Under the retro trend, some products are not for specifications or performance, but for awakening memories. this timeNintendoNo new consoles or remasters releasedgame, but chose to use music to bring players back to the era of black and white graphics and monophonic sound effects. A model with the appearance of the first generation Game Boy The mini player designed for you has quietly appeared. The moment you open the box, your heart may beat faster than the startup screen.
Nintendo launches Game Boy-style Pokémon mini music player
To celebrate “Pokémon》30th anniversary, Nintendo Launched titled “Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue Game Music Collection: A mini music player for Game Boy Jukebox. This product is not a handheld game console, nor can you insert a card to play games, but a collectible music machine that plays the soundtrack of the first generation of Pokémon.
The overall appearance is almost proportionally reduced and classic Game Boy design. The gray and white body, direction keys, A and B buttons, Start and Select configurations are all faithfully reproduced, and even the screen ratio imitates the monochrome LCD of the year. However, these buttons are only decorative and have no actual operating functions. Its core concept is very simple, which is to allow players to experience music again through physical interaction.
45 card boxes, unlock 45 memories
The most special thing about this mini music player is that the playback method uses a physical mini cassette. The box contains 45 small cassettes, each corresponding to a classic song from the original Pokémon. After inserting the cassette, the player will play the music.
The track list covers many melodies familiar to old players, such as the Lavender Town theme song, the Four Heavenly Kings battle soundtrack, the gym leader battle music, the wild Pokémon encounter melody, and the background music when entering the Hall of Fame.
These sound effects were limited by hardware specifications at the time, but they successfully created highly recognizable melodies. Now played again through this player, the emotional value is far greater than the sound quality itself. Each card box is printed with exclusive illustrations and corresponding track designs, giving it a full sense of collection. For players who have embarked on adventures in the Kanto region, the act of inserting a card is like a ritual in itself.
The specifications are not gorgeous, but they are full of sincerity.
Officials have made it clear that this is a pure music player that does not have any game functions, screen animations or additional interactive content. It doesn’t even have a headphone jack, so music can only be played through an external speaker. The power supply uses 3 LR44 button batteries, which are included in the box.
From a technological product perspective, it has almost no hardware highlights. But from the perspective of brand emotion and collection positioning, this design is more pure. It’s not meant to replace streaming platforms, nor is it meant to be a high-quality audio player, but to provide a reminiscence experience with a physical touch.
Price and sales information
The product costs $69.99 in the US, £59.99 in the UK and 489 yuan in China. It is sold in North America through the Pokémon Center official website, and each person is limited to 1 unit. The Chinese market has adopted a lottery system for purchasing since March 6. The UK area has been sold out quickly, showing a very enthusiastic response from the collection market.
In Taiwan, it is expected to go on sale on March 4, priced at NT$2,400, and will also be sold through the Pokémon Center channel. Judging from the enthusiasm of Taiwanese players for Pokémon peripherals, there will definitely be a rush to buy on the day of sale.
Conclusion
In an era where hardware specifications are constantly being upgraded and images are becoming more and more realistic, a product like this, which has no screen animation, no headphone jack, and cannot even play games, still triggers panic buying around the world, which to some extent also illustrates the power of brand charm. What it sells is not functionality, but memory.
When you insert that little card box and the melody sounds, you may think of the thrill of capturing Pikachu for the first time, or the nervousness before challenging the Four Kings. Technology will advance, but that adventure in the Kanto region will always remain in the purest sound.
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Source: KOCPC Chinese