In early 1998, it came to my attention that SNK was developing a monochrome handheld gaming system in the vein of Nintendo's Gameboy Pocket, called the Neo Geo Pocket (as a side note, I have heard that SNK actually designed the NGP long before Nintendo's Pocket, and that Nintendo actually copied its concept and name, though I cannot confirm my source). Since the day in 1992 that I experienced SNK's Fatal Fury -- and liked it more than Capcom's Street Fighter 2 -- I have been very enthusiastic about SNK's hardware and software. Though I had mostly enjoyed their classics in local arcades (and subsequent translations to NES, SNES, Genesis, and eventually Saturn), as the Neo Geo Gold System and its $250 cartridges were far out of my reach as a young gamer. Because of this, the Neo Geo Pocket was a very exciting prospect…finally, a feasibly supportable Neo Geo console (and a serious alternative to Nintendo's handheld offerings).

As time went on, I gathered all the information I could. The unit kept sounding more and more appealing to me, though very little was actually said about its power, developers, etc. Then at long last, Next Generation Online posted images of the unit, with King of Fighters R-1 displayed on its crisp monochrome screen. To be honest, I was disappointed to see that the system only used 2 action buttons, and… *gasp* King of Fighters was displayed using SD (Super Deformed) versions of the cast!

As the October 28th release of the system drew closer, I was still very intrigued by the system, though cautious. Thinking to myself "I'll just wait for Christmas and see what happens," I decided to hold off on buying the system I had so eagerly awaited. But that would soon change, as a good friend of mine made the leap and imported a unit for himself (likely one of the first and few people in North America to even lay hands on the system). After only a few days of his ravings (and my questions), I could wait no longer, and imported a Carbon Black unit along with King of Fighters R-1 (the essential fighter) and Neo Geo Cup '98 (in place of the delayed Baseball Stars).

In retrospect, the launch of the Neo Geo Pocket was marred by various factors…the delay of strong titles such as Baseball Stars, the nearly simultaneous launch of Nintendo's Gameboy Color, and other factors. But this had no effect me, as the Neo Geo Pocket and its software hit me with unexpected force…my disappoint of months ago was replaced with sheer gaming enjoyment. The console itself was revolutionary, in performance and design. A screen more crisp and smooth than any monochrome display before it (or since), dual Language support, high efficiency power consumption, basic PDA functions such as World Time, Alarm, Calendar, and a frightningly accurate daily Horoscope reader. The unit's award-winning physical design was also a breath of fresh air in a time of painfully ridged Gameboys and gigantic Nomads.

Amazingly, the quality of the key launch titles was comperable to that of home and arcade games, rather than the watered down filler so common in the handheld gaming scene. Never before had a fighting game (KOF R-1) been so flawlessly converted to a handheld, that one could actually use strategies and patterns from the Arcade original when playing. Other titles were equally impressive. From the deep strategy and story elements of Neo Geo Cup '98, to Tsunagete Pon's simple, enjoyable take on the age-old Puzzle genre.

The Neo Geo Pocket singlehandedly turned me into a portable gaming enthusiast. From the very first second I played the unit I knew it was something special, and I continue to be impressed by the steadily improving quality displayed in every release. With monumental titles such as SNK vs. Capcom on the way, the future of the Neo Geo Pocket looks bright. But even if the system never catches on like it deserves to, I'll never stop enjoying the classics that SNK's masterful little system has to offer.

-substance J