The Analogue Pocket Experience: Four Months of Continued Disappointment
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 18 сен 2024
- Making this video was like performing an exorcism. It took way too much time, energy and mental bandwidth, but it means I'll finally be able to stop thinking about this disappointing fucking device and go play something I actually like.
Until the jailbreak shows up and forces me to do a followup.
Anyhow, this is not anywhere near the quality I'd like, with tons of small issues I'd like to fix, but I am not willing to give this thing any more of my time. I'll answer some questions and clarify statements, but mostly I wanna just play the games I couldn't when making this review.
Written version of the review:
clickbliss.net...
TRACKLIST:
Disasterpeace- Edwin and Nicole
Disasterpeace- Rescue Those Beagles!
Disasterpeace- A Horde of One
Karl Flodin- Welcome Home
Karl Flodin- Seabed
Bignic- Thump
Bignic- Modern
Bignic- Scream
Bignic- Bleed
Melos Han-tani - How Will He Live
Watch me getting annoyed with this device in realtime:
/ 1473855419042959364
Finally a review of someone who actually used the damn thing for more than 5 minutes, thumbs up
Thanks! Glad I ended up waiting instead of rushing the review out. Every initial reviewer seemed to have a month or less to look over it (and got theirs before people who ordered it way back which was kinda whack), so I'm glad I could give it a thorough look over the long term.
Or, someone who didn't feel obligated to give it a 10/10 to justify their cost and/or kiss up to Analogue.
This was my thought, absolutely.
I mean - I've been using mine for 3 months, and I'm blown away.
Different strokes for different folks!
@@SpacedAug for sure, for sure.
I get a feeling the majority of the audience for retro handhelds does not play them. Like, actually play with them, beating entire games one after the other. I was shocked to find most people just buy them and never touch them beyond seeing how games look at them, that goes for both the analogue and software emulator devices like the anbernic ones.
So their focus on making something that looks good on a display unironically makes sense. I'm glad I found a youtube creator who actually plays these damn things like I do, very valuable perspective!
thank you! I'm glad it resonated with you.
I'm def guilty of buying more games than I have time for, but I'm genuinely excited for them each time. like, retro games are just games to me, they're an equally weighted choice for downtime as Forza or whatever new game is out.
like you it makes me kinda bummed that old games have become this weird hobby where people are obsessed with the image of them. probably why you always see videos with people standing in front of em.
I play my analogue SNES and Sega Genesis both quite a lot and they’re awesome. It kinda blows my mind that the pocket is the first big seller for analogue, minus the NES which was a limited run.
It’s like people who spend a lot of money on their audiophile setup to listen to pristine vinyl once, with an audience who they can show off their amazing sound quality to. They’re building a museum of precious substance to show off, not to enjoy.
Video game collectors, heck collectors in general, bug me. Like they’ll hunt high and low to get the one known copy of a game that’s mint-in-box and never even open it because that would ruin the collection value, or they’ll find a rare prototype and refuse to make the ROM available to that anyone else can experience it.
@@cd4playa1245 I liked both of those when I got em but kinda soured as the years went by. the Super NT is OK but the jailbreak was a real letdown.
the Mega SG is just kind of a bummer. Like they aesthetically copied the Genesis but not any of the aspects that made it feel good to play?
Like they switched from the spring power button to a click one, even tho the SNT had a spring and the original Genesis did. And rhye have a headphone jack but no volume slider?? That, and the dither blending is kind of a letdown, which all made me straight up bring out my original Genesis and CRT because it just felt so much better.
@@fluffycritter that's... a really apt comparison. like the best way to listen to a song or play a game is the one you're actually gonna use, right?
a 3000USD audio setup isn't better than a smartphone and earbuds if you don't actually listen to music on it.
and I never understood buying a mint copy of a game, because why buy something you're never gonna play? a burned disc or whatever is more valuable to me than a pristine copy I can never play, because I can actually enjoy it.
THESE are the reviews we need. You rock dude! Thank you
👍
Turns out hardware engineers at Nintendo had their jobs for a reason!
Game Boy is iconic for a reason!
You say that as if they made ergonomic consoles lmao.
You say that as if their employees aren't trying to unionize
@@meroinheroin No one at NOA designs hardware for Nintendo...
@@DanielZeal lots of hardware designs have come from noa like the Wii's motion controls.
Was trying to highlight how they treat their employees (especially now) over their console designs though. However argument could still be made that their hardware design team standard has lowered as well with problems like joycon drift and the actual ergonomics of the Switch itself.
The only review worth watching on this thing. Even the normally trustworthy channels fell over themselves to praise this thing, talked up it's potential, but never followed up on it. A real eye opener.
watched some videos after publishing this, and seeing people who gave it a glowing review say "yeah I still like it but it's just too inconvenient for me to play everyday" really made me laugh
@@siegarettes the paid promotion for this thing was crazy
Analogue's promotion is underhanded at best. Their own CEO used to trashtalk emulation consoles and cheaper clones on their own Wikipedia pages, attempting to plug things like the Super Nt. All of these reverted edits are still publicly visible, if you check the histories of affected articles.
"Making it neither analog nor pocketable."
Such an informative dry-humored video. Nice job!
😆 thank you! I'm glad that one landed.
Thank you for providing a text version of this review as well as the video. I definitely prefer the text format and I feel like the Internet has gone terribly awry by making all information video-first.
I usually write my videos as a written script first, so I figure, why not put em up, since I don't have time to make captions.
I suppose it's nice to have both but I don't think the internet has moved us away from script we've just moved with the times. it's always been this way, things evolve and you go with it.
@@cedric1138 The problem is that it's not just a matter of "moving with the times," like this trend has been awful for accessibility in many different ways. It's awful for deaf/hard-of-hearing people and folks with other auditory processing disabilities (such as ADHD or autism), and also having everything video-first means that it's much more difficult to search for (and link to) specific text within a larger body.
The Internet's preference for everything being video-first also severely raises the bar for people to be able to put content online; it's much more difficult and expensive to produce video than to write a text document.
It's also incredibly frustrating how many programming resources have moved into a video-first model. You can't copy-paste (or search) code from a video. You can't easily cross-reference API documentation if it's in a video. It's also irritating to have to sit or skip through endless video intros or unrelated stuff when all you want is a specific bit of information.
The video-first trend for all information dissemination is actively harmful and I wish it would stop.
