There’s something really magical about the Neo Geo Super Pocket, particularly the Limited Edition variant, which sets it head and shoulders above all of the other Super Pocket consoles that have been released so far.

It doesn’t have the strongest selection of games, by any means, and with only 14 games included, its selection is certainly thinner than most of the other Super Pocket consoles.

However, these being Neo Geo games just make it feel extra special, and if you weren’t around to experience these arcade titles first hand in the 90s, it might not be immediately apparent as to why it’s so exciting.

Back when SNK were creating and releasing Neo Geo games in the arcade (for the MVS, or Multi Video System), they were also releasing them on cartridges for their home console, the AES (or Advanced Entertainment System). At a time where home console versions of games often claimed to be ‘arcade perfect’, and were far from it, SNK’s AES titles really were the same games you’d be playing in the arcade.

The technology required to do this at the time came at a huge cost, however. Not for nothing were Neo Geo game listings pored over in magazines by kids (yep, I was one of them) too poor to buy them, and glowing reviews of each game caused us to practically salivate. Yeah, if we could find them in the arcade we could play then for 50p or £1 a go, but we wanted them at home, dammit. And AES cartridges cost around £150 or more, at a time when games generally cost between £20-£40. Even those standard game prices were out of reach for me back in the early 90s, and I had to rely on relatives to buy me a game or two for each  Christmas and birthday.

So the eye watering cost of AES games, not to mention the cost of the console, put it way out of the reach of most consumers. Not just kids; even adults I knew would lust after the AES with no hope of affording it.

So hopefully that explains exactly why it feels so magical to have 14 Neo Geo games, in arcade perfect form, on a device that fits in your pocket (and can be played on the train, see?), and costs just £49/$69. That should also explain why that makes it even more special, to me at least, than having other arcade games or console titles on a Super Pocket handheld.

And yes, I’m aware that emulators and even official handheld and replica consoles mean that Neo Geo titles have been available for affordable home use many times now, but that doesn’t make this particular console feel any less special.

The Limited Edition variant you see in my photos has, unfortunately, sold out, but it’s styled in the bright MVS colour scheme that not everyone is a fan of. The black and gold, AES colour scheme is on the standard variant of the Neo Geo Super Pocket, and most seem to prefer that anyway. I’m a sucker for the coloured buttons and bright, bold red of the MVS though, so I was glad to get hold of this one.

SNK are well known for their fighting games, which stood proudly alongside Capcom’s as the finest of their era, and they feel more accessible than games such as the Street Fighter titles too. We get three here: Fatal Fury Special, The Last Blade and Samurai Shodown II, all of which are excellent games. That said, the Super Pocket’s button layout isn’t ideal for fighting games, nor is its dpad (though speaking of which, the dpad has been upgraded on this particular Super Pocket, giving it an advantage over prior models).

Other genres fare much better on the Super Pocket; the fantastic shoot ’em ups included are particularly well suited to the hardware. Alpha Mission II, Blazing Star and Last Resort are the scrolling shmups on the console, and they all feel unique, as well as great fun to play.

I was really impressed with the variety of games on this Super Pocket, even if I wasn’t a fan of every single title included; there’s a very arcadey, futuristic soccer title (Soccer Brawl), a top down driving game (Over Top), two beat ’em ups (Mutation Nation and Sengoku 3), wrestling style kaiju brawler, King of the Monsters 2, and run ‘n gunners Metal Slug X, Top Hunter and Shock Troopers 2nd Squad (the latter of which is top down, rather than side scrolling).

One thing that stood out to me is that the Super Pocket’s screen is starting to feel like it needs an upgrade. I’ve been perfectly fine with the relatively low resolution for other games, and its lower quality compared to the standard Evercade consoles (Super Pocket consoles are fully Evercade compatible, meaning that you have access to hundreds of games, with a massive range of cartridges available), but that hasn’t been a problem until now. Neo Geo Evercade cartridges are on the way later this year, and they may be the best way to play, given that they can be used on the higher quality EXP handheld, or the ‘full sized’ Evercade VS.

That said, there’s no arguing with the price of this console; the build quality is, as always, excellent too. Though the Super Pocket consoles have a toyetic appeal, they feel robust and built pretty solidly, and the Neo Geo edition is no different in this regard. Though I mentioned the controls not being the best for the Neo Geo fighting games, that’s not to say that they’re bad; the buttons and dpad are nicely responsive, but of course not a patch on most controllers that Neo Geo fans will be accustomed to.

If you want to get hold of your own Neo Geo Super Pocket console, they’re available now, and you can buy them from Amazon.

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