[Qoo Review] Arduboy Resurrects Retro Gaming with Open Source!

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GameStart 2017 has begun! This year at game start not only will you be able to try some of the latest games including Bandai Namco’s Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullets, you’ll also be able to see upcoming and recently released indie titles from console and mobile games to tabletop games, as well as the some of the coolest game gadgets like the Arduboy!

What is Arduboy?

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Arduboy is a successful (understatement) Kickstarter campaign that brings retro 8-bit gaming back to modern day gaming. The device is shaped like a Game Boy and features over 200 community-made mini-games that players can download and flash onto their Arduboy!

Asides from playing games, players can also try their hand at creating an 8-bit game with Arduboy’s open source templates.

Although the Arduboy only holds one game at a time, the device can be flashed to hold another game via mobile devices, so players can easily swap out games almost like they would with the OG Game Boy.

More Than Just Gaming

Arduboy is more than just downloading games, their forum features multiple posts that offer tips and guides to first-time programmers in creating their game.

Whether you’re a gamer or a game enthusiast, or an aspiring game creator, the Arduboy community is a great place to find recommendations for good games and polish up your coding or to pick up a new skill.

Thoughts

Personally, I really found the Arduboy to be quite a nostalgic throwback. With over 200 community-made games to try, the Arduboy is really worth a try not only for retro gamers but also for casual gamers who are just looking for something to play as a pass-time in between activities.

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The device itself is compact and light, it easily slips into your pocket, but at the same time, it has a certain refined finish that feels good to the touch. Each button of the Arduboy feels just like an old-school Game Boy would, and to top it all off, Arduboy has earned the recognition of one of the most classic titles in gaming history, Tetris. Fans of Tetris can buy the Tetris Microcard Arduboy which only has the officially licensed Tetris game, and let’s be honest a lot of time can be lost playing Tetris alone, but it would be a shame to miss out the massive amount of contents that is available for Arduboy.

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To be fair, the Arudboy is quite pricey for a device which only has 8-bit games. As much as one can love retro 8-bit graphics, there still is a point where it can be too much. If 49USD is an amount you can spare then, I definitely recommend getting one just to relive the good old 8-bit games generation and to have countless minigames at your disposal.

For those who are being thrown off by the price, apparently, a newer model of Arduboy is in the making! Nothing is confirmed yet, but one can hope!