RG35XX - Dipping my toes back into my memories

I started my retro revival with an obsessive YouTube search for retro emulation devices. The more I searched the more I saw the same company names popping up over and over. After some price comparisons and stat reviewing, I settled on my first retro handheld, the Anbernic RG35XX. It was supposed to come with all the abilities I was looking for, NES, SNES, Gameboy, Gameboy Advanced and many more on top of that. With a little minor tweeking here and there I got the little machine up and running. I was excited to have it in the transparent purple color, as I grew up carrying my atomic purple Gameboy Color in the pocket of my cargo shorts practically everywhere I went. After the initial lack of enthusiasm I felt navigating various menus and finding the particular game I wanted to retry, I was greeted by that powerful joy of watching the logo I remembered appear on the 3.5" screen along with that signature DING.

Without realizing it, a smile crept across my face as I watched 3 golden triangles spin into view and snap together into the all powerful Triforce. It was in this moment that I new I'd made the right choice. As the stress of my day to day life melted away, I wasn't worried about bills, or housework, or even that nagging ticking sound my truck has just started making. No, in that moment I was back in that old familiar brown building, laying in a bed as my uncle told me not to leave the house. Watching him take up his sword and walk out into a storm to save a captured princess. I was back in Hyrule and nothing had changed since I was last there. I made my way to the secret entrance, you know, the one under the bush to the side of the castle. I fought my way through the castle guards and rescued the princess. Escorting her through the dank sewers to the safety of the sanctuary. It was at that moment that I was carried back into the real world by the soft voice of a teenaged girl..."Hey Dad, what are you playing?" I smiled, reset the virtual console and handed her my RG35XX. "Sweetie, let me show you one of my favorite places growing up."

In that brief exchange my daughter and I created a new bond. We were more than a Father Daughter team, we were Mentor and Pupil. I was the veteran hero passing my sword on to my young adventurous child. And together we saved Hyrule.

The RG35XX is a great handheld console. It's just about as plug and play as you could ask for. No extra bells and whistles to get in the way. Just the simple frontend to find your games and the controls necessary to go on your adventures. It's rugged enough to be safe in a kid's hands and modern enough to peak their interest. The feel in the hands is more than enough to invoke the joy we once had holding a Gameboy on the back seat of the school bus. If you're wanting to delve back into the magic of the 90's, this little device may be your golden ticket.

My Daugher and I both give the RG35XX an easy 9/10.

The device does what it was designed to do extremely well!

• Plays anything from the Atari to the PS1

• Good battery life

  • 3.5 to 4 hours of playtime at full brightness and moderate volume.

• Good feeling in the hands.

  • Good button response and comfortable ergonomics.

  • Rubber membrane buttons feel just like I remember them.

• Good power to handle all those older games

  • No problems playing NES, SNES, GBA, Genesis, or PS1 titles.

• Very Affordable!

  • As of 5-22-24, Can be purchased for $49.99 from Anbernic's website.

Only downsides I've found is the lack of analog sticks. Makes some PS games a little tougher to play. Anything designed for a D-Pad will play great! And, some higher end arcade titles had some stuttering and slowdown.

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