Neo Geo Pocket Color - Why Did This Console Fail?

when you hear the brand Neo Geo your immediate thoughts May drift towards fighting games in the arcades or perhaps the excellent Neo Geo aex home platform the Rolls-Royce of games consoles in 1990. what an insane Beast that was but today we will focus on something much smaller and pocket size snk's range of Neo Geo handhelds that's right in the late 90s SNK wanted to expand their Horizons and attempt to compete against Nintendos by that Point's aging Game Boy so join me today as we discuss the launch of these things once they brought to the table and some of the exciting games they have to offer how much fun could you have with these little SNK machines let's find out so with all that said I am lazy decade and this is the story of the Neo Geo Pockets color and ultimately why it's failed thank you regarding handheld gaming in the 1990s everyone could tell you that one definitive handheld dominated the market the simple yet iconic Game Boy since the original game boy was released with the legendary Tetris title in the west Nintendo's budgets platform with a four shades of green display was the high Mark for all Gamers on the move this it did not mean that others would not try to challenge the game boy's Supremacy though with some early efforts offering up some physically wonderful competition Atari would challenge Nintendo with their links NEC would make a literal portable PC Engine with their PC engine GT and Sega would put up a valiant fight for years with the Game Gear however in due course Nintendo still found at the handheld market right after the picking Not only was the Game Boy significantly cheaper than its competitors equipped with Fuller color displays but the battery life is significantly longer due to its Simplicity and Tetris and a Super Mario Land into the mix this quickly led to Rapid and Game Boy sales with the speeds at which the hardware soldier of Tetris it was not long before it had a superior gaming library to all of its contemporaries by 1998 the Game Boy was nine years old and thanks to the second wind of popularity that the success of Pokemon has provided it with Nintendo handheld cells were still strong with the PC engine GT Sega Game Gear and Atari Link's long doomed by this point one competitor would throw their hat in the ring by the time the century was wrapping up but to understand why SNK would join the handheld markets we first have to look at their pasts leading up to this point over The Late 1980s and early 1990s the arcade developer s k Woods Pioneer an Innovative way to handle new releases in the competitive arcade markets place while the standard methods of releasing New York cabinets to businesses would have to be an entirely new machine released SNK was embrace the exchangeable cartridge model the Neo Geo multi-video system brought new levels of convenience to Arcade owners with a relatively powerful chipset and simple cartridge concept several arcade titles could be swapped on the fly or even installed simultaneously giving Mill Rats a variety of games to play that they couldn't even imagine seeing at home well unless you were rich and could afford the Neo Geo AES Home console of course but let's talk about the average gamer for most people to play SNK games at home they would eventually make it to other Home platforms usually the thermicon PC engine Mega Drive and a super famicom with this there would obviously be a fair amount of limitations induced on them notably characters like earthquake and Samurai Showdown were either entirely omitted or largely shrunk in stature when broader to the 16-bit console and games like art of fighting had to find a workaround for their Innovative of zooming in techniques but for the handhelds a few of the titles would find their way to the game gear and Game Boy but would basically be full of reinventions for the platform as there's no way Nintendo was sega's limited devices could genuinely handle the power and frequently being outsourced to another third party wouldn't have SNK micromanaging the port with the Home console and arcade markers wrapping up their era of dominance moving into 3D Graphics SNK decided to look at three different Avenues one would be Reinventing the wheel with the polygonal gaming based hyper Neo Geo 64 going for arcades Neo gocd trying to trim a costs at home and the topic of today's video tackling the portable Market Advanced 2D gaming in the arcades and at home which have been snk's Breads and butter for years was no no longer on Vogue so the company would need to diversify his product range if they wanted a hope in Hell of continuing to survive in modern gaming sadly snk's 1994 products of the Neo gocd founded me the company's expectations with its high price points and slow loading times putting many consumers off pair this with its limited library and competing consoles launched that year such as the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn it did not have a much of a chance really the Neo gocd its launch was already outdated compared to its competitors the Neo gocd struggled to gain a widespread popularity and market share leading to its ultimate failure within the gaming Market as for the hyper Neo Geo Arcane Hardware things were not any better snk's in 1997 lead to producing polygonal arcade games did not go as planned with their titles paylink compared to those being put out by Namco and other success arcade