The Neo Geo Pocket is a series of handheld game consoles created and made by the Japanese company SNK from 1998 to 2001. The first model, the black-and-white Neo Geo Pocket, was released in Japan in October 1998. This marked SNK’s first attempt at making handheld games and its competition with Nintendo’s popular Game Boy. 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 parts of Europe in October. It received mostly good reviews for its joystick with small, precise buttons and a collection of games from 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 slight improvements in design.
Although the Neo Geo Pocket was well-received, it had trouble selling because few outside companies made games for 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 popular 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, the market was mostly controlled by Nintendo and its Game Boy, 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 received the Good Design Award in 1998 from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion. However, it had limited 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. This version had a full-color screen without a backlight and was released in Japan in March 1999 with seven games, including Puzzle Link and Samurai Shodown! 2. The system was designed to compete with Nintendo’s Game Boy Color and Bandai’s WonderSwan.
SNK never officially sold the monochrome Neo Geo Pocket in North America or Europe, but customers in these regions could order it online starting in April 1999. However, only two units were sold before the color version launched in the U.S. 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 came with six games and cost $69.95 (about $135 in 2025). The U.S. version had six colors: Camouflage Blue, Carbon Black, Crystal White, Platinum Blue, Platinum Silver, and Stone Blue. In its first two months, the system sold 25,000 units. By the 1999 holiday season, it 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 on channels like MTV, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon.
By May 2000, the system had a small 2% share of the U.S. handheld console market, much smaller than Nintendo’s Game Boy and Game Boy Color, but it still helped SNK make a profit.
On October 21, 1999, SNK released a thinner version of the color model, 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 little support from U.S. stores, few games from outside developers because of poor communication by SNK’s U.S. team, and strong competition from Nintendo’s Pokémon games and Bandai’s WonderSwan in Japan.
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 start a new company, BrezzaSoft. On June 13, 2000, Aruze stopped SNK’s operations in North America and Europe. The system continued to be sold in Japan until SNK went bankrupt on October 30, 2001. After leaving bankruptcy, SNK did not make any more handheld consoles.
Features
The Neo Geo Pocket is a handheld gaming device that is placed horizontally, similar in shape and size to Sega's Game Gear, unlike Nintendo's vertically oriented 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 microswitched thumb pad, which allows movement in eight directions and was considered more accurate than standard d-pads.
The original Neo Geo Pocket had a black and white screen that showed eight shades of gray. It could last about 20 hours on two AA batteries, with a CR2032 battery used to save game data and keep the internal clock running. The Neo Geo Pocket Color had a color screen that reflects light and lasted about 40 hours on batteries. Both systems had a headphone port for two speakers and, like other handhelds without built-in lighting from that time, needed enough outside light to see clearly.
In addition to playing games, the Neo Geo Pocket and Pocket Color included basic tools like a clock, calendar, and horoscope generator. Cables were available to connect multiple Neo Geo Pocket systems, as well as a cable to link the Neo Geo Pocket Color with the Dreamcast, as part of a partnership between SNK and Sega. Games supported by the Neo Geo Pocket Color include King of Fighters R-2 (which connects with The King of Fighters: Dream Match 1999 and The King of Fighters' 99: Evolution), SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium (which connects with Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000), SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash (which connects with The King of Fighters' 99: Evolution), SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters 2 Expand Edition (which connects with Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000), and Cool Cool Jam (which connects with Cool Cool Toon).
At the September 1999 Tokyo Game Show, SNK introduced a wireless adapter for Neo Geo Pocket Color units. This device allowed systems to communicate without using cables.
Game library
The original monochrome Neo Geo Pocket had only nine games released. These games can be played on the Neo Geo Pocket Color, which is backward compatible. Six of these nine games were later released again in color versions for the Pocket Color. Some games on the Pocket Color can also be played in black and white on the original 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 also made games for the system. Sega released Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, a game based on Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which is considered one of the best games 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 joystick to four directions. This version is seen as one of the best versions of Pac-Man for home systems.
Neo Geo Pocket game cartridges are smaller than those used for the Game Boy. Games were first sold in small, plastic cases shaped like shells, with colorful artwork similar to Neo Geo AES game packaging. Some fans found these cases unique. To save money, SNK USA used cardboard packaging for games sold in North America, which upset SNK’s leaders in Japan. Later, Japan also used cardboard boxes, while Europe kept using shell-shaped cases until the system was no longer sold there. Near the end of the system’s life in North America, games were often sold in plastic packs to clear leftover stock. These packs sometimes included games not released before, such as Faselei!.
Some Neo Geo Pocket Color games were made available through emulated versions on the Nintendo Switch. Samurai Shodown! 2 was the first of these, given as a bonus for ordering the 2019 Samurai Shodown remake before release. Later, these games were collected into two sets: Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 (2021) and Vol. 2 (2022), which were also released for Windows.
Reception
SNK sold more than 25,000 Neo Geo Pocket Color units in Japan and over 100,000 in Europe by the end of 1999. By May 2000, the system had a 2% share of the North American handheld gaming market.
Later reviews of the Neo Geo Pocket were mostly positive.
Jeremy Parish of USGamer described it as an important handheld device, calling it a "connection" between the 8-bit portable era and the Game Boy Advance. He praised its strong build quality and noted that its unique "clicky stick" control was an early example of features found in later consoles. He highlighted the system's wide variety of games, including titles such as SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash, Sonic Pocket Adventure, Magical Drop, and Pac-Man. Parish said its lack of success was due to SNK's limited retail availability and its purchase by Aruze in 2000. He concluded, "The Neo Geo Pocket Color's life may have been short, but it was still 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 excellent game collection, design, and quality. He noted its early exit from the market, writing, "It ended too soon for a system that, though it could not beat the Game Boy, could have created its own special place in the gaming world."
Damien McFerran of Nintendo Life said the Neo Geo Pocket, along with the WonderSwan, was one of the most "interesting challengers" to Nintendo. He praised its game library, clamshell packaging, hardware, and battery life. He wrote, "The Neo Geo Pocket Color did not take market share from Nintendo, but that does not mean it failed. Many fans believe the quality of its games was much better than that on the Game Boy Color. Its great controls, long battery life, useful features, and excellent screen made it a system that is still enjoyable to use today."