I can’t think of a handheld with more versions than the Super Pocket, but the new Activision Edition absolutely aesthetically slays. Yes, I am a sucker for the whole ’70s Supergraphics rainbow thing, and the publisher’s old getup really makes for a pretty portable. The catch is that it feels more like another Atari capsule, and that’s less exciting than, say, the console with Banjo-Kazooie built in.
That’s not to say the Super Pocket Activision Edition won’t find its people. I can guarantee there are retro handheld enjoyers out there with an affinity for third-party romps missing from the Atari version. It’s more than the 34 built-in classics are less impressive in a lineup featuring portables with one of the best 3D collectathon platformers ever included, and I guess that applies to most of the other models too.
Yes, I know not everyone is searching for how to play N64 games like Banjo-Kazooie on the go, and the Rare Edition only includes one 3D outing. Again, the Activision Super Pocket also has a different target audience, and there’s a lot of fun to be had with the publishing titan’s roots. Better still, since this is still an Evercade device just like every other model, you can play most other games via cartridges, and doing so on the prettiest version makes sense.
The Activision Super Pocket dropped right on my doorstep in time for the weekend, and it really helped me revisit a chunk of my collection without setting up the Atari 2600+. I won’t lie, there are entries in the 34-game list I couldn’t be less fussed with, specifically the sports titles like Boxing, Skiing, and Checkers. But those are outnumbered by a bunch of other excellent capers from the era that demonstrate what ’80s gaming was all about.
Classics like Pitfall and its sequel are natural headliners on the Activision Super Pocket, and they capture basic platforming fun with a bit of exploration. Even though I emerged on this planet in 1991, the same day that Cher reached number one with The Shoop Shoop Song, the jungle adventure was actually one of the first games I ever played, albeit via a crummy TV Boy plug-in-play that swapped the color palette to night for copyright reasons. So, playing it on something far nicer to hold than that oval monstrosity felt like the right way to revisit a bona fide classic.
While sifting through the Activision portable’s library, I did make something of a bittersweet discovery. Perhaps calling it a realization is more appropriate, but upon spotting Dragonfire, one of my favorite Atari games by long-gone publisher Imagic, I realized that Blaze has ditched the old label’s cover art.
In the old silver and red box’s place is a green Activision-style cover, and the swap admittedly made me feel a bit gaslit. I know it ultimately doesn’t matter since you’re getting a standout speedrunner with a gameplay mechanic that feels somehow spiritually linked to those videos of people darting through Scientology centres for kicks. That said, including the Imagic artwork would have preserved historically significant third-party vibes that help provide somewhat of a backdrop.
Demon Attack is also present with a new Activision-flavored costume, a right afforded to the modern-day publisher after aquiring a few of Imagic’s properties back in the ’80s. The old brand was never picked up in its entirety, which could be why we aren’t getting the authentic box art, but the old logo is still baked into the start screen before you dive into the frantic fixed shooter.
I want to give an honourable mention to other entries like Beamrider, H.E.R.O, Keystone Kapers, and Moonsweeper, just so you don’t think I’m strictly here for the Imagic games. Ultimately, though, I think it takes a certain player type to get caught up in the addictive arcade loops these old Activision relics provide, and even if you do spend a solid hour repeatedly playing Moonsweeper like me, you’ll probably pick this one up for its shell.
I am absolutely comfortable calling this portable the best-looking Super Pocket yet, and it’ll catch some eyes on the train or on your shelf. The rainbow wave really pops against the black shell, providing a look you just aren’t going to find with other handhelds (and not just because it looks like an LGBTGQIA+ gadget).
Before picking a specific Super Pocket, I’d have a think about whether you care about built-in games. If so, you’ll want to consider the various other models out there before the Activision version, like the Neo Geo edition for fighting games or the aforementioned Rare model for Banjo. If you’re fully on board with building an Evercade cartridge collection, or even buying the upcoming Banjo-Kazooie double pack, I’d take your chance to buy the prettiest console by Blaze yet.
Swing by the best retro consoles for emulation machines, fancy FPGA remakes, and everything in between.