Revisiting the PlayDate in 2024...
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ส.ค. 2024
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I think about the Playdate a lot. It's a vessel to play some really interesting, unique games. I wanted to see how much has changed since it launched 2 years ago...
Trying out this new TH-cam feature to fix a few things I got wrong or didn't make clear enough (thanks to your comments on Twitter):
Correction:
0:58 What you are seeing is footage of the official Playdate Game Store, called "The Catalogue", which is never mentioned in the video. Prices on here range from $2 - $15. In the voice over I am referencing the itch.io "Playdate" tag, which has prices mostly ranging between FREE and 3 dollars.
Correction:
4:08 It comes with 2 free games, and gives you 2 games a week. You can also just go to their site and download all of the games at once if you choose.
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Reviewing the Playdate and not finding the Catalog is like reviewing the Switch and not finding the eShop
I'm kinda amazed how much content you missed for the PlayDate, not even touching the amazing Catalog selection which has the massively popular Mars after Midnight by the legendary Lucas Pope, creator of Papers Please and Return of the Obra Dinn.
I'd recommend revisiting the device again! There are SO many gems on the catalog you didn't touch
Best Pope ever
I'll add another comment that I'm surprised Lucas Pope's Mars After Midnight wasn't mentioned. That was probably the biggest release for the system since its initial round of games.
Crazy there is no mention of the built in store rather than so much on itch. It’s a huge part of the Playdate
hello - playdate owner and game developer here to speak my tired thoughts. sorry in advance for the text wall:
this video honestly doesn't seem like an accurate representation of the current landscape of playdate at all. it surprises me that you checked out absolutely Nothing from the official games catalog - in fact, it looks like the only games you sideloaded at all for this new round were sketch share solve, the jam version of root bear, a free ball maze game, and yet another game boy emulator. it's frankly super disheartening as somebody who makes original, in-my-opinion-really-cool content, and also being a part of the playdate community where *sooooo* much other radical stuff is going on constantly, to see it all pretty much sidelined by the usual complaints of "grr no backlight" and "wtf bad at game boy?!" i'd expect you to at least have checked out mars after midnight, honestly; that game from lucas pope is pretty much the sole reason a lot of people even know about the playdate right now, so it's super odd to see it not even mentioned (alongside so many other things) in a video about "the playdate 2 years later"
plus, a lot of facts are straight-up wrong. you get two games per week during the season (for a total of 24), and it actually is supremely easy to skip ahead through the device page on-line (not by changing the clock; the games are unlocked server-side so that doesn't do anything anyway) - and "most of the games being free" is definitely not correct; there's a lot of fun experimental stuff on itch that is, but there are a TON of paid games, especially so on the catalog, with a lot of meat on their bones as well that i feel were really worth a mention here. panic offers press access, you can get these games for free, being the media outlet that you are, if you feel THAT averse to paying for games; either way it feels like an incredible mis-step to not mention any of it at all.
to anyone who sees this video, reads this comment, and takes it in earnest: i honestly encourage you to do some of your own research into the console beyond this video; take a look at the games on the site's catalog, and see if there's anything that piques your interest. if you want some recommendations for games to look at, i've really liked: gun trails (50fps bullet hell shmup with incredibly tight controls), reel-istic fishing (a huge chill experience, an homage to ridiculous fishing with a ton of it's own charm), and medial (like a cross between sudoku and minesweeper, with like over 2500 levels under its belt) - all of these games are under $10 a pop (medial is $2!!!)
i've had this thing for like a year and a half now, and not only have i had the opportunity to play so many cool and unique things for it, i've also had the chance to *make* cool stuff for it as well! and as a beginning game dev, it's indispensable to have such an easy place to get started creating a game, and actually putting it out there and getting incredible feedback and support from the community surrounding this little console. i've been working on both small games and larger ones, and it's been such a wonderful aspect of my life that i'd recommend to literally anybody. seriously, especially if you're interested in making games of your own: the SDK is super easy to get started with, and people on the reddit and discord have always had peoples' back when they need help figuring out some tricky code or whatever. you don't even need the hardware at all to get started creating games! that would've been a cool thing to bring up too
thank you for your time, i'm going to bed
Yeah this echoes all the frustrations I had watching the video. It was really disappointing that so many basic facts were wrong and that he clearly didn’t even check out Catalog - the most significant update in the last two years.
