It feels like this thing takes Nintendo’s design philosophy to its limit - “if it’s not fun, why bother” becomes “if it’s fun, why not?” Great little video, glad YT recommended it :3
Very well made video. The playdate has become one of my favorite consoles of all time, it's so cool seeing someone who gets what makes it special. I'm really glad you highlighted some of the catalog games, cuz there are some absolute bangers in there. If you enjoyed gun trails, definitely give Angel Pop a try, it is absolutely incredible. One of the best games this year period
I've loved the playdate ever since it came out, but $199 was and still is quite a steep price for it. I do really like all the games you've showed in the video because some of them I've never heard of before but would actually play! Though honestly I might wait things out to see if you can start picking them up used for a little cheaper
$199 definitely feels steep at first glance, but I think the price is also to offset the cost of the games included with Season 1. They had to pay the devs behind the included games somehow. That said, I hope that this gets you to break out your Playdate and try some new games!
@@IndieAlpaca That's a good point! When you put it that way, the price actually makes more sense, but at the same time, that just makes me wish you could buy it _without_ the included games and save like 50 bucks. Though the way they've chosen to integrate the included games is a probably a large part of the experience of using the console, but I just want it to mess around with the hardware and program weird things for it Also, are they really still on Season 1? It's been out for a little while so I figured they would have moved on from that by now
@@cybedra I think a lot of it is about sticking to the vision. The S1 experience is a key part of the Playdate's identity. So far they've only done one season, but every playdate still gets that season of games. It starts when you first get your playdate and you get two games a week. The experience is identical whether you got your playdate in 2022 or 2024.
I'd seen brutalmoose cover this last year, and have occasionally thought "What was the flat gameboy with the lever called again?" and this makes me so happy to see the console still on the go I'd LOVE one of these, there's so many awesome looking titles, and I respect the philosophy of an entire handheld just for indie games and no microtransactions so much. Legit the only thing keeping me back is the console with shipping to my country is almost $300 😭😭😭 Maybe someday ig, still appreciate this showcase, thanks for making and sharing🖤🖤
0:54 I just realized your model has the same "double blink" bug most hobkins do in VRChat lol (It's playing the blink animation + eyes closed animation at the same time, making the eyelids go 2x farther shut than they should)
I love mine and have used it every day for two months since I got it. I feel like the quality of the software is constantly getting better and more creative
I just got mine last month and love it! A totally different gaming experience than anything else. I feel like it's gaining steam now that theyre available
I love my playdate but I wish indie devs would get their heads out of their butts and start making simpelr, more normal games. Most games are some kind of overly pompous indie trash on this platform, even something as simple as a shmup finds a way to be some kind of annoyingly frustrating with indie trash mechanics such as one life or terribly optemized screen space.
the only reason why i somehow still remember this thing is because it was produced in my country (malaysia, but man i do not like being here for reasons), but somehow is inaccessible to people here lmao But honestly i dont think it is popular here cause literally everyone plays on their phone or mobile phones are affordable than buying a gaming pc and stuff At least thats what i heard 2 years ago when it came out, never got one myself though
@@Megan-hu5is yeah, but at a heftier price they wanted to just sell it straight in my country for people here but nope, they decided to ship to the us, then ship back here and boy do i have a lot to say when it comes to us shipping to asia (its always expensive)
@@JadeyJ4d3y I think it was less that they wanted to do it that way and more, from what I understand, that some stupid factor about shipping laws that makes it a requirement. Still, it seems frustrating and I'm sorry it's so much more expensive!
The only reason I could see myself Getting this is the crank. They make no backlight screens on phones. So While I love that part of the console not just for looks but also playing in the day and battery life I can get that on something that is much more powerful letting play way more games.
Most of the games you showed in the video seem to be shorter, arcade-style games. Obviously, this console is at least somewhat geared towards having those types of games, but do longer, more fleshed out experiences exist for it? I feel like screen lends itself really well to some sort of abstract RPG (sorta like Minit or this other game about a pet that I can't remember the name of), which i would absolutely love to play on there or even try to create myself.