Giants very few hyper Neo Geo games that were produced and it was only a matter of time until this endeavor was concluded too meaning a lot of Hope was being pinned on the Neo Geo handheld the platform they would produce to compete with the Aging Game Boy finally in 1998 SNK developed and to release their monochrome machine the Neo Geo pocket while only offering up monochrome graphics for a handheld console of its time the Neo Geo Pockets boasted impressive Hardware capabilities it's 16-bit CPU and Toshiba tlcs-900h core allowed for smooth gameplay and relatively detailed Graphics especially compared to the Game Boy with a uniquely Square 256 by 256 black and white screen like Nintendo's latest Game Boy variants the Game Boy Pocket it's two ran on two AAA batteries but would add a cr203 to a full backup memory and clock functionality the Neo Geo Pockets form factor was relatively Compact and comfortable making it easy to carry around and play its size and weight made it a portable gaming option for fans who wanted to enjoy their favorite games outside their homes the system's much lauded directional pads would replicate the Neo geocd's controller instead of being a simple membrane pad like you see on the Game Boy if you haven't held one of these it's an attempt at bringing the clicky nature of arcade joysticks with a circular pad with micro switches and by many accounts one of the most solid digital pads that are revered to this day even eight bits do producers of retro inspired controllers have worked with SNK to replicate this in modern controllers for modern systems the control scheme feels that damn good in the features departments like the Game Boy the neogeo pockets Link cable allowed for a good multiplayer experience players could connect to two Neo Geo pocket devices using the Link cable and enjoy head to ahead gameplay or trade items and characters in compatible games a wise feature considering the success of Pokemon recently on top of this SNK design the Neo Geo pockets is to connect to the Sega Dreamcast of all things a Dreamcast connection cable would provide a bit of an odds beds fellow connecting the two 1990s juggernauts on their way out of the hardware business six titles would take advantage of this before being the Dreamcast releases of the Capcom versus SNK and King of Fighters games allowing points transfers character unlocks and more to rewards players who have explored snk's pocket Library despite including lots of promising Design Elements to a large degree the Neo Geo pocket was Dead on Arrival and thus only released in limited regions never reaching the United States or even countries favorable to snk's Fighters like Brazil with weak sales the console would only see 10 titles primarily split between sports and Fighters and puzzlers King Fighters are one and Samurai Showdown would represent fighters on the console surprisingly porting the frenetic action to the handheld despite these quality Fighters the Neo Geo pockets would have less than half of the virtual boys Library so what was going so wrong for SNK was the Game Boy just that much more popular well kind of Nintendo would learn about the Neo Geo pocket and noticed that it was shaping up to look like a cool handheld with Pokemon making handheld gaming white hot again in Japan they did not want to SNK gobbling up any sizeable chunk of the market share this would mean one whole week before snk's new monochrome handheld hit shelves Nintendo would finally release the Game Boy Color the full color version of The Game Boy that games had fantasized about for nearly a decade suddenly the Neo Geo pocket had zero chance of succeeding this meant that the only chance SNK had of competing with Nintendo would be to rush back to the drawing board and make a color version of their new handheld and to be Fair do that they did with the latest Hardware being ready as quickly as just five months later in 1999 SNK revised a system with color capabilities rapidly iterating the Neo Geo Pocket color this handheld console would be released internationally on a wider scale starting on the 16th of March in Japan the 6th of August in the USA and 1st of October in Europe thankfully for those few who had rushed out and purchased the original model despite the system's limited Library the Neo Geo pockets would be able to play many of the color games that came later with the original Pockets being forwards compatible with the bulk of the future library for its immediate successor this revision would feature double a batteries and Beyond the graphical improvements by adding the much needed color it would play and have the power of the original the console would launch with 14 titles already best in the predecessor's library with huge Heavy Hitters arriving such as iconic titles like Sonic the Hedgehog pocket adventure and SNK versus Capcom the match of the Millennium for the United States the console would launch with six titles exclusively on etoys.com for seventy dollars in six colors camouflage blue carbon black Crystal white Platinum blue platinum silver and stone blue soon after the revision would be advertised on TV and sold in Walmart's Best Buy and Toys R Us sadly despite the Neo Geo pockets for you just showing some promise SNK as a company has become extremely sick by that point the Neo Geo CD hyper Neo Geo 64 and original Neo Geo Pockets were all at missteps with their older arcades becoming less and less relevant the