Wednesday, 16 June 2021

The Playdate Awaits - Is The Crank To Thank?

It has been two years since the remarkable revealing of the Playdate from Panic [34] [35]. I recall being bewildered at its rather unique design and discussing what can enhance its appeal even further several months after its release. The COVID-19 pandemic may have caused delays within the Playdate’s production and preparation for marketing, but the determination to bring it into action was still there [20]. Somewhat similarly in terms of such willpower, a gaming website that got hacked and had to be taken down can always be re-established under a new name with stronger security standards [5]. Come to think of it, the Playdate’s bold shade of yellow reminds me of Bumblebee from the Transformers franchise [3]. Aside from that, much more about the handheld gaming system has been revealed over a week ago [20]. It looks like there are many great gaming-related things to experience this year, such as the outcome of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart for the PlayStation 5 and another round of golf with Mario in Mario Golf: Super Rush [17] [27] [28]. Aside from new instalments of beloved gaming franchises, there is plenty of room for something completely new throughout the rest of the year and that is the one and only Playdate [20] [24].

As much as I praised the Playdate’s originality and how it is practically pocket-sized back in Spring 2019, I strongly believe there ought to be a left-handed edition for left-handed gamers [34] [35] [36]. [26]

What else can I say about the overall design of the Playdate? I like how the crank can also be bent outwards as it makes it more advanced than a crank on a Jack-In-The-Box toy [22]. I like how there is an “A” button and “B” button on the right side of the control panel below the screen, but I think a certain amount of us might prefer them to be the other way round [39]. As for the back of the device, we can see its production details at the bottom right corner. Do you think that once it becomes available as a left-handed edition or in any other colour besides yellow [34] [35], the production nickname for the second colour will be “Playdate PDU-02” [24]? Because I most certainly do since it would be a wise financial decision to only produce a console in some other colours and editions if the very first design sells rather successfully. Perhaps for consumers who might prefer the design to be a little bigger, there can be a second model that has an appropriately increased size named “Playdate XL” in the next generation. You know, like how the second design of the Nintendo DSi was called the “Nintendo DSi XL” since it was bigger than the first design [18] [30].

It is highly likely that the control panel of the Playdate will be easy to operate with and get used to, but I think it could have been a little more suitable to swap the “A” and “B” buttons around as the letter A always comes before the letter B, right? And also the Xbox One controller [39]. But I digress as I have recently beaten the final boss in Super Mario 64 for the second time in my entire life [19] [37]. [24]

Aside from Crankin’s Time Travel Adventures [21] [34] [35], the list of monochrome games in a large variety of premises and genres to play on the Playdate throughout about twelve weeks include:

  •        Casual Birder [20] [24]
  •        Boogie Loops [20] [24]
  •        Whitewater Wipeout [20] [24]
  •        Snak [20] [24]
  •        Spellcorked [20] [24]
  •        Saturday Edition [20] [24]
  •        Pick Pack Pup [20] [24]

Some other forthcoming titles that has been revealed could be part of Season Two, including:

  •        Mars After Midnight [20]
  •        Noble Robot [20]
  •        Direct Drive [20]

It is unmistakable how a lot of development teams have been willing to help enhance the legacy of such a uniquely designed gaming system. There will be a total of twenty-four games within a “first” season [21] [24], leading to some curiosity on what the second season of games would be like about a few months after the device’s official release, including the outcome of Mars After Midnight [20]. Call me crazy, but I am up for a Playdate game based on either Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss for older gamers during the run of Season Two [9] [10] [11] [12]. Oh. And whatever you do, gaming industry. Do NOT develop a port of the DS version of Sonic Colours for the Playdate…unless the next model will feature games in full colour as the “Playdate Colour” in the future [29] [38].

