It's now been two years since the hotly anticipated launch of Panic's handheld, the Playdate.70,000 units had been sold…
  • kinkles@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    745·
    7 months ago

    The lack of a backlit screen completely kills my desire to get one of these- no matter how cool it is. Any time I pull out my old Gameboy Advance I’m instantly appalled by how difficult the screen is to view in less-than-ideal lighting conditions.

    • steal_your_face@lemmy.mlEnglish
      25·
      7 months ago

      The play date display is much more visible than a gba. I think it was designed to reflect (or maybe absorb?) light in a way that makes it more visible than older handhelds. You still need some light but not as much as you’d think compared to the gba.

      • llii@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        8·
        7 months ago

        Yeah, even the Game Boy Pocket was much more readable than the GBA. A non-backlit reflective screen with many colors really don’t mix well.

        • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          7·
          7 months ago

          Fully correct. The GBA was the most difficult handheld to see… so much so that people were voiding their warranty to turn a screw behind a sticker in back that could break your screen (or make things more visible)

          I could never bring myself to do it, but got dang if I wouldn’t have loved being able to SEE ANYTHING IN CASTLEVANIA

    • MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      111·
      7 months ago

      It not having a backlight is much more interesting to me. It would be perfect during my migraine episodes.

      The option of a light would be good though. But not as a backlight cause that will kill visibility when the light is off. A subtle frontlight would suffice. Or at least however kindles deal with it.

    • Bone@lemmy.worldEnglish
      91·
      7 months ago

      It’s like a step back in time no one wants to make. It needs that improvement.

    • Valmond@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      7 months ago

      Yeah I play my gba games on the DS.

      I have a gba micro which, IIRC, has a good screen, but really smaaaaal.

  • Alexstarfire@lemmy.worldEnglish
    141·
    7 months ago

    I saw Sonic 2 get ported to a TI-84 of some sort. Hell, people still make games for the C64. Yes, I got the right 64. If something can be gamed on, you get someone is going to make something.

  • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
    111·
    7 months ago

    I find myself wanting one of these. I’m sure I’ll give in at some point

    • Domi@lemmy.secnd.meEnglish
      51·
      7 months ago

      If they weren’t so expensive.

      I could probably swallow the 200 bucks but I’m not going to pay another 90 bucks for shipping/taxes/customs.

  • SuperSynthia@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    7 months ago

    I honestly want one of these so bad. From the design aesthetics to the well reviewed game experiences, it’s a nice change of pace to the normal paradigm of console/pc/retro devices

    • Drewelite@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
      1·
      7 months ago

      Yeah it feels like a tech company that’s less about being high-tech and more about actual product design. Instead of creating something that is packed with the most features, they just made something that was unique, fun, and enjoyable to use.

  • jimmydoreisalefty@lemmy.worldEnglish
    99·
    7 months ago

    Edit:

    • fixed quote format and added yt link

    First I hear of it, thanks for sharing!

    I did a quick search and found this review of it:

    Playdate: 1 year later - 400+ Games! [15:39 | Apr 14 2023 | MetalJesusRocks] https://youtu.be/a1DNuB4PBY8

    The Playdate handheld is a year old and now has over 400 games for it. Now that I’ve lived with it for a year, has my opinion changed? And what are some of the good new games for it?

    Short Summary

    1. Metal Jesus reviews the Playdate handheld, highlighting its unique design with over 400 games, an analog crank for gameplay, a black and white screen, and high build quality.
    2. The device’s price has increased from $180 to $200.
    3. A recent OS update introduced a game catalog for easier access to curated games.
    4. Showcased games include “Grand Tour Legends,” a cycling game utilizing the crank for pedaling and energy management.
    5. Other games mentioned are “Skew,” combining elements of Star Wars’ Trench Run with Flappy Bird, and “Real Steel,” where players control a thief collecting loot while avoiding traps.
    6. “The Botanist” is a Sci-Fi visual novel with interactive sections and 3D effects, while “Carve Junior” offers complex controls in a snowboarding game.
    7. “Legend of Etag” is described as an old-school Dungeon Crawler with grid-based movement and real-time combat.
    8. “Crunky” is a simple yet addictive game focusing on left or right movement to collect points and survive.
    9. “Fusion” involves managing a fusion reactor by strategically combining numbers to control objects in a chamber.
    10. The speaker appreciates the Playdate’s storage capacity and simplicity but hopes for a backlit screen in future versions, viewing it as a niche product for those seeking a unique gaming experience.
    • TJA!@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      11·
      7 months ago

      Is this a video or what is this? Why are you just posting a (ai generated?) summary and not the video?

          • jimmydoreisalefty@lemmy.worldEnglish
            54·
            7 months ago

            Bots are better written.

            This was human error, I hope this helos you learn a bit more on detecting bot/human posts, hahaha

          • nanoUFO@sh.itjust.worksOPMEnglish
            1·
            7 months ago

            Yeah I bookmarked this because I wanted to let it cook and see if anyone else was suspect about this. Gonna get rid of the bot.

            Edit: apparently not a bot