It's almost too good to be true: Super Mario comes to your home for 23 euros! 23 Euro? Yes, Amazon has recently started offering one portable gameboy clone which is supposed to convince with a price of less than 25 euros. It is clear that there cannot really be much power behind it. Nevertheless we have it Retro FC ordered it, tested it and what can we say: We had to wait a while for this report. After all, we had to play through a few games on it first...
The original Gameboy
Many readers will remember: Nintendo's Gameboy Color was the hottest device of the year. In 1998, the first handheld with color was eagerly awaited. A great success for the Asians. This is how Mario and especially the blue and red editions of Pokemon really came to life. Okay, compared to today's consoles, the quality may not be the best, but you can probably tell: the nostalgia is there and the desire for a short gaming session on the old device is definitely there.
So why not go for a cheap replacement when the originals still (or again) cost more than 100 euros? Alright, so that's why Retro FC by Anbernic. We didn't expect much. After all, hardly anything good can come of it for such a price. But lo and behold: the Retro FC is a pleasure to unpack. Because the grip of the keys, the design and the robustness of the case are right. That gives hope. A USB charging cable (without plug) and an AV output cable are also included in the scope of delivery. So you can also transfer the Retro FC to the TV (whoever wants to do that with what feels like 64-pixel graphics).
The screen leaves a lot to be desired
Unfortunately, the feel is the only thing that makes the Retro FC convincing. Although the software offers an overwhelming selection of 160 games, there are no Gameboy classics to be found. Rather SNES or even SEGA classics, such as Sonic the Hedgehog can be found. So that's not the problem: But the display makes the low price understandable again. Because the TN panel simply does not have the necessary power to display the actually simple images.
Let's define this more precisely: Although the brightness and contrast are okay, the translation of the software is abysmal. For example, backgrounds and game-relevant objects cannot be distinguished (doors that are only intended to act as background look like interactive elements). This is the Retro FC's biggest shortcoming. With 160 games, this also runs through like a red thread.
The comfort
In conclusion, it can be said that there are a few games that don't suffer as much damage from the poor implementation. So a pastime for 23 euros is okay, even if it would be more in the interest of every gamer if a better display were installed instead of a TN panel. The Retro FC is still suitable as a successful little gift for any occasion and for this price a little fun is guaranteed. We've spent money on sillier things.