I really wanted one when it was announced, but I missed the email when pre-orders went live. It turns out, that was a good thing. I don't know what I'd use this for.
you'd probably just use it to do the same things you already do, but not quite as good hah
Can we still cancel the preorder if we change our mind? This review points me to that direction 😔
@@antontansu yeah this video and these comments are making me just want to mod my 3ds and call it a day
This review pretty much matches everything I was wondering about, and did so in a great format, too. My biggest gripe was always how Analogue was just plain bad at communication. No ETAs on launch until literally weeks before one ended, barely any support/communication period, several times I thought the system was an outright phantom console due to them taking money 16 months in advance, then boom, suddenly launching in Dec... And no post-launch support or ETAs. They even stealthily removed all non pocket systems from the website, so the mega SG I was planning to buy is literally a no go despite it being in stock weeks before. Infuriating and their communication is the worst aspect of this all by far.
yeah so much could be solved if they like, actually talked about what was happening. they're such a weird black box of a company.
I ended up being kinda mixed on the Mega SG tbh, so maybe you dodged a bullet there. it's probably the best Genesis if you need HDMI and original carts, but it kind of lacks in a lot of other ways that made the Genesis feel fun to play.
@@siegarettes My experience in talking to them was horrendous and it made me so mad I canceled my preorder of the pocket. I first ordered the Mega Sg and received it within a week. They charged $30 to Fedex it and I thought that would mean it was high priority shipping but no, like I said it took about a week or longer. After that I became curious about the super nt so I ordered one of those and again the shipping was $30. However on that order while tracking it on the shop app, it was just sitting for over a week. The only information I had was a generic message that said fedex was awaiting pick up. I waited patiently for almost 2 weeks and then finally told them in an email that it hasn't even shipped. They took a long time to answer and kept blaming fedex however I knew this was bs because fedex simply scans parcels as they receive them and the simple fact was that analogue had not shipped the item. Their 'customer support' group is in hong kong, the company is headquartered in Seattle but the orders are fulfilled from a warehouse in California. What a mess. I don't know why a company like this can't hire some guys in seattle to handle the small number of customer service inquires. The people in hong kong who write back to you sound like they don't speak very good english and all they do is say generic things no matter how much info you provide or how outrageous analogue's negligence is. The contact in hong kong didnt express any concern about my situation and simply said I could get a refund or another color. I finally decided on another color but then went to ebay to buy the model I had ordered originally for about the same price. what really exposed them as being negligent and mismanaged was that right after I decided on the other color, the listing for the model I had chosen initially said out of stock RIGHT AFTER the other one was reodered so it became quite obvious that they sold me one that was out of stock and instead of fessing up to this and informing me, they opted to blame fedex and play this back and forth game, completely leaving me in the dark. and also the time difference meant that I had to wait a LONG time to get a response back. They are lazy and hate communicating with customers. I always worry very much about what will happen in the future if my system ever breaks or malfunctions because I sure as hell won't be able to get help from them. 8 months later and that order for the first one still says awaiting pick up lmao.
@@j-555 I have heard nothing but bad things about their customer service so I absolutely believe this. they seem so afraid of admitting anything could go wrong that they just give zero communication or straight up lie about what's going on.
@@siegarettes For as wonky getting a Genesis to look and sound good on a modern tv can be, I think the Mega SG is great. It has some nice features for adjusting the sound and picture to my liking and some nice SMS support.
I still keep a Genesis model 1 around if I want an authentic experience, but having to tap into the front to get stereo, the jailbars, and overall blurry noisy image makes it not ideal unless I wanna mod it.
The Nes and Genesis are the main 2 systems I'm glad I got a FPGA for.
Mega SG was never removed on the website
thanks! I've been thinking about this a lot honestly, it's good to see that i don't really have to think about it anymore.
Nothing beats OG hardware.
I just added a IPS screen to an original Gameboy Color, saved 200 bucks and don't have to deal with 3rd party disappointment
I would have seriously considered doing this to my GBC, if I still had it :c
Yep, I modded and fixed a cheap broken GBA that I found online. Slapped a GBA SP screen in and changed out the buttons, shell and screen. Works like a dream and definitely my favorite way to play GB. Was definitely a pricy build in the end but it was fun, and I learned how to solder, and I wouldn’t dream of trading it for an emulator.
I love this review it feels like you’re the only reviewer that’s actually being honest about the flaws of this product. It’s still a good product but honestly it needs a revision to fix all of the hardware issues. When it’s come to the software, overtime hopefully they fix these issues.
yeah it's def a thing that's so close you immediately see what needs to be fixed, I just wish I trusted Analogue as a company to make good on any of it.
but like most people aren't gonna get one for a year or two if at all so that's a lot of time for this video to become redundant
@@siegarettes I held off on getting one because at the time I just didn’t have the money. so I would’ve had to sell retro game or two and I wasn’t willing to do that. From all the early reviews everybody was praising it and I could tell there was something off with the design besides the cartage slot. but as you pointed out the problems are easily fixable but much more than just one problem. After you brought up the history in regards to software I don’t trust them to get all the issues fixed at least for another year or so. If that’s the case a revision won’t happen for atleast 4+ years? Seriously after your review I have no regrets. I appreciate that 🙏🏽
@@adrian40671 I'm glad to hear it. Like even if they someone fix EVERYTHING they'll still have been shady as hell, and really give me pause about what the hell kind of company their running.
Hope you can put that time and money you didn't spend on something you'll actually enjoy.
Buying one of these was never a consideration of mine, but I just wanted to say that this review is excellent and I applaud your efforts/style/honesty/logical approach. subscribed !
thank you! appreciate the kind words.
and yeah it's honestly kind of a niche of a niche kind of thing it's weird how much marketing and the RUclips algorithm has blown this device's profile into the mainstream.
What a great, honest review. So glad I came across your channel. You and I have the same love for hand held a I see and it looks like you’ve saved me a whole lot of money that I was going to spend on something I wouldn’t even get for years most likely. Thank you!
my philosophy is that as long as you're playing the games, the most comfortable way you got to play them is the best one.
hopefully this means you'll have more time and money to play games know instead of thinking about what ifs like I did for the last year or two hah
11:30 Certain gameboy games (such as Bomberman) supported the SNES multitap when playing on the Super Gameboy.
Although if the Mini doesn't support Super Gameboy color enhancements, it's hard to say whether the 4 player gameboy stuff would be supported.
I was mostly being sarcastic (sorry). I'm pretty sure it's intended for when they "unofficially" add more console cores that use those functions
they did say they they'd add super gameboy support, but only color palettes and not like borders or enhanced sound etc. probably because they have to run at least part of a snes core?
Stripping the charm of the original systems is something it does quite well.
it's nice if you hate playful and durable designs
Still excited for mine, though this put my expectations into a more reasonable perspective, thanks! 👍
definitely. I always like to know what drawbacks something might have before I buy it, even if I still end up doing so.
My dude you own sooo much cool stuff. Your home must be the coolest place in the world.
Great video! Nicely edited, your voice is nice too. And the content itself is very interesting. Loved it.
You are a great reviewer, you should do more of these!