I don’t have the playdate and I follow bob for a long time. I’m sure he didn’t miss these things on purpose or even maliciously. But I can also see you have a ton of experience and know what you’re talking about, and did it respectfully, a rare trait in the internet. My take on this is that there are cool things on the device but something is missing on the marketing/communication, because nobody seems really interested in it, but those invested are really passionate. What I mean is that perhaps a more streamlined or general strategy would work better. And I’d love if you could teach Bob the right way of using it and Bob make a follow up video with the information for everyone + a re-review
@@bsmarques i wouldn't call it malicious for sure, but honestly i feel like if you're going to make a whole review video about something an effort should at least be made to take a look at the most important factors. it's fully possible he just missed this stuff on accident, but it feels like enough to the point where the review is almost damaging for the product with how little it covers. when someone sees this handheld at face value, they see [handheld console that's not a switch or steam deck] and assume that it's yet another off-the-shelf console that is built to emulate every game under the sun. the thing is that playdate is ostensibly not that by a very long shot - you buy it to try stuff you've never experienced before! weird experimental titles, or bigger gems; from first-time game makers to super experienced devs. anybody who's done actual research about and/or bought & tried the console is by far not purely interested in it over "how well it can play a nintendo game". and reviewing it like it's basically only meant to BE that, and relegating all of the unique and original content to basically a passing mention of "oh there's a nice little homebrew scene" is borderline misleading about everything the console stands for if i can be so bold
i'd say reviews like these are a genuine reason (at least in part) for the large amount of distaste you see in the youtube comments sections as well - honestly if i saw this console for the first time in the way this video portrayed it, "a game boy that couldn't run game boy games well, didn't have a backlight in 2024 and cost $200", i probably wouldn't have been interested in it either. there's something to be said about how panic markets the console of course, but it's also a very important thing for reviewers and press to actually represent the product fairly, as more often than not they can be someone's very crucial first impression for the thing! and if the youtuber they already trust for their gaming opinions says little more than "it doesn't run game boy games better than 40hz", they're not gonna be at all interested in diving deeper. and at that point it's not the fault of panic's marketing at all
i'd LOVE to see a more comprehensive review of the playdate's original titles; at least, beyond deliberately showing an anti-climactic shot of a picross game and going "erm...THIS is the best game on the system? :/" - i genuinely maintain that a lot of the titles on playdate are some of the best gaming experiences i've ever had, not just because they're good games, but also because the community's so close-knit that i can often just straight-up talk to the person or team who made it! and honestly, the incredible community aspect is something that i don't think any press review can fully sum up. it's something to behold, truly
sorry for another wall, i just woke up; i'm gonna go eat dinner
@@bsmarques It's one thing to miss things, but given the stuff listed I don't know how you'd find those specific things and not find the catalog that is on the device itself to get games from. If you go to itch and just browse the Playdate tag you'd find significantly more interesting stuff than that, and that's if you're sideloading in the first place. I don't know how you accidentally end up with those specific games. I'm not even claiming it was on purpose, it's just unfathomable to me. The catalog is right there in the menu. This would be like loading a bunch of F-Droid games onto your phone at random and thinking that's the mobile game landscape.
I watched part of this video while scrolling comments, saw this, and decided to stop.
Super excited for Hexa, btw - I am much hype after your post on Reddit the other day.
My girlfriend has been rocking the Playdate on-and-off since it came out. Amazing little device with a ton of wonderful games and wonderful ideas. Trying to force it to be something it isn't is missing the entire point.
The reason emulation doesn't work for this device is that the device itself was never designed or intended for emulation. The console is 1-bit meaning that gameboy games (which are 2-bit) wont look right. And the screen also has a refresh rate of 50 hz where the gb has a refresh rate of 60 hz. So of course emulation isnt going to work on the playdate.
Bob your emulation addiction is getting out of hand, not everything needs to be an emulator
Playdate: has 2 buttons.
Bob: We need good emulation that needs 6 buttons on this thing!
Exactly my thoughts when he just went over it not having Start and Select for Game Boy, lol
we can make it work
Just a heads up, you can fast forward in the game catalog within their website to any specific week. I had my unit replaced due to a button malfunction and initially thought I was stuck waiting for the weeks to go by, but that’s not the case. There’s also an option to unwrap all games at the same time if you press the option button from the home screen.
You mean the season 1
TBH it's clear you didn't even try to see what some of the best games this system has to offer are. You showed some of the more simple games (mostly free games) that the console has, so I'm not surprised you came to the conclusion that you did. Also, you're just incorrect about some complaints you had - one of which was that you have to wait to get all the season games (unless you change the clock??) - in reality, you have the option to unlock all season games at once if you look at you account settings on the website.
To people who use the playdate more regularly, this really seems like a half assed re-review. If you want to revisit the playdate again in earnest, I would check out the following currently available games and look at some of the best stuff that's to come. Theres a lot more meat to this console than you are giving it credit for. Some of my favorites:
Currently available games:
Ratcheteer
Saturday Edition
Mars after Midnight
Under the Castle
Space Rate Miner
Deep Space Dapper Squad
Pullfrog
Resonant Tale
Currently in development:
Comet
Voidblazers
Devils on the moon pinball
Midnight Raider
The Whiteout
Owlet's Embrace
Cosmo Nash
Lmao no one cares
@@stevejobs3816 good one, you got me
@@stevejobs3816 I'd say 12 people care more about him than they care about you, at least :)
Just wanted to add to the pile of people saying you should open the playdate catalog, I can't understand how you missed it? missing Gun Trails and Mars after Midnight is criminal haha, I'm sure this guy is a good youtuber but anyone reading this: please don't think this is an accurate representation of the playdate, the community or the games available in 2024!
