No matter how fast the gaming industry is developing, the classic console still has a place in the hearts of people. This fact is further strengthened thanks to the presence of companies such as Analogue, which for the past five years shows that legacy consoles are still worth enjoying.
NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis have worked on their modern reincarnation. In the hands of Analogue, the 30-year-old handheld console was transformed into a sleek-faced and modern-specification device called Analogue Pocket.
This product is classified as a very modern product because the battery is rechargeable via USB-C, the speakers are stereo, and it also features a microSD slot. The screen is 3.5-inch LCD panel with a resolution of 1600 x 1440 pixels with a pixel density that reaches 615 PPI.
The graphics of the old game may be pixelated, but that does not mean they have to be served via an inferior display, and that is the principle thought held by Analogue. Under the screen, there are D-Pad button and four unlabeled action buttons.
It stays unlabeled because all the buttons on the surface of the Analogue Pocket can be programmed according to the needs of each game. The selection of the number of buttons is also because this product is not only able to receive the original Game Boy cartridge, but also all of the Game Boy Color cartridge and Game Boy Advance.
Furthermore, Analogue even plans to offer optional accessories for Pocket in the form of cartridge adapters, extending its compatibility even further to include Sega Game Gear’s cartridge, Neo Geo Pocket Color, or Atari Lynx.
The accessories go beyond that as the company prepares Analogue Dock for those who want to enjoy gaming sessions on the big screen. The mechanism is similar to Nintendo Switch’s dock; simply connect Pocket to the Dock, then the screen output will be directly sent to the TV via HDMI.
Interestingly, Analogue also designed Pocket as a medium for creativity. This was realized through a pair of FPGA (field-programmable gate array) chips embedded in the product. The first chip works to run the game without the help of emulation at all, while the second chip is prepared for developers who are interested in developing or porting a game.
Analogue Pocket is designed to be able to function as a synthesizer, specifically ready to be used to be creative in the chiptune genre. In order to tackle this challenge, Pocket needs to rely on one default application called Nanoloop which is equipped with sequencing features.
All of the modern features already hype the retro gaming fans, the good news doesn’t stop there as the Pocket Analogue will be marketed starting next year with a price tag of $ 200. But, this product will only available in limited quantities.