I definitely have a few more I want to do, just waiting for life to chill before I get the time
I really wanna stress how ready I was to sound the "bad take" alarm when I saw this thumbnail. This was a fantastic overview, and I can only hope that some of the shortcomings can get addressed with time. I think you hit the nail right on the head when you described the design of the console though - it's designed to work best on a product spec sheet page, rather than in your actual hands. Excellent writing, fantastic analysis. I do like analog's mission, but I'd certainly rather get any number of alternatives mentioned in this review.
hah, sorry to trip your bad take alarm. I know the frustration of being baited into watching something totally inflammatory and uninformed.
did my best to kind of narrow down what mattered to the usability, and what was just my personal gripes, because I had a LOT.
glad the effort was worth it tho, thanks for the comment!
@@siegarettes Oh yeah, the effort absolutely showed. Just a remnant of the state of RUclips these days that I assumed it would play out like that. Really appreciate how responsive you're being in the comments as well!
oh yeah, absolutely. when you gotta make a living off The Algorithm takes just start getting BAD.
and I'm lucky most people have been chill on this one, some video comments have been so bad I had to turn em off totally.
Perfectly honest and thorough - thank you!
I think 3Ds, PS vita, or even GBA sp with IPS screen are alright options to play GB and GBA games.
I agree. My vita has been my go to for a while. Still rock my 3ds a lot for the ds library but for gb/gbc/gba the vita is just so good.
@@carth85 I only use the PS Vita for Pokemon Rom Hacks & metrovanias due to fast forward feature and conformable to hold. There are some GBA games that struggle to run on vita like Golden Sun so I play them on the 3Ds. If ask me what best picture quality for GBA games between 3DS and vita then I would 3DS because it run the games natively. Same thing goes with SNES games since vita have hard time running Super Mario RPG while the N3DS doesn't plus run the games natively.
@@javiersaenz1040 I'm not sure what you're doing but I have no problem emulating anything from GBA or SNES. Make sure you have the bios for them and that everything is updated.
@@javiersaenz1040 gpsp on retroarch vita handles those games just fine. Also use Snes9x 2005 and mario rpg works perfectly.
@@carth85 You probably right. I was trying to play Super Mario RPG, Mother 2 Dx, & Super Mario World Rom hacks on the vita and I gave up because the game stutter but that was like 6 months ago. I am fine using my N3DSXL for SNES games. I still use for my vita for PS1 & PSP games.
This is both surprising and not at all surprising to me. Analogue has consistently showed that they do not care one whit about the end user. They are interested first in making something that makes a visual statement and second something that is exclusive. Essentially, they want to be a status symbol. Making money is a distant third and things like user concerns or servicing the community register not at all. They are the Apple of the retro gaming scene (though I hesitate to call their designer "Steve Jobs" as Jobs was a genius of design and innovation, which Analogue is not). They want to be a lifestyle brand, selling products that people buy into because they're sleek and expensive and owning them makes them feel cool and exclusive. "I have the thing everyone wants and you don't and that makes me feel good" and creating hype for their product through FOMO is essentially their entire brand.
It's a LITTLE surprising given that, as part of the FOMO and "Everyone wants what I have", they usually put forward something that can be called a truly good product. Something that can at least reasonably CLAIM to be the best on the market for what it does. But the Analogue Pocket kinda sucking and being poorly supported makes a lot more sense when you look at it through the lens of them not actually caring about the user or community. If your only goal is to be a status symbol, you don't actually need to put out a great product if everyone already recognizes your product AS a status symbol. So I guess maybe they're not even Apple. Maybe they're the Supreme of retro gaming.
kinda funny how they took design cues from both Nintendo and Apple and missed all the usability and streamlining that both have.
Very well put.
Thank you for an honest review. With the promised boasting feature, I think the price is reasonable. Except they failed more than half of it.
yeah if they actually delivered on what they promised it'd be an easy sell. but nothing yet, and not even any communication.
To me the big feature is the screen quality and resolution, I don't think they failed that. Nothing comes close to it, neither portable emulators nor original devices.
Dude great review. You answered alot of the questions I've had about it. Thanks.
Glad to help. Definitely wish I knew these things before I bought the thing, so I'd at least be prepared.
This was a very well made and edited video! My DS and 3DS cover 90% of what I want for portable retro playability (I'm fine playing gameboy games with an emulator, as I only like a few of them anyway) so I passed on the Analogue Pocket. Only when I watched this video did I realize how long it took for the product to hit the market.
going against the flow and providing consistent info from someone who really played the game for more than 10 minutes.
You got a new follower :P
Please keep up the good work.
hell yeah, thank you!
I was interested in this console until I saw the loose cartridge slot issue. It's such laughable design considering where your fingers would naturally rest.
Absolutely man when this thing initially dropped and the reviews came out, some reviews showed and mentioned how easily the cart could be knocked out of place. I just don't get why this didn't get the utmost attention. Nobody wants to hold a gameboy with a delicate grip lest you risk pushing the cart and losing your current data. The fact that they took no care in ensuring a comfortable gripping position without fear of losing progress had me anxious about ordering one for myself, which I never did btw
yeah, that killed me too. I'll be very mad if I got far into a game, just to accidentally pop out the cart.
@@thevarietypacksnaxx405 in terms of its form factor, im assuming analogue just really wanted to nail down the "it's the GB but upgraded" look, so they could get some nostalgia points from enthusiasts.
shame they went that route, in concession to comfort and function. : /
Earned a sub. Loved your explanation and thoughtfulness in the review. Can’t wait for your channel to grow brother.
thanks for the kindness. hope my next video doesn't take 4 months to come out hah
@@siegarettes haha me too!
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
-A lot of people are dismissive of flashcarts--which is a whack position to hold--but not only does not being able to play them make the Pocket less capable/accurate than original hardware, it locks you out of decades of improvement hacks, translations and homebrew.
-While I acknowledge the aspect ratio makes this the "best" GameBoy Color available, the colors and grid never quite looked right to me when compared to the original GBC screen, even with the filters on
-Repairs and availability are important for handhelds. I can still get parts for a GameBoy to this day, and it's easy to fix. Hell if I break a Switch I'll be upset but I can get a new one. You probably won't be able to do either of these for the Analogue in a few years.
-The jailbreak and Analogue OS will probably be out by the time anyone else gets one of these, and make it a better value, but I expect them to also disappoint there given their poor history of support with their other consoles
-The "unofficial firmware" is them not only covering their ass legally, but means they can stop supporting it any time, since officially that's not even a feature of system.
-The "preserving games history" marketing bit is laughable given their walled garden approach to hardware and software, the opposite of what's historically helped games preservation
-Likewise, Analogue has kind of thrown emulator developers under the bus directly and indirectly, with their attempts to hire devs to build them GBA BIOS and their iffy "no emulation" marketing
Yikes! It sounds like a bundle of compromises and more than a few of them were not consumer focused. I never wanted this device but I realize there's a devoted audience that did, I feel bad for those folks.
