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Note: This was written and posted by me, eclipse18@angelfire.com , on December 21,1999.

The NGPC has officially been in the U.S. for about 6 months now. During that time, hardcore NeoGeo fans, the gaming press, and newbies alike have tried this portable sytstem, with overwhelmingly positive reactions. Why has the NGPC been liked by most who've tried it? There are 2 main reasons that I think account for this.

• QUALITY HARDWARE

  A common cry among gamers is, "Hardware doesn't matter! It's all about games!" The latter part of this sentiment is definitely true. Oddly enough, gaming is about the games and as such, the games themselves are ultimately the most important thing. A system with really great specs is useless if the games themselves are garbage. Unfortunately, it's easier to market pretty garbage (bad games with great graphics) than it is to market ugly garbage (bad games with poor graphics).

  To make more of a point here, however, better hardware increases a system's potential to have bigger, better, and more innovative games. This is where the NGPC shines. The NGPC has a 16-bit processor, a screen capable of displaying 140+ colors at once, and a great rotating joystick. Although the sound isn't so great and some people complain that there should be more than 2 buttons (I'm not one of them), by and large, the NGPC itself screams quality that hasn't been seen in any portable game system in recent memory.

• QUALITY GAMES

  As I said earlier, a system is useless if it has bad games. Thankfully, NGPC games have been mostly top-notch so far. Fans of the NeoGeo MVS and home systems were treated at the NGPC's launch with portable versions of King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown, Metal Slug, and other NeoGeo hits. For the first time, a portable system had games that could hold their own with their console and arcade counterparts. The most remarkable examples of this are two titles which I already mentioned: King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown. These games played surprisingly close to their big brother arcade games, while adding features and creating styles of their own.

  And while there are plenty of games to keep the hardcore SNK fans happy, the NGPC is also starting to see games that appeal more to the mainstream gamer such as Pac-Man and Sonic the Hedgehog. A lot of the NGPC's diversity comes thanks to 3rd-party support from some of the industry's biggest names, such as Namco, Sega, and Capcom.

  Overall, SNK has proven that the NGPC can deliver the goods when it comes to games. If you think that this statement is just a biased rant, feel free to look at professional sites like pocket.ign.com and gamefan.com and see what they have to say about the NGPC and its games.

Now, how is the NGPC itself actually doing?

It seems to be doing about as well as I expected. From the beginning, SNK has had trouble with brand recognition. NeoGeo systems have traditionally been followed by a small, but very loyal niche, partly due to the high cost and limited availability of the NeoGeo cartridge and CD systems. Also factored into this is the fact that most NeoGeo games were and still are made by SNK. If you don't like SNK, there was hardly a point in trying to be a NeoGeo gamer.

The NGPC is much more poised to take a different route.

First, the NGPC is inexpensive. The system is currently $69.99 in most places, with games ranging from about $20-$40. For the first time, there is a NeoGeo system that is mass-consumer friendly, unlike the NeoGeo cartridge system with its $200+ games and the CD system with its single-speed drive. The NGPC continues SNK's reputation for releasing very high-quality products and this time it's priced right for most people.

Second, there is a wider variety of games on the NGPC. Along with portable versions of NeoGeo hits, there are RPG, action, casino, and other types of games that are exclusive to the NGPC. Some are made by SNK, and some are made by 3rd parties. The wide variety of games that include traditional NeoGeo games and other types of games leaves the NGPC open to a wider market than any other NeoGeo system.

However, the NGPC's biggest problem in the marketplace as I said before is brand recognition. Nintendo's Game Boy products have consistently dominated the handheld game market for over a decade. Most casual gamers, if not for any other reason, will choose Game Boy simply because they recognize the Nintendo name and not SNK.

Still, I don't think SNK should try to compete with Nintendo. Realistically, there is no chance that the NGPC will capture a larger share of the market than the Game Boy, and personally, I'm glad about that in a way. To me, this indicates that SNK is providing a product that isn't like the other guy's. And this product, the NGPC, is one that I find to be a refreshing change of pace from other handheld systems.

But, like any other business, SNK is in this game for the money. In order for the NGPC to be even more profitable, the NGPC will need more mainstream-friendly games in the year 2000. This process has already started with games like Sonic. As long as this continues, more and more NGPCs should be sold.

It's also important that SNK does not forget where it came from. I personally bought an NGPC to play handheld NeoGeo games. This means that I want to continue to see the kinds of games that made me like SNK and the NeoGeo systems so much in the first place. As long as SNK continues to release games like King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown, and Metal Slug in the year 2000, I for one will be happy. If the NGPC tries to become the next Game Boy by abandoning traditional NeoGeo games in favor of only the more mainstream-friendly games, my NGPC will start to collect dust.

Regardless, the NGPC has been showered with praise and a healthy rate of growth. The NGPC has done well, and will continue to do well as more and more people learn about how good of a product the NGPC is. With the continuation of the release of games that can appeal to the mainstream gamer and hardcore SNK fans alike, the NGPC in the year 2000 should continue to grow at a pace that will exceed everyone's expectations.

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