I have a stack of retro handhelds. GBA, GBA SP, GBA Micro, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Wonderswan Color… a bunch of stuff I am forgetting. Most of these are just on display or stored now. On my desk, within arms reach is a stand with a Playdate, an IPS modded GBA, and a 3DS. Docked nearby is an Analog Pocket. Somewhere, in a box below my desk is a Retroid Pocket 2.
I keep the other GBA on my desk because I do have an Everdrive-like cart for it and I do prefer the ergonomics of the classic GBA, so I’ll just bust that out and play some Kuru Kuru Kururin every once in a while.
I didn’t love the feel of the Retroid and wasn’t impressed with the software. My friend got one an bricked it in like the first week somehow. (I offered her mine and she was just over it).
I generally only commute or travel with the Pocket since it does so many things and does them well. Arcade games, Wonderswan, and all the other stuff you’d expect. It doesn’t need an Everdrive, in fact, I don’t keep a game in the cart slot at all. While it’s nice to have the option I keep one of those GBA vibration carts in there (they work with games that support vibration) and it’s a decent enough dust cover for the port.
Great screen, feels good, has solid battery life, and you could play it on your tv too.
A nice little quality-of-life thing I didn’t know about until I got it was that the controller can turn the docked system on remotely which is so nice.
My only complaint is that when you dock it you’re probably going to scratch the crap out of the bottom because it doesn’t always find the port nicely (versus something like the Switch which just docks in a second).
I had to wait a year or so for mine too but I think it was worth it. Alternatively, you could try to jump on one of these limited edition colors they keep dropping then cancel your other order.