How did you not try Mars After Midnight?? Fantastic, quirky, great design, music, humor.
Really disappointing to see that you didn’t check out any of the playdate’s new feature or games since your last video with it. This was framed as a reflection of the last two years with the playdate, but you didn’t really use it the past two years, you didn’t even get through all the season one games. There are a lot of things you got wrong about the playdate in this video. Would love to see you do some more research and make a better video about this.
Also, if you only want this to emulate Gameboy games, just get an emulator. The playdate isn’t a good Gameboy emulator. However, it is a fantastic and unique console. I love mine and have gotten so much enjoyment out of the season one games as well as the catalogue games I’ve played so far! (Catalogue is Playdate’s eshop for anyone who doesn’t know)
I want to get one so bad. I never got one when it originally came out, but there's something I love about how charming and unique and adorable it is.
Same but I can't run away the reality that it's always better to buy something else for that price.
The price is not at all charming or adorable.
@@jovi9918 gotta agree with you there LOL
It’s not worth it at all ! It’s expensive for crappy games
I returned it months ago I don’t think the price is worth it
I love the Playdate! Definitely not the device I would turn to for emulation, but it's not even needed. That being said, between Catalog and Itch, there are a plethora of games worth diving into. There are new games coming out all the time (to the point where I have a backlog of games I want to play). In terms of the back light, I got a neck light on Amazon that takes care of that need during night time play. I mostly like to use the device out in my backyard while sitting in my hammock and find that is the lighting situation that I enjoy best (plus who doesn't enjoy some hammock gaming time).
in the Wulffed Den straight “cranking it”. And by “it”, haha, well. let’s justr say.
My playdate
I CANT ESCAPE THE ROBLOX MESSAGE 💀
@@jvdosit’s not from roblox are you 12 ?
Pathetic and embarassingly under researched video. Why dwell on emulation so much when thats not even the intended function of the playdate? Like damn my toaster cant emulate gameboy games either, but it can do its intended task of making toast very well lol. Playdate has an insane library of unique new games that you didnt even attempt to touch. Alas, the content mill must keep churning...
Where is Angel Pop and Pullfrog? My top 2 games in the pd.
Dont YOU DARE speak badly about my boy’s crank. Its weird, sometimes unnecessary but its what make it special and i never want my boy to feel that is not beautiful and unique
Tf is you on
@@omarcuellar1848 drugs. Want some ?
You GOTTA check out more games… Tau, SCP, something that uses the crank so you can get an idea of how it is as an input. Also, you’re misinformed on MULTIPLE points here (there is never a point where you have one game, you do not change the system clock to unlock more games, 99% of the official store is paid content…)
There are real things to criticize about the Playdate. I traded mine because the store stopped taking my card, for example. Controls tend to degrade quickly, it would seem. The ifixit tear down is revealing in this regard.
Those are things that would actually help people to know. I’ve watched you for a long time, and I guess I just expect more research from you.
This is not an accurate video update. The playdate is fastly becoming one of my favorite consoles of all time. Awesome games that fits into my lifestyle, great community and an inspiring hardware that makes me want to play it. It’s expensive because when you’re not a huge company making questionable decisions, things get expensive. I’ve had it for a year and the quality time I’ve spent on it is unmatched.
I don't remember your name coming up in the video
I appreciate the revisit but I think the overview of games in this video was pretty lazy. It is a great pocket console for bitesized gaming. Aside from the 24 games you get with the console which are generally all pretty good depending on your taste the Catalog, the PlayDates store has a lot of good quality games. Regarding this device for emulation, go somewhere else this device isn't for that. I just don't think this is the device for Bob.
I'm just genuinley curious why you didn't pick up a couple of catalog games to feature on here. Gun Trails is very different to anything else on here because it is trying to give some classic arcade sh'mup action and it's actually very good. Mars after Midnight though, I would say is the new must have game that will have general appeal and is lengthier than the 1st year release titles. I feel like this might be a case of, it's a console for game devs to share ideas and gush over each other's games perhaps and maybe, if they do a 2nd console, they'll add the backlight, maybe a couple more buttons and have it be beefier in size with a bigger battery and faster wifi. Then there would be a ton of great game devs building more ambitious titles out the gate that cut their teeth on the first playdate plus the whole playdate 1 catalog of games to play on it too. I believe in the future of Playdate being a long running alternative line of original handhelds.
I don't understand the want to play emulators on it though, you of all people surely have every emulation handheld in existence right?
