Thank you SNK for sending us this game collection to review!

The NeoGeo Pocket Color Selections have been a wild ride into the history of a short-lived console.  While the first selection has been heavily focused on the fighting and action games of the handheld, this volume two is far more eclectic.  This is both its greatest strength and biggest weakness; if you don't like enough of the games, it may not be worth it for you, but at the same time you could find a gem in here that makes it worth ignoring the ones you don't.  

This is a selection of SNK's new line of Neo Geo Pocket Color re-releases on Windows via Steam (and on Switch, also).  Unlike on Switch, where some of these games were released individually, they instead chose to release only this collection on Steam.  These games are generally of high quality, with some really odd ones mixed in there.  Unfortunately, they included some that they shouldn't have, as they are not translated at all, and not playable by non-Japanese readers as a result.  The genres represented are varied, with sports games making a notable showing.  The full list of games is below, with links to our review of the Switch versions where we have them:

- SNK VS. CAPCOM CARD FIGHTERS' CLASH 
- BIG BANG PRO WRESTLING 
- BIOMOTOR UNITRON 
- MEGA MAN BATTLE & FIGHTERS 
- PUZZLE LINK2
- GANBARE NEO POKE-KUN
- THE KING OF FIGHTERS BATTLE DE PARADISE
- BASEBALL STARS COLOR
- POCKET TENNIS COLOR
- NEOGEO CUP '98 PLUS COLOR

It's important to note that unlike the last collection, this one has three games that are only available in Japanese; the rest are in both Japanese and English.  While I'm glad that we get to play these games despite a lack of translation, one of them in particular is all but unplayable because it has too much text; that would be THE KING OF FIGHTERS BATTLE DE PARADISE.

That game is some kind of board game and minigame hybrid, not unlike Mario Party.  It definitely looks neat, but there is so much on-screen Japanese text that it's completely unintelligible to English-only readers.  Or at least I couldn't figure it out.  If they couldn't have translated this game, then they probably shouldn't have bothered including it; it's basically unplayable.

The other two untranslated games are MEGA MAN BATTLE & FIGHTERS, and GANBARE NEO POKE-KUN.  While lamentable that not all text is readable, at least they are playable (if you call GANBARE a game - more on that later).  The rest had Western releases and this collection offers both the English and Japanese versions for you to play.

Unlike the standalone releases (where applicable), this collection has a few notable extras.  For one thing, you can see the original boxes and cartridges rendered in front of you, which is a nice touch.  Another nice bonus is that you can change what platform you play the games on - rather than just the default Neo Geo Pocket Color, you can choose the original black & white Neo Geo Pocket, or the latest 'New Color'.  I'm not certain what differences the New Color offers, as I didn't notice any.  

I also love that they implemented multiplayer for each game that supports it.  Some games include versus, which allows you to play against another single person in the room with you (local).  It also includes Steam's fantastic Remote Play Together, which is a really easy way to play local multiplayer games with players online over the internet.  It's really neat, and the only official way to play these Neo Geo releases with your friends online.

As for the games themselves, the sports games are really good, with the possible exception of BIG BANG PRO WRESTLING; I didn't like it, but it definitely has hardcore fans.  Please read the review I already linked to for more information on that game.

Since I haven't reviewed the other sports games individually, what I can say is that they all seem like enjoyable representations of their sports.  I really like BASEBALL STARS COLOR, and played several rounds of that.  POCKET TENNIS COLOR seems fun, if a bit difficult.  NEOGEO CUP '98 PLUS COLOR is a soccer game, and it's not bad, though I also found it difficult.  For me, BASEBALL STARS was the best of the sports games.

PUZZLE LINK2 is the only puzzle game included and it's fun, if a bit easy.  There is a grid of various tiles, and you match two of the same icon/color, after which they disappear.  Your goal is to eventually match the clear tiles; once you do, you start the next level.  I enjoyed playing this game, even if it wasn't too difficult.

I already linked to the review for BIOMOTOR UNITRON; please read it for more details.  But it's a classic JRPG, and a highlight of this collection for me, if you like classic-style RPG games.

I also already linked to SNK VS. CAPCOM CARD FIGHTERS' CLASH's review, and it's a high-quality card battler that wasn't my cup of tea.  Feel free to read that review also, if you want more details.

The last game of this collection is the extremely odd GANBARE NEO POKE-KUN.  I ended up playing more of this game than I expected, just because I wanted to understand how it works.  During my stream of this collection, I said I hoped to never play this again; it didn't quite happen that way, as curiosity got the best of me.

This game basically simulates the life of a guy (well, a Poke-kun) that lives alone and makes games in his spare time.  You get to see him sit in his room, sleep on the floor, fart, do the pee-pee dance, and other odd things.  If he's happy, he seems positive and motivated, and calls friends on the phone.  If he's sad or depressed, you'll see him mope or cry.  He can also be bored, or even in pain (I saw what I thought was pain or anger once).  When he is in a good mood, he will start to work on the minigames.  Over time, they will be completed, and you can play them.  I have not unlocked them all, but I did a decent portion.  They seem to get progressively more complex and interesting, with many of them borrowing ideas or taking a spin on classic games.

I have to say, this game is... odd.  The simulation aspect has a guy wearing a speedo playing jump rope with his hair... or a ribbon in through his throat, and out the other end.  There is a guy who walks in and slaps you, or even grabs your crotch and squeezes.  He sits there, walks in circles, and bends over and farts.  When you press 'A' on your controller, the doorbell rings and someone walks in, and goes straight to your bathroom.  There is a woman in a swimsuit pinned up on your wall.  A dog walks in and defecates inside his outfit... and so much more.  You also don't really have control over him; you just get to watch and impact his environment.  If you do what I did and walk away while the game plays itself, he eventually gets upset and he stops making progress on the minigames, and you have to lift his mood again, which can take a bit of time, so keep paying attention!

The graphics and sound of the games in this collection are limited as you might expect, matching the original NeoGeo Pocket Color handhelds they were on originally.  As a result, the graphics are going to be lacking in comparison to titles on more powerful platforms, include the Neo Geo itself.  Some games use a chibi art style, with short, deformed, and cute versions of each character, to make the most of the limited screen real estate.  The music is catchy, with lots of chiptunes, and the sound effects do their job.  Each game's graphics and sound quality varies, but overall there's a good balance in this set of ten.

Being a collection, moral concerns vary per game, and the overall score may take a dive as a result (perhaps unfairly, but that's how our scoring system works).  As mentioned throughout, punching, kicking, and magic-like effects exist.  In other games, you shoot your enemies until they fall over.  Alcohol is referred to in several games.

Other games feature girls (or creatures with a female form) wearing tight or revealing clothing, with lots of cleavage. However, given the significant limitations of the source platform, anything you could possibly see is not very detailed.  Gambling is mentioned as well.

Evaluating a games collection is a bit different than just checking out a single game.  Is the presentation good?  Are the games, or at least a plurality of them, worth playing?  Is it a good value, or put another way, is it worth the dollar-per-game ratio?  With this one, it's hit-and-miss.  The Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 2 includes titles from varying genres, and many will find something they like.  But at least one of the games is all but unplayable for those who cannot read Japanese, and two others are hampered by untranslated portions.  Nevertheless, there are some good games in here.  The emulation is perfect as far as I can tell, and local multiplayer, where supported, works great, along with Steam's Remote Play Together.  If you have any interest in the more obscure titles on the Neo Geo Pocket, or love sports games, this is the collection to get.