@Crecca They arent shown in the last post but when I made the now controversial "broken diamond" buttons, way back. Those who complained didn't necessarily get why I did it. For scale, the bottom screen on the clamshell is a large 5" 4:3 display, the device is still a compact 88mm tall. The buttons are taller than standard buttons, about 1cm- (probably larger on the Gamestation Go given it's dimensions.) They were inspired by the Sega Nomad's unusual tall oval buttons but with a lot more obsessing about placement. That Atari one here was just a quick and normalised version of what I usually do. So their placement isn't as thought over as some other designs, just a concept.

(Older Atari revision. I put a drawing in again, results were.. shiny.)
https://desu-usergeneratedcontent.xyz/vr/image/1757/38/1757381986056.png

I made the long buttons so the different lengths of finger people have were accommodated when in claw grip. While still being compact. It was the logical choice with 6 buttons. If I made it large like an arcade stick it would likely no longer be pocketable. I love 6 face buttons, particularly when the "main" diamond is still prominent. I found it strange that Atari would bring out a handheld and not have traditionally 3 or 6 buttons. It along with the stacked shoulders told all that this device is for emulation. Even if they didn't want to admit it.

Other examples of this diamond button motif. Vv

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Sage Harlequin 3D. ^
Sage Harlequin2D v
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Endgame vv (this isn't a final draft.)
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@Crecca https://desu-usergeneratedcontent.xyz/vr/image/1791/59/1791590346102.png
I was in talks over email pitching designs but Atari are still reluctant to give a more capable chip for the price of the Gamestation Go. I can't draw photorealistic plastic, please understand.
As for these,
I like clamshells but those are lacking things, not least amongst them ergonomics..
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@16bitGeneration Thou shalt not steal. He said while pirating illegal copies of loaves and fishes.. I see it like taking photos of the Mona Lisa. Information is meant to be cloned, it's a law of nature. It's not condemning or condoning, it just is.

The statue has an unmistakable man jaw.
@Bot_Bot_69 you love erect miner willy? Excuse me a second I have to make a phone call..

I was spitballing for years the idea of taking a miniaturised version of the CRT technology, and putting that in the gun. While four points from your TV corners or some kind of sensor array fired at the 'gun'. Effectively reversing the process that light guns use. The fast input, prefered method could be kept this way. Someone's probably done it already by now, or realised it doesn't work. Ah well.

@andynick If only they would listen to my emails and rearrange their *****. See?
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It could do with a stronger chipset too, you can get Snapdragon 865s for $180.

https://desu-usergeneratedcontent.xyz/vr/image/1791/59/1791590346102.png
This is how I believe Atari should've made the gamestation go..

Eternal reminder.
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I will always push to get all handheld companies to produce without compromise, however futile that endeavour seems.. I've been doing it since 2014.

Don't forget, Jim Cummings and Dan Castellavania were also in the amazing and offensive Clayfighter 63+1/3 for the N64.

@Amaweks Holy *****.

@Agent_P My Willy Vania..
I think his wishes were for an appearance like Braid perhaps? Failing though.

Looks like Dead Cells.

@Broosh Story goes..
Dr. Ovi Kintobor spilled soda onto the Retro-Orbital Chaos Compressor's control console, causing a massive explosion that bombarded him with over 10,000 volts of "pure evil energy" and merged him with a hardboiled egg, transforming him into Dr. Robotnik.
After the lab accident alters his brain patterns, which are later transferred to a talking Golden Ring and then downloaded into a computer, it allowed him to survive and become the villain.

@Broosh Brown Sonic was the Fleetway interpretation of Sonic's origin story in Sonic The Comic.

The rolling animation does have a somewhat 'Majora's Mask Goron roll' similarity to it, I like it.

Don't panic, everyone knows that a drawing of a woman is not a woman. It's merely facsimile.
I had to laugh at that line about the crustacean-men though. Reminded me of that episode of BrassEye with the line about nonces sharing DNA with crabs.

@Fallingshadow Some of the original devs were asked about a sequel and they said the group are far too splintered to come back for the 3rd SWD game. I took that to mean they wouldn't, but maybe never say never. I'm still hungry for the next installment. I know that others still want this. It had decent "mainstream appeal". So how they can't justify it must come down to something else other than just money. My speculation, but by no means my conclusion. Hope they come back.

@Hexapus It would be sad to see it go the way of Earthblade, Eon Break or SteamWorld Dig 3. But projects like Radio The Universe are said to be still in active development. So hopefully even if it takes a while, it will still reach fruition. At least, before I get old. Better late than rushed.

I wouldn't start a kickstarter for one of my handhelds. I couldn't justify asking people for money just to basically show companies that there is enough interest/potential profit for them to take the ideal handheld forward into production. I can't fund it myself however, so here we are.

Spoke with Alan.
He's not interested in investing/making a handheld. Yep.

