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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Lara Croft Goes Cartoony In Tomb Raider Reloaded

Oh...my...Croft! My fellow tomb raiders, another mobile game based on the legacy of the intelligent and beautiful Lara Croft will be released in 2021 [9] [22] [24], the same year when Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Dry Twice will be available for the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch outside of PCs and Macs [1] [2]. I remember collecting bronze coins as I swiped my fingertip left and right in Lara Croft: Relic Run back in 2015 [23]. I understand that not all of us are fond of mobile gaming due to experiences with specific clichés and inexcusably greedy microtransaction deals [11], but at least there will still be plenty of hope for another Tomb Raider game for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series that could perhaps start another new trilogy that could lead to the newer Lara steadily evolving into the classic one [38] [39]. Keep your twin pistols handy because we need to analyse the trailer for Tomb Raider Reloaded with plenty of caution while our dear animal crossers stay safe and have fun during the third anniversary of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and its exciting update that allows them to include any anthropomorphic camper in a photograph in AR Mode [14] [17].

Behold! Two twin pistols, which means… [9] [24]

It is great to see the classic Lara Croft back in action once again after the acclaim of Shadow of the Tomb Raider [27]. Unfortunately, I doubt that every tomb raider will let the new art style slide [25]. For a moment, I thought a screenshot of the trailer I saw on Twitter was just some nicely done fanart. But nope. It is official. Personally, the idea of a Tomb Raider game in a more cartoony art style is at least refreshing and I think the art style shown in the trailer is basically the 3D equivalent of the classic Lara’s appearance in Brawlhalla [19]. I at least adore how adorable her face looks. You should see the shots of the wolf, the humongous spider, mighty rock creature and the fierce T-Rex...but in a far more cartoony art style of course [9] [22] [24]. I completely understand that the new direction in art quality for a new mobile game seems quite off-putting, but what matters more is that the game should at least have engaging gameplay and an empowering portrayal of our lady in the plot. And yes, it is best not to make it another endless runner as that has already been done [23].

Old school Lara Croft is back, glitches! I would love Tomb Raider Reloaded to feature the option to change her outfit, just like in many previous instalments [29]. [9] [24]

I quite like the design of the forthcoming app’s logo [9] [20] [22] [24]. The aspect that stands out of the most is the words “tomb” and “raider” being coated in a tint of orange with a tint of yellow, thus resembling a depiction of the sky during sunset as each letter to surrounding by a fairly thick outline to help them stand out and maintain readability. Right below them on the bottom part is the word “reloaded” printed on it in white bold font, adding more individuality to the logo’s overall design. I would say the text is more readable than the logos for the first three logos for the franchise that consisted of rock-like texture from 1996 to 2002 [12]. The shapes behind the title resemble the door of a vault that consists of a cog. At least it is not a cog that tells someone to “f*** off” whilst smoking a cigar [13]. Oddly enough, the overall design of the logo reminds me of a fidget spinner, but I still like it for how its colour palette brings out the vibe of a run-of-the-mill premise of a Tomb Raider game, even though it would be wise to not judge a game by its logo.

The title of the forthcoming mobile game could be a big sign of the gameplay being a rehash of a specific era of the franchise [29]. Perhaps we may get to battle a T-Rex once again [7]. [9] [24]

What kind of interests me about the game’s title is the word “reloaded”. Reloaded? Does that mean the upcoming mobile game will be another remake of the first Tomb Raider game that was released in 1996 [28] [29]? Well, I guess that is the case since the remake of Conker’s Bad Fur Day that consisted of more advanced graphics for the Xbox was titled “Conker: Live and Reloaded” [3] [13]. Since there was already a remake of the first Tomb Raider game titled “Tomb Raider Anniversary” back in 2007 [7] [28], I feel as if it would be more necessary to remastered any of the sequels that were established in the late 1990s. Nonetheless, remaking the first game for a second time would be legitimate for celebrating the franchise’s 25th anniversary in 2021 [29]. A second remake of the first game in a series worked well for Mr. Larry Laffer, right [15] [16] [21]? Besides, the title of his second remake also consisted of the word “reloaded”. It is important for a game’s title to not be potentially misleading, so the term “reloaded” must lead to the upcoming mobile game being a mobile interpretation of any of the games from the classic trilogy, despite how I believe that would be quite an awkward decision.

