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The WonderSwan and Neo Geo Pocket Color are two handhelds most people never owned, and that is a shame. Both went up against the Game Boy and lost commercially, but both had excellent libraries with games you cannot play anywhere else. The Neo Geo Pocket Color in particular has some of the best handheld fighting and puzzle games ever made. Emulating them is easy, and it opens up two libraries full of hidden treasure.
We frame all of this around games you own and want to preserve.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and Anbernic affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Two Underdog Handhelds
A quick introduction to each.
- WonderSwan and WonderSwan Color. Made by Bandai in Japan, designed by the creator of the Game Boy. It had a unique vertical-and-horizontal design, since some games were played sideways. Strong in Japan, never released in the West, so its library is almost entirely Japanese.
- Neo Geo Pocket Color. Made by SNK, with a clicky microswitched stick that fighting game fans loved. It had a small but excellent library and a cult following that endures today.
Both are extremely light to emulate, so any handheld runs them perfectly.
How to Set It Up
The process is the same idea for both systems.
- In RetroArch, download the cores. The Beetle WonderSwan core handles the WonderSwan, and the Beetle NeoPop core handles the Neo Geo Pocket.
- Place your games in the matching system folders and scan them. Our organize ROMs guide covers folder setup.
- Neither system needs a BIOS for most games.
- Load a game and play.
The WonderSwan has both horizontal and vertical games. For vertical ones, rotate the display or use the core's rotation option.
Best Neo Geo Pocket Color Games
This is where the real gems are. The NGPC punched far above its weight.
- SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium. One of the best handheld fighting games ever made. A must-play.
- Sonic Pocket Adventure. A surprisingly excellent handheld Sonic game. Tight and fun.
- King of Fighters R-2. A strong handheld fighter that captures the arcade feel.
- Card Fighters Clash. A beloved collectible card game with SNK and Capcom characters. A cult classic.
- Metal Slug 1st Mission and 2nd Mission. Handheld run-and-gun action that holds up.
- Puzzle Bobble / Bust-A-Move. A perfect pick-up-and-play puzzler on the system.
Best WonderSwan Games
The WonderSwan library is mostly Japanese, but several gems have fan translations.
- Final Fantasy remakes. The WonderSwan Color hosted enhanced remakes of early Final Fantasy games. Worth seeking out.
- Gunpey. A clever, original puzzle game from the system's designer. Addictive and unique.
- Riviera: The Promised Land. An RPG that later moved to other systems, with a fan translation available.
- Romancing SaGa and other RPGs. The system had several strong Japanese RPGs, some with fan translations.
- Rockman and Forte: Mirai Kara no Chousensha. A WonderSwan Mega Man game exclusive to the system.
For Japanese-only games, look for fan translation patches applied to copies you own, the same as on other systems.
Recommended Handhelds
Both systems run on anything. A vertical screen suits the WonderSwan's portrait games nicely.
The
has a vertical screen that fits WonderSwan portrait games well and runs everything with ease. For the clicky-stick feel that suits NGPC fighters, any handheld with a good D-pad works, like the .Related Guides
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