Neo Geo Pocket Color

The Neo Geo Pocket Color is a 16-bit color handheld video game console manufactured by SNK. It is a successor to SNK's monochrome Neo Geo Pocket handheld which debuted in 1998 in Japan, with the Color being fully backward compatible. The Neo Geo Pocket Color was released on March 16, 1999 in Japan, August 6, 1999 in North America, and on October 1, 1999 in Europe, entering markets all dominated by Nintendo, competing with Nintendo's Game Boy Color. 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 popularity of Nintendo's Pokémon franchise and anticipation of the 32-bit Game Boy Advance, and strong competition from Bandai's WonderSwan in Japan, led to a sales decline in both regions. Despite its failure the Neo Geo Pocket Color has been regarded as an influential system. Many highly acclaimed games were released for the system, such as SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium, King of Fighters R-2, and other quality arcade titles derived from SNK's MVS and AES. It also featured an arcade-style microswitched 'clicky stick' joystick, which was praised for its accuracy and being well-suited for fighting games. The system's display and 40-hour battery life were also well received.