@@rinner2801 exactly! and given how ridiculous expensive carts go for these days it makes no sense! for the price of top tier flash cart you can buy... one pokemon game.
@@rinner2801 it does support flash carts. I’ve been using them since the day it came out.
Thanks, this is the first review I see on the device where it was actually used. Good to know I can stick to my GBA.
the GBA is already good! it didn't need much improvement and this sure doesn't do it lol
Beautifully put, you really hit the nail on the head with this.
Thank you for this review. This is what I was waiting to hear about. Sounds like this device is on the back burner for me for the foreseeable future then. Thank you again.
@@Ironborn no luck needed, I'm not really after one right now after watching this review. Maybe in the future once the OS is expanded and the functionality is increased, and maybe a custom OS is released
Man, i like the fruits O:
I was skeptical and figured it's just an overpriced handheld with a beautiful screen. Turns out I was right.
Great video neighbor (also in the south loop)
I’ve been considering the Pocket but decided to give the Miyoo Mini a try instead to save the $180. Deff recommend checking that emulator out if you get the chance.
hey there!
I've def checked out the miyoo a few times, but I kind of prefer a landscape style console. I am currently in the process of writing up another device tho.
Woah. Exactly the video review I needed to hear. Canceling my wave 2 order now. Thanks for the honest feedback!!!
thankfully there's plenty of devices that you can buy right now that are just as good
Did you really cancel your order
@@QuazaXD I did. However, I have not received confirmation yet. I did receive an auto-reply saying they were experiencing a high-volume of emails. This is $250 I can use elsewhere at this point.
Confirmation received. Refund is in process. 👍
I wish the perception of this device as some sort of status symbol would go away, it's just a niche contraption for playing obsolete video games.
That being said, I own my Pocket and am thrilled with my purchase and results so far. I purchased my system based on the feature set that was originally announced, therefore the only real disappointment for me has been that the savestate system hasn't been properly deployed onto the unit yet. I got my ONLY for playing original cartridges, so none of the compatibility issues with using flash carts are going to be a problem for me either. I'm happy to see a critique of the cartridge slot issue and the fact that GB and GBC carts are by nature less secure than on an original Game Boy family device, while also explaining that there were few attractive alternatives other than what Analogue went with, especially in the context of the adapters for other systems.
I've only played the Pocket "on the go" while waiting for my food to show up at the table of restaurants and have had a fine experience with it, but I've yet to play any GBA games that demand extensive use of the shoulder buttons, so I can't comment on how comfortable or functional those are.
I've kept my DS/3DS family handheld systems in a soft Club Nintendo velvet draw-string pouch when carrying in a backpack, or my inside coat pocket, so concern for the system being damaged was never an issue for me.
I haven't used any feature other than basic playing of cartridges, so it was nice to see someone go in depth on the ups and downs of the GB Studio type stuff.
For me: I got my Pocket mainly because I wanted to stream original handheld cartridges without resorting to expensive modified original hardware, or solutions like the GBA Consolizer, so for that the Dock works fine for me.
I wouldn't recommend the Pocket to anyone who isn't specifically concerned with using original vintage cartridges, because if you don't care about using real carts, there are much more flexible, versatile, and inexpensive solutions.
It's great to see an informed criticism of this device, because its very easy to get blown away by the wow factor of it, even if I don't agree with some of the observations, as I don't feel its any less genuinely portable or useful than a 3DS.
And I DO carry the Pocket, in the same pouch I use for lugging around my other handhelds and am not fearful of doing so, but for a "daily driver" device you can toss in a backpack with books, keys, etc without a pouch or case, or accidentally drop in a train station or airline terminal without worrying if the device survived or not, this is NOT the device for that.
And Analogue can be a REAL pain in the butt with taking long to come out with announced products or features, but in my experience, they never failed to eventually do what they said they would, even if it takes longer than anticipated, and in a world where lots of "neo-retro" hardware promises becoming infinitely delayed or even decaying into actual scams, I do appreciate what Analogue has pulled off.
There's definitely still some very niche use cases for it, especially given there are drawbacks to modded hardware you just can't get around no matter what, specifically the GBC.
I gotta walk a lot, and try to keep my pack lighter and as accessible as possible, so an inch this way or that changes a lot about how convenient a device is to me. Like on the 3DS side, my XL is BIGGER than the Pocket, but the more evenly distributed weight means I worry about it slipping out of my jacket less, and the clamshell design means I never worry about the screen. That, and I can carry hundreds of games on it.
Definitely glad to be getting some more info on it out, since I think it's worth to have more opinions on something if you buy it, especially some boutique thing like this that costs so much and takes so long to ship.
Anyhow, thanks for the detailed comment, hope you're enjoying those games!
@@siegarettes Oh yeah, walking around a lot with something 3DS (even the smallest version) is a chore, the Pocket is a comparable size, and weight but having the exposed screen plus concern of tilting the exposed cart on a 8 bit GB family game makes it far less portable. I used to commute and move around in NYC a lot, as recently as 2017 I just swapped my 3DS out for a GB Micro and started collecting GBA games again, total night and day difference, even with my dumb bulky iPhone i felt so liberated. The dream device for me as far as accessibility and portability goes would be something the size and shape and durability of the New Pocket Go, but with a screen like the Pocket. As for the pocket, The Pelican 1040 case accidentally ended up being everything the actual Analog case should have been, it lets you see the console, but its actually hinged, durable, and built for real world use and not just for displaying it on a shelf.
@@SuperTrainStationH definitely with you on the lighter feeling of having that small device. ESPECIALLY since every phone has decided to become a mini tablet.
I've never considered a camera case for it, that actually sounds great. I tried a different case for the AP but it didn't have a hinge, so it was just as useless. ended up carrying a belt pack as a little holster for it 😂
Glad I didn't wait a year+ for this
well, that makes one of us hah
Makes me want to cancel my order lol
if you're OK with the awkward form factor might be worth gambling to see if they release an update with actual features on it lol.
you'll at least be able to resell it with how hyped it is.
@@siegarettes Update: Canceled! lol
I’m in the same situation. I have so super nice modded gbs, gbcs and gbas. Hack I even have a modded GG and a gbaHD. I probably don’t need this and I’m seriously considering canceling the (Q4 2022) preorder
@@wiedo I hear ya. I canceled and got my money back next day.
@@wiedo I still feel like a jailbreak could make this thing worthwhile, if they actually follow through on their promised features.
but at this point I'm not even sure when or if they're gonna deliver on those promises, let alone the potential an FPGA portable with other devs working on it could have.
This is a very realistic review, probably the first ever anal pocket review i have watched that addresses its drawbacks in details, great job!
thank you thank you. and I don't know if you intended to write the name like that but it did make me smirk
@@siegarettes haha, it's totally intentional, I'm glad you like it!
