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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New Horizons Await Animal Crossers, Including Me

Have you studied your Animalese? If so, then prepare for Animal Crossing: New Horizons soon [3] [19]! The title of the upcoming installment of the Animal Crossing franchise for the Nintendo Switch was revealed almost a month ago [3] [11] [19] [20], so I guess now is a good time for me to express my views on it as an animal pocket camper. The game was supposed to be released at some point in 2019 [3] [13], but I guess delaying the release and marketing to the 20th of March 2020 would make it a sign of the 2020s beginning a whole new era of gaming [3] [19]. Yes, along with the Playdate [27]. Back in May this year, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp was sadly set to shut down in Belgium [14]. Furthermore, I would be quite devastated if the app shut down worldwide in the near future after the release of New Horizons. On the bright side, trying out New Horizons on the Switch could make for that if it happens. Without the temptation to play Whac-A-Mole with Sonny Resetti after forgetting to save my data, I shall express my views on what has been revealed so far for New Horizons.

Remember watching the teaser trailer that featured Tom Nook at his desk in Fall 2018? [13]

At first, the new chapter of Animal Crossing appears to be on a deserted island, which seems slightly refreshing to me [3] [11] [19] [20]. Starting out as a somewhat island survivor really brings out the vibes of The Sims 2 Castaway and The Sims Castaway Stories [10] [27]. We also see footage of the fully civilized town we knew from the previous main installments of the Animal Crossing franchise in the trailer. I have a feeling that the setting of the new chapter will evolve from a deserted island to a civilized town as the game progresses. Or better yet, we may see a new interpretation of the city from either Let’s Go To The City or the main street from New Leaf [6] [18]. Could that be the case? If so, it would maintain the player’s motivation for playing the game daily. It would be interesting to see not just a shop run by a tanuki change over time. And speaking of tanuki, oh no! Not the whole bill paying thing again [19]! Well, it is part of life, so we animal crossers have gotten used to it by now [1] [18].  Bring on the Getaway Package from Nook Inc.!

A new era awaits, animal crossers. [19]

Leaving the family nest and living independently in a nutshell, ladies and gentlemen! [19]

I have no doubt that plenty of animal crossers still remember the days of Population Growing and Wild World [1] [24]. In the gameplay footage at E3 2019 and the trailer, you can still see some of the usual features of the Animal Crossing experience [3] [11] [19] [20], including:

•        Talking to anthropomorphic animals
•        Placing and rearranging furniture
•        Selling furniture items to make bells
•        Collecting shells at the beach
•        Picking flowers
•        Poking rocks with a shovel
•        Display emotions
•        Shake trees and gather their fruit
•        Catch insects and fish

I still remember selling fruit at Nookington’s and buying clothes from Able Sisters back in the good old days when I would play Let’s Go To The City for the Nintendo Wii [18]. As well as the activities that established a relaxing and adventurous life of a human in the Animal Crossing canon, there will need to be some new and exclusive aspects in order to make New Horizons refreshing. During the winter, do you want to build a snowman [3] [19]?

The next big step ought to be like the good old days, eh? [3]

A whole new feature of the upcoming chapter is crafting tools [11] [19] [20]. The way new and unfortunately quite weak tools can be crafted on Tom Nook’s crafting table reminds me of how any Minecrafter can create tools in Minecraft [25]. You can gather wood by chopping at a tree with an axe and gather stone by thrusting at a rock with a shovel. The tools you can craft at first are:

•        A flimsy axe
•        A flimsy watering can
•        A flimsy fishing rod
•        A flimsy net
•        A flimsy shovel
•        A vaulting pole

Make sure you gather different kinds of crafting materials for creating such tools, fellow animal crossers [11] [20]. If newer and stronger tools eventually became available to craft after some progression, it ought to increase motivation for playing the game quite regularly. The way you can make tools out of enough materials reminds me of how you can craft furniture in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp [21]. Collecting enough materials for the desired tool is at least an understandable goal and not to mention a legitimate reason to keep roaming around the island.

Oddly enough, the tools that have been crafted firstly come in a red toolbox… [19]

The tulip crown would be my favourite thing to craft in New Horizons so far. [11] [20]

What is a new installment without some new abilities for the playable protagonist? Aside from crafting tools, other new abilities in New Horizons include:

•        Placing furniture items outdoors
•        Digging up fully grown trees
•        Making dirt paths
•        Pole vaulting
•        Picking petals off bloomed flowers
•        Accessing apps on a smartphone called a “NookPhone”

And yes, just like in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, the red-nose ranger owns a smartphone [3] [11] [19] [20]. The apps on the phone are:

•        Camera for taking photos
•        Nook Miles
•        DIY Recipes for seeing what to craft
•        An app that opens the map of the island
•        Call Islanders for calling another player

I guess “NookPhone” is a fitting name for it when it comes to appealing to today’s society. And you can also add filters whilst taking a photograph with the NookPhone, or in this generation’s case, a selfie if you are taking a picture of your red-nosed ranger [11] [20]. Instagram much?  I have no doubt that the new abilities are sure to enhance the Animal Crossing experience for our fellow Switch soldiers.

