With systems such as Nt Mini, Super Nt and Mega Sg, Analogue has won an enviable reputation in the field of retro gaming hardware. Although its products are often in short supply-a fact that has caused strong dissatisfaction among potential buyers-they have never been extraordinary. Unlike many of its competitors, Analogue does not take the route of software simulation. Instead, it uses FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) chips to reproduce the old system at an effective hardware level-of course, this is a more expensive method, but There is a considerable benefit, such as unprecedented accuracy and broad support for as many games as possible.

Like many in the tech world, the launch of the company's latest products has been affected by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Thankfully, we can report that Analogue Pocket is worth the wait; the company’s first attempt at a portable system has all the characteristics of the device you associate it with an analog name, and is actually far beyond what you think is the capacity of such a system .

It not only supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance software, but also can play Game Gear, Atari Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket and even PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 games-as long as you purchase a special cassette adapter, that is. There is an optional dock that allows Switch-style TV playback, and the console is pre-installed with software that allows you to create your own games and music. In short, there are many things that need to be unlocked when viewing Analogue Pocket. This is not just about playing Game Boy games.

Analogue Pocket is available in white or black, designed to create a low-key appearance. The casing is made of plastic, and the console’s screen is made of Gorilla Glass, which is the same material they use on their smartphones. In terms of size, it is much larger than the Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color, and it feels closer to the original Game Boy in 1989-however, it is not that thick, and with a unique design, you can see less than half of the device The rear part of the camera is completely cut away-mainly to accommodate the aforementioned cartridge adapter, but also provides a place for the L and R shoulder triggers.

In terms of size, it is much larger than Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color, and it feels closer to the original Game Boy in 1989.

The controls of Analogue Pocket are tight and responsive. It provides a cross-shaped arrow key, which has a pleasant travel and is not too clicky; in fact, it matches the pads seen on the original Game Boy very well. When it comes to future system support, the four face buttons provide a variety of opportunities, and the "Start" and "Select" buttons require little introduction. Sitting between them is the "simulation" button, which allows you to return to the console's main menu at any time during the game. On the back, near the middle of the unit, you will find the aforementioned shoulder button.

On the left is the location for the power button (which can also be used to put the device in sleep mode and wake it up) and volume control, while on the right is the MicroSD card slot-this is essential in the following situations it involves updating the console Firmware and load homemade games to play in the GB Studio application. On the bottom edge of the console there is a USB-C port for charging and a socket for connecting cables. You can also find a 3.5mm headphone jack, power LED indicator and infrared port here, the latter allows you to complete things like trading monsters in Pokémon games.

The stereo speakers are in a rather unusual location-they are located at the top of the device, on either side of the screen. This is actually a very clever design choice, because it means that your palm will never be in a place that will obscure the speakers and suppress the sound.

What about the screen? Well, this may be the protagonist of the show. It’s not because it provides fancy technology, you understand—just like the LTPS LCD panel, it’s decent enough, but it won’t trigger a gasp of joy like the screen on the Switch OLED—but because the simulation uses a panel resolution of 1600x1440 pixels, can be accurately scaled with the 160x144 square pixel resolution of Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Gear. This means that each pixel is scaled ten times on each axis, maintaining the same true aspect ratio without blur or distortion. The result is that the games look great, even if they are scaled to fit the screen.

Of course, not all systems supported by Analogue Pocket have a native resolution of 160x144, so there are some trade-offs. For example, for the Game Boy Advance, the 240x160 "widescreen" resolution is scaled to 1600x1067 to fill the horizontal display area-black borders at the top and bottom. However, the image is still pixel perfect and very sharp, so this is not a big problem. Oh, and the elements of the display settings-such as brightness and your current "display mode"-can be switched in the game without having to use a button combination to enter the operating system menu, which is great.

Analogue uses a panel with a resolution of 1600x1440 pixels, which can be scaled accurately with the 160x144 square pixel resolution of Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Gear

The battery life quoted by Analogue is between 6 and 10 hours, thanks to the spacious 4300 mAh battery, which is of course consistent with our findings; the device has serious endurance. If you plan to use the console's sleep mode extensively, then you need to consider that it can sleep for more than 10 hours, but other than that, you need to make sure that it is connected to the charger. Speaking of which, it takes 4 to 5 hours for the console to be fully charged on a standard wall charger, but Analogue is selling an optional 18W fast charging USB-C power supply that can do the job in about 2 hours . Of course, you can use a different 18W charger, but we think the manufacturer will warn you to do so at your own risk.

In general, the analogue Pocket feels very good to hold and use. If we have a complaint, it is that the two plastic shells that make up the console—the front and the back—are actually not aligned neatly; almost. Sure, this is a style choice, but it will make the device feel sharp and occasionally uncomfortable during playback. We want to emphasize that this is the slightest sophistry and can easily be overlooked after a few hours of use. Another thing to note is that the screen covered by Gorilla Glass slightly protrudes from the console body instead of sitting flush in the case. This didn't bother us, but some people who dealt with the unit during our review commented on it, so it might become a split design choice.