@metaphysician I suspect people would be willing to pay regardless. Especially for the more premium brand association. Then there are the coomlectors.. Less said the better.

@Axelay71 @shiningpikablu252 Atari's handheld might have been an opportunity to have trackball support in a modern console. I even pitched them a drawing that I later made plastic.

https://desu-usergeneratedcontent.xyz/vr/image/1757/38/1757381986056.png

Is this yet another pussyfooting money-spinning stopgap between making a proper handheld again?
SEGA.
My proposal is still on the table. And I've even been wondering if you might be interested in the device I designed that wasn't originally intended for you..
https://desu-usergeneratedcontent.xyz/vr/image/1782/31/1782315149385.png
If Endgame goes to Sega then might I be so bold as to suggest a cheeky marketing strategy, wherein you rename my device to simply, 'SEGA DS'.
This would be the ultimate oldskool callback to the classic 90s Nintendo rivalry ad campaigns. If indeed you still have it in you.. If you STILL have the METAL... Well SEGA?

@Eddietorresjrnyc maybe a hybrid of handheld and x86 maid computer mini laptop? I made a design that might be perfect for any new computer to be pocketable. And with the potential of modern photonic processors on the horizon, they could be even more so.
A Bi-Fold Clamshell would be a form factor Amiga could consider. They could just ask me how it works, lol. It's pretty self explanatory.
Bi-fold Clamshell
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It's the largest pocketable screen.. (9-10")

@GravyThief I went in blind dual wielding and expecting to use agility and attacking speed to overwhelm. I was wrong. Souls games rely in a sense on puzzle cheese-ing and min-maxing. They want you to figure out a work-around to defeat unfair odds. I think the beginner mistake I made was that I refused to block.

Those more proficient then that, learn to parry. And it's a finicky thing to master the timing of but essential to complete it,
and certainly "git gud" at the series.

You can skip huge sections and get great weapons and overpowered spells early if you study others tactics. Gravelord sword is an example as is the knights Halberd in Darkroot basin. Heavy weapons defeat armoured enemies and remove poise.
They expect sacrifice to be powerful though, and it's the sort of game where you will risk cutting your health in half for a small attacking boost. Brutal describes it well.
Rhythmic defencive gameplay too should be mentioned. Because of a stamina bar for dodging, blocking and attacking, you need to "not be greedy" when it comes to delivering damage, even to simple opponents who can kill.

More things I remember here i see. I had a lap record in the Nintendo Official Magazine for the DKR level Treasure Caves. It remained unbeaten for as long as I saw it, although I stopped buying that publication in The early 2000s. Who knows if it was beaten? probably, but I like to think that car lap time with Timber/Diddy was damn near the maximum limit of efficacy for the N64. I usually mained TipTup too.

@OorWullie I had Lionheart and his holographic shield. Such a high quality, underrated toy.
It really is a shame it was discontinued and should- in all right, be more collectable than it is.
I was having a conversation earlier with a friend trying to remember an old horror film which featured green slime. He kept bringing it back to Robin Williams' film 'Flubber'. But I kept saying "No that's not it!"
Then it clicked for me, and I laughed. Realising that it would have been a VERY different film if Robin Williams had actually been in Re-Animator!

@OorWullie I didn't know 'Scream!' horror comic. But I suspect you feel the same way about it as I do for The Supernaturals series/toys (Tonka 1987). It's always nice to have someone acknowledge something you feel is obscure from your past. I know I get emotional since it reminds me of my father when I was a child, and he was well and could still talk.

I used to watch all the films you mentioned with my dad, who was a big film fan. He enjoyed lots of series on VHS with me. Such as Wishmaster, Phantasm, Critters, Goolies, Frankenhooker, Basketcase, Videodrome, Scanners. Basically anything John Carpenter and David Cronenberg. :]

I've been working on a script for a Chaos Engine movie. I want Guillermo del Toro for it. The success of it will usher in a reboot of the franchise with the Bitmap Brother's blessing, of course. I have so many ideas for new characters and fleshed out concepts based on the early 90s Amiga games. They were originally inspired by the book 'The Difference Engine' by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. 1990s are back! baby.

And yet Segaworld remains asleep. C'MON SEGA! The Harlequin handheld NEEDS YOU! We can bring it all back to a golden age, honouring those past, present & future.
This is our chance!
So, in the words of that blue hedgehog..
"I'M WAAAITINNG!" B^)

Perhaps a pulpy anthology.

DEAR COUNT BINFACE.
If you're reading this I would be more than happy to be a part of spear-heading efforts to get Sega back into the console market. If my pitch for a handheld clamshell Sega phone (The Sega Harlequin) could be the vehicle. Then I can see Sega coming back triumphant, in circle-padded, six-button glory! Let's make a new platform for this NEW Renaissance in indie development on portable computers.
LETS MAKE SEGA GREAT AGAIN!
Talk soon.