@@jackshikikunt3042 I am not above a bit of juvenile humor
Btw what is that game you showed on 3DSXL for a brief moment at the end? Searched around but cant seem to find it, looks like a classic arcade racing style game like outrun
@@jackshikikunt3042 that's the intro for SEGA 3D Archives 3 on 3DS! specifically the bit for 3D Turbo Outrun.
it's JP only but you can play it if you put custom firmware on your 3DS.
Really enjoyed the video. Appreciate the thoughts from someone used the device for a while. The size to pocket demonstration really helped! Not being GB small, plus the shoulder buttons... Guess I'll keep with my Gameboy and a nearby light source
yeah i genuinely wanted to like it, but its as big as a modern smartphone and even thicker... i just could not find a comfortable way to keep it on my person.
3:42 in and you've already sold me on looking elsewhere. Form factor is my number 1 concern. Thank you!
Honestly, i was contemplating buying Analogue’s upcoming PC Engine system and their Sega/SNES systems, but after hearing about how they underpay their engineers, I may end up just biting the bullet and buy a Mister FPGA instead.
I heard a similar story about how they tried to lowball the dev of mgba and get em to make the a replacement BIOS, as well as delay their work on the emulator so it wouldn't line up with Analogue's release. sounds shady as hell.
MiSTer is generally volunteers or independent authors, but it's honestly just so feature packed compared to everything Analogue has put out. havent taken my Mega SG or Super NT out since I got one.
@@siegarettes and Mister is worth the price
Just got a mister. You won't regret it. Plus it's open source.
I regret that I had no clue who you were before starting this video 15 minutes ago...
I did something that takes a lot for me, even after multiple good videos I usually won't just sub and I did immediately here..
After seeing SO many positive and "amazing" reviews on this device it was beyond refreshing to get an authentic one, especially being a negative review, it can save a lot of people the trouble!! You hit on SO many excellent points here and then even went as far as showing other devices that could solve all the issues or be a better choice! This thing is definitely not what plenty other "sponsered" channels make it out to be and I'm glad I saw this review it just confirmed all I needed.. Great video and thanks a ton man! I'd love to see more review videos like this I see you have some other devices and try different things!!
yeah I think now that normal people are actually getting their hands on these, rather than targeted influences, we're gonna see more of these.
saw two people who mod gameboys talk about it and they basically had all the same complaints.
anyhow glad you enjoyed the video!
@@siegarettes Absolutely! I agree 100%!!
Honestly, I've been thoroughly enjoying using the pocket with an EZ Flash Omega. I love the battery life, the beautiful screen, loud speakers & headphone output, being easily rechargable with type C, and most of all, the high quality GBA audio option. This might not seem crazy, but it is. I've never seen any emulator with this feature done quite like this. For some games (for example, Mother 3, Pokemon Unbound) it sounds absolutely phenomenal. It removes a great deal of the noise without sacrificing any of the frequencies, it's not just a low pass filter.
To get a GBA modded to be close to this, I would have to pay around 200-300$ either way. And it still would have a worse battery life and no high quality audio. I do still really hope that big software updates are coming, of course. And the volume buttons are so awkwardly small. But for me, this device makes complete sense.
yeah I can see it making sense for that. personally I just prefer something like the rg351p, which actually has the appropriate screen ratio and comfortable controls. it basically has all of that, and while it might not be perfect in latency with the right settings and some work it's close enough in that and sound that I prefer it.
I was in the very first order and have had mine since November. I don't think the video is wrong per say, the criticisms are valid, but how much they mean to a given user will vary. For instance, I've never put devices like this in my pocket, I always put them in my jacket which fits well. I use Krikzz's Everdrive, which he's updated to fix support/compat with the Pocket. I have not had issues with the ergonomics, but again that's a personal thing.
Most of the issues listed, while legit for some, really are minor to me. I'm not using it on a commute as I wfh, I'm using it when I need to get my mind off something at work for a short break, or in bed, or at an outdoor cafe (hey that screen works pretty good in sunlight!).
IMO every retro system has it's own set of advantages and drawbacks. I do not believe any are perfect, and these days we have a wealth of very good choices. It's a great time to be a retro gamer, and the Pocket is part of that.
I also have a MiSTer, but it's for other purposes, and has it's own set of drawbacks (terrible UI, janky update system, no way to play original carts and of course the fairly racist/problematic main dev team), but for something attached to my tv it's pretty good.
A very good review. You were very critical, but it seems like all the other reviews found the holy grail
yeah I wondered if I was harsh but figured everyone was so hype itd be fine
Thought about it as a sorta premium choice for the GB-GBA ROMs I got backed up..... but didn't hear anything about the flash cart or GB Studio issues so thank you for actually testing this thing unlike so many others.
A Chicago homie? Auto-subscribed. Now to finish watching the video lol.
EDIT: Great review. Watching the video and reading the comments definitely gave me flashbacks to when I was buying up retro games and expensive cable solutions for the sake of it instead of, y’know, actually playing them. This device screams of a vanity project, something you buy for the sake of it instead of interacting with it daily.
Analogue has been perpetrating this classy, premium vibe as their schtick for a good number of years, but it’s clear they don’t have the engineering skills right now for developing a handheld you can play for a long period of time (Or they just don’t treat their engineers right). Hopefully, they’ll make a Pocket 2 and it will be much better.
love to see Chicago homies in the comments. welcome!
and yeah I hope they get their people right if they're gonna try this again, because I dunno what's happening there, but it seems chaotic.
Everything in this video perfectly demonstrated why I opted for the AYN Odin over an Analogue Pocket, which aren't too different in price.
yup. you don't get the perfect GBC display but you sure do get like a million more options for running basically everything else.
Honestly, this is the best AP review on YT. The only and one of the main things missing is mention of the DPad and your thoughts on it.
oh I said this in another comment but the dpad is OK. like a bigger version of the DS buttons. less mushy than GB buttons.
dpad rotates a bit in the socket like GBC but hasn't been a problem. feels as good or better in most situations. if they ever do NGPC and I can play those fighting games I'll put it to the real test.
didn't make it into my review since I figured most other people covered it.
@@siegarettes thanks, I appreciate your response. I'm at the end of the year for my pre-order, but honestly, am not really looking forward to it. I have a number of modded gameboys and emulation devices, I was hoping that a JB was released, which looks so unlikely now.
@@PixelCherryNinja Everything they've promised seemes to make no sense without the jailbreak, so hopefully since it'll have been a whole year since they launched they'll have SOMETHING that makes it more worthwhile for you. but taking so long to do anything, with no communication is so ridiculous.
I used to say, the best gameboy is a modded psp, i still think that, but now I rock a chinese emulation console for gameboy, the RG280v
I use a RG351M myself. With the lcd3x shader it's actually godlike for GBA, just looks incredible.