I do not think I would be able to pull such a stunt like that in real life. [3]

But at least the way my little starlet holds her phone in Pocket Camp is so me. [21]

I see that some aspects of the graphics have definitely progressed yet again in the trailer and gameplay footage at E3 [3] [11] [19] [20]. They have evolved just a notch with the idea of featuring more realistic trees and taller character designs from New Leaf. I can see how there are new hair physics for some hairstyles, along with a lovely shine for every style and colour of hair [3] [11] [19] [20]. You can still choose any skin tone, hair colour or eye colour for your red-nosed ranger, just like how you can in New Leaf, Happy Home Designer and Pocket Camp [3] [17] [21]. If you look close enough into the red-nosed ranger’s eyes, you may see two small black pupils [19]. The apples on the trees appear to look more realistic if you look closely at them. Some of our fellow animal crossers may prefer the aesthetics from the New Leaf era, which is totally fine. Arguably, somewhat updated graphics would be essential for a whole new chapter of a franchise. 

I guess a good nickname for Animal Crossing: New Horizons would be “Animal Crossing HD”. [3]

Oh. And did I mention that the Animal Crossing logo’s wood has recieved a more realistic texture too? [3]

The Nook Miles app on the Nookphone appears to be a new reward system that could motivate an animal crosser to keep playing New Horizons [7] [11] [20]. An example of a task that gives an animal crosser some miles is selling an item for the first time [11] [20]. Another seems to be crafting a certain number of tools [3] [11] [20]. This is similar to the stretch goals, daily goals and event goals in Pocket Camp that provides rather satisfying results for doing certain tasks [21]. A set of tasks that offer good rewards to the player for completing them can maintain their motivation to carry on playing, including those who love achieving small goals in Pocket Camp [21]. I can tell as some goals and rewards during events kept me motivated to keep playing Pocket Camp on my iPad to achieve new things for my little avatar whom I like to call a little starlet [21]. Do I get any Nook Miles for at least writing this article? 

Here is the set of Stretch Goals that motivate the player in Pocket Camp. [21]

And here’s some examples of targets to earn Nook Miles in New Horizons. [11] [20]

Let us be grateful for the Call Islander app on the Nookphone [3] [7] [11] [20]. Compared to how one player can visit another player’s town through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in Let’s Go To The City back in the Nintendo Wii era [19], it appears that two players can play locally in the same island in New Horizons [3] [11] [20]. I think this method of local co-op play seems much more preferable since it appears to not require another copy of the game and connection to the internet. On the other hand, the game can be played online [3]. Either online or offline, a maximum of seven other animal crossers and foam around the island with you, which is really cool and can bring a small community together [3] [19]. You can also pictures of fond memories in the game with the NookPhone [11] [20]. I just hope the screen will be split if the other player is too far away so that the freedom of roaming around the town will still be there. I would definitely play New Horizons with my boyfriend if he wants to try it out.

The whole gang is here! [19]

I bet plenty of us are curious about what else will be revealed in New Horizons soon, including downloadable content. Perhaps in the future after the game’s release, we could unexpectedly witness an underwater village where a red-nosed ranger can travel to and meet meranimals available as something special. Alternatively, there could be a heavenly sky village where animals as angels live in peace and the red-nosed protagonist can also fly gracefully. A downloadable feature for April Fools’ Day ought to be letting villagers fall asleep as a reference to Population Growing [1]. Nowadays, we would look forward to downloadable content about a year after a game’s release. Heck, some of us animal crossers enjoyed playing as Isabelle and the two human villagers in Mario Kart 8 when the Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8 pack came out [5] [26]. I would be cuffed if some of the DLC turns out to be the items from some of the special fortune cookies that are for sale for a limited time in Pocket Camp [21].  Or better yet, a pack of downloadable content could also be something new and exclusive.

 

Maybe some DLC for New Horizons could be a new app for the NookPhone. Let me take a selfie before the next paragraph. [11] [20]

Aside from Tom Nook wearing a new shirt for his new company [11] [19] [20], how can some of the other special characters receive new development? I would definitely be up for that. Remember when how Katie became capable of roaming around independently as she got a bit older in New Leaf and Pocket Camp [21]? Could Isabelle, the Mayor’s assistant who debuted in New Leaf also receive some new character development [5]? I would be interested to be her new outfit if she returns as an employee at Nook Inc. at some point during the game [5]. As for Mr. Resetti, I guess I will not need to borrow King Dedede’s mallet after all since he will have to look for a new career, which could help him evolve into a calmer and friendlier mole [8]. And let us not forget about good old Rover. Could he be the first special character to greet the character again or will he serve a different purpose [9]? There may not be any new personalities for any new villagers, but at least there is a possibility of special characters receiving further development [3]. Please do not get me started with the occasional rudeness from the villagers in Population Growing [15] [16].

I say Isabelle deserves something new after proving that she can kick tail in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. [5] [13]

HEEEEEERE’S SONNY!!! [8]

As someone who became an animal crosser as a preteen, I am indeed looking forward to the Horizons era of Animal Crossing, so I guess I could have a Nintendo Switch for this Christmas in December. Each new chapter after Population Growing makes up for the cancellation of Animal Crossing 2 [2]. It is shame that Animal Crossing: New Leaf might as well soon be referred to as “Animal Crossing: Old Leaf”, but at least the upcoming chapter shall maintain what made the previous one new and refreshing back in the days of 2013 [24]. Can your avatar evolve from a survivor to a mayor? In addition to looking at how far the franchise has come since Animal Forest for the Nintendo 64 only in Japan [4] [24], I also would like to congratulate Rare’s duo, Banjo and Kazooie on their upcoming participation in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as downloadable fighters for the Switch era after years of absence [12]. I also wish Luigi the best of luck in busting ghosts for the third time at a hotel [22]. If you want a new horizon, be sure to start saving your bells. Oops! I meant real life currency. See you in early 2020, fellow animal crossers!

Could a new chapter await the author’s sweet little pocket camper? Or could it await yours? Or maybe both? [21]

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