When Life Was Simpler
We all have something that we loved in our childhoods that shaped us into the person we are today. Movies, toys and games were everything back in the days when taxes and career goals weren’t our primary focus and re-visiting those things can really help us get through the tough moments. I was into it all. I have a deep abiding love of the Back to the Future movies, I still collect toys to this very day and games… oh boy, let me tell you about how much I loved games.
I was a latch-key kid. For those of you who don’t know what that means, just know that I spent most of my time outside getting into trouble, scuffing my shoes and setting off fireworks in the woods. Honestly, I’m amazed I survived. While that took me out of the couch potato realm, I still wanted to play video games as bad as any other kid my age. Thankfully I grew up during the era of handheld games, and that meant that no matter where I was or what kind of mess I was getting into, I always had a Gameboy in my back pocket or a Game Gear in my bag (because let’s face it, the Game Gear was way too big. Anything that take 8 batteries barely counts as “handheld.”)
Handheld games were a core of my childhood, and as I got older and mobile phones started taking up the slack in that area, the experience just lost its luster. Needing an internet connection to play anything, the nickel and dime monetization of mobile games, the complete lack of inspiration found in 90% of the titles… it just plain wasn’t the same.
Today Becomes Yesterday So Fast
Fast forward to last year, to the version of me looking for products to test and review. I know the idea of being a reviewer sounds like fun, but there is a downside too. We deal with so many toys, tools, gadgets and gizmos that in the end, it’s almost hard to remember them all! Looking at photos of things I know I spent hours using, analyzing and writing about and scratching my head to remember even holding them in my hand brought me back to those halcyon days of handheld games and freedom, so I got to work looking for something to bring me back to that place, even if just for a moment.
The Analogue Pocket: A Sleek Little Box of Long Lost Memories
What do you think of when you try to remember the old handheld games? Most of you probably just conjured up an image of the original Game Boy. Maybe even the Game Boy Advance. Well for Analogue that is precisely that popped into their heads too because they set about creating the ultimate update to the original hardware. What they built is basically a slick, sturdy new Game Boy! It feels great in the hand, the buttons have a familiar layout and the screen is bright and beautiful. The first time I held this thing, I was transported back in time and I couldn’t have been happier to be there.
Nostalgia makes everyone feel good, and boy oh boy is Analogue selling the good stuff!
What’s in the Box?
This isn’t just a re-built Game Boy, it’s a multi-device replacement that takes original Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance cartridges. That means that you can start playing all your old games again without needing to refurbish your old console!
They used dual FPGA chips to replicate the hardware logic from the originals. This means there won’t be any of the usual hiccups and inaccuracies that one tends to find in emulated games. The timing, quirks and compatibilities of those three amazing old handhelds are recreated almost perfectly!
Unlike the originals, though, the Pocket comes with a 1600 x 1400 615 ppi backlit screen that shows the games in incredibly crisp detail. It also boasts a refresh rate of 30-60 Hz, putting it in line with other great modern screens. For something so small, it’s extremely impressive!
It comes with a 34.5 mm headphone jack, a rarity these days, and a USB-C port for charging and docking, a Game Boy link cable port (boy does that bring me back!) and a MicroSD card slot you can use to update firmware, save backups and edit the FPGA cores if you’re exceptionally tech-minded.
Custom to The Core
The Pocket runs an original operating system called “Analogue.” Some of the neat things you can do with the Analogue OS are as follows:
- Save states of games that didn’t originally have a save feature
- Update firmware via a memory card or connection
- Take gameplay screenshots
- Save entire cartridges to your game library
- Manage and organize that game library
This is huge for those of us who think these old games need to be preserved. Being able to save your games is such a big win!
The OpenFPGA chip platform are also huge since they allow developers to create cores that replicate additional hardware. That means that, with the adaptor, you can play games from other systems on chips that replicate those other consoles’ hardware! I know this is getting into the technical weeds, but trust me, it’s a very cool feature.
Did I Mention Adaptors?
You read that right, you can get adaptors that will let you play games from other consoles! The three that Analogue sells directly are for the TurboGrafx-16, Neo Geo Pocket Color Cartridge Adapter and the Atari Lynx Cartridge Adapter. With these adaptors alone that expands your potential library by leaps and bounds! They are sold solo or in a three pack.
The Cons
Nothing is perfect so let’s talk about the issues I personally have with this thing.
- Honestly, I don’t really need a perfect replica in terms of scale. It’s a small handheld. Sure, that means it fits in your pocket, but it also means that my now much larger hands make it feel tiny.
- The battery life. With a rechargeable battery that only lasts about 6-10 hours I find myself needing to plug it in way more than I’d like. I would expect such a small device to last longer, but I guess it is pretty similar to the original’s performance.
- Customizability comes at the cost of simplicity. It’s really cool that this thing can be modified so wholistically, but that means a lot of important features are out of reach for the non-technically-minded among us.
- Lots of extra stuff for a lot of money. The adaptors go for about $100 for a three pack. After spending $239.99 on the device itself, that starts to push the cost a little high for my tastes. Add the price of a new MicroSD card and the games themselves, this is not a cheap console alternative by any means.
- Availability. I want it, I want to get it for my friends, I want to tell other people to get it. Alas, the Pocket releases in waves so there is usually a chunk of time between placing your order and shipping.
Is it Worth Buying?
For me, absolutely. I love the old games of my childhood, and I know a lot of younger folks who play them too, so there is certainly a market. It’s not for everyone, though. It isn’t connected to the internet so it doesn’t have a whole lot of features for those looking to integrate this into their daily lives the same way we do with our phones. That’s a bonus for me, though, I love having something that won’t be auto-updated to shove ads in my face any time soon.
If you have old games sitting in a box somewhere, or if you want to start hunting down the classics and want a great way to play them, this is the device for you. It runs like a dream, scratches that classic games itch perfectly and looks classy. I can’t tell you how many times someone has stopped me to ask what it is while I’m out and about with it!
This has turned into one of the few purchases I’ve made in a while that has really stood the test of time. I love this thing and I think you will too.
Bio: Ever since George was disappointed with a toy that did match up to the advertising, he became a tireless advocate for consumers. He’ll review anything that folks have to spend their hard-earned dollars on. George is grateful that he gets to use his skills as a writer and an artist to help connect with consumers and help them make the best decisions possible.
This article is for informational purposes only and reflects the author’s independent opinion. Product features, specifications, pricing, and availability may change without notice. Readers should verify details directly with the manufacturer or retailer before making a purchase decision.
