NGPC and Me - Light Options

[ScDp]

I just discovered the Neo Geo Pocket platform. I'm hooked!

However, my eyes have a hard time seeing the screen, so I am now looking for options for an add-on light. I am not into hacking up my unit by hand, so I'm looking for a Nyko Worm Light or similar, or maybe just a decent clip LED light.

Does anyone have suggestions for what can be done with a Neogeo Pocket Color and lighting?

Thanks.

[theclaw]

IIRC there is a worm light for Neo Geo Pocket, and Wonderswan for that matter. But good luck finding either now. Accessories for both of these systems are much scarcer than their prices would indicate.

[Colorado Rockies]

I have the worm light for my NGPC and it works just fine. You can get one on ebay for like 15 bucks or so.

[PapaStu]

Nyko has the worm light, and there are the Afterburner kits. They're not cheap though (the kits).

I honestly prefer playing it under a light of some kind, as the white LED can leave some glare on the screen considering how close it is to the screen.

[kedawa]

I never found any lighting accessories necessary for the NGPC. As long as there was some ambient light in the room, I could play it. I've heard good things about worm lights, though, and I don't imagine it would be too hard to replace the LED in it with something newer and better. LEDs have come a long way in the last decade.
I used to love using my NGPC in daylight. To this day it's the only handheld since GBPocket that I've ever been able to play in the sun.

[theclaw]

Sadly the opposite can be said now. Today's handhelds are too bright to play in sheer darkness. About only the first model GBA SP was set low enough for that...

[Mayhem]

Yeah, I can't say I had many issues trying to see the NGPC screen. The original GBA screen, now that's something...

[ScDp]

I have done some pretty extensive Google searches for the Nyko light and have come up dry. There are some for the Nintendo handhelds but they seem to have pretty bad reviews.

I have looked around also for any kind of replacement light, something with a long adjustable neck, LED lighting, maybe taking a AAA battery or two, maybe with a large clip so I can just attach it to the NGPC. So far, nothing.

Ideally I think I would like a thin LED acble of some kind I could lay on top of the Neo Geo Pocket or something. There has to be some way I can play this in my (kind of dark) house!

[skaar]

Get a lamp, dude.

[Vectorman0]

Here is more than you wanted to know.

Nyko made their Worm Light which comes with a rechargeable battery pack and AC adapter, both of which you must use with the worm light, as it plugs into the battery pack. I used to use one on vacations and it worked okay when lighting was otherwise unacceptable. This also came in two different grayish translucent colors that are nearly the same.

Madcow made their "Sun Light" which is similar to the worm light, but it plugs into the Ext. port on the NGPC. I can't speak for this, as I had a very difficult time acquiring this and don't want to open mine. Considering Nyko decided it needed to use a rechargeable battery pack for their light, I imagine the "Sun Light" is pretty terrible.

Blaze made a light magnifier which nearly breaks just by touching it. Don't bother with this. I can't remember how this works because I called it quits after having one break by just opening/collapsing it normally. It wasn't a fluke because I have heard others talk about having similar experiences. I believe it takes it's own AAA batteries.

Madcow also made a light magnifier. Again, I never tried this because of its scarcity and my bad experience with the similar Blaze product.

You can also mod a NGPC with the front light from the original GBA SP model. This works for what it is, but it's not perfect. It works well to play in the dark, which I like doing at night. But if you are going to play in a lit room, I would say an un-modded system with good external lighting is better. The downsides are that the front light from the SP cuts of several rows of pixels at the bottom of the screen that can get in the way slightly (it usually ends up being harder to read text); it isn't completely clear so it mutes the colors of the screen a little bit; because of the thickness of the light, the system can't be screwed completely tight when put back together (it isn't really a problem, but just knowing this annoys me). I can't speak for the effect the mod has on battery life. I had mine modded by forum member Xian Xi. I'm not sure if he still does them. He made a do it yourself guide and has it on his website: http://jamma-nation-x.com/jammax/ngpcdiy.html

Get a lamp, dude.

As you can see, I have a lot of experience with the NGPC, and I have to agree with skaar. The right position with a good light is the best way to play. Next best would be the GBA SP front light mod.