The idea of discovering two new games per week on the Playdate is quite engaging [20]. Do not forget to stay connected to the internet [22]! I still wonder if there could be an adaption of Tamagotchi for the system [31] [34] [35]. [24]

Oh, hello! What is this? A rehash of Mario Paint [7]? [20]

Any other forthcoming software to further increase ambition and appeal for a wide range of players out there? Well, ideally for an accessory that will be explained later, there is an application named “Poolsuite FM” that allows the player to listen to music from the Playdate [20]. There also appears to see an app that basically features a colourless clock encased in 1-bit graphics, which would be a reliable alternative to looking at a watch to check the time [24], similar to the Mario Clock and Animal Crossing Clock apps for the Nintendo DSi [15] [16]. Would you believe that there is a gaming development program that can be accessed online named “Playdate Pulp” that can inspire fellow gamers to wish to become game designers by allowing them to create their own games for their Playdates [21] [23]? It is interesting enough that another app on the Playdate will allow its screen to be shared on a computer or laptop [25]. I would be interested in trying Playdate Pulp out if I ever choose to do a postgraduate degree in computer games design. From casual software users to aspiring video game developers, the Playdate seems to be prepared to appeal to a wide range of people with different ambitions with specific types of associations.

Imagine being the host of a radio station for a Playdate connected with Bluetooth. There is something charming about monochrome music videos playing on a small gaming device. [20]

And imagine making your very own Playdate game with enough skill in Playdate Pulp [21]. [20]

The Playdate Stereo Dock is a square-shaped recharging station with a few quirks that make it unique [20] [22] [24]. Aside from how groovy the stereo dock is, the battery life of the Playdate would last about as consistently as a Nintendo DS’ battery life, especially when two players take their Playdates with them on a gaming date [22] [24]. Surely, there would be some indication of the device in need of barging, like how a reminder to change the battery in a Pixel Chix house would pop up on its screen [32]. The Playdate can be magnetically stuck onto the face of its stereo dock [20], which coated in the same shade of yellow, making it more stylised. It is compatible with Bluetooth, which will increase the Playdate’s overall sound quality. At the top, there are two holes for a pen to be inserted into [22]. The pen that comes with the stereo dock also consists of the same shade of yellow and looks quite like a stylus. Although, I highly doubt that the Playdate’s screen is a touchscreen. Furthermore, I do not know what the point of the pen being included is unless it is just a souvenir. Could there be other colours for the dock and pen eventually?

Strangely enough, the Playdate attached to the Playdate Stereo Dock looks quite like a television set you will see in the 1980s. Not only that, but the dock’s compatibility with Bluetooth will allow music to be played as if it was a traditional radio set. [24]

Similar to how my white iPad Air has a celestially designed cover to protect its screen from dust, there is a cover for the Playdate to keep it spick and span [24]. The perimeter of its flaps is consistently just about the same as the perimeter of the device. Hopefully, the cover should be easy to attach and detach from the device. The Playdate Cover ought to be eventually available in some other colours as some of us would prefer some other colour combinations over yellow and purple. For example, an ocean blue Playdate sandwiched in a frosted white cover would bring out some chilling winter vibes. I also think some covers can consist of a symbol associated with a charity, such as a red ribbon in association with World AIDS Day [13], which would be quite like how there was a Nintendo DS Lite designed in association with breast cancer awareness released in late 2008 [33]. Not only will an eventual variety of different colours for the Playdate’s model appeal to players with different tastes but some alternative colours besides purple for a protective cover can further enhance said appeal by providing a custom colour combination.

Quite a yummy electronic sandwich indeed. Wait! No! Do not eat it!! [24]

The Playdate will be available to be pre-ordered next month, leading to its official release date being marked at some point in the second half of 2021 [20] [24]. I am beginning to imagine what would happen if the Nintendo 64DD never turned out to be a commercial failure [14], such as the release of a sequel to Conker’s Bad Fur Day [4]. But more proactively, I do not doubt we curious gamers will find out what the overall gameplay experience with the first season will be like while fans of the Jurassic Park franchise will build their own Jurassic paradises in Jurassic World Evolution 2 [8]. I still strongly believe that there can be a left-handed edition with the crank placed on the left side of the device to potentially increase the comfort for left-handed players [34] [35]. Could successful sales lead to a bigger model named “Playdate XL” or a Playdate Colour that shows Playdate games in colour at some point between the mid and late 2020s? Will we be thankful for the crankful? Surely, the Playdate can provide even more ambition weeks after its release date, as long as it sells successfully. Keep gaming, gamers!

And now that jingle is stuck back in my head. Now it’s my turn [34] [35]! [20] [22]

Recharge it on the stereo deck
It seems worth quite a long wait
There'll be a clock shown in monochrome
Look! It's the Playdate [2]! [22]

References

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