Need help with info on US Clamshell variants

[kenshinrurouni]

Hi!, does anyone happen to have pics of the NGPC U.S. Clamshell variants? I know of the more common Bubble Bobble US clamshell. Ive seen a Metal Slug as well. But does anyone have the US ESRB sticker Clamshell?? I can’t find anything as noone seems to be cataloging this info. Left a pic of one of them as an example. Much appreciated. I’ve heard that there are people on here that have a complete variant set and i’d love to see it!

 

[pixeljunkie]

I was unaware of ANY US clamshell games. All were cardboard box. EU and Japan got the clamshells.

 

[kernow]

Same, never seen any myself

 

[SignOfGoob]

Yeah, I not exactly aware of any US clamshells. Hopefully this is just Facebook kids being dumb and not understanding that US releases and UK releases, when it comes to NGP, are very different.

If I’m not mistaken…and I very well may be…someone I know bought a KOF R-1 from SNK USA very early on…I’m pretty sure it was just a JP version though, clamshell, no ESRB.

 

[lithy]

They definitely exist. They were definitely rare even 20 years ago. They had a different product number and a glaring ESRB rating on them. I believe all launch titles were known to have a US snaplock variant.

If anyone knows more, vectorman0 would. Guy found a US Dynamite Slugger cart.

https://www.neo-geo.com/forums/index.php?members/vectorman0.4754/

 

[lithy]

 

[lithy]

 

[lithy]

Sweater Fish Deluxe, someone who I would also trust as a very early NGPC nut makes the following list in a thread here.

NeoGeo Pocket - Retrogaming Roundtable

how can you tell the difference between games from the U.S. and games from Europe?

forum.digitpress.com

No, these were actual U.S. releases with catalog numbers ending in 1 and ESRB ratings and everything. You're probably thinking of the B&W Neo Pocket games which came in clamshell cases and were released in the U.S. only through mail order and were the same as the versions released in Europe and Asia (except Japan).

The full list of games released in clamshells in the U.S. is:

Fatal Fury: 1st Contact
Bust-A-Move Pocket
Metal Slug: 1st Mission
King Of Fighters: R-2
Baseball Stars Color
Pocket Tennis Color
Samurai Shodown! 2

And probably the Dyna casino games, though I've never seen U.S clamshell versions of them personally. They were released at the same time as the above games and it's probably just because they sold so poorly that I've never seen U.S. clamshell versions.

I don't know so much about which ones were released in clamshells in Japan. The Best Collection games CosmicMonkey mentioned were, but so were the launch games, I just don't know the exact list.

All the above games as well as Neo Turf Masters, Crush Roller and Neo Geo Cup '98 Plus Color were released with special multi-language packaging for Europe as well as the English-only packaging released in Europe and Asia (except Japan).

The exciting world of Neo Geo Pocket Color package variants!


...word is bondage...

 

[SignOfGoob]

Yeah, while I’m sure he barely even remembers making the list anymore
I trust it. I remember when he was making it.

 

[awbacon]

NGP stuff seems to be so random

 

[The Chief]

NGP stuff seems to be so random

It was, the company was in the midst of falling apart at that time.

 

[Vectorman0]

Sweater Fish Deluxe, someone who I would also trust as a very early NGPC nut makes the following list in a thread here.

NeoGeo Pocket - Retrogaming Roundtable

how can you tell the difference between games from the U.S. and games from Europe?

forum.digitpress.com

Sweater was a pioneer of NGPC information, but 15 years after that interaction with him, I have come to the conclusion he was mistaken.

While I can't prove they don't exist, besides Bust-a-Move Pocket, I have yet to see a single US insert snaplock. I have probably spent more time than anyone scouring ebay and here for these, and I have not seen any. I would love to be proven wrong, as it would be very interesting, but I think Sweater most likely had a mistaken memory about ESRB stickered games.

Select early games do have ESRB stickers on the first release English snaplocks. They are all hard to come by - so scarce that I have avoided talking about them as to not generate competition. I'm still missing some after searching for very long time.

I've seen increasing chatter on facebook groups about them, so I'm not surprised to see a topic here revisiting something that has never really been put to rest. Here is the list of ESRB stickered games I know of, and I would not be surprised if others exist.

Bust-a-Move Pocket (no sticker - US insert)
Metal Slug 1st Mission
Crush Roller
Neo Geo Cup '98 Plus Color
Pocket Tennis Color
Baseball Stars
Samurai Shodown! 2
Fatal Fury First Contact
King of Fighters R-2

 

[SignOfGoob]

Stickered…so they are just JP/EU release with a single sticker added…other than BAM.

Not worth talking about, I agree. Absolutely not worth seeking out.

 

[kenshinrurouni]

Sweater was a pioneer of NGPC information, but 15 years after that interaction with him, I have come to the conclusion he was mistaken.

While I can't prove they don't exist, besides Bust-a-Move Pocket, I have yet to see a single US insert snaplock. I have probably spent more time than anyone scouring ebay and here for these, and I have not seen any. I would love to be proven wrong, as it would be very interesting, but I think Sweater most likely had a mistaken memory about ESRB stickered games.

Select early games do have ESRB stickers on the first release English snaplocks. They are all hard to come by - so scarce that I have avoided talking about them as to not generate competition. I'm still missing some after searching for very long time.

I've seen increasing chatter on facebook groups about them, so I'm not surprised to see a topic here revisiting something that has never really been put to rest. Here is the list of ESRB stickered games I know of, and I would not be surprised if others exist.

Bust-a-Move Pocket (no sticker - US insert)
Metal Slug 1st Mission
Crush Roller
Neo Geo Cup '98 Plus Color
Pocket Tennis Color
Baseball Stars
Samurai Shodown! 2
Fatal Fury First Contact
King of Fighters R-2

Is it possible you can show pictures of the ones you do have? Very interested to see them