These days, dipping into the nostalgia pool is a surefire way to grab the attention of retro preservationists and lovers of geeky gadgetry. Team Pocket’s chibi-sized emulator is a case in point. The PocketSprite, a diminutive, open source emulation device, accomodates your old-school cravings with a lineup of Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Gear and Sega Master System Games within a colour OLED display. It doesn’t make sacrifices on framerates, either; Sonic runs loop de loops at 60+ FPS in PocketSprite’s 5:4 aspect ratio.
While the screen might be perfectly sized for Thumbelina, it’s astonishingly tiny 25 mm x 22 mm dimensions might have you squinting. PocketSprite is less than half the length of the original Game Boy, and beats out almost all the competition in the race for microscopic gold. It also comes with a dainty string keychain, perfect for keeping it safe. Another neat perk it offers is the ability to write your own games. Are you a coder? Team Pocket is hosting a programming competition that accepts ports, original games and applications. Coming in first place scores a €1000 cash prize, while second and third place entries receive a free PocketSprite.
It runs on an internal rechargeable battery which gives you hours of pint-sized gaming, and takes the Nokia 3310’s standby time to the next level by offering you months, not weeks of reserve battery.
Those interested can purchase themselves a PocketSprite here. The minimum pledge is $55 USD, but for a limited time, you can pick up an early bird hacker edition for $45 USD. At the time of publication, PocketSprite has raised $18,121 USD out of its $20,ooo USD funding goal.
