The Arduboy FX-C is such a great time killer that you’ll forget you’re even carrying it

Like mobile consoles continue to grow and push the limits of what you are capable of hold it in your handThe Arduboy FX-C comes in a refreshing pocket. It manages to squeeze the best features of the old system and some welcome upgrades into a handheld that’s no bigger or thicker than a few credit cards. It’s Arduboy’s best version to date, especially for gamers looking to dive into its growing library of games and software out of the box, but one of its most exciting additions wasn’t ready the first time around.

The original Arduboy was a Tetris-playing business cards was created by Kevin Bates to showcase his electronic skills. It was successful in 2014 which led Bates to transform the idea into a commercial device a year later It was a small open source game and a tool that would help would-be designers learn how to draw.

After more than ten years small repetitionsArduboy FX-C looks like the original. The controls consist of six buttons, four of which act as a D-pad. They have less movement because the device is 5mm thin, but just a satisfying click when pressed. The piezoelectric speaker is loud but loud, and its 1.3-inch, 1-bit OLED screen is bright enough to be played outdoors.

While the original 37-year-old Game Boy could display four shades of green, the Arduboy FX-C’s screen is monochromatic and has only white pixels. Developers have to rely on visual tricks like flickering or flickering to create grayscale images. Equally limited is the FX-C’s ATmega32u4 processor which is paired with just 2.5KB of RAM. Compared to other black and white hands like Game dayThe Arduboy FX-C feels old but its limitations have forced game developers to innovate and experiment, which is a big part of the appeal of this platform.

My biggest disappointment with the original Arduboy was the limited storage which made me have to connect the device to my laptop when I wanted to play some games. In 2020, Bates introduced the Arduboy FX with an additional chip that can store 250 games. The FX-C is based on that chip, but in a slightly larger version, increasing its integrated game library to more than 300, and also upgrading the device from MicroUSB to USB-C.

It would be nice if the FX-C had a color screen, a proper D-pad, dedicated volume buttons, a better control unit, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even a microSD card slot, but none of these upgrades feel necessary. It’s a handheld that feels like it’s included for all the gaming needs, but it works.

A small change in the edges of the FX-C makes it easy to use but can sometimes be difficult if, like me, you have short fingernails. After a quick start, you are presented with a simple home screen and menu. These included games are sorted into several categories including Action, Adventure, Arcade, Runner, Puzzle, and Racing in the left and right spins. Each type of game is moved vertically by pressing up or down. It’s simple and easy to navigate, but I’d like to see one more category that lists all the games alphabetically.

All games developed for Arduboy are distributed for free, so you won’t find the classic 8-bit games you know. Super Mario Bros. or Castlevania that Nintendo is still making it available on platforms like its Switch. But there are plenty of excellent doppelgängers that are similar enough to make noses itch while being unique enough to keep lawyers away. Surprisingly, even though the FX-C has limited processing power, there is more than side scrolling and falling puzzles included. You’ll also find first-person shooters, dungeon crawlers, and racing games at great prices.

There’s a lot of fun to be had, but don’t expect a game that will take you weeks to complete. Arduboy FX-C is perfect for quick pick up and play when you have a few minutes to kill.

Unfortunately, a that satisfied me purchase of FX-C is not planned. I couldn’t get the USB multiplayer to work, though other users on the Arduboy community forums it has been successful. Bates says the feature is still growing. Many Arduboy players cleverly take advantage of the extra features on modern USB cables to pass game data back and forth, such as Bates explains in a forum postbut it needs a USB 3.0 or Lightning cable to work. After trying several USB 3.0 cables from Amazon, I had no success. That’s the part I know he can work on it and hopefully the hiccups will be fixed eventually, but if that’s your only reason for getting the FX-C, I’ll leave it at that.

Arduboy FX-C is still a solid upgrade. The original was one of the last devices that I had to save microUSB cables, but the great list of games included from the Arduboy development team is the real reason to connect one. I haven’t tried 10 percent of them yet, and while the quality varies, it’s hard to be disappointed if you don’t pay for them. A console is only as good as its game library, and over the past decade, Arduboy has managed to build a dedicated community that is building hundreds. If you go in with an open mind and don’t worry about what’s missing, you’ll enjoy this handheld.

Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge