 New SNK Neo Geo Portable
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Neo Geo Pocket Returns!!
Written By: E. Thomas 01/23/2012  According to our friends on Famicom Plaza, SNK Playmore is lending their
name and the Neo Geo brand to a new portable gaming device. Could this handheld be the long awaited return of the Neo Geo
Pocket?
 According to the site, the new portable carries the official
SNK Playmore license, so this can be considered a true Neo Geo product. It is currently dubbed the "Neo Geo Portable
Device." We're sure that's not the final name. Judging from these early shots the system is very faithful to the Neo
Geo legacy. The new Analog Stick resembles the control stick found on the original Neo Geo Pocket. The face of the device
also features a traditional 4 button layout, along with "menu" and "start" buttons. Audio speakers
are positioned just below these two buttons. The screen itself is 4.3". And the machine itself is powered by a 2200 mah
internal battery, which is quite impressive.
 When we examine the top edge of the machine we see 4 trigger
buttons, an amazing feat for such a small machine. However when you look more closely you will notice something peculiar.
The trigger buttons are labeled in a strange order. They read from left to right "L1 L2 R1 R2." Maybe
it's just a mistake? But this strange error has led some to believe this device is not real. We think the machined logo on
the back of the case, along with the overall build quality suggest otherwise. We also see an AV out port and what appears to be a data port.  Along the right edge of the machine we see a standard SD card
slot along with the power button. Aside from SD card support, the device will also have 2GB of internal storage.
 And finally we come to the bottom edge of the machine. Here we see the volume buttons, brightness controls and a standard headphone jack. The manufacturer claims the device is 170x72x15mm, making it slightly larger than the average smart phone. As far as software is concerned, the unit will come with 20 classic Neo Geo titles built in. All of the games are the North American, English versions. No word yet on price or release date. We have already contacted SNK Playmore requesting more details. We'll keep you posted as this story develops. Games Included:
 The original Neo Geo Pocket line had three hardware revisions. The first unit had a black and white screen. It was only released in Japan and parts of Asia. The second color model, dubbed the Neo Geo Pocket Color, was released World-wide. It came in a variety of colors and it's the version gamers know best. A third slim version of the hardware was only released in Japan. The game library was full of classic SNK titles like Metal Slug and King of Fighters. It also had some great original titles like Dark Arms and some decent 3rd party games including a great portable version of Namco's Pac-man. Even Sonic the Hedgehog found his way to the Neo Geo Pocket. In North America. Sonic Pocket Adventures was a pack in game for the Neo Pocket at certain retail outlets. The system was the home of some of the best handheld fighting games, including great titles like SNK VS Capcom: Match of the Millennium and Samurai Showdown. Special Thanks to our friends on Famicom Plaza for sharing this story! UPDATE: It appears the original story has vanished from the web. The plot thickens! More as this story develops. SEE ALSO: The Ultimate Neo Geo Console |