Sorry if this sounds overly critical. I do love your content, I just feel like this video is selling it a bit short because the Catalog does now have a ton of more ambitious titles. Also, if you join the Playdate Squad discord, you can get updates on games currently in development and MAN, there are some gorgeous looking games in the pipeline.
I can get a top-of-the line handheld emulator with backlit screen for 200€. And functioning Bluetooth.
And they have bazillion games available, as many buttons you need and i don't use Discord so this device has ZERO positives.
I can build my own crank too, if that thing was like 20€ and backlit i could consider.
That message was more aimed at Wulf Den himself. I agree though, if someone interested in Playdate didn't already have an emulation handheld and they would play retro games, then 100% agree the retro handheld is waaaay better value for money. For those of us that already have our emulation devices (and/or OG hardware), the Playdate offers NEW and original games. That's what you get it for.
@@woldemunster9244But that is not the point of the Playdate. It is not a high-end emulation device. It is a beast of its own, a unique console with unique games.
I've had it for more than half a year now and it consistently keeps me engaged with great releases. Pullfrog is one of my game of the year contenders and from previous years I loved A Balanced Brew and Whitewater Wipeout as well.
I completely disagree with you on the crank. It's a great control device, it feel very smooth and responsive. I cannot imagine Whitewater Wipeout, A Balanced Bew, b360 or a lot of the other games with any other type of control.
The only screen that has ever looked good in direct sunlight. Still don't understand the hate.
Bob, this is an intervention: mist filters are cool and all but it looks like you’re surrounded by smoke in a crack house 🙂↕️
I can't unsee it now
Would love to buy one but it's 265$ just for the console, with no accessories, here in Europe (considering shipping and taxes). For that price I could almost get a refurbished steam deck.
Yeah it's a completely ripoff, they wasted money having teenage engineering design it, and then wanted to prove gouge customers.
$265 USD for something that costs $50 to make is gross
and having no backlight isnt a cute charm its just annoying. That was the one thing EVERYONE hated about the gameboy
@@ScrubsWasTakenit's just part of the upgrade path.
@@jovi9918 It costs much closer to $100 than $50 to make and comes with 24 free games (with two more free games in the catalog). $199 plus shipping is a perfectly reasonable price.
@@tldr365 That's not a good thing.
The visuals are "1-bit" but the games themselves obviously aren't 1-bit or even 8 bit. I know that's a silly thing to point out but what strikes me most about the games I love on the Playdate is how beautiful and creative the visuals are and how impressive they look. It's a juxtaposition of a very simple display and what is clearly not a basic game at the same time. Much like playing pokemon on my Boox Palma.
This is such a weird video. You state things that are wrong and/or just weird. Why would you want to emulate something on this????? Its not an emulation device!
Yeah I don’t get this either! Why rate a device *not intended for emulation* on how well it emulates? Particularly when he owns dozens that do?
Exactly, emulation is a bonus not a feature.
It's crazy how much you flew right over the expansive Playdate games catalog (including the official Catalog) and its active, passionate community. Just two days before this video we had a new hour-long Community Direct showcasing tons of new and upcoming games.
Here's a quick list of interesting, impressive, or just-plain-great Playdate games for you or anyone reading to look into:
Reel-istic Fishing (Game of the Year 2023 from the community awards)
Legend of Etad
Gun Trails
P-Racing
Mars After Midnight
Mini Monsters
Mega Dystopia Micro Architect
Totally Safe Enhanced Jump System
10-Day Champion
Summit
Under the Castle
Kuroobi
Space-Rat Miner
Resonant Tale
Castle Tintagel
Post Hero
Core Fault
Rocket Bytes
... and literally almost 1000 more between Season 1, Catalog, and Itch.
All the ones I listed are available on the Catalog (on-device and the Playdate website), so they're very easy to get.
From what i’ve heard the PlayDate uses some kind of MiP screen (or something very similar) which is lit by reflecting light rather than emitting its own light. These screens are used on some higher end smart watches such as Gshocks, and I believe old Pebble watches used something similar. Its not possible to have a true (and decent) backlight on a reflective screen the size of the Playdates.
The screen was an intentional choice to extend the battery life, as it uses some very unconventional tech. Chances are it is one of the things that increased the price the most. The benefit of these reflective screens is that the higher the amount of light in the room / outdoors, the *better* the screen looks, rather than worse. This means it’s great to use outside, but pretty bad to use somewhere dark indoors. Definitely seems like a device you’re supposed to use in the outdoors.
I fully believe you, but I find that thoroughly bizarre; why design technology that requires you to occupy the time you are taking away from technology by going outside? I know, conceptually, playing a device in your garden sounds nice, but it feels like a weird thing to design a machine around.
