Oh, man… Looking back, 1999 was such an awesome year. The Sega Dreamcast came out on 9/9/99, the threat of Y2K was just around the corner, and Neo Geo released their first and only handheld system, the Neo Geo Pocket. Sure, it may not be as well known as the Game Boy or Game Gear, and it may not have had crazy hardware specs like the Atari Lynx, but it had some damn fine games.

The Neo Geo Pocket originally launched in Japan in a black and white version similar to the Game Boy Pocket, but by the time the system saw a U.S. release, it was already upgraded to the Neo Geo Pocket Color. It ran on just two AA batteries for what seemed like forever, internal data was saved onto a large watch battery, and it had its own system menu to fiddle with when the cartridge slot was empty. It was pretty much only good for seeing a lame horoscope, but hey, it was something. You could even hook it up to a Dreamcast for some games to get extra goodies! Sure, it wasn’t backlit, but it had an arsenal of games for the most hardcore fans of arcadey Japanese gamery.

Here’s some of my favorites:

SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millenium

I still play this game from time to time. Aside from the awesome roster, cute graphics, catchy music, and great level design, there’s a buttload of extra mini games that you’ll find yourself wanting to play again and again. The minigames even feature popular SNK and Capcom characters like Marco from Metal Slug and Arthur from Ghosts ‘n Goblins. With surprisingly tight controls for using only two buttons, 20 playable characters plus 8 unlockables, a sweet 2-player versus mode, and Dreamcast connectivity with King of Fighters: Dream Match 1999, this is the must have fighter for the Neo Geo Pocket.

Metal Slug: 1st Mission

This game starts off surprisingly easy for a Metal Slug game, but soon enough the levels open up with branching paths, loads of doors to go through, and plenty of secrets. Oh, and it gets really hard. I’ve never played 2nd Mission, but I hear it’s just as good.

Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure

1999 was no doubt the year of Sega. They launched the Dreamcast, the first ever home console with online capabilities, and Sonic Adventure came out, which is still one of my favorite 3D platforming games of all time. When Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure came out for the Neo Geo Pocket, my face exploded and melted at the same time. Unfortunately, I never got to play the game until a few years later, but it’s easily one of the best, most under-appreciated Sonic games of all time. Way better than the Game Gear Sonics.

Card Fighters Clash: SNK vs Capcom

As someone who’s not really all that into card games (real life or virtual) I actually dug this game. Maybe it’s the cutesy RPG-ness that reminds me of Pokemon or something. As a fan of this game, I thought I’d be into the DS version, but I sort of hated it. If you weren’t a fan of the DS iteration, or are the least bit curious, I’d highly recommend giving this game a try.

Any of you guys have a Neo Geo Pocket? What’s your favorite game? Let me know in the comments.

Another Portable Anniversary: Neo Geo Pocket Color Turns 10