Shock 'n' Rock
Score: 80% Developer: Nyko Device Type: Accessory
Function: Oh, what a handy little gadget this is! The Nyko Shock 'n' Rock serves as four accessories in one featuring amplified stereo speakers, ergonomic rubber grips, vibration feedback, and a 110V adapter/battery charger. While many gamers will most likely find the amped speaker system to be the most impractical feature of the unit (the NGPC is certainly loud enough for most people without any adjustments, and the Shock 'n' Rock can make it much, MUCH louder), the vibration function definitely makes things more interesting. However, the rubber grips and A/C adapter are the best parts of this device by far, adding welcome comfort and more playing room for your hands, and greatly increasing the amount of possible playing time for your NGPC.
Performance: The entire unit seems fairly sturdy; after three days of constant use, it looks like the casing doesn't handle light scratches very well, although the overall design is more or less pretty solid. Simply plug the Shock 'n' Rock into the NGPC's headphone and A/C ports, switch the unit on, set your desired volume/vibration levels, and let the games begin.
Features: Amplified stereo speakers with headphone jack Vibration feedback with adjustable sensitivity Ergonomically designed comfort grips Rechargeable battery with Adaptor/Charger allowing up to 10 hours of gaming on one charge A/C adapter can be used as a battery pack to directly power the NGPC
Drawbacks & Problems:: As mentioned before, the extra-loud speaker system isn't very useful, and will greatly annoy anyone within 50 feet of you when playing at half the full volume level (of course, you can always just turn off the volume altogether and save battery power). The vibration feature is really neat, but rumbles mostly to in-game music instead of sound effects in a lot of games. Also, it seems the Shock 'n' Rock can easily scrape up the bottom and sides of your Neo Geo Pocket Color when inserting and removing the device, so be extra-careful when doing so. In the long run, though, the Nyko Shock 'n' Rock is one of the most innovative handheld accessories ever created, and a must-buy for those who bring their NGPCs with them wherever they go. [Editor's Note: (June 18, 2011) Now, Nyko is releasing a Shock 'N' Rock for the 3DS, and we're excited to try it out.]
-Ben Monkey, GameVortex Communications AKA Ben Lewis
Power Link Jam!!