company was in deep financial trouble with the business collapsing SNK would need to be purchased by American Pachinko manufacturer a ruse in January of 2000. with a ruse buying SNK out the console would be recalled to some extent in June 2000 repurposing many of the units in the Asian market kits alongside stripping much of the packaging and bundling six games in a blister pack this would also lead to an accidental exclusive release of the title facility and the last blades which were otherwise and not released in the states they would end up being released in the UK though meaning they would have English translations eventually a third version of the handheld the new Neo Geo Pockets color would slim the device at a 6800 Yen price point for Japan with this version being around 13 Slimmer than the older model but there were no significant changes otherwise but before we dig any deeper into this system's lifespan let's review some key games that can be enjoyed on the Neo Geo Pockets color as touched on earlier one of the significant titles available on the system is SNK versus Capcom match of the Millennium and crossover fighting game developed by SNK featuring characters from both the SNK and Capcom universes bringing together the iconic characters from games like Street Fighter King of Fighters Samurai show down and others if that's not significant on our handheld I don't know what is at its release the gamers were received by critics and fans alike due to his impressive roster of characters smooth gameplay and the Nostalgia of seeing characters from two beloved companies pitted against each other it offered a variety of game modes including a story mode versus mode and a mini game mode adding to its overall appeal there were loads to do on this one offering something completely different from what you could get on the game boy a particularly famous Neo Geo series was the metal slug games and thankfully the Neo Geo Pockets color had some to call its own these games offer nostalgic gameplay and fans of the metal slug series will appreciate the familiar Run and Gun action and arcade style fun the controls are well optimized for a handheld console making it easy to maneuver and shoot enemies with various levels and challenges keeping you engaged throughout the experience whether you are playing metal slug first mission or a sequel second mission you don't get more s 10K than these speaking of franchises heavily associated with SNK how about King of Fighters kofr2 was first released in 1999 as a sequel to King of Fighters R1 and features a similar 2D fighting style with simplified controls that suits the Neo Geo pocket colors and limited button layout the game includes a roster of characters from various SNK fighting games including the King of Fighters and fatal Fury among others in kofr two players can choose a team of three characters and battle against other teams in a tournament style setting each character has unique moves and abilities and players must utilize various Combos and strategies to defeat opponents the game was well received by critics and fans alike for its impressive graphics and gameplay making this a most owned game for anyone's Neo Geo pocket collection Sonic the Hedgehog pocket Adventure is a part of the iconic Sonic the Hedgehog franchise it features The fast-paced Adventures of the titular character Sonic and his friends as they try to stop at the evil Dr Robotnik from taking over the world I don't know why I'm explaining what Sonic the Hedgehog is to you but it's too late I just did the game follows the classic 2D platformer style that the Sonic series is known for the game was developed for the Neo Geo Pockets color to help showcase the capabilities of the handheld console and offered a portable Sonic experience for fans posted the failure of the Sega Game Gear while the game is not as well known as some other titles in the Sonic series it received a positive reviews for his faithful Recreation of the classic Sonic gameplay and for being a solid addition to the Neo Geo pocket colors Library so give it a go if he gets the chance another classic Fighter for the Neo Geo Pockets color is Samurai Showdown 2. it's a possible adaptation of the original arcade game aiming to replicate the experience of the Home console version on a smaller scale the Neo Geo Pocket color version of Samurai Showdown 2 retains the essence of the arcade version featuring a similar roster of characters and the signature moves and the weapon-based combat system despite the limitations of the handheld Hardware compared to the arcade SNK managed to deliver a satisfying fighting experience on the ngpc now when we consider that the main reason of the Game Boy range was so popular in the late 90s was due to the success of Pokemon then the logical thing to do would be to make a game that has a few similarities to it but for the Neo Geo Pocket color and that is exactly what dark arms Beast Buster 1999 is about in this game players assume the role of a character who discovers a mysterious wristband known as the dark Arms This wristband can capture and control Monsters the main objective is to use the dark arms to capture various monsters and utilize their powers to defeat enemies and progress through the game the gameplay features a mix of action and role-playing elements players will explore different environments battle various monsters and unlock new abilities by cap capturing different