distribution in the west, where it could be ordered directly from SNK USA.^[2]

The Neo Geo Pocket received lower than expected sales and it was discontinued in 1999,^[3] immediately being succeeded by the Neo Geo Pocket Color (NGPC), a full color device allowing the system to compete more easily with the dominant Game Boy Color handheld, and which also saw an American release. Though the system enjoyed only a short life, there were some significant games released on the system such as Samurai Shodown!, and King of Fighters R-1.

Technical specifications

• 16-bit Toshiba TLCS-900H high performance core CPU
• 32-bit/16-bit register bank configuration at 6.144 MHz
• Virtual screen 256×256, 16 palettes per plane, 64 sprites per frame
• Z80 8-bit CPU to control the soundchip
• SN76489 soundchip equivalent (three square-wave tone generators, one white-noise generator, and direct access to two digital-to-analog converters)
• I/O serial SIO, one channel at 19200 bit/s
• 4-bit internal memory

Neo Geo Pocket cartridges are smaller than Game Boy cartridges.^[4]

Games

Only nine monochrome games were released for the Neo Geo Pocket before it was discontinued. The Neo Geo Pocket is forward compatible with 39 Neo Geo Pocket Color titles, although games for the color system will play in monochrome on a Neo Geo Pocket. Likewise, the NGPC is backward compatible and the entire Neo Geo Pocket library can be played on the color system. After the release of the NGPC, several of these titles began receiving re-releases, updated to include color.

One additional game, a remake of the 1979 SNK arcade game Yosaku, can be played by inserting the NGPC game The King of Fighters: Battle de Paradise into a Neo Geo Pocket.^[5]

Title	Developer(s)	Publisher(s)	Re-released for NGPC	Release date
				Baseball Stars	Saurus, SNK	SNK	Yes	October 28, 1998
King of Fighters R-1	SNK	SNK	No	October 28, 1998
Melon-chan's Growth Diary	ADK	SNK	No	October 28, 1998
Neo Cherry Master	DYNA	SNK	Yes	December 25, 1998
Neo Geo Cup '98 Plus	SNK	SNK	Yes	October 28, 1998
Pocket Tennis	Yumekobo	SNK	Yes	October 28, 1998
Puzzle Link	Yumekobo	SNK	Yes	October 28, 1998
Samurai Shodown!	Saurus, SNK	SNK	No	December 25, 1998
Shōgi no Tatsujin: Master of Syougi	ADK	SNK	Yes	November 20, 1998

References