@@PolitiClank I suppose its not really meant to be a replacement for actual games consoles like a Switch or Steam Deck. Its possibly supposed to be a ‘healthier’ way to enjoy games on the go while travelling or going out to socialise, with the games designed to be small and quick experiences rather than something immersive. I think its a good idea to bring it on a camping trip or something, but cant think of much else where its not just for the novelty.
@@PolitiClankit's.... A handheld????? Taking it away from the livingroom/house technology is literally the point
Surprised to see no mention of Mars After Midnight by Lucas Pope
But, when will I be able to emulate all the way up to PS2 on the damn thing?!
Lol
You can opt out of the drip feed of new games and get them all at once now if you'd like. I picked mine up earlier this year.
I was confused by this complaint too. There’s a walkthrough on the panic website. 🤨
Yikes Bob, not your best work here. Criticism is fine, but making fun seems abit far.
I got one used for 150$ cad and I havent touched my switch or many other games since. This thing got so much charm between the design and the games, it made me fall in love with video games all over again. It’s a great device and I actually love the screen because I play outside a lot and at night it’s like setting to read a book, makes it very cozy for me
Also it’s two games every week and there was a direct yesterday with a ton of great games announced! Long live the playdate!
Also there’s a frontlight mod in the works!
Sketch Share Solve looks a lot like Picross. Don't disrespect Picross!
8:11 BOB ITS FUCKIN PICROSS
Fun fact, Nintendo actually owns the copyright to the term "picross". The actual name is "nonograms"
@@OctaHeart Fun fact, picross is the better name. nonograms is what you say to your grandma when she does something she shouldn't.
@@adoggz and kilograms are just overweight grandmas?
@@CathrineMacNiel no, it's 1000 grandmas
Yeah, and a lot of people think Picross fuckin' sucks. I never understood the appeal, myself.
This thing is great when standing in line or stuck in a waiting room
Yes!!! I absolutely love it for when there's downtime and I don't want to be looking at my phone!
That's when I love mine as well!
So is a phone or any of the numerous handhelds on the market. 😂
@@tmerchead1 k
@@tmerchead1 I hate gaming on a phone because it inevitably leads to infinite scrolling and ad watching (for me)
Also, point me to a handheld that is as small and portable as the playdate that plays a huge well of clever and fun indie games
Man, loved the background music in the intro … gave me goosebumps
“I think Playdate has the perfect form factor for emulation”
“No start button in these emulators so they have to use the crank”
Is it really the perfect form factor then?? 12:57
Also, as a long time watcher, you have way too many emulators already. Some are even SPECIFICALLY MADE to be emulators. So maybe leave Playdate out on this one?
Gameboy has 3-bit colour (4 shades), while the PD has 1-bit colour (2 shades). So it'll never be a good GB emulation device.
Gun Trails & Water Flow are my main games. My wife likes Lifter Flipper. It's def is the most common thing I put in my edc but when I have to travel, switch Lite.
Bob, did you try Mars After Midnight?
I was glad to see the mention of Bloom, even if it isn't your thing! It's one of the most memorable gaming experiences I've had the past few years, and I loved checking in with the garden daily while picking up bits of the story
As a Playdate owner and dev, I gotta say wow, there are so many things wrong in this vid :/ Kinda makes me sour about other videos on the channel.
Yeah, same for me. He should take it down.
What’s wrong? I think this is basically everyone’s conclusion of this device outside of its niche community.
@@harvivekdhindsa6809 he didn't reviewed the current state and he did make a lot of mistakes.
What a expensive device, should be max 99$
@@travelstar241 sure, we all have control over that.
It might be worth looking at catalog games, a couple of them are free, and there's a lot of good ones out there that are on catalog but not on itch. Summit reminds me of celeste but has its own feel and is really fun. Castle Tintagel is a good homage to Castlevania too.
While I didn't buy the PlayDate, I fell in love with the idea of it and how it got me to look beyond graphics again. I loved seeing projects people made with such limited hardware and thought the catalogue of games were interesting. I liked the idea of it partially being a Dev Kit of sorts, focusing on the building blocks of game design.
I hope they make another one that has an OLED screen and keep the Black and white aesthetic with some color (like the Gameboy Color). Maybe make it so it slightly more powerful with a slightly bigger screen to add a bit more detail. Maybe add an additional button or two for added controls with a New Nintendo 3DS like analog nob.
Better yet, I wish they made these PlayDate projects for our phones. I think these super focused games fit mobile very well and remind me of early mobile titles before the freemium boom.
WTF are you talking about; the screen is the best part of the handheld. The picture is gorgeous and it's really energy-efficient.
You're an id,iot if you think Wifi4 is slower for downloading updates than newer Wifis.
There's a toggle in settings to get all the free games at once, so you don't have to wait for the weekly thing if you don't want
The thing sucks
@@ramrodbldm9876 Or perhaps it's made for a specific type of person that you are not. Though it is super specific... I'm still surprised it's a real product at all even though I quite enjoy my PlayDate.