I have the 351p cuz I wanted less weight, but that perfect 2x screen resolution has been incredible. haven't enjoyed GBA this much since I was a kid.
Yeah, RG351p is pretty awesome for GBA games.
This is top shelf content. High effort and comprehensive. Cheers.
thanks. it took a while but I tried to get as much in without going so far it was overdoing it.
Good honest review. I wish you would have talked more about how bad the buttons feel. L & R have weird travel and a sweet spot area to get a proper press and tactile feedback. D pad is horrible for games like tetris where you probably want to slide your thumb across the d pad instead of pressing each individual direction. Volume and power button feel like cheap weathered vinyl that aren't seated properly. Power button needs to be pressed right in the dead center to function.
Regardless, best review on YT to date.
I'm lucky to not have had most of your issues, aside from the really bad pingy shoulders. manufacturing seems kinda inconsistent on this thing tbh.
but those volume and power buttons do feel horrible tho, lord.
Super off topic, but I really like your Sonic The Hedgehog hoodie, especially the checkered interior. Cheers!
it's one of my favorite pieces of clothing!
2:12 You nail it here. and I 100% agree. I'll be blunt here, but I hate when people said "We bring the experience to like the original" well the original sometimes sucks and is sometimes good. Just make it better than the original FFS. most handheld hardware is not comfortable to use, just work on that and make it better quality. I just following the steam deck now and seems like Valve is getting the memo from actual people who use the hardware itself for use. and people seem didn't like the design and I'm here like "This device is designed by humans and for human" I like it even though not perfect. but we still can have a nice-looking device and comfortable to use and good to play with. and one more thing most retro handheld seems hard to use, and the trend is still going and I hate it.
Sorry for ranting here. XD
ty for the coverage.
Thank you for killing my FOMO
stuff like this and limited print run games feel like they run entirely on FOMO so I'm happy to do that
When the reviews cameout i fell in love. Wolfden was one of the few that showed some of the negative things. So i became i little skeptical. This was a good review to show the negative sides more in action. Guess i am going to be using my ips lcd GBC instead
I will say the sound quality and ability to emulate the flicker transparency does give the Pocket an edge, but even with that the original GBC form factor is just so nice in your hands
Ew
Finally, a proper review by a person who sees these as devices that need to genuinely function well. Thank you for that. Also, subscribed.
yeah just felt I needed to put out some counterpoints on things that personally bothered me.
thanks for the sub!
first non-hype review I've seen. thank you
you're welcome!
Great review! And a fellow Chicagoan!
thanks! love to see folks from the city here!
This is such a great video discussing many notable flaws that most reviews tend to gloss over for the software itself. I wasn't too interested in buying the product in the first place, but great job anyway.
On a side note, what kind of sonic jacket is that at 2:26 that looks amazing
thank you! as someone who watches reviews on tons of things I never intend to buy I feel you on that.
this Sonic jacket is also one of the only expensive pieces of clothes I own (cost about the same as an Analogue Pocket, lol). Wasn't sure if I wanted to bite the bullet but have never regretted the choice.
@@siegarettes Where did you find it at? I'd love to buy one
@@aaronfriesen5749 sadly it was a drop dead UK limited collab from years, so you can't get it anymore
Great review! Thanks for saving me money. Instant subscribe.
no problem. thanks for the sub!
Never had a chance to own one but looking at glorified adverti.... er.. reviews online i was sceptical. Thank god there are people like you who actually do proper REVIEWS and aren't afraid openly name problems with a product when there are ones.
I just can't get over that they thought having the cartridge sticking out that far like that was acceptable. Baffling.
it's very funny how much time they spent on the design only to leave in a basic problem like that
@@siegarettes yeah it's SO sleek and streamlined looking from the front, just don't turn it around
Finally someone says it. Absolutely ridiculous people are paying upwards to $700 for these when analog back ordered them until 2025
the marketing and hype machine is so out of proportion for what this thing is I do not understand people shelling out for that
It says 2023 on the site, no? Also I see that you can have one for $300-$350 on ebay right now, brand new. Maybe at launch it was 700
A single save-state across EVERY GAME AND PLATFORM?? Jesus H Christ, who on Earth thought that was good, let alone acceptable??
well, they announced that next month they'll be adding the BETA version of the update they promised in January.
so I look forward to seeing what other basic features they can mess up.
Interesting review. For myself I’ve been playing the pocket basically everyday. I haven’t run into the issue with GBA since I’ve been playing gameboy and gameboy color games. The amount of times I’ve slept my device while trying to change the volume is too many 🤣. I’m still recommending the pocket to people when they ask though. I think your issues are valid but they are definitely not ones that affect my day to day, but I can understand how they could frustrate you.
Yeah for sure! It can be an OK GB/C thing I just think it's way too expensive and impossible to get for me to think about recommending it to most people.
And glad I'm not the only one accidentally thumbing the sleep mode.
An option to disable the sleep function would be nice! I quit using it after it wiped a Pokémon save, still love it, the tech in the screen is what I love, as close to original displays as you can get in my opinion.
Not only that, but Analogue addressed most of the software issues. Furthermore, it’s the most accurate way to play games due to it having two fpgas.
We have a real problem in the game world, with 99% of reviews written hurriedly within a few days of introduction.
yeah it's kinda rough. this kind of coverage sucks because it feels like you get no time to play and think through things, and even when you return to give a long term update most people will only see your initial impressions from release because that's when eyes are on the thing.
cannot count the number of times I got a review copy of a 40 hour rpg or whatever a month ahead and had to play it while working my day job lol.
The form factor and those awful LR buttons where the deal breaker for me. They should have used the GBA/PSP form instead of the GB form. It looks cool if the only thing that i want was to look at it (so glad i didn't bite onto this, gonna keep using my original GBA + Vita)
I played so much Mega Man Zero on this and my hands hurt from holding those shoulders
And then the Miyoo Mini shows up and solves all of our problems!
Absolutely this 👍
The one person I know who managed to get an original preorder sold his after a week, went for considerably more than he paid so win-win really.
yeah if the jailbreak does end up sucking I got this and two other analogue consoles I can get rid of and buy something nicer with
It's crazy how someone who has actual carts would not just use the original hardware, and I'm assuming they have the original hardware. But then also on top of that, would carry all the different carts they play with them when we have so much hardware these days that can play every single game you might have on the go from an SD card, and what with emulators sometimes doing better than hardware these days with a multitude of options, would even need this.
I like this companies controllers and music hardware, but this has to be one of the most pointless systems out in recent times.
carrying a flashcart seems like an obvious step, even if you have original hardware, because who's gonna bring tons of carts with them??
but like you said there's so many options now that are just more convenient and can offer even better options, this is just a bizarre sell
@@siegarettes it seems they were marketing to people who use original carts and not flash carts, I'm only assuming so because they don't show the use of flash carts (though for obvious reasons,) but essentially having a flash cart, why not just use the original hardware than emulating it on this lol.
