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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Analogue Pocket first look: the everything console

Credit: Engadget First Look
Duration: 05:08s 0 shares 1 views

Analogue Pocket first look: the everything console
Analogue Pocket first look: the everything console

[MUSIC PLAYING] Two years ago, boutique console maker, Analogue teased something pretty exciting, a retro handheld with chameleon DNA.

Unlike the company's other retro tributes, the pocket would play games from multiple different manufacturers.

[MUSIC PLAYING] All of the Game Boys?

Yep.

[INAUDIBLE] you better you.

And Atari Lynx?

Why the heck not.

Oh, and they kind of threw in the Neo Geo Pocket color and the TurboExpress for fun.

Finally, it's here and it's a lot, so much so that the short time I've had with the pocket isn't enough for a full review.

You have to remember that this thing not only plays games from original cartridges, it does so using a party trick called field programmable gate arrays or FPGA.

All you need to know is that FPGAs effectively mimic old consoles at the hardware level.

And when you plug-in a game, that cartridge thinks it's in an original Game Boy or Lynx, or you get the idea.

And couple that with the display custom designed to replicate vintage screens, quirks and all.

And this conspires to be the most authentic retro handheld you can find.

Throw in the fact that the pocket also has music making software built in and support for independent games made with GB studio.

And there's a lot to talk about, which is why we're only giving you the core stuff today.

With so much else to dive into we really want to get under its skin.

For now though, we'll go over its primary function, serving up vintage games in full Fidelity.

Pretty much the moment you pick this thing up you know you're in for a treat.

If the original Game Boy had been released today with Scandinavian design, this is probably what it would look like.

The clean lines and monochrome aesthetic tell you that this is all about the game.

There are no garish colors or cliche nods to the 90s here.

Just one pop of color on the left hand side for the power button and that's as flashy as things get.

The general layout broadly matches the first Gen and Gameboy color with the screen up top and the controls underneath.

Though, there are four thumb buttons instead of two as you'll be able to develop your own games for this yourself with GB studio if you wish.

There are shoulder buttons too as per the Gameboy Advanced.

Fortunately, the display is thoroughly modern and not like the awful if much loved one from back in 1989.

It's also handily 10 times a resolution on both axes, so it can serve a pixel perfect renditions of your favorite original Game Boy titles.

Turn the pocket on and the minimalist interface leads you straight into the good stuff, playing games.

I won't lie firing up Tetris for the first time and changing the pockets display mode to the original green and Black Gameboy mode was quite the dash of nostalgia.

I've played Game Boy games on several modern handhelds and none of them look like this.

Even a pixel grid of the original is here, the motion blur if you want it, the sound.

Everything felt just as it did all those years ago.

And the same goes the Game Boy Advanced games.

If you ever own the first model of GBA, you'll painfully remember that it still didn't have a lit screen, the pocket does.

But everything else matches, including the slightly washed out look that comes with just colors on a non illuminated LCD.

You can, of course, Jack things into a more modern display mode, but purists are going to love the attention to detail here.

The authenticity doesn't stop at the Fidelity of the games.

The link port on the pocket happens to be the same as the one found on the Game Boy color and onwards.

That means if you had the original hardware or another pocket, you can play with friends just like you would have back in the proverbial day and I mean, literally with the same cable.

I do have the original hardware and we're testing new features right now, which you'll see in our full review.

And there's so much more to cover here that we kind of can't wait to show you at all.

There's the dock accessory for playing on the TV with real controllers.

There's the aforementioned music making app.

Then there's Analogue's own operating system, which hides more than a few perks.

And then there are the adapters for all the other consoles.

For now, we're excited to see that the pocket appears to deliver on its promises.

You'll just have to wait a few more days for our comprehensive review.

In the meantime, head to engadget.com for more news and reviews.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

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