I've rewritten this comment probably five times, but I'll just stick with the simplest composite of all of them. I am glad that a channel of your repute has revisited the Playdate, as it deserves more recognition. I do think it was owed a better, longer look than what you gave it. Using the same format that you'd apply to something like a Miyoo Mini or a Retroid Pocket review, in which its technical ability to play retro games is a metric for its value, is an unfair and incompatible qualifier to apply to it. Much like Nintendo, it's not trying to compete with devices like that. It's doing its own thing, and delivering on that.
I owned a Game Boy as a kid, and fondly remember being excited when there was a new game that I could get for it. Then the Game Boy became a thing of the past left to be revisited, and I do like to revisit it sometimes. The Playdate is doing something more interesting, which is making a Game Boy for today, with new games to be excited about, not old ones to dig up. Several people have pointed out Mars After Midnight, and rightly so. It's brilliant, full stop. Pullfrog is also one of my favorite games on the device, and Word Trip may be my favorite word game of all time. Both of these are on the Catalog for an absurdly low price for their value. These are new games, new ideas, made within hardware constraints that make them feel like they COULD have been old games. That's cool!
It's also the only device that I know of where people have made games using the completely free Pulp studio and made money. There is no easier entry point for a person who wants to make games that people can buy and then play on dedicated hardware, bad screen be damned. That is worth celebrating, especially in a time when many development studios are shutting their doors. Fortunately, there's an incredibly welcoming community of creators across the spectrum of experience that are championing the opportunities afforded to anyone wanting to make games for the Playdate. It's an example of video game development at it's very best.
In short, I appreciate you, this channel, and the video for what it gets right. I hope you'll take some of the constructive criticism to heart and maybe provide an addendum to this video that highlights the things that actually make the Playdate really special (and arguably important), not the ways it falls short in a competition it never signed up for.
Agreed.
Lots of great responses providing a better sense of how Playdate is currently. I'm sure Panic/Playdate could have given you a recap before filming this video? And I'm surprised there was no mention of the Playdate game YOYOZO that was featured in ArsTechnica GOTY 2023 list alongside Super Mario Wonder, Zelda TotK, and Baldur's Gate 3! (Disclaimer: I made YOYOZO).
It's his job to research those things, not the company's.
@@NA-jd6wythat's what I'm saying, in his research he could have read some press releases or the latest updates from the company
Try Saturday Edition!
This isn't really a "Playdate in 2024" video, it's an "I turned my Playdate back on and scraped it for content" video.
You haven't interacted with any of the changes in the last two years, you don't even seem aware that there's a built-in vetted game catalogue. (You have B-roll of it but you don't mention it, so i assume this is an example of your editor knowing more about the device than you.)
There are many breakout hits for the system that showed up between now and then that you also arent aware of, even though it would only take the briefest of googling. Like, Lucas Pope made a game for the device that was popular enough to get some people to buy the console for it. Once again, you are unaware.
You also seem to continue to be obsessed with the playdate emulating things even though that's not what it's for. It's technically possible, but so is emulating something on a smart fridge.
In general this is a great example of a youtuber deciding they need a quick content farm so they pretend to understand a random thing for ten minutes and upload it. I've gotta say, if you're this entirely unknowledgeable about the other things you cover too, I should probably unsubscribe.
I was literally just thinking about the Playdate. Thanks lad.
People whining about the lack of backlight don't seem to understand how amazing this console is on the go. It's the perfect pocket console to take when going out.
I've been on the beach with this thing and it's the best screen ever.
Also, unless you are in the deep dark, the screen is really usable in most situations with some ambient light.
Its a valid criticism this ain't 2001 when being able to game on the go was a key feature and you can get away with not having a back lit screen or blue tooth . When you have less features than old gba charging 200$ is laughable.
@@tmerchead1
I definitely don't agree, You could say that about the 1bit screen as well. Color screens are the norm.
This is what it is, a novelty console. Having no backlight is what it makes it able to have the screen so close to the front of the outer shell and to reflect even better in the sunlight + having great battery life.
It's not meant to be played in a cave.
You can pplay it with low ambient light, contrary to what this review makes you think.
There's bluetooth, just not available yet. They can add it in the future, just like the Nintendo Switch did.
Cept when it's dark out 🤣
@@stevejobs3816 do you walk in the dark? If I’m going to a night out I don’t take my play date. Any other scenario the console is pretty valid. There’s light everywhere, natural or artificial.
@@LoanSharkOfBliss26 what if there's not? 🤣
Bob, it’s okay that you don’t like my game (Sketch, Share Solve) but making fun of it on your big channel is uncalled for. Maybe play more than the first puzzles (which are simple on purpose) before you judge. This is disappointing.
I'm a picross enjoyer and thought the lamp was cool and still laughed at the joke. I guess take it for what it is, "guy who doesn't enjoy nonograms thinks nonograms are stupid", but I get that's probably not easy when it's your baby.