As far as longer experiences go I can share some recommendations. In season 1, Saturday Edition is an excellent point and click mystery game. And Ratcheteer is a sort of top down zelda style adventure that really captures the essence of those gameboy zeldas while having a totally unique art style and fresh items/dungeons. Outside of season 1, Echoes of the Emergent just came out recently which is a pretty lengthy post apocalyptic visual novel. Legend of Etad is a 3D first person dungeon crawler with some massive mazes to explore, it can easily take 10+ hours to finish. Baito Fight is a daily jrpg, where you play for about 20 minutes every real time day over the course of a few weeks. Mars After Midnight is a super unique game by Lucas Pope that I don't even totally know how to describe but it's amazingly charming and pretty substantial for it's $6 price tag. There are so many more though too that I just haven't gotten to play yet, I have a few games in my playdate backlog like Under the Tree, a first person rpg, that I'm saving for when I have time to really sink my teeth in. The variety of games being made for this console is amazing. The indie development community behind the playfate is fantastic, I have a feeling you'd be able to find many games you enjoy.
That would be cool however they would have to make it compatible with the original play date games. Maybe they could offer a bigger storage and they microSD slot.
it seems super fun! but way too expensive in this economy! especially in US dollars. if it ever goes on sale for like 85-100 I'd pick it up, but until then I'll enjoy watching playthroughs on UA-cam!
My question is how does the enjoyment scale to the price? 200$ just seems like an incredibly steep price point for something that seems closer to novelty and time waster (and tbh I think that it’s 100% something you should have mentioned in the video). The Nintendo switch lite is the same price, which also has its fair share of creative indie titles, free games and (admittedly more difficult) modding capability. My initial feelings based on this video is that it’s more of an art piece and just not generally recommendable for the greater gaming audience. The crank is really the only “objective” factor that makes it a unique experience to other options. I’m maybe a little biased because its marketing comes across as a sort of faux-friendly “we’re not the BIG guys so you can trust us!”, but I really feel that this is only about 30$ of technology, after markup, which is then overblown in price due to them knowing their market is purely based on social perception and not because the device fulfills a purpose.
I think the price to enjoyment ratio is something that varies from person to person. I personally think it's worth it, and everyone I know who got one has thought it was worth it as well. It's a bit of a niche product, so it admittedly won't be for everyone. It's sort of like buying a model train set. You can buy a fancy, detailed kit for a couple hundred or a Thomas the Tank Engine toy for a couple bucks. Those fancy kits are more for collectors with specialized interests, you know? It also comes with 24 games, many of which are solid experiences similar to titles around $5-15 each on a system like the 3DS or Switch. Fwiw, it's not intended to be a competitor to the Switch, just a fun little hobby device. If you don't see value in it, that's totally cool since it isn't for everyone. My main goal is to show the value it can provide to those who would like it.
worth every cent to me and i waited ages for mine. i dont play it all the time but always thuroughly enjoy it when i do. thing is amazing for the lake cabin.
I'll say, I pre-ordered when it was priced at $180, and by now I've spent over $200 on games for the system and bought a second one at $200 as a gift for my partner. For me, it's worth every penny. While I also love the switch, I adore having a handheld that fits right in my pocket that I can take anywhere with new original games on it. Genuinely one of my favorite consoles I've ever owned
It looks really nice, and I like the pixel art that can be done on the playdate, but that price is still steep for a device like that. I very much get that it is for enthusiasts, but when it is the same price as a Switch Lite, that’s really steep. I haven’t seen anything that stands out as a “must play” with the PlayDate. Sure, there are games that use the crank, but just a gimmick shouldn’t be a selling point for something. If the price was say 99 dollars or something like that, then I can see where people might pick it up, but for 199? Forget it.
