From new Atari systems like the 7800+ and 2600+ Pac-Man Edition, to the plug-in-and-play ZX Spectrum and Time Crisis lightgun, retro gaming fans like me have been treated to some fantastic gadgets over the past 12 months.
Blaze – the company behind the Evercade and Super Pocket brand – has been at the forefront of its own retro revival, launching everything from pocket handhelds and Bartop arcade machines, to new and upcoming cartridge compilations featuring Taito, Rare, NEOGEO, Activision and even Llamasoft.
One thing that really took me by surprise, however, was the announcement of the newly launched Super Micro Keychains, which are actual, bonafide keychains that play retro gaming classics.
After finally getting my hands on the dinky devices, I’m pleased to confirm that these are every bit the perfect stocking fillers I suspected they would be.
These micro-sized playable keychains come in four different varieties, and cost just £20 each from Funstock.
There’s a Space Invaders version containing the classic arcade game, as well as a Centipede Keychain, an Asteroids edition and a Burgertime version. (The Space Invaders and Asteroids keychains are also available at Argos.)
With the exception of Space Invaders, each device comes with two additional bonus games, including Gravitar and Yars’ Revenge! with the Asteroids model, Millipede and Crystal Castles with the Centipede version, plus Karate Champ and Side Pocket with the Burgertime keychain.
The miniature devices each sport a 2-inch RGB TFT screen with a resolution of 240×320.
The display holds up surprisingly well for the majority of the games, especially the Atari offerings and Space Invaders.
Despite Burgertime being my favourite game in the entire collection, the iconic Data East arcade game suffers the most from the shrinking display. It’s kind of difficult to tell exactly when a new platform begins after climbing a ladder, sometimes resulting in your capture and death at the hands of a rogue pickle or egg.
Fortunately, I had no such issues with Karate Champ and Side Pocket, with the latter being my go-to game on that particular device.
The only other issue I have with the Super Micro Keychains is that each device requires three AAA batteries, which are sold separately. Needless to say, if you collect all four devices, that’s a lot of batteries! You’ll also need one of those super small Phillips head screwdrivers to get the back off each device, so bear that in mind.
Games are controlled using the d-pad and A+B buttons. There are also start and select buttons, as well as volume controls on the side. Crystal Castles is probably better suited to a joystick, but is perfectly playable with the d-pad.
In also really like the look of each model, especially the green and yellow Centipede version, which also has the best artwork on the front of the keychain.
In fact, the Centipede version is probably my favourite overall if you can only afford one, followed very closely by the Asteroids Edition.
The £20 price tag is also another big reason why I think these are perfect for Christmas stockings, or even a little payday treat.