Original discussion here:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110991
Introduction
I've been wanting to pick up the Neo Geo Pocket Color for a while and was a little disappointed that I missed out on picking up one of the NGPC+6 games bundles (seen here) that Rhino was clearancing. While watching eBay, I found this most recent 24 game bundle (here), and after some research, found that most sellers on the net are getting it from a centrally located drop-shipper. I found a price I was comfortable with ($89 shipped), and took the dive.
Bundle contents and packaging
I received the package yesterday, and the bundle was exactly as pictured. The console and the 24 games (within their plastic cases, but without boxes or instructions) were arranged fairly neatly inside a cardboard palette. It was also very well packed within the shipping package, as it was surrounded by a firm wall of peanuts on all sides - and I suspect that since it's mailed from a drop-shipper, almost any order for this bundle from any source will come packed the same way. After removing the cellophane, I begain pulling out the games, and discovered the first minor problem: everything is held down using dabs of that "snot-glue" material used to keep complex ads stuck in magazines. Fortunately, it can be removed easily without leaving residue. A little more care had to be used when removing the glue from the console's cardboard packaging, but I managed to get get it off without any damage.
The 24 games were as described - each came in its own form-fitting SNK-made plastic case, and were for the most part in new condition. The labels were glossy and without damage. The cart casings were also in mint condition, except for very small scratches along the inner grooves on the back of some carts. Upon further inspection, the scratches appeared to be from the act of inserting and removing the carts from the console (similar to scratches that appear on Gameboy games), which could be explained by some automated manufacturing process or simple testing of the games during quality control. The games are in such good condition that I hesitate to say this makes them "used," but I know there are those on this board that wouldn't let a small thing like that pass. Regardless, much similar scratches will appear through normal NGPC game use.
The console itself was new and pristine with complete original packaging and instructions, which puts it easily above the previously-offered 6 game package. Included were also 2 AA batteries and one watch battery (for maintaining save games when the main batteries are changed). I missed the watch battery on the first pass-though of the packaging and was temporarily mad that they hadn't included one, so make a note to look carefully for it.
All of the pictures I had seen indicated that the consoles were clear, though the descriptions say that console color varies. I was excited that the color lottery gave me a blue console, as I have a pretty good pattern going with blue portable consoles dating back to the Game Gear.
The original game list they posted was slightly inaccurate - instead of Porcano (a slot machine game), Neo 21 (a blackjack game) was included. They basically swapped a casino game for a casino game, which I have no problem with. The complete game list can be found later in this review.
System
You'll find plenty of reviews of the games and the system online, so I'm not going to go too in-depth. I will brush over the highlights, though. The graphic quality of the system can be best described as better than the GBC but below the GBA. The build quality of the console is very high, and it's clear that a lot of money was invested in its development and production. The device is comfortable to hold, and according to several reviews, the battery life on two AA batteries can be as long as 40 hours.
The screen is clear and easy on the eyes, but only in brightly-lit areas: there's not front-lighting or back-lighting like on the GBA SP. Supposedly, it's not too difficult to install the lighting system from an SP, but I haven't found it necessary given the highly-reflective nature of the screen.
I haven't tried the headphone jack yet, but the sound from the speakers is tinny and not pleasant, but that seems to be the case with most handhelds. The buttons are a little soft, but I particularly liked the joystick - similar to the directional pad on the old NES Max controller but very "clicky."
Games
The games included seem to provide a decent cross-section of the best the NGPC had to offer. Fighting and puzzle games are staples of the NGPC library, and those two genres are well represented here by games such as King of Fighters and the Puzzle Link series. Other standouts in the set include Metal Slug, the excellent Sonic NGPC game, and Dark Arms, an adventure game with Pokemon elements. I haven't tried all of the games, but the Japanese games seem relatively unplayable thus far. There may be English options that can be turned on, but I haven't yet found a way to do so. As a result, you really get only 19 playable games given the language difficulties.
As said before, the graphical quality is above GPC, and the system displays a wide range of colors. I've noticed that some sprites within the games have limited color depth, but overall the games look very good.
