With two handhelds, a home console, and 50-plus cartridge-based compilations (and counting) to its name already, Blaze Entertainment has built an impressive retro gaming ecosystem with its Evercade brand. Cornering an enthusiast sector of the industry was a smart move, and Blaze’s latest retro hardware is its cleverest play yet. Branded under an offshoot of Evercade dubbed Hyper Mega Tech, the Super Pocket charmingly pays homage to the Game Boy. These truly pocket-sized handhelds–not always a given in today’s portable market–offer tremendous value at just $60 a pop and would make for an awesome nostalgia gift this holiday.
You can choose between Capcom and Taito editions of the Super Pocket, each of which is officially licensed and available now at Amazon and Best Buy. The Capcom Super Pocket has a blue-and-yellow color scheme and comes preloaded with 12 classic Capcom games, whereas the Taito Super Pocket is green and black with 17 preloaded arcade classics. Both models look great and have approximately the same dimensions as the Game Boy Pocket (3 x 5 inches). Even the screen design nods back to the Game Boy, with the black borders and platform names in the lower-left corner, but naturally the 2.8-inch 320×240 IPS panel is much nicer.
Capcom Edition Super Pocket
$60
Taito Edition Super Pocket
$60
The Super Pocket would offer solid value even if it only played the preloaded games. On the Capcom side, you’re getting beloved hits like Mega Man, Street Fighter 2, Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, Strider, and 1942. The Taito version comes with iconic arcade games like Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble. But these handhelds utilize the strength of the Evercade brand. Though it ditches the Evercade name, the Super Pocket retains the ability to play the official cartridges. As a result, it’s more than a novelty device to play from time to time–I’m looking at you Mario and Zelda Game & Watches. The Super Pocket is a full-fledged, evolving platform.
