Retro Handhelds Face-Off

March 11th, 2012, 23:27 Posted By: wraggster

Despite the prevalence of retro games on download portals such as Steam, PSN, XBLA and the Wii Virtual Console, many purists will tell you that you simply cannot beat the real thing. No digital service can replicate the reassuring click of a cartridge docking into a system or the authentic feel of original controllers and hardware. The big sticking point here is that vintage hardware is just that - vintage - and no longer in production.
Mercifully, the peculiarities of US patent law means that many illustrious machines from yesteryear are enjoying a timely resurrection, thanks largely to industrious companies in the Far East. Because hardware patents expire after twenty years, it's perfectly legal to create clones of famous retro consoles; the market is full of NES, SNES and Mega Drive impostors, some of which are so versatile that they will happily accept games from all three formats.
Of course, the manufacturers of these devices benefit from two decades of subsequent technological advancement, and are able to offer miniaturised marvels which would have been impossible back in the early '90s. In a special rose-tinted Digital Foundry Retro Face-Off, we've selected two leading lights in the retro handheld arena: The Hyperkin SupaBoy and the Blaze Mega Drive Arcade Ultimate Portable. It's Sega versus Nintendo all over again.

[h=3]Introducing the Hyperkin SupaBoy[/h][h=2]Hyperkin SupaBoy Specs[/h]Pray silence please for what must surely be the largest portable games machine of the modern era.

• Dimensions: 210x100x38mm
• Screen Size: 3.5-inches
• Power Source: 1500 mAh rechargeable battery (2.5 hours battery life), wall charger
• Media: Original SNES/Super Famicom cartridges
• AV Outputs: Stereo sound (3.5mm headphone socket), composite TV-out
• Other Features: Volume dial, LED power light, x2 ports for original SNES controllers

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