neo geo pocket color

[Fzero]

I just dug my old one out the archives, long time no play.


I sourced a couple AA batteries to bring it back to life and was about to get into some Sonic the Hedgehog but have hit a wall...


It prompted me to set the time and date again and once I done that it only loaded the menu screen.. calendar, alarms etc. The game didn't launch.


I powered it down and it stated something along lines of:


secondary battery dead loss of data imminent please replace.


Obviously on about the cell battery in these things, so, is that likely the reason it won't launch my game cart, does the cell battery need to be juiced to even run a cart?


I'm hoping it is that and not that it's broken... I'll be angry at my neglect if it is.


One more question, what's your fav game on this machine?

 

[Jumpman]

Yeah, I can't ever remember getting that message, but if it's not letting you play and your getting that message, I would say you need to replace that battery.


My favorite game: WOW, to many great games to list. LOL


Metal Slug, Crush Roller & SNK vs Capcom MotM are 3 of my favs. Neo Turf Masters was another great one.


Great little system, sadly it was crushed like so many others who go up against Nintendo in the handheld market, but it was very fun and I hope their microswitch d-pad will getlife again in some future console release.


Chris

 

[Fzero]

Yeah I suspect it is the battery, I'll have to grab one tomorrow I definitely don't have one about the flat.


Agree the dpad on these is excellent. The lack of back-light probably didn't help with it's survival though eh.


Just looking for a couple games to get for it, no Splatterhouse on this?

 

[GiraffeeDreams]

Sonic Pocket Adventure, I love that game and just wish it actually did connect to Sonic Adventure (DC) as originally planned, I had to set the date and time etc each time because the cell battery had gone out, it never prevented me from playing games though, and I agree, the DPad is one of the best I've used, especially for Samurai Showdown

 

[Nintendo]

Best stick ever!!!

 

[Prometheus]

Ah, the NeoGeo Pocket Colour... So much potential, destroyed by utter mismanagement and exceptionally poor marketing. Even the Japan-only WonderSwan line absolutely dwarfed the globally-available NeoGeo Pocket line's sales, which shows how poorly-managed it all was. It did get some decent games, though (just not enough to get people to buy into it, evidently), though I'd have to admit that it only has one of interest to me (and that was a very late release, and Japan-only).


Anyway, the problem is most definitely the secondary battery - a CR2032 cell, if I'm remembering correctly. I'm guessing if it's very, very, very dead it will prevent games from loading - after all, the same thing happens if you leave a very, very, very dead back-up battery in a Sega Saturn, too. The good thing is that they last for absolutely ages once you do put a new one in, so it shouldn't give you any further trouble for an age after that!

 

[iprice]

the same thing happens if you leave a very, very, very dead back-up battery in a Sega Saturn, too.

The battery in the Saturn doesn't have to be dead to feck up a whole range of things. I've got two and getting the bastards to load foreign games via the Datel thingummy is an erratic pain in the arse. Remove the battery and it works fine, but you can't save - not good

 

[Fzero]

Here's hoping, I'll pop out at lunch tomorrow and try pick a CR2032 cell up [cheers Pro, save me looking a numpty in the shop as I would've probably forgot to take the dead one with me and not known which to get ]


I think it is very, very, very dead, the warning was making a good effort of stressing how important it is I get a new one in there.


Sonic Pocket is the cart I have in it at the moment, and I have Pacman and another one game, beat-em-up game.


Surprised that I can't get Splatterhouse though, I thought that was a staple game across the Neo Geo console range... one of my all time favs too.


Still, there's plenty for me to check out on this, it's not a machine I have played too much tbh, the library is fresh to me which is a good thing in a way.


Come pay day I'll get on ebay and purchase a few.

 

[dewc]

I don't think the CR2032 is required, but I've seen carts fail. I have at least one cart that no longer worked. Can't remember which one. I also enjoyed the system.

 

[Fzero]

hmm, ok I'm off to find that Pacman cart...


"Sub battery dead. Memory failure imminent. Replace sub battery"


..Then, same deal, just the alarm and calendar menu screen.


So looks like it may well be that battery preventing the game load, where it is verrrrry low on juice.


...that or both my carts have given up the ghost.


Console seems ok, loads that menu successfully at least.

 

[Prometheus]

^ What happens if you try to boot a game without the CR2032 in it at all?


EDIT: Just a thought as to why this battery issue may be preventing the games from loading: The CR2032 is for more than just the date and time - if my memory serves me correctly, NGPC games store their save data on the console itself, thanks to that battery, and perhaps due to its continued presence despite its demise, that's the cause of the issue.

 

[DisgruntleElf]

I just loaded up my NeoGeo Color Pocket with MoTM and the game played fine without the sub battery. It first runs the language, date, time, color background selection, then NeoGeo Title screen comes on and finally it flashes the red "Replace Sub Battery Screen". I pressed the B button and the game ran fine after that without a sub battery.

 

[Fzero]

Hmm, perhaps both my carts are knackered ... which I wouldn't have thought so as ones been in the console all the time and the other been in its original case.


Just tried without the cell battery inside, I get the same sort of thing as before, NeoGeo splash screen, "Battery Dead, Failure Imminent, Replace" flashing alert.


...It then loads into the main menu where I can access the calendar, alarm, horoscope etc... Just the game cart doesn't load.


Perhaps I have damaged pins where the carts connect, preventing any carts from being detected? That would be lame eh


Edit: Joy! It seems it is that cell battery after all.


I took it out to test without it, as mentioned above.


Put the cell back in and put it down.


Just showed someone who never seen the Pocket Color before, he went to turn it on as I was warning him that he wouldn't actually see the game as I have a dead battery..blahblah.. then I heard the infamous Pacman theme!


Worked straight away for him, so I guess the battery caught a little half-life from where I took it out and put it back again [the old tactics eh]


After a minutes play it popped up a 'low battery' alert ... bearing in mind that the 2 AA I have in it are not brand new either, so not sure if it was referring to those or the cell.


But it worked, I have faith in it working as soon as I get new AA and cell inside it.


Good times

 

[erico]

fav game is snk vs capcom card battle...!

 

[Nintendo]

Mine is Sonic.

 

[GiraffeeDreams]

Mine too, sonic 2 levels with sonic 3 music, brilliance!

 

[Gruntfuggly]

Sounds like maybe the battery contacts are a bit dirty or corroded?


Fav games: Puzzle Bobble and Neo Turf Masters...

 

[gibberish]

I bought one of these from Gamestation about 2 years ago for £15. It didn't come with any games so I kinda just put it away and forgot about it.


Went into my local Playtime yesterday and they had a bunch of carts, so I bought Turfmasters and Metal Slug for £5 each. Turfmasters is very addictive and lots of fun.


The battery was dead in mine too, but luckily I already had a tray of 20 that I got from Dealextreme for about $3!


http://www.dealextreme.com/p/2032-x-20-pcs-cell-batteries-751


True story!

 

[2bit]

Even though apart from 1st party and 2nd party made Nintendo sports games I would have to recommend - them all I Am Serious ! Awsome Console !