creatures as the story unfolds players face challenging enemies and bosses leading to an Ultimate Showdown with powerful adversaries when you look at the gameplay it's not much like Pokemon but you can certainly see some thematical elements are similar card Fighters Clash is a classic collectible card game that revolves around players assuming the role of a card fighter yielding against opponents using decks of cards featuring characters from popular games age cards represent a character or item with specific abilities attack and defense points and other attributes the gameplay involves a strategically assembling a deck of cards considering their abilities and Synergy and engaging in turn-based battles against other players or computer-controlled opponents the goal is to reduce the opponent's Health points to Zero by attacking with cards using special abilities and defending against incoming attacks cards Fighters Clash had two versions SNK vs Capcom card Fighters clash and SNK vs cam come card Fighters 2 expand Edition adding more games to the Stellar selection of Capcom SNK crossovers that are available to experience the Last Blade beyond the destiny is part of The Last Blade series a popular fighting game franchise known for its unique gameplay mechanics beautiful 2D graphics and compelling storylines set in a fictionalized version of Japan during the bakamatsu period players can choose from a roster of diverse characters in the game each of their own fighting style and special moves the gameplay features a smooth animation and responsive controls offering an enjoyable fighting experience on the handheld platform further building on the Neo Geo Pockets colors extraordinary fighting game pedigree these are obviously just some of the great games that can be enjoyed on the Neo Geo handhelds with plenty more amazing experiences available to unearth and discover ultimately with SNK featuring Financial woes and needing to compete all of the Smash Hit Game Boy Color the Neo Geo Pockets color never lift up to South Temptations the Game Boy Color had a massive library of games a stronger brand presence and widespread popularity making it challenging for the Neo Geo Pocket color to gain a significant market share despite some great games at the ngpc's game library was relatively small compared to its competitors the lack of a diverse and extensive game liner was a significant drawback for potential buyers as Gamers think to choose consoles with a wide range of game options a further issue that hindered his success was that snk's Neo Geo brand was primarily associated with arcade and Home console gaming not handheld devices Nintendo's game boys on the other hand had built a reputation as a reliable and successful handheld gaming platform the Neo Geo brand didn't have the same recognition in the handheld Market compounding falling behind further snk's marketing efforts for the Neo Geo Pockets color were not as aggressive or widespread as Nintendos a dish additionally distribution channels were not as expansive limiting the console's availability in some regions with more powerful handhelds like the Wonder Swan color arriving in 2000 and The Game Boy Advance hitting shelves in 2001 the Neo Geo Pockets colors window series succeed was extremely small anyway but that doesn't mean there still isn't a reason to celebrate this now obscure platform today history now shows us that the Game Boy was known for many genres but outside of a limited Street Fighter Port the best fighters on the monochrome handheld were produced by Takara and based on SNK Fighters even in 2023 tributes to this concept to the super deformed yet to technically incredible fighter would come in the form of pocket Rumble this game wears his Neo Geo Pockets color history on its sleeves and that's not the only Neo geopocket reverence on Modern consoles recent ports of the Neo Geo Pocket color selection volume 1 and 2 have ruled large slaves of the contos library to Modern devices so we can enjoy some of the system's undersung Classics on a more recent platforms as for the handhelds of olds though only 2 million units were sold by the end of the era and across all versions a ruse would purchase the manufacturer in 2000 and they'd immediately end the international distribution of the console shortly following for the domestic Japanese Market this would kill the previously announced sequels to magician Lords and ikari warriors leaving the console under 100 titles across all regions and ending with SNK vs Capcom card Fighters Clash 2 expand Edition on the 13th of September 2001. so while there is plenty of reason to revisit and celebrate the Game Boy while it was ultimately a failure the Neo Geo Pocket color was pretty cool too if you enjoy learning about obscure old Hardware watch my two hour video on the weird world of Nintendo add-on consoles you next time [Music]

Channel: Lady Decade

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Keywords: Neo Geo Pocket Color - Why Did This Console Fail?, neo geo pocket, neo geo pocket color, neo geo, neo geo games, neo geo history, neo geo documantary, neo geo retrospective, snk, snk history, retro gaming, retro gaming history, gaming history, failed consoles, failed handhelds, neo geo handheld, mai shiranui, king of fighters, fatal fury, neo geo pocket handheld, game boy competitor

Id: yPnosUUD50o

Length: 22min 21sec (1341 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 27 2023