It's bizarre how many of these pocket handheld there are now. I have at least one system for each type of game I play (though I use my 3ds for a lot of older systems!) I accumulated over time. Thank you, flea markets :)
I'm glad I didn't fall for the hype on this. My newly modded DMG, backlit GBA, and 10 year old PS Vita will cover handheld gaming and emulation.
Thorough and honest review, thanks for sharing 😎
Thanks, you just saved me a lot of money
Even despite this, I'm still quite excited about my Pocket.
I think that a majority, if not all, of the software problems, will be solved by the time I get mine in 2023. It is a bad look to have the system missing features for the most dedicated early adopters. Still, Analogue has been pumping updates for some other more minor features steadily, so I'm cautiously optimistic.
I never take my handhelds out and about and prefer to play them lounging around at home, so it being Pocket-Sized and not supporting flash carts are things that I don't personally mind. I will still say that it is strange that flashcards don't work. I wonder if it's maybe a legal issue? Based on what I've seen, the flashcard you use has everything to do with your mileage, so I'm not sure.
Either way, I'm glad that you showcased some things that could be dealbreakers for some people. It's important to know when dropping this much money on any device.
it has been five months with radio silence so I am hoping somehow despite all that they can produce software that at least makes that part worthwhile. despite my complaints I would like to see it hit its potential and not be a brick.
I don't know shit about tech so don't quote me on this, but from what I've read the flashcart problems seems to be a slight difference in timing compared to original hardware? that's why sometimes it boots into the wrong firmware or whatever?
also yeah it might seem nitpicky but I think it's all info worth at least being out there. glad you found at least something useful here, even if it doesn't apply to your situation.
@@siegarettes Analogue has a very Teenage Engineering feel as far as hardware design. I'm really hopeful they iron out the software issues, because a lot of this seems like things they can absolutely fix if they want. My alternative hope is that they'll release enough of the SDK so people can just mod in all these features, because I *know* if the community gets ahold of it we'll have ROM loading in no time straight from the SD card. I think this may have been a poorly planned launch with poor execution.
But it's also entirely likely they just fucked up the product. I really hope that's not it, and I don't think I'll cancel my preorder yet... but I'm definitely disappointed to hear all these issues with it. I hadn't been following the release super well, I had like one or two friends who got one and really liked it but I think they were using it for the DAW features and stuff
@@p4rsec the Teenage Engineering comparison is spot on, at least in terms of what they're trying for.
The situation sucks because at least in the past they put out the jailbreak fairly quickly, and obviously it's there in some capacity since people got it into GB Studio. Seems like the delays hit hard and they decided to just instead release it half baked and gooey in the middle.
I'm with you on the SDK because I don't think there's any way Analogue is gonna push this thing themselves, so if they really want it to work they've gotta make that thing broadly available, instead of their weird invite program.
If you look at Playdate they did just that and people were making games and software months ahead of release and they've hit the ground running. The boutique, bespoke thing Analogue is selling just doesn't work if there no community backing it up.
I originally preordered this system, then when I saw that it wouldn't arrive until 2023 I cancelled my order. And now after seeing how terrible the shoulder buttons, cartridge slot, and volume buttons are, and how unpocketable it is, I'm very glad that I cancelled my order. It's very clear the designers didn't even attempt to make it comfortable for gba, and game gear, its like they only cared about the original gameboy and color experience. I bought a gameboy light and a recapped gamegear instead.
yeah. it almost feels like they should have just sold it on original gameboy instead of pretending it'd be perfect for all things cuz that's kind of an impossible promise to keep
Thank you, i felt like my friends and I were the only people who used their middle knuckle for the Sp. Now I never see anyone use it like that. Glad to have a normal users perspective and from how it held up to normal usage.
it's the only way to do it unless you've still got kid hands!
Finally an actual review
I own a Pocket and I agree with everything. Mine is collecting dust. The firm ware updates are slow and so many of the promised features are not implemented. Where is the PC Engine card????
the combination of their lackluster super nt and mega sg firmware, and getting a MiSTer where more features than I could ask for get implemented every week, made it so clear to me how behind the curve they are
@@siegarettes indeed. I got a mister last year and it’s a joy playing all the retro consoles in full screen connected to my CRT. Gb, GBC, GBA, GG, PCE and now soon Neo Geo Pocket!
@@MagisterHamid last year I brought one to my fighting game locals and set up a gba multiplayer station. got in some games of Kirby, Sonic Battle and even Battle Network. it was so sick.
cannot wait for NGPC as well.
Holy cow its waaaay bigger than i thought it would be
you'd think it being called Pocket would means it's GB Pocket sized, but this thing is competing with the DMG
The top loading cart design is the only way to get certain motion sensing games working correctly, like Tilt & Tumble, so I understand why they did it. That said, I do wish they'd gone a unique route and copied, of all things, the Virtual Boy shoulder button design. That is, two big round buttons on the literal backside of the system. All that said, I'm still intrigued by it for how perfectly that screen captures nuances of Gameboy/Color displays. I may pick one up down the line, and a Gameboy Everdive, along with a MISTer for home play. I doubt I'll bother with the docking station though.
(As an aside, Krikzz apparently may be reopening production of Everdrives soon. He's doing well as one could hope considering the situation in Ukraine, and I wish him and the rest of his team the best.)
the top loading makes sense for that, it's just a shame the weird hybrid they've done makes other carts that'd otherwise work unplayable. I'd def be down to see more handhelds that don't try to so closely mimic the design language of the gameboy, so the VB thing is interesting.
part of the reason I got the Pocket was for the way it promised to mimic the original displays but I ultimately thought it was kind of mediocre? like the first impression is good but long term it felt off? and there were so few options to adjust it I got frustrated. no tweaking makes the colors look right for gbc, and it seems kinda pointless to try to bring back the pea soup green of the original gb and not give any options for ghosting? (the green feels kinda off too)
LCDs can't match it exactly obviously but I ended up coming away thinking for all the extra pixels they packed in it ended up as a kind of unexceptional? like any decent emulator with enough pixels could pull it off?
to your aside, I'm honestly surprised Krizz is going back into work so soon. I wouldn't have blamed em if they took way more time given the situation in Ukraine. hopefully that means they're doing OK.
Oh wow an actual review thanks :)
There are certainly issues with this device. However, it has quickly become my preferred Gameboy to use around the house or to take on trips. I'm sorry that you aren't having the same experience! Hopefully most issues are fixed soon.
it's probably a good around the house gameboy! just won't stand up to public transit hah.
I don't think they can fix the controls or how gba looks, but I hope at some point they at least deliver on some other features that make it feel more finished
@@siegarettes I'm still waiting for someone to make a damn dpad mold/ replacement already, i know what's wrong with it physically, just don't wanna sand down the oem.
