Neo Geo Pocket Color "Unlocked" Save Patches. (2025)

INTRO

Hello.

I wasn't sure where to put this sort of thing, this seem like the best place. These are a collection of IPS patches I made for some Neo Geo Pocket Color games. I noticed some discussion of the system in recent times. Maybe because of the Excellent emulation collection by code mystics on steam and nintendo switch. I also saw someone talking about how they wanted a fully unlocked game save for their flashcart for neo geo pocket games. I was also bored... and something about how saves functioned with these games interested me.

Some backstory. Neo Geo Pocket Games are stored on flash chips along with the save data that is modified through regular gameplay. So when dumping roms, the save data is stored in the rom dump. This is why rom dumps online often sometimes aren't "Purely clean" dumps. Some databases mark them as "Trainer or hacked, or even bad dumps". It's much different from other systems that use battery save ram, eeprom or even flash for save data, it's stored on separate chip on the cart and isn't dumped in the rom file.

The Good Part

Moving on, these patches are intended for clean dumps. They may work on translations or even hacks. They are only intended to patch the save section of the rom file. You can verify your own clean dump on the dat-o-matic website. Most of these patches focuses on the games included in the Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection... collection by code mystics. So if you want clean & trusted dumps, I recommend buying the collection. I also included Sonic Pocket adventure due to popularity reasons. (Maybe they will release it on steam and switch one day) *Insert copium here*

I mainly did this for personal interest, I was also bored. (Did I mention that already?) Some games on the system have simple unlockable content to largely time consuming. Some games have two methods for unlocking content. SNK VS capcom Millennium match could connect to dreamcast version of KOF 1999 dream match or capcom vs snk or even SNK VS capcom card fighters to make unlocking content easier and faster. Emulators and even real hardware owners mostly lack access to those methods. But also was never a cheat device for it either, further complicating things.

The only option you have without linking is to constantly play story mode on the "Gamer" (Hardest) difficulty to unlock 8 characters and play olympic mode to unlock their strongest special attack. The collection has rewind that may help but it's mostly repetitive grind. With these patches, you don't have to. You can access everything from the start. For multiplayer games, included in the collection, this means instant access to a more complete versus mode experience.

FOOTNOTE

Quick note. These rom patches WILL NOT work with the emulator included with the collection by code mystics. There is some fail safe check in them that prevent modified rom files from booting. So I included IPS files to apply to the save data exclusively made by the code mystic's emulator instead. The save patches WILL NOT work on other emulator saves. The rom patches will work on any other emulator and even flash carts on real hardware. There is more info in the included read me.

Jayro said:

So this should work fine on games for the MiSTer and Analogue Pocket then, right? They both use standard save files, nothing silly.

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I have not tried a mister or a analogue (expensive) but yes it SHOULD.

Since all you have to do is patch the rom, then it should work on any flash cart/emulator with the exception of the Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection vol 1 & 2 by code mystics. In that case, use the "Save" patches on the save files created by that collection. This is explained in the "Read me.txt" in the download.

whitecawfeee said:

YES ive been meaning to find something like this because one of the games in Vol 2 has an unlock that requires a MONTH of in game time

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Can you provide the name of the game?

Sonic Angel Knight said:

I also saw someone talking about how they wanted a fully unlocked game save for their flashcart for neo geo pocket games.

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Oh, hey, that was me! Thank you so much for this. I'll definitely be giving these a try later.