Thumby Color Review: A Tiny GBA Clone That Skips Nintendo
▼ Summary
– The Thumby Color is a $50 handheld gaming device with a two-inch screen, keychain portability, and web-based game development, offering improved playability over the original $30 Thumby.
– It features upgraded hardware, including a faster RP2350 chip, a larger 0.85-inch 16-bit color screen, and 14MB of storage—nearly 10 times the original’s capacity.
– The device has better controls, including a pivot-based D-pad and shoulder buttons, and supports backward compatibility with original Thumby games.
– Battery life is limited to two hours, but the Thumby Color includes a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, replacing the original’s micro-USB.
– While the Thumby Color has some early software issues and a slow UI, it offers a fun novelty experience and potential for creative game development.
The $50 Thumby Color is a pocket-sized gaming device that packs surprising power into its tiny frame, offering aspiring developers and retro gaming fans a unique platform to create and play. This two-inch handheld improves upon its predecessor with a color screen, better controls, and expanded storage, all while maintaining the charm of fitting on a keychain.
Where the original Thumby struggled with a minuscule black-and-white display and finicky buttons, the Thumby Color delivers a more polished experience. Its 0.85-inch 16-bit color LCD makes games like Tetris and Doom far more playable, while the redesigned D-pad and added shoulder buttons provide better responsiveness. The upgrade to USB-C charging is another welcome change, though battery life remains limited at around two hours per charge.
Performance-wise, the RP2350 chip doubles the clock speed of the original’s RP2040 processor, and storage jumps from 1.4MB to 14MB, enough for a solid library of bite-sized games. While the interface can feel sluggish, TinyCircuits promises future updates to smooth things out.
What really sets the Thumby Color apart is its open development ecosystem. Players can browse, download, and even create games directly through a web-based platform. Classics like Bust-A-Move and Minesweeper sit alongside quirky indie projects, offering plenty of variety despite the device’s niche appeal.
For those who love tinkering, the Thumby Color is a fun playground. Its hardware could theoretically support Game Boy Color or SNES emulation, though official support isn’t available yet. Meanwhile, the original Thumby’s library remains compatible, ensuring backward compatibility.
While it won’t replace a dedicated retro handheld, the Thumby Color stands out as a clever, portable gadget for hobbyists and collectors. Its blend of retro aesthetics, mod-friendly design, and pocketable size makes it a charming alternative to bulkier emulation devices. Whether you’re into micro-gaming or just want a conversation-starting keychain, this tiny console delivers.
(Source: The Verge)
