Neo Geo Pocket Color Backlight
In the world of handheld retro gaming the frontier of portables without backlit screen options seems to be shrinking by the day.
The Neo Geo Pocket Color was released in 1999, more or less competing with the Gameboy Color. It had several advantages such as the horizontal arrangement and semi-contoured back making it easier to hold, and a micro-switch joystick rather than a D-Pad, and a slightly larger screen. But like the GBC, it's screen was reflective so you could only comfortably play it in well-lit areas.
Older handhelds like the Game Boy and the Game Boy Pocket could have their native screens upgraded by removing the reflective layer behind the screen and replacing it with a backlight, however the GBC and NGPC were manufactured with the reflective layer encased in the glass of the LCD itself with no way to remove it (believe me, I tried).
Up until a couple of years ago, there were no real options for installing a backlit screen into a GBC, but the cottage industry that has sprung up around retro gaming heard the call and responded with a vengeance - there are now at least four, and possibly more, kits available now for replacing a GBC screen with a modern backlit LCD.
Earlier this month the seller of one such GBC LCD kit updated their listing to include an alternative ribbon cable for using the kit on a Neo Geo Pocket Color instead. I jumped at the chance to try it out.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000062022460.html
Ordering from AliExpress for the first time was a convoluted mess. After creating an account, I attempted to make a purchase using my Visa card, however I was immediately given a message about "the status of your appeal". This didn't make any sense to me so I contacted customer support via chat and was told that the first time you use any credit card on AliExpress it's subject to some kind of anti-fraud screening. The link the rep gave me was asking for some crazy level stuff like utility bills in my name showing my address and a copy of my passport or drivers license. I asked around to a couple people I know who buy from AliExpress and none of them recall ever having been asked for that kind of information. There was simply no way I was going to expose that level of personal detail to AliExpress to make a purchase so I nearly gave up. As a last ditch effort to finish placing my order, I installed the AliExpress app on my phone and signed in there. Lo and behold it accepted my payment without a hitch.
The kit arrived this week and I've been tinkering with it for a couple of days now.
The kit works exactly as advertised - no wiring required, just remove the old LCD and plug the ribbon from the adapter board in its place. It comes with a capacitive pad for changing the brightness - just position the pad on the inner part of the case, and when you put your finger there and pull it away, the electrical field from your digit is enough to trigger a brightness change. The default setting is full brightness and I found that to be quite mild.
Mounting the kit is another matter. The kit only comes with what you need to electrically connect the new screen to the NGPC. Since the screen is considerably smaller than the original LCD it doesn't just slot right into place. Right now Greg Collingill of Laser Bear is working on a 3D printed bracket that holds the new screen in the center, and acts as a mask to cover up the edges of the screen when viewed through the front of the NGPC. He was kind enough to supply me with a prototype but it's still a work in progress.
I'll update this post with new pics once the Laser Bear bracket has been finalized.
The coolest thing about this mod is that it makes the NGPC so much more convenient to play. The smaller screen is more than a fair trade off for such a huge increase in visibility. Coupling this with an excellent RetroHQ NGPC flash cart (For less than the cost of a copy of Biomotor Unitron!) makes for the ultimate Neo Geo Pocket experience.
The Neo Geo Pocket Color was released in 1999, more or less competing with the Gameboy Color. It had several advantages such as the horizontal arrangement and semi-contoured back making it easier to hold, and a micro-switch joystick rather than a D-Pad, and a slightly larger screen. But like the GBC, it's screen was reflective so you could only comfortably play it in well-lit areas.
Older handhelds like the Game Boy and the Game Boy Pocket could have their native screens upgraded by removing the reflective layer behind the screen and replacing it with a backlight, however the GBC and NGPC were manufactured with the reflective layer encased in the glass of the LCD itself with no way to remove it (believe me, I tried).
Up until a couple of years ago, there were no real options for installing a backlit screen into a GBC, but the cottage industry that has sprung up around retro gaming heard the call and responded with a vengeance - there are now at least four, and possibly more, kits available now for replacing a GBC screen with a modern backlit LCD.
Earlier this month the seller of one such GBC LCD kit updated their listing to include an alternative ribbon cable for using the kit on a Neo Geo Pocket Color instead. I jumped at the chance to try it out.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000062022460.html
Ordering from AliExpress for the first time was a convoluted mess. After creating an account, I attempted to make a purchase using my Visa card, however I was immediately given a message about "the status of your appeal". This didn't make any sense to me so I contacted customer support via chat and was told that the first time you use any credit card on AliExpress it's subject to some kind of anti-fraud screening. The link the rep gave me was asking for some crazy level stuff like utility bills in my name showing my address and a copy of my passport or drivers license. I asked around to a couple people I know who buy from AliExpress and none of them recall ever having been asked for that kind of information. There was simply no way I was going to expose that level of personal detail to AliExpress to make a purchase so I nearly gave up. As a last ditch effort to finish placing my order, I installed the AliExpress app on my phone and signed in there. Lo and behold it accepted my payment without a hitch.
The kit arrived this week and I've been tinkering with it for a couple of days now.
 |
| The initial test of the LCD & PCB |
 |
| The new backlit screen is substantially smaller than the original. |
Mounting the kit is another matter. The kit only comes with what you need to electrically connect the new screen to the NGPC. Since the screen is considerably smaller than the original LCD it doesn't just slot right into place. Right now Greg Collingill of Laser Bear is working on a 3D printed bracket that holds the new screen in the center, and acts as a mask to cover up the edges of the screen when viewed through the front of the NGPC. He was kind enough to supply me with a prototype but it's still a work in progress.
 |
| The PCB needs a little help to stay put while you're reassembling |
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| With no bracket and no masking, the screen kind of floats and shows quite an ugly border. |
I'll update this post with new pics once the Laser Bear bracket has been finalized.
The coolest thing about this mod is that it makes the NGPC so much more convenient to play. The smaller screen is more than a fair trade off for such a huge increase in visibility. Coupling this with an excellent RetroHQ NGPC flash cart (For less than the cost of a copy of Biomotor Unitron!) makes for the ultimate Neo Geo Pocket experience.
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