Playdate Console Review: Crank Up the Fun on the Run! 🟨
Given how yellow is our favourite colour, we really couldn’t resist the indie/retro gaming allures of the Playdate handheld.
This diddy little thing is from American company Panic Inc. in Portland, Oregon. It launched in April 2022 and is available for shipping worldwide at £150 ($199).
It’s a mini-handheld thing and kind of a homage to the Game Boy whilst featuring cute, inventive, and quirky little games that put fun at the forefront.
The Playdate is PROOF Yellow Makes for the Best Fun in the World 🟨
[youtube youtube.com/watch?v=HdF3CnFvxg…]
It says everything you need to know about our gaming sensibilities we wanted a Playdate over something like a PlayStation 5.
The handheld is a merger of the old with the new, featuring a black and white display screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a nifty little speaker (plus, a slot for earphones). You charge it up by a USB cable that fits into a PC, Apple charger, whatever else.
The console really is tiny and fits in the palm of your hand!
You can flip THE CRANK (more on that further below) out of the side and use it to manipulate in-game activities.
All the games on it are exclusives, too, and when you get your Playdate you gradually get 24 free games as part of the gaming seasons the device launches. Apparently, there are now well over 400 games on this thing!
You download games straight to the device, play them, enjoy, and yeah… that’s it! Simple but mighty effective, this yellow thing has been charming us over the last week. Much love! 🟨
Some of the Best Playdate Games Out There
The Playdate has exclusive games. This is the big appeal of the thing, the range of fun little unique concepts on the go ONLY available on this handheld.
The games are super cheap and are usually around the £5 mark ($6.50).
How you buy them is even great fun—you manipulate the crank to confirm purchases. For that draining physical effort, you get gems such as these.
Mars After Midnight
[youtube youtube.com/watch?v=xRuG9Ooe9h…]
This one is by Lucas Pope. That’s the man behind some of the most iconic indie games, including brilliant puzzle romp Return of Obra Dinn (2018).
And it’s probably the biggest release on the Playdate yet—a real score for the handheld as an exclusive.
Mars After Midnight is just magnificent. It’s really credit to Pope he can take such a concept and turn it into this, packed with brilliant little details (the alien translation box is a delight) and simultaneously get you doing the dishes.
This is the type of thing we wanted from the Playdate and it delivers big time, with a strange alien landscape playing out with free snacks and mental health sessions (one of which is flatulence-based… hurray!).
Root Bear
[youtube youtube.com/watch?v=TOK_aDS1RV…]
Root Bear initially appears a bit idiotic, not helped by how it took off on the ever-annoying TikTok as a fad of the short attention span moment.
However, once you give it several goes… it gets mega addictive!
You have to pour drinks up to a certain point, using the ever-present Playdate crank, and get rated on your pouring techniques.
Once you’ve mastered the basics (and stop the wild wailing the character does if you get it wrong, including a mighty Wilhelm Scream) it becomes a high scoring and speedrunning dream.
Mega Dystopia Micro Architect (MDMA)
[youtube youtube.com/watch?v=rkeMNxm6h_…]
Solo indie dev gytiszal is responsible for what some people thing is the Playdate’s very best game. We’ve got round to playing it yet, but it’s a relaxing city builder game.
The idea is to plan out a city, but everything is very slow paced and chillout. From what we’ve heard so far, MDMA also boasts one of the Playdate’s best soundtracks.
OOM
[youtube youtube.com/watch?v=hm9LUK7xTe…]
Yes, a rhythm game! Makes sense that someone would try this out with the Playdate’s crank thing. OOM is the one!
You have to yank the crank to the beat and manoeuvre your little dude to safety. A neat little concept.
Gun Trails
[youtube youtube.com/watch?v=_GscxQLpRl…]
A fast-paced and already notoriously difficult space shooter, Gun Trails is an adaptation of a classic genre. It’s the usual stuff—shoot, boom, ratta tatt.
Gun down the enemy spaceships ahead of you and revel in the glory.
Under the Castle
[youtube youtube.com/watch?v=5jRst88aBR…]
This is one of the most ambitious efforts available. Under the Castle is a mini-RPG experience, highlighting just what this little console can do.
There are roguelite elements with strategy. Alongside its great audio and crystal clear visual style, this is arguably the best RPG on the system.
Cranking Up the Playdate’s Cranky Crank
[youtube youtube.com/watch?v=npUOw88NJ2…]
Okay, so the crank. What is it? Basically, it’ s an analog controller. You can see it in action above on Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure.
The thing (the crank) is tucked into the side of the Playdate. There’s a satisfying motion to bring the crank out, which also makes the console do one of its retro gaming style bleeps.
You can use the crank to navigate across the menu screens, too, but its main purpose is the in-game stuff. Not all games use is, but the likes of Root Bear put it to super effective use.
Some suggest the crank is a gimmick. It kind of is, but for us it reinforces what the Playdate is all about—fun. A bit of a laugh with a handheld that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Closing Thoughts: Bringing Yesteryear Into the Now Year With a Crank 🟨
[youtube youtube.com/watch?v=Q22-SRx4Fe…]
It’s easy to swoon for the Playdate. There’s a very active community Panic is providing, with a podcast series available and regular Nintendo Direct styled updates on what’s coming up releases wise.
The yellow little thing has slotted neatly into our lifestyle.
At the moment we’ve found ourselves enjoying it in the hour or so before bed, experiencing the various unusual game concepts and revelling in its Game Boy homage qualities.
However, we’ll soon be taking it with us on commuting trips, too.
The fantastic portability of the device, plus its accessibility, have really charmed us over one, dammit.
Problems? Some gamers have an issue with the lack of a backlight on the screen. We’ve not had any real bother with that, it’s not like the Game Boy era where you had to battle like crazy to see anything.
But we have had a few post-game-purchase download issues where error messages pop up. When you turn the console off, it downloads eventually. But the errors can get a bit frustrating (we presume this issue will iron itself out at a later date).
Cripes, that aside, we love the thing.
If you’re a fan of retro gaming, or just want to shake up your gaming routine with something accessible and fun (with a big emphasis on FUN), the Playdate is for you. 🟨
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