The creator of the popular Analogue Pocket retro handheld has posted a cryptic image to social media.
Hot off the heels of the recent unveiling of an extremely limited Transparent Edition of the Analogue Pocket, which clads the multi-purpose retro handheld in a charming brightly-colored semi-transparent plastic reminiscent of the iconic 1998 “Atomic Purple” Game Boy Color, hardware manufacturer Analogue has posted a mysterious message to its Twitter page.
A plain black background accompanied by gold text that simply reads “October 16. 8am PDT” (that’s 4pm BST for those of you in the UK). The exact nature of what is being teased is open to speculation. However, based on the choice of color my bet is that this could be something to do with the Neo Geo – SNK’s fondly-remembered console that first hit the scene in the 1990s and was notable for its striking black and gold design, as well as its range of excellent arcade ports.
Given the Neo Geo’s huge cult following and the recent arrival of an exceptional wireless controller from 8BitDo based on the Neo Geo CD’s gamepad, it seems that there would definitely be a market for the system’s return. There is also a precedent for this from Analogue themselves, as the Pocket is already compatible with cartridges for the Neo Geo Pocket – a rare handheld in the Neo Geo family that never saw an official release outside of Hong Kong and Japan.
Of course, the use of black and gold could just be a coincidence. One thing we can say for sure, however, is that we are going to be keeping our eyes peeled on October 16 to see where this all leads.
Interested in portable play? Check out our list of the best handheld games consoles in 2023 as well as our guide to the best Nintendo Switch games you can buy this year.