Neo Geo Pocket Color

This article is about a subject in the real world. Information in this article is about real-life people, companies, and objects, and does not relate to the in-universe Sonic series.

The Neo-Geo Pocket Color, or NGPC, is a 16-bit color handheld game console designed by SNK, the makers of the Metal Slug series and Neo Geo home console.

After a good sales start in both the U.S. and Japan with 14 launch titles (a record at the time), subsequent low retail support in the U.S., lack of communication with third-party developers by SNK's American management, the craze about Nintendo's Pokémon franchise, anticipation of the upcoming 32-bit Game Boy Advance, as well as strong competition from Bandai's WonderSwan Japan, led to a sales decline in both regions.

Sonic games

Only one Sonic game was ever released on this console. The only game received a fantastic review on a noted gaming review site.^[3]

• Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure (1999)

Description

The system enjoyed a greater success than any Game Boy competitor since Sega's Game Gear. However, it was hurt by several factors, such as a lack of communication with third-party developers, the success of the Game Boy Color, and anticipation of the Game Boy Advance.

Trivia

• The Neo Geo Pocket Color had no region lock chip inside the hardware. This means owners can play any games from any region regardless of their console type.
• The Neo Geo Pocket Color does not have a D-Pad; instead it has a unique arcade-like microswitched stick.
• Sonic Pocket Adventure is the second official Sonic game to be released on a system not made by Sega. The first was Sonic Jam on the Game.com console.

References