If I could afford it I'd go there. Maybe polish up on my Japanese, in a likely- probably farcical attempt to pitch the Harlequin handheld to Sega of Japan. Sigh.

@Saki-Endo @Arcadia_Official
Could be worse..
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@h3s there's a Mega link in the Bluesky window.

@Masquerade443 Capcom's CP hardware, erm if you will. Aherm.

Bi-fold Clamshell™ that is the form factor Microsoft should've gone with for their handheld.
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It's the largest pocketable screen.
And they would have more of a unique selling point, than the standardised slop that is causing this malaise in current consumer attitudes.
Xinput, for example really limits potential and creates less creative freedom for developers. They should be preparing the way for the photonic processor revolution that's coming. Portable computing will never be the same.

Part of that trailer theme sounds a little like a Black Sabbath song I just can't place. How frustrating, what an earworm.

Fallout taught you to be a 'pirate of the wastes'.
You remain unaffected.
Money printer go brrrr.

@Martin_H I weep into my cheerios as generic plastic s***held after s***held gets shat into existence, like frog spawn. Spending collectively an amount that could've funded a decent clamshell device with good QC. I design and die in vain it seems, lol.

Well, in email correspondence with Atari regarding their recent $180 trackball handheld. I was trying to get across the waste that the design imo represented by having the trackball on the left and a diamond 4-face button array. I submitted some designs to them a year ago, a bit like this.
https://desu-usergeneratedcontent.xyz/vr/image/1757/38/1757381986056.png
The idea was to embrace the emulation that the device was clearly going to be used for. Most people would look at the capability of the device they ended up with, and what else they could get for the price. Retroids, etc and the like were more powerful, but didn't have their trackball niche. However, I felt it was a lost opportunity to have this unique selling point utilised for more games and even to replace the right analogue stick that wasn't present.
In the "correct" design form, I proposed the dpad have a larger surface area, and the paddle be arranged around the dpad. The left analogue below it. And the traditional six button Atari standard above the trackball on the right side, instead of the generic diamond formation. (Clearly meant to emulate psx along with the stacked shoulder and trigger buttons that Atari never featured.) with the number pad taking a secondary position beneath. They did seem interested somewhat. But I think these things start as something designed to sell to a small audience. When they could have a larger slice of pie if they didn't under power it. If they embraced the community firmware. And if the design looked forward, as well as back to newer games that could've been played on that same device. People fondly remembering a high quality, non-locked-down device. With Atari gaining good renown for a smarter, more consumer friendly design. It felt designed by corporate committee, to me anyway. And could've been more.

Please be Endgame.
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We could probably get newer chips than the S8G2 optimized for later. If future proofing ideals are adhered to, there are chips with over twice the power around.

They needed to commit, and they did. But in the wrong direction. Clamshells are king as far as I'm concerned, and this will have limited appeal,- to TATE fans perhaps. They never make any handheld correctly, mark my words. It's always a monkey's paw.

I like a gun holster. I would legitimately carry my handheld in an 80s detective style gun holster.

I've said it before, they COULD make viable hardware if they follow China's example. The Chinese are making deals recycling phone overstock to make decently powerful and capable handhelds. Now, that doesn't mean new releases are coming to these devices. Exclusivity is a thing of the past mostly. But clearly new games, especially indie titles are often playable on these ARM devices. There is clearly a lot of potential seemingly being overlooked by all these revivalist companies. They miss a trick by disregarding these devices.
Portable is the future of not just gaming, but all computing arguably.

Sega could still make a comeback into the hardware space, I believe. And with a good powerful clamshell handheld to boot. Recycled phone parts overstock has never been more abundant and strong. They don't have to call the device an "emulator" if that's their concern. All computers are potentially capable of great and terrible things, obviously. If some Chinese fellas in a space the size of a garage can start knocking these out for cheap, Sega could make a higher quality version surely.

Where are they?

@pomegran I also think it would be better spent on ether a mid range handheld, (150ish) or they could go full bore into emulator handhelds and enter the market with a high quality competitor to the Ayn/Retroid type ARM devices. You might only get one good shot at this. But like I said to Sega, it would be cheaper than a full console launch (but effectively be one) and can grab market share by virtue of it's portable convenience. Handheld power is only going to get better, it is the future. I try to steer design to better places, while I see a lot of deliberate sabotage of potential in these unfortunately. I'd hope mainstream companies would be different. Maintaining their legacy by making premium, long-lasting well regarded products that are fondly remembered. And still recommended by people, decades later. Like the PSP/Vita.

@Johnno137426 'Guns Of Fury'-style exploration/items would be okay, imo.

COMMODORE.. It's the Endgame. It's always been the Endgame. C'mon guys, throw me a bone here.
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Who would make this? Maybe couple it with a roll up keyboard in the package for around $300?

They should've themed it around Sonic spinball. The colours the retro themes, even the music too. Also when do we get Sonic Spinball 2?