I would get it at $50 max. For $50 - $100 you can have a decent Android handheld like anbernic or powkiddy devices. For 150 - $200 you can have a great Android handheld like retroid pocket 4 or ayn odin . For $300 you can have the ayn odin 2 All of these even the cheapest ones like powkiddy v10 can play gb, gbc, gba, nes, snes, genesis, gamegear. N64 and some ps1 and some plandroid playstore games. And the better ones can do ps2, GameCube , even switch, so asking $200 for this is insane
This isn't an emulator device, your comparison doesn't seem exactly fair. You aren't supposed to be going for emulations of the gbs and neses and whatnot, this is meant for NEW titles to be made with the Playdate itself in mind. Oh, and? I can emulate on my laptop that I have non-emulation reasons for owning.
The whole "you have to wait to get everything" thing seems like just a way to be different. This and the price point is why the playdate is the steam deck for Twitter users.
fwiw, you can skip thru and just obtain the season games all at once if you wanna do so; the waiting is just the default behavior. personally the waiting period had me trying out games i probably wouldn't have given a chance otherwise, just because each game had its own little period in the spotlight and it made me more interested in checking 'em out individually
It feels like this thing takes Nintendo’s design philosophy to its limit - “if it’s not fun, why bother” becomes “if it’s fun, why not?”
Great little video, glad YT recommended it :3
3:52 "I get really weird looks when I frantically try to crank it in public" 🤨😏
Very well made video. The playdate has become one of my favorite consoles of all time, it's so cool seeing someone who gets what makes it special. I'm really glad you highlighted some of the catalog games, cuz there are some absolute bangers in there. If you enjoyed gun trails, definitely give Angel Pop a try, it is absolutely incredible. One of the best games this year period
I had no idea this thing existed, but this seems super great ^-^
it is!
I've loved the playdate ever since it came out, but $199 was and still is quite a steep price for it. I do really like all the games you've showed in the video because some of them I've never heard of before but would actually play! Though honestly I might wait things out to see if you can start picking them up used for a little cheaper
$199 definitely feels steep at first glance, but I think the price is also to offset the cost of the games included with Season 1. They had to pay the devs behind the included games somehow.
That said, I hope that this gets you to break out your Playdate and try some new games!
@@IndieAlpaca That's a good point! When you put it that way, the price actually makes more sense, but at the same time, that just makes me wish you could buy it _without_ the included games and save like 50 bucks. Though the way they've chosen to integrate the included games is a probably a large part of the experience of using the console, but I just want it to mess around with the hardware and program weird things for it
Also, are they really still on Season 1? It's been out for a little while so I figured they would have moved on from that by now
@@cybedra I think a lot of it is about sticking to the vision. The S1 experience is a key part of the Playdate's identity.
So far they've only done one season, but every playdate still gets that season of games. It starts when you first get your playdate and you get two games a week. The experience is identical whether you got your playdate in 2022 or 2024.
I'd seen brutalmoose cover this last year, and have occasionally thought "What was the flat gameboy with the lever called again?" and this makes me so happy to see the console still on the go
I'd LOVE one of these, there's so many awesome looking titles, and I respect the philosophy of an entire handheld just for indie games and no microtransactions so much. Legit the only thing keeping me back is the console with shipping to my country is almost $300 😭😭😭
Maybe someday ig, still appreciate this showcase, thanks for making and sharing🖤🖤
love mine eagerly awaiting a season 2 the entire comunity can experience together as intended.
0:54 I just realized your model has the same "double blink" bug most hobkins do in VRChat lol
(It's playing the blink animation + eyes closed animation at the same time, making the eyelids go 2x farther shut than they should)
Haha, yeah, I noticed that after filming but I forgot to edit this one out
I love mine and have used it every day for two months since I got it. I feel like the quality of the software is constantly getting better and more creative
I just got mine last month and love it! A totally different gaming experience than anything else. I feel like it's gaining steam now that theyre available
I've wanted this thing for a month, i should buy it right now :0
This might be the sign to!
