Growing up in the 90’s arcade scene, it was impossible to escape the reach of Neo Geo. Those multi-game cabinets occupied space in every single arcade I knew as a kid. The home console Neo Geo AES, though? That was the stuff of legend. A rich man’s console that brought the full arcade games home. Playground rumors swirled about how so-and-so’s friend’s cousin actually has one, and they got to play it once.
By the time the Neo Geo Pocket Color (NGPC) arrived in the United States in August of 1999, it was completely off my radar. The console offered a portable recreation of those arcade classics I’d stared longingly at years before, but by then I’d moved on. Judging by the fact that the console didn’t even last a full year in the U.S. market, I’d say most other people had as well. The Game Boy Advance was right around the corner, and SNK’s new portable just wasn’t going to compare.
So for years, the Neo Geo Pocket Color (the original B&W version only saw a handful of releases) was a near total blind spot in my gaming background. I’d tested games here and there via PC emulation, but it wasn’t until the recent explosion in retro handhelds that I was really able to dive into the library.
As someone who has argued recently that we may be reaching the handheld endgame, the Neo Geo Pocket Color is a great example of why I still enjoy new handheld designs. Anything on the market has the needed horsepower to emulate the system flawlessly, but modern emulation tech affords us the opportunity to experience these titles in a way that never could have been mustered in ’99.
These are the devices in my collection that I think are the best for playing the Neo Geo Pocket Color.
Dense Pixel Power: TrimUI Brick
The original NGPC was pushing a humble screen resolution of only 160×152. This leaves a lot of room to squeeze pixels on the TrimUI Brick’s 1024×768 4:3 display. Games can run at a 5x integer scale on the Brick and produce a sharper experience than anyone at SNK could have dreamed of at the time.
Tactile micro-switch buttons help lend a feel of classic SNK controller authenticity. The D-Pad on the Brick isn’t the clicky version that the publisher was known for, but it’s precise enough that I had no trouble with fighting game inputs.
The Budget Friendly Square: Game Console (XiFan) XF40H
My first instinct when thinking of consoles that would best fit the NGPC was to go for the tried and true Powkiddy RGB30. As imperfectly wonderful as the RGB30 may be, I was reminded that I’d named the XF40H its spiritual successor when the console caught my eye from the shelf.
The square 1:1 aspect ratio of the XF40H means that it renders the Pocket Color’s 20:19 native display nearly perfectly, and without black borders trimming down the screen, or a stretched look to the games by forcing them into an aspect they were never intended for.
The Capable Chameleon: Anbernic RG Slide
The RG Slide has sort of come and gone since its initial release. I’ve maintained a soft spot for the handheld due to its bold design and capable hardware. It’s an imperfect play experience, but at the end of the day, I just like using it anyway.
For whatever reason, the Slide is the device that calls for me to pull it down from the mantle when I want to play something, but don’t know what it is yet. It’s the perfect device for a poke around session on the couch. At a 6x integer scale, NGPC games display brilliantly on the Slide’s 4.7-inch display, with plenty left under the hood to run any shaders you want to throw its way.
The Pixel Perfect Pocket Partner: Anbernic RG Rotate
You’d be pretty hard-pressed to find a more suitable candidate than the RG Rotate for a Neo Geo Pocket Color list. Anbernic’s latest is a 1:1 aspect ratio screen, which is as close as we’re likely to get to the NGPC’s 20:19 native display.
The clicky D-pad and buttons on the RG Rotate have proven somewhat divisive. Folks who aren’t fans of the input style have been vocal about Anbernic’s choice to include them here, but any SNK fan should know that this is the best possible recreation of the publisher’s distinct control style.
If you want something to play Pocket Color games that looks and feels right, the RG Rotate has to be in the conversation.
The Throne Companion: MagicX Mini Zero 28
I’m not sure that there’s any specific reason that it happened, but in the 90’s, there was a solid chance your bathroom may have contained a small LCD Game & Watch-style Poker or Slots dedicated handheld. They were the sort of stocking-stuffer that everyone had in the era, and somehow they all made their way into the pre-phone throne rooms of the era.
The slots lineup on the NGPC, along with the MagicX Mini Zero 28’s tiny footprint, and a price point low enough that I won’t be too mad if it ever goes swimming, make this a natural combo. Maybe it doesn’t display things as perfectly or with as much pizazz as some of the other handhelds on the list, but its willingness to get down and dirty for the greater entertainment good means it deserves a spot.
The What If: Miyoo Flip v2
Somewhere in another dimension and timeline, there is a world where the NeoGeo Pocket Color got the North American release and retail push it deserved. In this world, the success of the original NGPC design would be refined after a while. Much like the GBA-SP over in Nintendo’s camp, SNK would look to a clamshell design.
While we can never make that alternate timeline a reality, we can use the vast array of emulation handhelds out there to pretend. The Miyoo Flip v2 controls have a great tactile feel that feels right at home with SNK titles, without getting into the obnoxiously loud clicking of some of its cousins.
Closing Thoughts
The Neo Geo Pocket Color was never going to be a huge hit. It was released at a time when it couldn’t possibly match up to the handheld stranglehold Nintendo enjoyed. Between Pokémon’s captive audience and the Game Boy Advance right on the horizon, there was no chance. This is exactly why game preservation and emulation are such a wonderful hobby. I can now experience entire libraries that may have otherwise been lost to time (or very expensive to obtain).
If you’ve only ever looked at the NGPC as a handheld sporting lesser ports of its arcade brethren, as I might have, you’re missing out. The NGPC has a brilliant library of simple, well-designed games. It’s up to you to decide how you’d like to best experience them, but I hope I’ve been able to point everyone in some fun directions. Feel free to let us know your favorite ways to play the Pocket Color in the comments!
