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.

Neo Geo Pocket Color
Neo Geo Pocket Color playing Sonic Pocket Adventure
General Information
Type	Handheld video game console
Manufacturer(s)	SNK
First available	JP 16 March 1999 NA 6 August 1999 EU 1 October 1999
Also known as	NGPC
Launch price	North America: $69.95 United Kingdom: £59.99
Discontinued	NA & EU: 13 June 2000 JP : 2001
Units sold	Japan: 2.13 Million (as of 2001)
Technical Information
CPU	Toshiba TLCS900H (Main CPU) Zilog Z80 (Sound CPU)
RAM	12 KiB RAM for 900H, 4 KiB RAM for Z80
Sound	T6W28
Battery	40 hours of battery life on two AA batteries
Timeline
Precursor	Neo Geo Pocket
Successor	Neo Geo X

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.

• 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

Video game platforms