This overkill Android Game Boy is better than my memories of the real thing

The first gaming system I poured hours into that I could really call my own (our Amiga 500 was more of a family system) was, like so many of my millennial generation, the original Game Boy. That means I’m old enough to have gone through multiple Nintendo handheld generations, with a few fleeting but notable detours along the way (loved the PS Vita, love my Steam Deck even more).

I’m also at a point in my middle-aged life that involves meticulously balancing time with work, friends, and family. That’s where handhelds are increasingly becoming the simplest and quickest way I can play. And yes, the reason I’m so taken with the Steam Deck (particularly the gorgeous OLED upgrade model I picked up recently) is that it fills that gap with very little friction. But I’m also a sucker for exciting new hardware, not immune to the clawing pull of nostalgia, and willing to spend a little extra on a gaming system if I think I’ll get enough enjoyment out of it.