The Neo Geo Pocket is a series of handheld game consoles created and made by the Japanese video game company SNK between 1998 and 2001. The first model, the black-and-white Neo Geo Pocket, was released in Japan in October 1998. This marked SNK’s first attempt to make handheld games and competed with Nintendo’s popular Game Boy series. It was soon replaced by the Neo Geo Pocket Color in 1999, a version that was produced in larger numbers, had a color screen, and could play games from the original model.
The Neo Geo Pocket Color was released in Japan in March 1999, then in North America in August and some parts of Europe in October. It received mostly good reviews for its joystick with easy-to-press buttons and a collection of games based on SNK’s popular series, such as The King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown, and SNK vs. Capcom. A smaller and lighter version, the New Neo Geo Pocket Color, was released only in Japan in October 1999. It had better comfort and small improvements in technology.
Although the Neo Geo Pocket was well-received, it had trouble selling because few other companies supported it, it was not widely available in stores, and it faced strong competition from the Game Boy Color and WonderSwan. After SNK was bought by Aruze and the company went out of business in October 2001, the Neo Geo Pocket series was stopped. This ended SNK’s work in making game hardware.
History
SNK, known for its successful Neo Geo arcade and home console systems, entered the handheld gaming market for the first time with the release of the Neo Geo Pocket in 1998. At that time, Nintendo’s Game Boy dominated the market, but SNK believed the Pocket would appeal to a different group of people.
The device had a black-and-white screen and was mainly sold in Japan and Hong Kong. It came with eight games at launch, including Baseball Stars, a version of a 1989 game, and King of Fighters R-1.
SNK released the Neo Geo Pocket in several colors, such as Platinum Blue, Platinum Silver, Platinum White, Carbon Black, Maple Blue, Camouflage Blue, Camouflage Brown, and Crystal White. The system won the Good Design Award in 1998 from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion. However, it had limited sales success, leading SNK to stop selling the monochrome version and instead focus on a color model.
In January 1999, SNK announced the Neo Geo Pocket Color, which had a full-color screen without a backlight. It was released in Japan in March 1999 with seven games, including Puzzle Link and Samurai Shodown! 2. This version was designed to compete with Nintendo’s Game Boy Color and Bandai’s WonderSwan.
SNK did not officially sell the monochrome Neo Geo Pocket in North America or Europe. However, customers in these regions could order the system and games online starting in April 1999. Only two units were sold before the color model was released in the United States in August 1999.
The Neo Geo Pocket Color was first sold in the U.S. in August 1999, only through the online store eToys.com. It launched with six games and cost $69.95 (about $135 in 2025). The U.S. version came in six colors: Camouflage Blue, Carbon Black, Crystal White, Platinum Blue, Platinum Silver, and Stone Blue. In its first two months, 25,000 units were sold. By the 1999 holiday season, the system was sold in major stores like Walmart, Best Buy, and Toys "R" Us. SNK spent $4 million (about $7.7 million in 2025) on TV ads that aired on MTV, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon.
By May 2000, the Neo Geo Pocket Color had a 2% share of the U.S. handheld console market, much smaller than Nintendo’s Game Boy and Game Boy Color. However, it was enough to help SNK USA make a profit.
On October 21, 1999, SNK released a redesigned, slimmer version of the Neo Geo Pocket Color, called the New Neo Geo Pocket Color, only in Japan. It cost ¥6,800 (about ¥7,523 in 2024) and was 13% smaller than the original. It also had better sound quality.
Despite early success in the U.S. and Japan, the Neo Geo Pocket Color faced challenges. It had limited support from stores in the U.S., few games from other companies due to poor communication by SNK’s U.S. team, and strong competition from Nintendo’s Game Boy Color and Bandai’s WonderSwan.
At the same time, SNK had financial problems. In January 2000, the company was bought by Aruze, a pachinko manufacturer. Conflicts with Aruze’s leaders caused SNK’s founder and many employees to leave and form a new company, BrezzaSoft. On June 13, 2000, Aruze stopped SNK’s operations in North America and Europe. The system was still sold in Japan until SNK went bankrupt on October 30, 2001. After bankruptcy, SNK did not make any more handheld consoles.
Features
The Neo Geo Pocket is a handheld gaming device that is shaped like a flat rectangle, similar to Sega's Game Gear, unlike Nintendo's vertically shaped Game Boy. It has a groove on the back for better grip, and game cartridges are inserted into a slot on the back. Both models have two action buttons, along with "Power" and "Option" buttons. A special feature is the thumb pad, which allows for precise eight-directional movement, similar to a joystick.