I love my playdate but I wish indie devs would get their heads out of their butts and start making simpelr, more normal games.
Most games are some kind of overly pompous indie trash on this platform, even something as simple as a shmup finds a way to be some kind of annoyingly frustrating with indie trash mechanics such as one life or terribly optemized screen space.
the only reason why i somehow still remember this thing is because it was produced in my country (malaysia, but man i do not like being here for reasons), but somehow is inaccessible to people here lmao
But honestly i dont think it is popular here cause literally everyone plays on their phone or mobile phones are affordable than buying a gaming pc and stuff
At least thats what i heard 2 years ago when it came out, never got one myself though
They finally ship the Playdate to Malaysia now!
@@Megan-hu5is yeah, but at a heftier price
they wanted to just sell it straight in my country for people here but nope, they decided to ship to the us, then ship back here and boy do i have a lot to say when it comes to us shipping to asia (its always expensive)
@@JadeyJ4d3y I think it was less that they wanted to do it that way and more, from what I understand, that some stupid factor about shipping laws that makes it a requirement. Still, it seems frustrating and I'm sorry it's so much more expensive!
@@Megan-ds8cc its fine, just reminds me of a few personal reasons why i wish i wasn’t from here and all
This thing looks super fun
It is!
The only reason I could see myself Getting this is the crank. They make no backlight screens on phones. So While I love that part of the console not just for looks but also playing in the day and battery life I can get that on something that is much more powerful letting play way more games.
Hi! I have a playdate. I got I in June and LOVE it. My favorite game is wing squadron. Thanks for a great video on the playdate!
Most of the games you showed in the video seem to be shorter, arcade-style games. Obviously, this console is at least somewhat geared towards having those types of games, but do longer, more fleshed out experiences exist for it? I feel like screen lends itself really well to some sort of abstract RPG (sorta like Minit or this other game about a pet that I can't remember the name of), which i would absolutely love to play on there or even try to create myself.
@@redex3036 there are definitely a few rpgs for the system as well. I prefer the arcadey experiences personally so that’s why I focused on them
As far as longer experiences go I can share some recommendations. In season 1, Saturday Edition is an excellent point and click mystery game. And Ratcheteer is a sort of top down zelda style adventure that really captures the essence of those gameboy zeldas while having a totally unique art style and fresh items/dungeons. Outside of season 1, Echoes of the Emergent just came out recently which is a pretty lengthy post apocalyptic visual novel. Legend of Etad is a 3D first person dungeon crawler with some massive mazes to explore, it can easily take 10+ hours to finish. Baito Fight is a daily jrpg, where you play for about 20 minutes every real time day over the course of a few weeks. Mars After Midnight is a super unique game by Lucas Pope that I don't even totally know how to describe but it's amazingly charming and pretty substantial for it's $6 price tag. There are so many more though too that I just haven't gotten to play yet, I have a few games in my playdate backlog like Under the Tree, a first person rpg, that I'm saving for when I have time to really sink my teeth in. The variety of games being made for this console is amazing. The indie development community behind the playfate is fantastic, I have a feeling you'd be able to find many games you enjoy.
I've been thinking about buying a playdate for quite some time, now i know it's definitely worth it!
@@50millionbees if you get one, let me know what you think!
I have had a play date since day 1 but I don’t use it that much anymore
They should made a playdate 2, with a color screen, 2 dpads, and a trigger
That would be cool however they would have to make it compatible with the original play date games. Maybe they could offer a bigger storage and they microSD slot.
it seems super fun! but way too expensive in this economy! especially in US dollars. if it ever goes on sale for like 85-100 I'd pick it up, but until then I'll enjoy watching playthroughs on UA-cam!
My question is how does the enjoyment scale to the price? 200$ just seems like an incredibly steep price point for something that seems closer to novelty and time waster (and tbh I think that it’s 100% something you should have mentioned in the video).
