I’m a bit obsessed with collecting video game consoles. While there are still many more for me to nab from the vast history of gaming, Kickstarter is making it even harder with their own modern devices. Case in point: The GameKid recently hit Kickstarter. This tremendously GameBoy-inspired device features a Rasberry Pi inside, meaning you’ll potentially have access to a wealth of emulated titles, as well as Rasberry Pi exclusives. The device was dreamed up by Robot Loves Kitty (best known for their game Legend of Dungeon) and is, honestly, not presented with a particularly slick Kickstarter.
Despite that, they’ve already blown right past their $15,000 funding goal — and are still going strong. Why is that? Simple, people are nostalgic for consoles and handhelds. Many also seem to love the possibility of portable emulators, even though many other devices can offer the same results. In the case of the GameKid, it’s all about aesthetics. I mean, honestly, the system shell even has the curved right bottom edge design of the GameBoy. The main differences are the four face buttons instead of two, two buttons on the back of the device, and moved placement of a front “grill.”
Interested in picking up a GameKid but already have a Rasberry Pi sitting around? You could have grabbed the limited $99 tier, but that’s already gone. Sorry about that! Fully-assembled systems come packed with a Rasberry Pi 2, 16GB microSD, and are $139+ though. Hoping to play “legal” games on the device? Keep an eye out on the upcoming GameKid Raspberry Pi Jam where folks will design brand new titles.