I mean if you like it, what does you care? Why are you upset by a guy on TH-cam?
Lmao don't worry we weren't going try any of these anyways because steam deck 🤣
@RolandKoller90 Probably because she made the game? And the guy trashed it based solely on the tutorial levels? Imagine if you made a movie, and a popular reviewer gave it a 1/10 because the opening credits bored him, and thousands of people just took his word without knowing the full context. I’d be upset too.
honestly fair but from where i sit even being mentioned likely was good publicity for your game. i remembered your game being mentioned and downloaded it forgetting he was a bit negative about it. its a real players taste sorta system as i see it. i wouldnt loose any sleep over this that is for sure!
the playdate seems really cool but its not worth $200 especially when there's no backlight
It's worth it if you want something completely original. This has 100% original games that are really made for other consoles. This also isn't meant to be an emulation device, that was never the intended design for it.
@@8_Bit_Bear Its cool that it has its own original games but there's so much better hardware out there. you can straight up buy a refurbished steam deck or a Nintendo switch and get access to straight up better games that have much more content.
not to mention the fact that its almost $300 in certain countries after shipping and tax.
also I never mentioned anything about emulation
@@8_Bit_Bear No its not 200$ for a gimmick console is laughable .An there is better hardware that can run the playdate games and do more. When an old handheld like a ds or a psp has more features than a modern handheld for a far less price its next to impossible to justify that price .
@@tmerchead1 not to mention the fact that indie games on all consoles are very unique and original. $200 for a weak handheld with no backlight is a joke
I like the display because it looks better than all my other handhelds when I'm outdoors in the sunlight. It's really all about knowing what conditions it excels under. My other handhelds do better indoors, so I use them inside. My main use case for the playdate is occasionally stopping on walks or somewhere with lots of sun. Not long gaming sessions.
That said, mine's getting RMA'd currently for the crank, and I wished they would have not had that. It seems to be a QC issue for some and I think it might be a point of failure for any collector who wants to keep these things working for years.
So many things in this video are either completely unreasonable or just outright untrue. What's the point of reviewing a device twice if you're not going to do even the most basic of research or proofreading before finishing your script? What's the point of reviewing something that's explicitly built as a bespoke console with limited hardware based on the quality of emulation? Like, if the playdate just isn't for you that's one thing, but come on? You know that Catalog exists but you don't even look at the community awards winners?
That's not what his channels about? Are you new here? Also he does discuss that stuff in his other video
I don't even have a play date, but I know about the Playdate store. Agreed.
@@angelusb2066 It's an emulation channel, yeah. I've seen plenty of his videos. Is that a good reason to base your opinions about something that clearly isn't meant to be an emulation device or compete with modern consoles on how good it is at emulation or how it competes with modern consoles?
@@dimitribarronmoreThis is not an emulation channel lol, he just talks about experiences with tech and shares thoughts.
@@lande.r1You say that, but the VAST majority of his videos are about one thing or another in the handheld computer and/or emulator handheld space.
no, the playdate needs the crank. its wierd, yes. but it wouldnt be the playdate without it.
edit: screen too! youre such a gamer. between the steam deck trackpads and this, the stuff you can say can be irking to me sometimes.
edit 2: sketch share solve is just picross, no wonder its the second highest rated game.
Great sponsor this week, definitely buying it through the Amazon link. Thanks Bob!!
Now that you can order them without having to wait a long time to ship, the community seems to be ramping up
It's a nice gimmick, but definitely not something I'd be proud of buying and keeping, especially with that damn near $300 price tag and no backlight. There's just way better options that give you more bang for your buck....and, like, an actual backlight.
I would say, think of the gimmick like how nintendo has had a gimmick for a lot of their consoles. The gimmick for the playdate adds a lot of charm and variety to the games available for it. And the playdate having a unique control scheme, has unique games for it that no other console has bc these games are made specifically for the playdate.
@@8_Bit_Bear I don't think comparing a console and games made by an AAA corp to this one is fair tbh. At least all of Nintendo's consoles offer functionality and games that have lasted a lifetime and has continued to do so, even the more gimmicky ones like the 3DS
What better options are there? There are 0 devices out there that even attempts to do what this thing does.
@@livesinalazywonderland4021 there's the Pico 8 (although that's more like a game engine than a device), Analogue Pockets (emulation device that you can put homebrew on), the multitude of PC handhelds, etc.
Someone was walking by when ya started yelling in the preroll 😂😂 WELP
very shallow review
Jeez, how did you miss something obvious enough to be pointed out but several top comments in succession?
Honestly, its one of those devices that look cool at first and is a catchy idea. But from the moment i saw it, its clear you'd play it every now, Throw it on the shelf or lose it under the couch. The money you spent would be worthless eventually. So i find it strange seeing people actually wanting this thing
Good video ! I’m going to have to eventually get myself a PlayDate system!