@@johzho123 I saw some people on makho's channel speculating that the 8bitdo dpads might fit, since the buttons were about the same size and keyed the same way. I'm not brave enough to open up my pocket and try it myself tho.
@@siegarettes It's effortless actually, you don't even have to take off that "QC" sticker lol, which many a tubers actually did take off accidentally. The only thing you have to be gingerly careful with is probably the L R buttons board.
The whole thing is a... 4/5 screws process. I want to cut and sand down the stupid excess plastic preventing the dpad from comfortably pivoting above itself. Them taking the flawed old handheld specs for dpad is absolutely stupid. If you look at the DS lite dpad closely you'll understand the freedom in movement I want to achieve. It may even solve misinputs.
Great video - lovely to see something that's far more critical. And crucially, reviewed months after release to see what updates there have been, rather than just being caught up in release day hype and the promise of future features. I own a Super Nt and Mega Sg but purposefully held off on the Pocket once it was announced, for various reasons. I'm glad I did. Keep up the fantastic work!
thank you. I'm glad this has somehow still managed to catch people way after release, but I guess it's not actually out for most people yet hah.
it was hard word, but I'm glad I could communicate what it was like to actually use this thing everyday.
@@siegarettes Certainly looked like hard work - but it's beautifully shot. Looks very professional!
@@astrideavolta thankfully it took just long enough that I ended up with a phone with a much better camera before I started shooting
Did you not know the dimensions of the device before ordering one? It's a tribute to the original Gameboy so naturally they designed it with the OG in mind. It does however have several flaws. The volume control buttons are awful and the lack of OS features is absolutely ridiculous nearly five months after release.
on the Gameboy sized thing, hear me out, but what if they made it the size of the Gameboy... Pocket? 😏
but yeah after comparing it to an OG GameboyI was like, oh I see why they sold mode Gameboys by making it smaller.
that said I usually don't need to measure my portables before I buy them so I didn't consider it 😁
I am real bummed about those volume buttons tho. having played an OG gameboy again recently the dual knobs are so damn fun to play with and these hard buttons on the Pocket totally miss that.
@@siegarettes Don't disagree that the volume buttons were poorly implemented. Analogue has also failed to deliver on all the features it's promised. Their lack of communication and transparency regarding the updates for Analogue OS and when the other adapters will become available is outstanding.
I didn't expect to hear the corporate lifestyle simulator OST today, so this was definitely a pleasant surprise!
oh yeah I reviewed the game years ago when it was called Zombies! and the OST stuck with me since then
All I ever heard when this was brought up by acquaintances or other RUclipsrs was hype, but seeing a proper review for this, I'm glad I never looked into nabbing one for myself, seems like it's trying to capitalize on the craze with a big name and promise behind it, when everything else does the same or better.
I'd been in kind of the same boat, and was kind of putting off doing a review cuz of how much work it was, but seeing only hype out there made me feel I had to put something out to give people a more well rounded perspective
@@siegarettes well I appreciate the work you put into this review. It was very helpful in learning more about the device and being more than just “oooh amazing modern game boy” Thank you for your efforts.
Fair criticisms but one thing to keep in mind is that there are gamers who just want an easy casual experience playing original games. It’s almost like Apple vs everyone else. Sure Apple products limit flexibility but for ease of use with no upfront risk or learning curve, it’s the default option. For me, I just wanted a sleek crisp device to play my 80+ (and growing) game boy game library since I was still using old devices like GB pocket or DS (for gba). I’m not too concerned about flash carts, emulation, ultra flexibility on color palettes etc.
I’m happy to pay the extra $50-100 one time for the peace of mind of just having a cool easy and functional device vs diving into the frontier of the modding community or take risks with buying from indie modders.
it def seems like Analogue is trying to be the Apple of retro games, tho sadly they don't have the same design chops. just feels too incomplete.
that said, if they actually made this pocket sized I think I'd forgive a lot more hah. especially since if you're playing GBC games you're gonna compromise on something, even with mods.
As someone who painstakingly waited from 2019 when the Pocket was announced, to 2021 when it finally showed up at my doorstep, I fully agree with this video.
I feel like my hype and general interest in Pocket fell off after constantly waiting, and that additional time allowed me to find other options that satisfied my interests in retro gaming far more than the Pocket ever did.
I had bought their previous releases and was excited for a portable, got in day one.
then they kept talking out of their ass about everything it was gonna have during the more than a year delay and I def thought there was no way they'd deliver.
ironically during the wait I got a MiSTer, which did basically everything they are still promising and more, and playing this got me to interested in handhelds again, so like you I have plenty of other devices that are keeping me interested in retro games.
This is an extremely interesting video. Every other review I've seen of this thing (and I've read & watched a lot) has had almost nothing negative whatsoever to say about it. It's almost universal gushing. I guess it just goes to show that most reviews need to be taken with a mouthful of salt. Excellent job!
I don't think those people are full of it or nothing, but I feel like every one of those people who covered it pre-release have so much money none of the drawbacks were a real problem to them hah.
I’ve tried so many solutions. I have numerous emulation handhelds from a GPD XD to various Anbernics, Pocketgo etc etc. the ONLY ones I consistently go to are a heavily modded GBA with ips and rechargeable built in battery or a heavily modded GBC with a large backlit ips display both with flash carts. Nothing beats original hardware yet.
I really like my modded GBA, even if I honestly wouldn't recommend it to most people for how much it cost me.
but if you need that OG experience it's impossible to beat the real deal.
@@siegarettes now I want a gba
This looks really cool, thank you for the heads up about its quality
I think I'll pass on it. I really want to like it, but it looks like a lot of issues. Hopefully they will clear it up with some revisions. The less than ideal cart slot and shoulder button design is especially damning.
the cart slot is legit scary what is up with that?
As someone who has played gameboy their whole life, I have found that my pocket is a complete game changer. I use the thing every single day, and have been for the last two years when I got it. It does everything I want it to do, and I fear that I won't ever be able to go back to playing any type of official gameboy after this. The only thing I can add is that I do not use flash carts, and only use actual cartridges.
Finally a review after the hype. As you said flascart would be the only saving grace but them having issue while they work on original hardware is a travesty for the fpga boast.
wish I could have got this out sooner while the hype was exploding, but I think the extra time with it really let me stew on what wasn't working.
3:18 I also say finglers sometimes and I don't think anyone has ever noticed
nobody has even pointed this out to me. is this a hidden Midwest accent thing?
@@siegarettes that I couldn't tell you. I'm just south of Seattle. One thing a lot of people here say is "Warshington" even though they're from here.
I would love if they did a landscape design for the Pocket sometime in the future.
Wouldn't that just be a Revo K101?
Well-made review. Good job!