This is the first of hopefully many articles in a new series we are calling Retro Present. We take a look back at a retro console, handheld or computer and then explore modern ways of playing them. We are featuring the Neo Geo Pocket and RG351MP from Anbernic.
Retro / Present Video
As some may know I am a massive retro gaming fan and over the years I have been collecting many systems and games. It is quite a large collection, so if there are any systems you would like to see in future episodes please leave a comment. I have just about everything from a 1974 Magnavox Odyssey up to PS3 / Xbox 360 era!
How the Neo Geo Pocket started
The Neo Geo Pocket launched in 1998 and had a monochrome display similar to the Game Boy. Just one year later, the Neo Geo Pocket Color model was released and this is what we have here.
| CPU | Toshiba TLCS-900/H core, up to 6.144 MHz, Z80 at 3.072 MHz (dedicated to sound) |
| RAM | 12k for 900/H – 4 k for Z80, 4k of tilemap RAM, 8k of character RAM |
| ROM | 64k BIOS |
| SCREEN RESOLUTION | 160×152 (256×256 virtual screen) |
| CARTRIDGE SIZE | Maximum 4 MB (32 Mbit) with 4 to 16 Mbit flash memory |
I won’t bore you going over the tech specs, you can see them above. For its time, the Pocket Color specs were decent, with hardware advantages and disadvantages when compared to Nintendo’s handhelds. It was released in the period between the GameBoy Color and Advance. By then, Nintendo had the lion’s share of the handheld gaming market, with Neo Geo Pocket having around 2% market share.
The handheld itself is quite compact, with an excellent eight-direction microswitched digital stick. It is very satisfying to hear it click while playing! It is powered by two AA batteries which last up to 40 hours. There’s also a CR2032 battery for retaining the time and data.
Neo Geo Pocket Mono & Color Games
Only 10 games were released for the Pocket Mono, and 82 games for the Color. Many of the games were interchangeable, so you could play the Color games on the Pocket Mono and vice versa. SNK produced many of the games, with popular titles from their Neo Geo Arcade system including Fatal Fury, King of Fighters and Metal Slug.
You can also find releases from companies including Capcom, Taito and SEGA. With titles including SNK vs Capcom, and excellent ports of Pac-Man and Sonic The Hedgehog to name but a few. SNK and SEGA’s relationship also extended to the Dreamcast console, with a data cable that connected the two systems together to unlock special items in games. There was also a system link cable to play two player games.
The elephant in the room blocking out the light
So far so good? The NeoGeo Pocket looks to be a great handheld with some great games, but what’s the catch? Let me switch off the lights and show you. Like the Gameboy series, the display has no backlight making it near impossible to see anything on screen without a light source. While it is not as bad as the WonderSwan handheld, it’s not as good as the Gameboy either. So in all cases you needed to be under a light or outside to play. There are, however, mods out there to replace the display with a backlit one for reasonable prices.
How much does a Neo Geo Pocket Color and games cost?
And talking of prices, how much will one set you back now? In the UK, for a Pocket Color you are looking at around £80 to £100 and even higher depending on the model and condition.
And for games, they can be anything from £20 up to hundreds depending on the rarity and condition. As with anything Neo Geo, it’s expensive to collect for!
Our Present choice – RG351MP retro game handheld
Fast forward 24 years and much has changed! I am pairing its present to the amazing looking RG351MP retro gaming handheld from Anbernic. It’s a little larger than the pocket and weighs 270g versus 215 on the NeoGeo Pocket Color with its batteries. The extra weight is likely coming from the high quality aluminium shell. It’s available in three colours, Ocean Blue, Mint Green and Matte Black.
If you have not already, check out our full RG351MP review. We cover everything from the unboxing and overview of the software. Then we try many of the emulated systems ranging from Atari to PlayStation Portable. In this video we are concentrating on the Neo Geo Pocket.
| Category | Specification |
|---|---|
| Colours Available | Ocean Blue Matte Black Mint Green |
| CPU/Processor | Rockchip RK3326 @ 1.5GHz; Quad-Core |
| GPU | Mali-G31 MP2 |
| RAM | 1GB DDR3L |
| Display Size | 3.5 Inches |
| Resolution | 640x480p |
| Aspect Ratio | 4:3 |
| Control Layout | Dual Analog; Symmetrical |
| SD Card Layout | 2x External |
| Speakers | Stereo |
| Battery | 3500mAh |
| Weight (Approx.) | 270g |
| Dimensions (Approx.) | 14.5cm x 7.3cm x 1.8cm |
| Other Features: | 3.5mm Headphone Jack Dual OTG USB-C Ports Wi-Fi Connectivity (external adapter) |
So the first thing you will likely notice is that the screen is larger and also backlit, we have come a long way in 24 years 🙂 There’s no more camping under a lightbulb and squinting to see the screen. You will notice that, by default, the game ratio is stretched horizontally to fit the entire display. You can change it in the settings to match the original aspect ratio if you want the authentic experience.
How well does the RG351MP emulate the Neo Geo Pocket?
Games compatibility is excellent with the RG351MP retro gaming console and you will have no issues with the original Mono and Color games catalogue, as well as the homebrew titles. You also have the benefit of being able to save and load states at any time to resume at a later date. It’s a great feature and means no more having to replace CR2032 batteries.
While the Dreamcast data cable is not supported, you can emulate the system link for two player games with a friend over the internet. You can set it up in the menu and provided you have the same ROM file you should be up and running in a few moments.
Summary
The RG351MP handheld retro games console is perfect for Neo Geo Pocket gaming. Because of the Gameboy’s popularity the Neo Geo Pocket is often forgotten about. But there’s a great selection of games, of which we have shown just a few. And while the battery will not last for up to 40 hours like the original handheld, what does nowadays? You will get several hours due to the lower demand on the processor compared to running the PSP emulator for example.
You can learn more about and buy the RG351MP retro handheld console here. Or browse our range of retro gaming handhelds here.