I'm not sure how consistent the game selection is between these bundles, as the pictures shown on eBay have slightly different games in their bundles than the one I received. The list of the games advertised on the page I ordered from was nearly accurate, and the list I found (with my updates in bold) can be found below.
Game List:
Bust a Move Pocket
Card Fighters Clash
Dark Arms
Dive Alert
Faselei!
Fatal Fury First Contact
Gals Fighters
King of Fighters: R-2
Metal Slug: 2nd Mission
Pac-Man Cartridge
Party Mail
Picture Puzzle
Porcano 2 Neo 21
Pocket Tennis
Puzzle Link
Puzzle Link 2
Samurai Shodown 2
Sonic Pocket Adv.
Ward of Lights
5 JP Games.
Mokushi Se! Kanji O
Oekaki Puzzle
Sore Ike!! Hanafuda Doujou
Mizuki Shigeru Youkai Shashinkan (Ghost Photo Studio)
Kikouseiki Unitron
Final note
I'm as certain as I can be that the cartridges are not bootlegs. I don't have a boxed NGPC game to compare them to, but none of them have the hallmarks of Hong Kong bootlegs (misspelled words, poor label printing, off-center label application). I've also compared them to pictures of carts online, and the ones included in this package seem to be the same color and composition.
Since save data is stored on the NGPC and not on the cartidges, bootlegs for the NGPC can't be identified as easily as some of their GBA contemporaries (who won't save because of a lack of battery/flash memory).
Ultimately, the biggest argument for them not being bootlegs may be financial - I'm not sure if there's enough money to be had in the Neo Geo Pocket scene for pirates to even bother.
Summary
Pros:
Cons:
Verdict:
Personally, I think this package is a steal. The Neo Geo Pocket Color is a high quality system, and is a great addition to any enthusiast's collection. The titles included are mostly first-rate, with very few filler games (not counting the Japanese ones). That said, it's not for everyone. If you're not a fan of older games, I wouldn't bother with this package, and don't expect GBA-level graphics. If you know what you're getting and you're comfortable with a portable system manufactured in 1999, then this is a great opportunity to add a unique game library to your collection.
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110991
Introduction
I've been wanting to pick up the Neo Geo Pocket Color for a while and was a little disappointed that I missed out on picking up one of the NGPC+6 games bundles (seen here) that Rhino was clearancing. While watching eBay, I found this most recent 24 game bundle (here), and after some research, found that most sellers on the net are getting it from a centrally located drop-shipper. I found a price I was comfortable with ($89 shipped), and took the dive.
Bundle contents and packaging
I received the package yesterday, and the bundle was exactly as pictured. The console and the 24 games (within their plastic cases, but without boxes or instructions) were arranged fairly neatly inside a cardboard palette. It was also very well packed within the shipping package, as it was surrounded by a firm wall of peanuts on all sides - and I suspect that since it's mailed from a drop-shipper, almost any order for this bundle from any source will come packed the same way. After removing the cellophane, I begain pulling out the games, and discovered the first minor problem: everything is held down using dabs of that "snot-glue" material used to keep complex ads stuck in magazines. Fortunately, it can be removed easily without leaving residue. A little more care had to be used when removing the glue from the console's cardboard packaging, but I managed to get get it off without any damage.
The 24 games were as described - each came in its own form-fitting SNK-made plastic case, and were for the most part in new condition. The labels were glossy and without damage. The cart casings were also in mint condition, except for very small scratches along the inner grooves on the back of some carts. Upon further inspection, the scratches appeared to be from the act of inserting and removing the carts from the console (similar to scratches that appear on Gameboy games), which could be explained by some automated manufacturing process or simple testing of the games during quality control. The games are in such good condition that I hesitate to say this makes them "used," but I know there are those on this board that wouldn't let a small thing like that pass. Regardless, much similar scratches will appear through normal NGPC game use.
The console itself was new and pristine with complete original packaging and instructions, which puts it easily above the previously-offered 6 game package. Included were also 2 AA batteries and one watch battery (for maintaining save games when the main batteries are changed). I missed the watch battery on the first pass-though of the packaging and was temporarily mad that they hadn't included one, so make a note to look carefully for it.
All of the pictures I had seen indicated that the consoles were clear, though the descriptions say that console color varies. I was excited that the color lottery gave me a blue console, as I have a pretty good pattern going with blue portable consoles dating back to the Game Gear.
