Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1

You’re getting a lot of good games in this collection—Dark Arms seems to be the edge case here—and if you don’t have any experience with the NeoGeo Pocket Color, this is probably the next-best way to experience its library. I’m still a little annoyed that it’s so fighter-heavy but that arguably tracks with SNK’s arcade output.

Really, the only thing I don’t like here is that you’re left to adjust the scaling yourself. It would be nice if there were preset modes to get perfect scaling rather than having to tweak with the analog stick until you get it just right. Not the end of the world, but it’s something annoying you have to do for each game once. Otherwise, this is a fantastic set with lots of great games at an affordable price. The

The whole collection features a promising ten games from a sorely underlooked handheld console, all of which hold up well today. The collection doesn’t have the same sheer value for money that something like the SEGA Mega Drive Collection does, but you shouldn’t underestimate how well all of these handheld titles told up today. While Volume 1 does lean heavily into the fighting game genre, it’s SNK – you knew what you were getting into. I especially liked the way that the handheld ports simplified and distilled the core of each property, but not in a limiting way: I felt like I was getting the proper Metal Slug, KOF and Last Blade experiences, but simplified down to be more accessible for a newer player. With an excellent multiplayer mode and opportunities for replay value across the titles, Neo Geo Pocket Color Collection Vol. 1 is a welcome addition to the retro compilations across the Switch eShop.

The price is fair considering these games in physical form will set you back a pretty penny nowadays, meaning this is a collection that’s worth investigating for those who are curious about a cult classic handheld – or are just looking for a blast of sweet nostalgia.

Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 is a great collection that includes most of the must-haves from the SNK handheld. However, the Metal Slug games still suffer from noticeable lag, which hurts their inclusion. Despite that, retro gamers and those who love SNK fighters should own this little piece of magic handheld history. In fact, I’m slightly puzzled with the Vol.1 in its name, indicating at least one more collection is likely to come, as it’ll have to enter even more niche territory (like the robot-building RPG “Biomotor Unitron” or the rhythm game originally canceled in the west “Cool Cool Jam”).

The elephant in the room for some will be, “is it worth buying these games again if I already have them?” Now, taking the collection for what it is, considering both the quality of the games as well as the new additions, alongside the features that have been included, it’s a resounding yes. For those who already own the games that have previously been released as part of the NGPC Selection lineup on Switch, there is still reason to pick up this compilation.

On the whole, the Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 is a tidy and important package of gaming history that really should have been released as a self-contained bundle in the first place. It’s worth bearing in mind that a physical release is promised a little later on down the line, and with this particular collection labelled as a first in a series, it will surely be interesting to see whether or not the next entry in the Neo Geo Pocket Color line-up will skip directly towards a second volume.

If you’ve yet to pick up the six previously-released games on this collection, then Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 is easy to recommend. Packed with hours upon hours of retro-gaming goodness, it’s as close as it gets to a definitive look at SNK’s 8-bit handheld.

A strong showing for the Neo Geo Pocket Color, this is an eight-game compilation with seven avowed recommendations. That's a pretty high ratio, and that tantalising "Vol. 1" in the title makes us hope and pray that more SNK handheld goodness is to come. Now that Match of the Millennium has been accounted for, after all, there's surely no reason to hold out on us vis-a-vis Card Fighters Clash, the absolute best game on the system. Sonic Pocket Adventure would be ace, too. But that's all speculation – in the here and now, Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 is a great little compilation and all the better if you didn't buy all the previous standalone releases. If you did, is it worth the money? To this writer, yes, but you can quietly seethe about the financial imposition.

Ultimately, as is the case with a lot of retro rereleases, the NeoGeo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 is a nostalgic collectors piece first and foremost. While these games still hold up from a historical perspective, there are much better options for anyone looking for arcade-y experiences on the Switch. Still, it's great that, in addition to moving forward with franchises like The King of Fighters, SNK seems eager to present all eras of its history through various rerelease efforts. The Vol. 1 in this particular title hints that more of the Neo Geo Pocket's library could end up in modern hands soon, and that can only be a good thing in the long run.

Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 is a must buy for anyone who has wanted to enjoy what the classic portable had to offer and missed out on the individual releases. It offers up a healthy mix of fighters of hand-to-hand, projectiles and weapon-based combat alongside a touch of sports and a bit more shooting between Dark Arms and two Metal Slug games. They all look fantastic and have a crisp look with pixel art that shines either on a TV or on the Switch’s portable screen, and sound great with addictive soundtracks. Like the console it’s inspired by, the compilation is full of high-quality games and is a fine example of “all killer and no filler” with the possible exception of Big Tournament Golf and even that is quite good.

Form a historical point of view, this is an interesting collection of exotic handheld oldies in a technically great new form. But the games themselves are not really that exciting anymore.