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.

[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

[_joshuaTurbo]

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]

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