I've loved the fun little retro-indie world of Evercade since the day one launch, with a groaning shelf full of carts. But have stuck with my OG model as it is perfect for me. Until the black and gold Neo Geo Super Pocket model was revealed back in April that is. Something in my heart fluttered and I slapped down £50 to pre-order it.
Perhaps its the black and gold JPS-styling. Perhaps the thought of having the once-hefty (in price and size) Neo Geo in the palm of my hand (product intro). Whatever, I've wanted this more than all the other portable hardware of immense power and ludicrous fidelity that various brands keep chucking out.
What's in the box?
The Neo Geo Super Pocket comes in a neat little box, with great art luring us in, topped off by fifth colour gold accents. Ordering from xx I also got a smart black case emblazoned with the HyperMegaTech logo, perfectly sized for the handheld and a four games in the mesh mini-pockets.
Inside the box we have the Neo Geo Pocket itself. Sturdy in hand, perfectly formed and with a slightly more robust feel than the original Evercade. The 2.8-inch IPS 320×240 screen is a little smaller but higher quality than the original's widescreen, with better viewing angles and a crisper display.
My only structural complaint is the audio jack keeps pushing my headphone back out a smidge instantly killing stereo sound. Not sure if another headphone will work better but my Sony set has never proved a problem on any other gadget.
The cartridge slot is protected by a matching black blank and there's a USB-C lead for power. Swapping between carts and the internal memory takes just a second. On the internal storage we have the SNK buffet of:
- Alpha Mission II
- Blazing Star
- Fatal Fury Special
- King of the Monsters 2
- Last Resort
- Metal Slug X
- Mutation Nation
- Over Top
- Samurai Showdown II
- Sengoku 3
- Shock Troopers 2nd Squad
- Top Hunter Roddy & Cathy
- The Last Blade
And if I pick up
Neo Geo Arcade 1 Collection, that's the original Metal Slug, Shock Troopers, Sengoku and others for even more nostalgia.
Shoot Your Heroes
The games are a mix of the best-in-class with Last Resort and Metal Slug X showing just how ahead of its time the Neo Geo system was. And then there's the few games that feel a little generic or me-too, especially SNK's brawlers that I always found hard to enjoy.
And, especially with the shooters, the joy of Evercade means infinite continues without spending a fortune in the arcade. So I get to see all those later levels, and its worth reiterating, all this for just £50!
I suppose the only downside to this version is with no HD-out, I don't get to enjoy all that SNK action and dynamism on the big screen. However, with all my other Evercade carts, there are plenty of simpler games that look crisp and gorgeous and better on a smaller screen.
A couple of minor irks aside, The HyperMegaTech Super Pocket Neo Geo Edition is an amazing bargain, massively portable in an era of less-than-portable gadgets and a great way to open up the world of Evercade retro fun for newcomers!