The console has its own "simulated operating system" operating system. During our review, the operating system has been updated twice with bug fixes and new features. The analogy here obviously has bold ambitions-ambition will definitely be used on other platforms it produces. "The analog operating system was built specifically to explore and celebrate the history of all video games," the company said, and "designed to be the authoritative academic operating system for playing and experiencing the entire media."

After starting the system, you will see a menu that allows you to play the inserted cassette (by the way, you can remove and insert the game when the device is turned on), access the GB Studio and Nanoloop creation tools and fix the settings-for example each Supports the display settings of the platform, and whether the device boots into the operating system menu or automatically loads the inserted cassette when it is turned on.

The unit we are reviewing here is supported by a very early version of the operating system and lacks many of the exciting features planned-including the ability to browse the title library (full box art, if you choose to upload it yourself), create Shareable game playlists and even use save states. The current version of the operating system (v0.14, at the time of writing) has built-in "quick save/load" function, but it comes with a warning; only one save state can be created at a time, and closing the console will delete the saved state. However, Analogue insists that v1.1 of the operating system "will allow you to do all imaginable things with the saved state", so it is clear that big plans are in progress.

It provides users with an impressive degree of control when displaying various games on the console. For example, you can choose to view Game Boy games in the ultra-clear "simulated GB" display mode, or you can choose the "original DMG" mode, which not only adds authentic "pea soup" tones, but also simulates a 160x144 pixel grid , Presents a very real appearance. That's not all; Game Boy games can also be played in a display mode that simulates the gray screen of the Game Boy Pocket or the electroluminescent backlit screen of the Japanese-only Game Boy Light. Although not currently available, the simulated operating system will allow you to customize the display mode of your Game Boy, so you can choose your favorite color filter.

These detailed display options extend to other consoles supported by Analogue Pocket; in the case of the Game Boy Advance, you can switch between the clarity of the "simulated GBA" mode or the faded nature of the original GBA screen-or if you If you like, you can choose SP101 mode, which adds a pixel grid at the top. The wide range of display modes means that you will almost certainly find the mode you want-and future firmware updates are likely to add more options.

We don’t have many opportunities to use GB Studio and Nanoloop, mainly because we lack the creative talents to make any meaningful use of them, but budding game developers and chip music musicians will undoubtedly find that their participation is indeed very popular. , And it is not difficult to imagine that in the future, Analogue Pocket users can easily share homemade games.

Like other Analogue consoles, Analogue Pocket places great emphasis on giving players the opportunity to unlock their physical media library. The system itself does not come with any online stores or digital downloads, and you need to have the original shopping cart to use it (but it is worth noting that flash shopping carts are supported).

Since Analogue Pocket is supported by FPGA, the game can run perfectly. As far as carts are concerned, they run on raw hardware-this is the beauty of FPGA technology

Considering the age of some of your old Game Boy games, you may need to be careful to point out that they may need to be cleaned before inserting them into the analog Pocket-we have encountered some games that refuse to launch unless they are properly modified. It's also worth noting that, at least in the case of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, the cart really protrudes out of the slot surprisingly. On the original hardware, the cartridge connector is hidden inside the body, while on the Pocket, it is almost completely exposed-this is almost certainly due to the modular nature of the system and its optional cartridge adapter. Even so, you must be careful when handling the device, as it is easy to tap your Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridge with your fingers and possibly remove it from the slot (Game Boy Advance games are inherently clumsy and difficult Occurred) to this problem). As you can imagine, doing so will cause the game to crash.

Since Analogue Pocket is supported by FPGA, the game can run perfectly. As far as carts are concerned, they run on original hardware-this is the beauty of FPGA technology; it replicates performance at the hardware level, not the software level. If you value accuracy in retro games, then it goes without saying that you have no reason to complain about the performance of Analogue Pocket.

Analogue includes a second FPGA chip dedicated to development. Developers will be able to use it-combined with Analogue's proprietary hardware and scalers-to develop their own "cores" for other systems, or to migrate existing cores from other FPGA platforms (such as MiSTer). Although there is certainly no shortage of portable emulators—such as Anbernic RG351 and Retroid Pocket 2—but they run ​​software-based emulators. Analogue Pocket may mark the first time systems like SNES and Genesis/Mega Drive have been replicated with FPGA precision in portable form, which is very exciting.

The most important optional accessory you can buy with the analog Pocket is the base ($99.99), which effectively turns the system into a retro version of the Switch. Using the USB-C port of the console, the docking station allows you to output to a high-definition TV at 1080p via HDMI.

The dock has two USB inputs for wired keyboards, but it also supports Bluetooth and 2.4g for wireless controllers; you can connect up to 4 different pads using Bluetooth. It is also possible to power the docking station directly from the controller, which is good, and the docking station is compatible with an analog digital-to-analog converter ($79.99), which means you can use it on an old CRT if you are in a good mood.