I find it quite awkward that a remake of a ‘90s console game will be an app for modern mobile devices. Nevertheless, the title of the new Tomb Raider game should not ultimately be misleading as the term “reloaded” in an instalment’s title would be highly likely to mean “remade” in gaming terms [13] [16]. [9] [24]

It seems that my theories on how a spin-off that introduces a deaf archaeologist who communicates with British Sign Language and how a new game introduces Lara on a quest without guns have been proven false [32] [33] [38] [39]. Well, at least for now. In 2021, the time some of our tomb raiders are at least giving Tomb Raider Reloaded a chance [25], plenty of fellow Marvel fans might perhaps enjoy cooking with a certain menacing merc [6]. There will also be the official marketing of the Playdate, a fairly strange contraption with a crank to turn that should hopefully be also available in an edition for left-handed players and a small variety of different colours for more sales after its first season of monochrome games [18] [30] [31]. As much as I would love to listen to an audiobook release of Cooking With Deadpool performed by Ryan Reynolds [4] [5] [36], I would love to cosplay as the younger Lara who became a survivor again once we can all go to gaming conventions again [35]. Here is to a hopefully much safer 2021 that provides a vaccine for defence against coronavirus in order for that and many other opportunities to happen. I never want to live in a year like 2020 again.

“I am so sorry for my off-topic cameo, readers! I hope I can receive some slack since I have been one of Laura’s coping mechanisms throughout 2020 [34]. 2021 will also be my 30th anniversary [37], so she’d better behave herself! I, Wade Wilson, wish the gorgeous tomb raiding chick the best of luck in her upcoming mobile game.” [6]

Mr. Wilson gets some slack. As for Ms. Croft, I wish her the best of luck too! [9] [24]

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The SEGA Game Gear Will Go Micro For SEGA’s 60th Anniversary

2020 marks SEGA’s 60^th anniversary [19], as well as the ironic success of the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie and the 30^th anniversary of the SEGA Game Gear, SEGA’s answer to Nintendo’s Game Boy [26] [28]. To celebrate the two anniversaries and increase the company’s cred in a similar way of how the SEGA Mega Drive Mini has potentially helped celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the original Mega Drive outside of Japan [27] [34], a miniature version of the Game Gear has been announced not too long ago [5] [6]. So far, The Game Gear Micro is raising plenty of eyebrows. I think I have a thing for analysing and stating my thoughts on smaller handheld systems. First the Playdate that has recently demonstrated its own monochrome port of Doom [8] [9] [35] [36], then the Nintendo Vita [29]…oops! I mean Nintendo Switch Lite [14] [37] [38], now the SEGA Game Gear Micro. It also looks like pint-sized versions of old school consoles might have become a trend ever since the classic edition of the Nintendo Entertainment System came around in late 2016 [30]. A miniature version of a classic gaming system can either be exceptional and honourable or…could have been much better [3] [30].

I have got to stop ticking off some Vita misters and sisters by calling the Nintendo Switch Lite “The Nintendo Vita” [29]. [14]

Apart from that, I hope many employees at SEGA enjoy the company’s 60th anniversary! [19]

The Game Gear Micro will be available in four different colours to further increase its appeal [4] [6] [25], similar to how the Nintendo Switch Lite is now available in four colours, including a new lovely shade of coral [14]. Unfortunately, I do not think the decent variety of different colours will make up for how small the screen is, how tiny it will feel in the hands of many old school gamers and how awkward the risk of having to squint to see it more clearly will feel [5]. After all, the whole thing is only twenty millimetres deep, forty-three millimetres tall and eighty millimetres wide, making it smaller than a Nintendo Entertainment System controller [25]. Heck, it is as almost as small as the screen of the original Game Gear [25]! A way to see the screen more clearly would be holding the device close to your face, which would be almost as straining as looking at the red and black gameplay from any of the games for the Tiger R-Zone [12] [18] [35] [36]. Did Sonic the Hedgehog sneak into Mario’s trailer and give four of his mini mushrooms to a bunch of Game Gears after Beat from Jet Set Radio painted them with graffiti [7] [13] [20] [33]?

Look at tiny it is!! [4]

And look at the four different colours! [4]

In addition to four colours for the Game Gear Micro, there will be four games available for each coloured system [4] [25], which is quite fascinating to a degree. For example, the black Game Gear Micro will provide:

•    Sonic the Hedgehog’s first game from 1991 [4] [6] [25]
•    Puyo Puyo 2 [4] [6] [25]
•    OutRun [4] [6] [25]
•    Royal Stone [4] [6] [25]

The games that blue Game Gear Micro will consist of will be:

•    Sonic and Tails [4] [6] [25]
•    Gunstar Heroes [4] [6] [25]
•    Sylvan Tale [4] [6] [25]
•    Baku Baku Animal [4] [6] [25]

The red Game Gear Micro will come with:

•    Megami Tensei Gaiden Last Bible [4] [6] [10]
•    Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible Special [4] [6] [11]
•    Columns [4] [6]
•    The GG Shinboi [4] [6] [21]

Lastly, the yellow Game Gear Micro will include:

•    Shining Force [4] [6] [24]
•    Shining Force 2 [4] [6] [23]
•    Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict [4] [6] [22]
• ·  Nazo Puyo [4] [6] [16]

Reflecting on the fitting but unfortunate size of the Game Gear Micro, having to buy all four colours to play every single ported game on a Game Gear Micro may not feel all that rewarding to plenty of video game collectors since the handheld’s size seems quite too impractical [25]. Nevertheless, I suppose each Game Gear Micro can at least be a unique collectors’ item for plenty of old school gamers out there. Dare to collect all four?

