The Game Boy is back from the dead... kind of
The Super Retro Boy plays old games on new hardware.
Raise your hand if you owned a Game Boy, a Game Boy Color or a Game Boy Advance. Now keep it raised if you still own one in full working order, with rechargeable batteries that last 10 hours. If you don't still have your hand up, Retrobit's new game console might be of interest.
The Super Retro Boy is a four-button handheld console that's compatible with Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. That's it. No magic features, no built-in games (although it will come with a multi-game cartridge with unspecified titles), no internet connection, no TV-out. Just brightness and volume dials, a headphone jack and an on-off switch. Up front are four action buttons (A, B, L and R), start and select keys, and an "HD" display (resolution details weren't available, but it seemed sharper than my Game Boy Micro's). Inside is a rechargeable battery good for 10 hours.
I played five minutes of F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, and it ran well. The d-pad was a little spongy, although the rep at the booth said that would be improved by the time the Super Retro Boy Launches. I'm not really a fan of the L and R buttons being above A and B, but again, the rep suggested Retrobit is looking into moving them around the back.
The Super Retro Boy will be priced at $80 when it launches in the US this summer. It's nice to see a company not throwing too much at a "retro" gaming device, and, if Retrobit can fix the flaws on the early prototype I tried, I'm definitely interested in picking one up.
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