The cartridge adapter we mentioned before is priced at US$29.99 and is currently only available in the Game Gear version; Neo Geo Pocket, Lynx and PC Engine adapters will all be released in the near future. There is also a plastic hard case ($29.99) for storing the console when not in use, and many cables are provided, including connecting cables (you can use the existing Game Boy Pocket / Game Boy Color / Game Boy if you have Hand, you can use the advanced link cable, but the original Game Boy link cable from 1989 is not supported). There are also triple audio cables for those who wish to make the most of Nanoloop software.

With its sturdy design, excellent display and wide range of accessories, Analogue Pocket undoubtedly left an excellent first impression-and the inclusion of Nanoloop and GB Studio further expands the appeal of the system.

It should not be surprising that the device performs its duties well. Analogue's products enjoy a good reputation, and this latest venture capital will only increase this. The launch of Analogue OS is very exciting and bodes well for future products in the company's product line.

A potential sticking point is that the Game Boy library can now be enjoyed in many ways. There are many second-hand equipment, and the market for customized systems is booming. These systems benefit from modern LCD screens and improved batteries. The result of these modified systems is that you are also talking about 100% original hardware, so purists are likely to want to stick to these hardware instead of buying analog pockets-at $219.99, it is hardly an impulse purchase (although We should say that custom-made, hand-modified GBA systems usually cost the same). If you just want to play Game Boy games freely on the go and don’t worry about accuracy, then we dare to say that one of the many low-cost portable simulated handheld devices will solve this problem-and save you some pennies in the process .

No other handheld device can support the entire Game Boy, Game Gear, Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket and PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 cassette library, which makes Analogue Pocket stand out from the competition

However, it is worth noting that Analogue Pocket offers more than just the Game Boy experience, thanks to the existence of its optional cassette adapter, the scalability of the simulated operating system, and the inclusion of GB Studio and Nanoloop. No other handheld device can support the entire Game Boy, Game Gear, Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket and PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 cassette library, which makes Analogue Pocket stand out from the competition.

What’s more exciting is that, thanks to the second FPGA chip, developers can produce other cores and significantly expand the range of Analogue Pocket-which means this small device can become a bastion of retro games in the next few years ( The NES, SNES and Mega Drive FPGA cores already exist, thanks to the other systems of Analogue, so that we don’t forget them), and are one of the best ways to rediscover the entire Game Boy catalog. When you consider the large number of pocket emulation devices that exist today, this may not seem like a big problem, but none of them currently provide the kind of accuracy and loyalty that FPGAs can boast about.

Analogue is very open to the fact that the continued global chip shortage means that the supply of components is in short supply and that some people who order now will not get their systems until 2023; of course, these are factors beyond the company’s control, but it does not It will make the process of obtaining one of these excellent devices less stressful. Thankfully, we can at least say that the wait-if you have one in front of you-will be worth it in the end.

The analog pocket device used in this evaluation was provided by the manufacturer.

Damien has more than ten years of professional writing experience and a disgusting furry belly. As far as we know, the rumors that he refused to play a role in The Hobbit and work at Nintendo Life are completely unfounded.

Can we get images of docked games? (This is the only reason I want one)

I will buy one, but I will not wait until 2023. I would rather get something else sooner.

Will buy one, refit a GBC, and it will die a week later. Ordered a better Voltage Thingy and I am still waiting for Repait... It seems that the original GBC hardware is not as good as the GB hardware. So I will choose a modern cloning device.

Managed to book the first wave. Shipment has not been confirmed, but thanks for your comment

@HamatoYoshi has a lot of smartphones using Gorilla Glass. https://www.corning.com/gorillaglass/worldwide/en/products-with-gorilla-glass/smartphones.html

My shipment today, I am very excited!

@roadrunner343 I deleted my comment, I am totally thinking about something else :(

Tap here to load 7 comments

Wait a minute, you need to log in to post a comment...

I will order the analog pocket again next week, but there is a problem

Just a bit more expensive

Random: It’s very difficult to perform combinations in the worst version of Street Fighter II, but it’s possible

"Some of these combinations may never have been really completed before"

Ranked by your lovely people

Mini review: WinBack: Covert Action-Omega Force's neglected and influential cover shooter

WinBack, baby WinBack, it's there

My Nintendo has a beautiful Metroid fear pin set to snatch (Europe)

Hardware Review Analog Pocket-Powerful FPGA Power Supply in Portable Form

Cyberpunk click-through adventure "Read-Only Memory: Neurodiver" gets a new trailer

Pokémon share free Diya Luca and Palkia paper models, which can be printed and made at home

Pokémon GO Spotlight Hour Times: This week’s selection of Po...

Peter Molyneux's next game, Legacy, is a "blockchain business...

Animal Crossing: New Horizons: December Fish and Worm-C...

The best visual novels of Nintendo Switch

Best Nintendo Switch Parkour Game

Review: Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon-Super Addictive,...

Pokémon GO Community Day 2021: December Community Day F...

Voting: What is the best Switch game of 2021? it's time...

Feature: How a small company made Switch Joy-C...

Pokémon Legends: Arceus Pokédex-Every confirmed Poké...

Masayuki Uemura, the creator of NES and SNES, has passed...

Join 1,251,953 people who follow Nintendo Life:

© 2021 Hookshot Media, a partner of ReedPop. Managed by 44 bytes.