The original Neo Geo Pocket had a black-and-white screen that showed eight different shades of gray. It used two AA batteries and lasted about 20 hours. A small CR2032 battery was used to save game progress and keep the internal clock running. The Neo Geo Pocket Color had a color screen that reflected light from the environment and lasted about 40 hours on a full charge. Both systems had a stereo headphone jack and needed enough light from outside sources to see the screen clearly, like other handhelds from that time.
Both systems also included simple tools such as a clock, calendar, and horoscope generator. Cables were available to connect multiple Neo Geo Pocket systems together. A cable also connected the Neo Geo Pocket Color to Sega's Dreamcast as part of a partnership between SNK and Sega. Some supported games for the Neo Geo Pocket Color included King of Fighters R-2 (which linked with The King of Fighters: Dream Match 1999 and The King of Fighters' 99: Evolution), SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium (which linked with Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000), SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash (which linked with The King of Fighters' 99: Evolution), SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters 2 Expand Edition (which linked with Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000), and Cool Cool Jam (which linked with Cool Cool Toon).
At the September 1999 Tokyo Game Show, SNK announced a wireless adapter for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. This adapter allowed systems to communicate without wires.
Game library
The original black and white Neo Geo Pocket had only nine games released. These games can be played on the Neo Geo Pocket Color. Six of these nine games were later released again in color versions for the Pocket Color. Some games made for the Pocket Color can also be played on the original black and white system.
A total of 73 games were released for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. Most were created by SNK, including games from its popular series like Fatal Fury, Metal Slug, and The King of Fighters.
Other companies helped create games for the system. Sega made a game called Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, based on Sonic the Hedgehog 2. This game is often considered one of the best for the system. Capcom worked with SNK on games like SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium and the SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters series. Namco released a version of Pac-Man that included a plastic ring to limit the system's joystick to four directions. This version is seen as one of the best home versions of Pac-Man.
Neo Geo Pocket game cartridges are smaller than those used for the Game Boy. Games were first sold in small plastic cases with colorful artwork, similar to how Neo Geo AES games were packaged. Some fans found these cases very unique. To save money, SNK USA used cardboard packaging in North America, which upset SNK's leaders in Japan. Later, Japan also used cardboard boxes, but Europe kept using plastic cases until the system stopped being sold there. Near the end of the system's life in North America, games were often sold in blister packs to clear remaining stock. Some of these packs included games that had never been released before, like Faselei!
Some Neo Geo Pocket Color games were released again on the Nintendo Switch using software that mimics the original system. The first game released this way was Samurai Shodown! 2, given to people who pre-ordered the 2019 Samurai Shodown remake. Later, these games were collected into two sets: Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 (2021) and Vol. 2 (2022). These sets were also released for computers running Windows.
Reception
By the end of 1999, SNK sold more than 25,000 Neo Geo Pocket Color units in Japan and over 100,000 in Europe. By May 2000, the system had a 2% share of the North American handheld gaming market.
Reviews of the Neo Geo Pocket over time have mostly been positive.
Jeremy Parish of USGamer described the system as an influential handheld, calling it a "technological bridge" between the 8-bit portable era and the Game Boy Advance. He praised its strong build quality and noted that its "clicky stick" control was an early example of features found in later consoles. He highlighted the system's variety of games, including titles such as SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash, Sonic Pocket Adventure, Magical Drop, and Pac-Man. Parish said SNK's limited number of stores selling the system and its purchase by Aruze in 2000 contributed to its commercial failure. He concluded that the Neo Geo Pocket Color's short lifespan was memorable for those who used it.
Ryan Lambie of Den of Geek called the Neo Geo Pocket one of Nintendo's strongest competitors. He praised its "brilliant" game collection, design, and quality. He noted that the system's early exit from the market was unfortunate, writing that it could have created a unique place in the gaming world despite being second to the Game Boy.
Damien McFerran of Nintendo Life said the Neo Geo Pocket, along with the WonderSwan, was one of the most interesting competitors to Nintendo. He praised its game library, clamshell packaging, hardware, and battery life. He wrote that while the Neo Geo Pocket Color did not take market share from Nintendo, it was not a failure. He pointed out that the quality of its games was better than that of the Game Boy Color, and its controls, long battery life, useful features, and screen made it a system that remains enjoyable today.