Time Magazine has been picking its best inventions of the year, and the Analogue Pocket is one of the selections.
Built on FPGA technology and able to run physical cartridges just like the original hardware, the Analogue Pocket is the latest in a line of highly accurate video game systems from Analogue and joins the Mega Sg and Super Nt.
While it is designed to run original cartridges first and foremost (Game Boy support is included out of the box, but adapters allow you to play Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket and Atari Lynx games), a recent firmware update has enabled FPGA developers to port existing cores over to the machine. That means the Pocket is now capable of playing SNES, NES, Mega Drive and even arcade games – and more cores are being released all of the time.
Here's Time's verdict on the Analogue Pocket:
Analogue Pocket is an ode to Game Boy that looks like the classic Nintendo handheld console that reigned in the 1990s—but it’s packed with modern features and higher resolution. Compatible with 2,780 Game Boy Original, Color, and Advance cartridges, it also has cartridge adaptors for Sega’s Game Gear, Atari Lynx, and other old-school handheld systems. There’s even a dock to connect it to a TV and up to four controllers, and a music synthesizer if you tire of games.
We reviewed the Analogue Pocket a while back, and said:
With its solid design, excellent display and wide range of accessories, the Analogue Pocket certainly makes an excellent first impression – and the inclusion of features such as Nanoloop and GB Studio expand the appeal of the system further. That this device performs its duties admirably should come as no great surprise; Analogue's products have a solid reputation, and this latest venture only adds to that. The introduction of Analogue OS is tremendously exciting and bodes well for future products in the company's lineup.