As a dyed-in-the-wool retro gamer – both in the sense that I love retro games today, and also when they were first released – I'm always looking out for the best device to play the classics on.
That includes original hardware, of course, plus licensed devices for particular systems or games. I've even built my own multi-game bartop arcade machine using a Raspberry Pi 4.
However, I also have an (unhealthy) obsession with the current trend of Linux and Android-based handhelds, which are capable of playing many 1,000s of titles – some now extinct – through emulation. I've collected a fair few of them in the last few years, and regularly switch between them depending on my mood at the time.
There are also handhelds I own that are designed for specific purposes, that don't look or operate quite the same as others. Here then are three I recommend that are more specialist that the usual culprits on many "best of" lists. They are weird and wonderful, and shouldn't put too large a hole in your bank balance.
Magic Zero 40
Completely unique in the retro gaming handheld world, the Magic Zero 40 has an unusual form factor and a 4-inch vertical IPS touchscreen (480 x 800). This means it's not ideal for playing many 4:3, 10:9 or 3:2 systems on, such as SNES, Game Boy and Game Boy Advance respectively.
It is instead designed primarily for playing Nintendo DS games, as well as vertical (TATE) arcade titles – especially shoot-em-ups. The screen allows you to have the DS top and bottom screens visible at once, while the touch capabilities mean you can interact with the lower half in much the same way as the classic clamshell.
The Zero 40 runs on the Allwinner A133P chip – the same as the excellent TrimUI Brick – so can play games up to the first PlayStation. But considering its shape, you'll probably stick to those best suited to it, as detailed above.
It runs on Android too, so can be used to play vertical Android games (the less power hungry ones, anyway), but considering its relatively low price, it's really a handheld to get for a specific reason.
You can actually get it for around the £60 price point these days, which is a heck of a lot cheaper than a dual-screen clamshell, like the Ayaneo Pocket DS or Ayn Thor.
R36T Retro TV Handheld
While many emulators offer the ability to change the pictures with shaders – overlays that replicate the likes of scanlines on a CRT TV – few are actually built to look like an old television.
The R36T Retro TV Handheld has a convex plastic cover over the 4:3 3.5-inch IPS display (640 × 480), to give it a CRT-like rounded shape. It also reflects light in a different way to regular flat screens, so gives the impression (at times) of playing on archaic hardware.
Its plastic body is also shaped like a telly of yesteryear, albeit with an LED adorned thumbstick. And the D-pad is a wheel shape that's odd to use until you become more familiar with its quirks.
However, there's something instantly likeable about the R36T. And thanks to running on the same RK3326 chip found inside many Anbernic handhelds, it plays a healthy amount of systems too – all the way up to PSOne.
Just forgive it for feeling a bit low end in the hand, thanks to the cheap plastic used in construction. It's understandable really considering the sub-£30 price point (including 1,000s of preloaded games).
Panic Playdate
Okay, so this might not be a retro gaming handheld in the conventional sense. The Playdate cannot play any retro games at all, in fact. However, it embodies the spirit of retro gaming, with its 400 x 240 monochrome display and simple controls.
All the games are made especially for the handheld and use pixel art, which again screams retro – albeit in a modern sense. They are also generally tiny files and short in length, so often feel like instant classics.
And then there's the crank – that's the main reason I've included it on this list.
Many if not all games use the crank in some way, which tucks into the side of the Playdate when travelling. But pull it out and you can rotate it to perform in-game actions, or simply scroll through the menus.
Another very interesting aspect of the Playdate is that, as well as but games through the dedicated store, you can purchase a season pass and be served a couple of new titles per week. You don't know what's coming, but that's half the fun.
It must be said that I adore the Playdate, not least thanks to its design (in collaboration with Teenage Engineering). My only gripe is that it doesn't have a backlight behind the display, which can make seeing it tricky in sunlight. But then, that gives me original Game Boy vibes anyway.
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