The original game list they posted was slightly inaccurate - instead of Porcano (a slot machine game), Neo 21 (a blackjack game) was included. They basically swapped a casino game for a casino game, which I have no problem with. The complete game list can be found later in this review.
System
You'll find plenty of reviews of the games and the system online, so I'm not going to go too in-depth. I will brush over the highlights, though. The graphic quality of the system can be best described as better than the GBC but below the GBA. The build quality of the console is very high, and it's clear that a lot of money was invested in its development and production. The device is comfortable to hold, and according to several reviews, the battery life on two AA batteries can be as long as 40 hours.
The screen is clear and easy on the eyes, but only in brightly-lit areas: there's not front-lighting or back-lighting like on the GBA SP. Supposedly, it's not too difficult to install the lighting system from an SP, but I haven't found it necessary given the highly-reflective nature of the screen.
I haven't tried the headphone jack yet, but the sound from the speakers is tinny and not pleasant, but that seems to be the case with most handhelds. The buttons are a little soft, but I particularly liked the joystick - similar to the directional pad on the old NES Max controller but very "clicky."
Games
The games included seem to provide a decent cross-section of the best the NGPC had to offer. Fighting and puzzle games are staples of the NGPC library, and those two genres are well represented here by games such as King of Fighters and the Puzzle Link series. Other standouts in the set include Metal Slug, the excellent Sonic NGPC game, and Dark Arms, an adventure game with Pokemon elements. I haven't tried all of the games, but the Japanese games seem relatively unplayable thus far. There may be English options that can be turned on, but I haven't yet found a way to do so. As a result, you really get only 19 playable games given the language difficulties.
As said before, the graphical quality is above GPC, and the system displays a wide range of colors. I've noticed that some sprites within the games have limited color depth, but overall the games look very good.
I'm not sure how consistent the game selection is between these bundles, as the pictures shown on eBay have slightly different games in their bundles than the one I received. The list of the games advertised on the page I ordered from was nearly accurate, and the list I found (with my updates in bold) can be found below.
Game List:
Bust a Move Pocket
Card Fighters Clash
Dark Arms
Dive Alert
Faselei!
Fatal Fury First Contact
Gals Fighters
King of Fighters: R-2
Metal Slug: 2nd Mission
Pac-Man Cartridge
Party Mail
Picture Puzzle
Pocket Tennis
Puzzle Link
Puzzle Link 2
Samurai Shodown 2
Sonic Pocket Adv.
Ward of Lights
Mokushi Se! Kanji O
Oekaki Puzzle
Sore Ike!! Hanafuda Doujou
Mizuki Shigeru Youkai Shashinkan (Ghost Photo Studio)
Kikouseiki Unitron
Final note
I'm as certain as I can be that the cartridges are not bootlegs. I don't have a boxed NGPC game to compare them to, but none of them have the hallmarks of Hong Kong bootlegs (misspelled words, poor label printing, off-center label application). I've also compared them to pictures of carts online, and the ones included in this package seem to be the same color and composition.
Since save data is stored on the NGPC and not on the cartidges, bootlegs for the NGPC can't be identified as easily as some of their GBA contemporaries (who won't save because of a lack of battery/flash memory).
Ultimately, the biggest argument for them not being bootlegs may be financial - I'm not sure if there's enough money to be had in the Neo Geo Pocket scene for pirates to even bother.
Summary
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Better-than-GBC graphics
- Large library of excellent games (w/ cases)
- Long battery life
- Excellent build quality
Cons:
- No boxes or instructions for games
- No warranty
- Pre-GBA graphics
- Some useless Japanese games
- Weak sound
Verdict:
Personally, I think this package is a steal. The Neo Geo Pocket Color is a high quality system, and is a great addition to any enthusiast's collection. The titles included are mostly first-rate, with very few filler games (not counting the Japanese ones). That said, it's not for everyone. If you're not a fan of older games, I wouldn't bother with this package, and don't expect GBA-level graphics. If you know what you're getting and you're comfortable with a portable system manufactured in 1999, then this is a great opportunity to add a unique game library to your collection.
