
遊戲機向來都予人稚氣的印象,不要說是收藏家的圈子,就連時尚圈子的門檻也跨不過,可以說是與精緻生活態度絲毫搭不上邊的品項。然而時移世易,得益於復古科技的潮流,由黑膠到卡帶、老蘋果電腦到iPod,近年就連復古遊戲機也加入了這個圈子,形成各種次文化團體之餘,更吸引到不少收藏家的青睞,此中更催生了改裝重製復古遊戲機及生產第三方配件的產業,像來自美國西雅圖的Analogue,就可以說是這個產業中的楷模。
作為一家規模不大,同時產業比較偏鋒的公司,Analogue卻先後被《The Guardian》、《Forbes》和《WIRED》等大媒體的關注和報道,理由離不開是他們是第一家能夠把遊戲機提升為奢侈精品的公司。就以「Pocket」這台向任天堂Gameboy致敬的手提遊戲機為例,雖然還是以塑膠為主要物料,但是其光滑的塗層,加上只有黑白兩色的極簡潔造型,為遊戲機帶來了長足的提升。而除卻外觀方面的改造,就連往日Gameboy為人詬病的畫面質素,以及其他零件也同樣得到升級,是從內到外都令人折服的裝置,捧在手上時既滿足了童年回憶,同時精緻的機身造型也不輸任何當代的時尚電子產品。
People often think of video games as something childish that can hardly be associated with exquisite living — let alone being an eagerly coveted subject of the serious collectors, they can’t even stir up the interest of those from the cultural scene. However, thanks to the revival of retro tech, the items that were once so close to obsolescence, such as vinyl records, cassette tapes, old Apple computers, and iPods, are now back on the market; and riding on old tech’s new wave, video games have also made a stunning comeback. Over the past few years, they have brought together numerous new and old players, forming various types of gaming communities and niche interest groups, and what’s more, they managed to catch the attention of collectors, which subsequently led to the revival of retro gaming. Analogue from Seattle, US is among one of the big names in the retro video game industry that produces game consoles and third-party accessories.
Running at a relatively small scale in the retro sphere, Analogue is a pioneer in reimagining retro gaming into aesthetic wonder and has garnered rave reviews from major media outlets such as The Guardian, Forbes, and WIRED. The Analogue Pocket, a sleek modern handheld gaming console, is a tribute to Nintendo‘s Game Boy with modern day tech and refreshing minimalist visuals that come in the color of black or white. Unlike its forefathers, the Analogue Pocket has a high definition display and some enticing new technical specifications and features that greatly enhance the console performance and gaming experience; from inside and out, the Analogue Pocket has a contemporary design that allows nostalgic gamers to relive their childhood gaming memories.