The Best Games Come in Even Smaller Packages
Do you remember those little hand-held videogames that used to be everywhere? It felt like there were a million options to choose from, from Tamagotchis to Mattel’s Classic Baseball. You could have an entire arcade in your bookbag! But as smartphones and handheld consoles like the Nintendo Switch grew more popular, those single videogame handhelds fell out of popularity on the market. However, if you’re looking to add something to your EDC that is equal parts nostalgic and beautifully simple, the Asterisk handheld game should be on that wishlist.
Powered by a single CR2032 battery, this tiny-but-mighty handheld video game is perfect for keeping yourself entertained while on public transit, on a flight, or any time you might just get an itch to play that timeless “falling-block puzzle game”, as the product page self-describes. With a monochrome OLED screen and four push buttons, this game has all the tactile elements of the old-school versions. The ATtiny85 is the powerhouse of the board, and the Arduino source code is available on the product page if you want to look behind the scenes.
And if you’re thinking about getting that old collection going again, be sure to visit Ampersand’s store page to see the other video game handhelds they have available. The seller has kindly included their high score on the Asterisk’s product page, do you think you can beat their record 57,740 points?