The Game Gear Micro gang will provide four ports each. That makes sixteen ports of retro games that were available for the original Game Gear at the time in total. [4] [6]

I strongly believe that my boyfriend will choose either the black one or the blue one since both of those versions will consist of an instalment of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise [4] [6]. [25]

The concept of a pint-sized Game Gear reminds me of the Game Boy Micro, a small model of the Game Boy Advance that was established back in 2005 [1] [31]. Sadly, the second redesign of the Game Boy Advance was a failure due to its lack of backwards compatibility and how it was released after the debut of the Nintendo DS [2], but it also came in a bigger variety of different colours [1] [31], including:

•         Black
•         Silver
•         Pink
•         Green
•         Red
•         Blue
•         Purple

The Game Boy Micro seemed to be almost the same size as a Nintendo Entertainment System controller [31]. Furthermore, it is no wonder the Game Gear Micro will simply be a rehash of it for the early 2020s, despite having a smaller variety of different colours [4] [6] [25]. Another notable difference is that any Game Boy Advanced game could be played on a Game Boy Micro in any colour [1] [31]. How only four games will be available depending on the colour of the Game Gear Micro might feel too limited. Reflecting on the poor sales of the Game Boy Micro back in the mid-2000s [1] [31], it looks like the Game Gear Micro might be at risk of heading down the same fate.

Not even the Pikachu edition of the Game Boy Micro could rapidly increase its sales back in the mid-2000s. [1]

The edition of the Game Boy that celebrated the 20th anniversary of Nintendo sadly did not help either. [1]

Luckily, there is an accessory that can help those who have their hands on a Game Gear Micro see the screen far more easily and that is no other than the Big Window Micro [4] [6] [25]. Its name is quite oxymoronic if you ask me. Too bad the Game Boy Micro never had an accessory to help magnify its screen. Even though I could be grateful and appreciative towards how a useful accessory would increase a device’s playability, the appearance of it slightly decreases the appeal of the handheld’s visual appearance. It reminds me of the Light Magic, an accessory that would shine its light around a Game Boy’s screen to make it easy to see in a dark room and has a magnifying glass to make it seem bigger and even easier to see, even though it seemed quite tacked on due to its fairly odd design [17]. At least the Big Window Micro has a quite cool design as it resembles a television set you would see in the 1990s, the decade the original Game Gear was released in [26]. The add-on also does not seem as excessive as the Booster [17]. Sometimes less is more and one solution to one problem is enough.

The Big Window Micro looks like a television set from the ’90s, increasing the nostalgic vibe despite making the Game Gear Micro look a little bulky. [25]

What will be next? Platform shoes that have a slot to place a Gamer Gear Micro into? It worked for the Game Boy Color at some point. [17]

In all honestly, I would prefer to play any of SEGA’s nostalgic gems on the original Game Gear from the ‘90s [26]. I would not want to risk having to squint unless I am holding the handheld closer to my face whilst feeling a little discomfort near my elbows. At least I can always attach the Big Window Micro accessory onto the system.  Despite how the Game Gear Micro seems too small and unnecessary to many ‘90s kids to play on comfortably as fairly young adults [5], it will be available on shop shelves in October 2020 [25]. I do not think plenty of our dear Vita misters and sisters would be too pleased with a PlayStation Vita Micro [28]. At some point in the rest of this new decade, I would still like a recreation of the original Game Boy called “Game Girl” with the colourful 8-bit graphics from the Game Boy Color [34], along with a recreation of the Game Boy Camera for talking far more colourful selfies with the quality of an iPhone SE selfie to balance the nostalgic vibes of handheld Nintendo gaming from the 1990s with a little more female empowerment in today’s modern gaming society [17] [32].

I think I would prefer the Playdate due to how it is proportionately bigger and can at least show something refreshing, which is an appealing chalkboard-like aesthetic on the screen [8] [9] [35] [36]. [15]

Anyway, we are yet to find out how well the Game Gear Micro will do and how much it can honour the legacy of the original Game Gear. Will it sell decently? Will it also be released outside of Japan [4]? [25]

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