The Nintendo switch lite is the same price, which also has its fair share of creative indie titles, free games and (admittedly more difficult) modding capability.
My initial feelings based on this video is that it’s more of an art piece and just not generally recommendable for the greater gaming audience. The crank is really the only “objective” factor that makes it a unique experience to other options.
I’m maybe a little biased because its marketing comes across as a sort of faux-friendly “we’re not the BIG guys so you can trust us!”, but I really feel that this is only about 30$ of technology, after markup, which is then overblown in price due to them knowing their market is purely based on social perception and not because the device fulfills a purpose.
I think the price to enjoyment ratio is something that varies from person to person. I personally think it's worth it, and everyone I know who got one has thought it was worth it as well. It's a bit of a niche product, so it admittedly won't be for everyone.
It's sort of like buying a model train set. You can buy a fancy, detailed kit for a couple hundred or a Thomas the Tank Engine toy for a couple bucks. Those fancy kits are more for collectors with specialized interests, you know?
It also comes with 24 games, many of which are solid experiences similar to titles around $5-15 each on a system like the 3DS or Switch.
Fwiw, it's not intended to be a competitor to the Switch, just a fun little hobby device. If you don't see value in it, that's totally cool since it isn't for everyone. My main goal is to show the value it can provide to those who would like it.
@@IndieAlpaca mmm I see I see. Very well put. Feeling slightly less negative now
@@totalphantasm that’s a-ok! I appreciate your insight.
worth every cent to me and i waited ages for mine. i dont play it all the time but always thuroughly enjoy it when i do. thing is amazing for the lake cabin.
I'll say, I pre-ordered when it was priced at $180, and by now I've spent over $200 on games for the system and bought a second one at $200 as a gift for my partner. For me, it's worth every penny. While I also love the switch, I adore having a handheld that fits right in my pocket that I can take anywhere with new original games on it. Genuinely one of my favorite consoles I've ever owned
I need one
It looks really nice, and I like the pixel art that can be done on the playdate, but that price is still steep for a device like that. I very much get that it is for enthusiasts, but when it is the same price as a Switch Lite, that’s really steep. I haven’t seen anything that stands out as a “must play” with the PlayDate. Sure, there are games that use the crank, but just a gimmick shouldn’t be a selling point for something. If the price was say 99 dollars or something like that, then I can see where people might pick it up, but for 199? Forget it.
This price is insane. The only problem is price if they make it like 50-70 dollar its ok but for 200 u can buy switch lite 😂
The way you’re acting seems like you’re a toddler
I would get it at $50 max.
For $50 - $100 you can have a decent Android handheld like anbernic or powkiddy devices.
For 150 - $200 you can have a great Android handheld like retroid pocket 4 or ayn odin .
For $300 you can have the ayn odin 2
All of these even the cheapest ones like powkiddy v10 can play gb, gbc, gba, nes, snes, genesis, gamegear. N64 and some ps1 and some plandroid playstore games. And the better ones can do ps2, GameCube , even switch, so asking $200 for this is insane
This isn't an emulator device, your comparison doesn't seem exactly fair.
You aren't supposed to be going for emulations of the gbs and neses and whatnot, this is meant for NEW titles to be made with the Playdate itself in mind.
Oh, and? I can emulate on my laptop that I have non-emulation reasons for owning.
@@youtubeuniversity3638YOUR CORRECT
You spelled finally wrong
or maybe I spelled fiinally right
@@IndieAlpacaHeh did not expect you to respond
The whole "you have to wait to get everything" thing seems like just a way to be different. This and the price point is why the playdate is the steam deck for Twitter users.
fwiw, you can skip thru and just obtain the season games all at once if you wanna do so; the waiting is just the default behavior. personally the waiting period had me trying out games i probably wouldn't have given a chance otherwise, just because each game had its own little period in the spotlight and it made me more interested in checking 'em out individually