Gamekid has sound, but you have to enable sounds before you run your rom by going through the list and and hitting the home button.
Saying this device that has two buttons and a 1-bit screen would go say hard at GBA emulation is probably the most deranged thing I've heard this year. ... Is this engagement bait? Am I falling for bait?
If you hadn't said "the Playdate came out two years ago" I would've assumed this was an old video, since it seems kind of out of date. I mean, sure, you can still sideload games from itch to this day but how can you not mention the catalog? It's like not mentioning the eShop.
Usually your videos are good, but I think you missed the mark on this one a bit.
Love my Playdate
I signed up for the Playdate after watching your first video and I absolutely love it. It reminds me of my original Game Boy from back in the day, except instead of hand-me-down games there's a huge catalog that come with it and many cheap and incredibly fun games.
i love my playdate!
I've always been interested in the play date but at $200 I just can't justify it with its screen. You can get some really nice handhelds for less than that
Like an IPS modded GameBoy Advance with Mario, Zelda and Sonic games.
exactly
I'm still holding out on the invevitible Playdate Color. Sooner or later, that's going to happen. This thing reminds me of the ol Pebble Watch. It's a great device, but, with some minor QOL reworks on whatever the next Playdate is going to be, that's when I'll jump in
I still want this thing
If only it didn't cost $230 to get it to Europe...
Really enjoyed this video! Great idea!
Bob, you should redo this video after checking out the Playdate Catalog. Really missed the mark and missed a lot of interesting stuff.
You have to play Mars After Midnight.
What a perfect timing! Just got mine.
Playdate, Evercade, and Bit Boy (if im getting the name correct) afe the 3 devices that arnt just an emulation machine like the miyoo mini or the RG35XX.
7:37 YO-KAI WATCH MENTIONED!!!!!! (Yo-kai Watch is my favorite game series and is almost all of my top 10 games so I always mention it if it gets mentioned in anything I watch.)
My friend has one and I played around with it recently and I liked it alot more than I i thought I would its really well built and a cool device overall but the lack of a back lit screen is baffling. I cant imagine it would have hit the battery life that hard. If they did another one or did a revision with a light that would make it alot easier to justify but as it stands I feel like you can get the same kind of thing for much cheaper with pico-8...not hardware of course but still.
I love my Playdate and the community....but it needs a back lite screen. I don't play it mostly because of that.
i like owning mine. hoping for a season 2 we can all play together. think their rollout was a huge issue
Moist Critical I can’t believe one of the consoles is called a Playboy
Playdate rules. It has a cool community too and a lot of unique games.
Not a big deal.
This thing is like the handheld equivalent of a quirky Wes Anderson movie
I think for 199 bucks and then extra costs for a lot of its games on top of that, a normal person is not gonna buy this thing, they're gonna buy a low-end Anbernic or something. This console has Portland art school energy
I like the creativity but with the unlit screen and the crank I was expecting it to have no charging port and you have to manually power it with your hand while you play
(while typing this comment I looked up the creators and 3 of the 4 people were from Portland Oregon and my face contorted into a Joker smile)
Really cool device but for 198 GBP I don't think I could pull the trigger and would rather invest in something like a Steam Deck but it is a cool niche product
It's definitely true that this is more of a niche product. The playdate is for people who want a unique indie experience that can't really be replicated on other devices. I honestly think of the playdate as if the Gameboy came out in 2022 and that all the knowledge of game design was put into the games made for the playdate.
@@8_Bit_Bear I wish I could have some left over cash for the PlayDate there has been some games that I have actually really wanted to play on it but can never pull the trigger, maybe one day
Buy one, play it, sell it.
@@8_Bit_Bear There are dozens of more powerful devices that can emulate everything on the playdate.
Weve forgotten the struggle of playing a DMGs original screen lol
I wish the hardware of this thing looked more comfortable to hold because aesthetically it looks AMAZING.
It honestly isn't that uncomfortable to hold. Wulff den doesn't have it, but the playdate cover adds a little bit of needed thickness to the device which helps. Also people have created grips for the device as well. I think the only times I've struggled and wanted a grip was for games that had intense cranking, but those are few and far between.
Would love to get it, but here in Eastern Europe with shipping taxes, customs and vat it's almost double the price, which is crazy! At least make a distribution center in Europe, so it's around $200ish here too, which already is way to much but that's another story.
I love my playdate, but outside of well-lit situations, I find the screen to be a bit too dark and a bit too tiny.
The playdate, I forgot all about it til this video. I will forget all about it til the next one haha Still fun to watch though!
Loved it for the first few months when I first got it. Now it just sits in my night stand. I follow play date on X and whenever I see a game that catches my eye I might try it out for a little while. Still waiting on that damn dock tho.
If it was backlit I'd buy one in a heartbeat. That and that alone kills it for me.