Gaming emulators have come a long way since there beginnings. The first emulator was brought into creation in 1996 and gave birth to the SNES96X. From that day till now, the community has exploded to provide retro games to new hands. 

This is where the Emaas Handheld Gaming Console was born.

Emaas Handheld Gaming Console

I have only used a few emulators in my gaming years. I typically prefer playing the way the developers intended, on a cartridge and console. That being said, I have never not played a video game, no matter what type of console it is on.

The Emaas Handheld has a retro look of the Gameboy Pocket and as such seems to draw people’s attention. Build quality doesn’t match but that is to be expected. However, it does give a solid retro feel. 

The console boasts about 400 games, for this model, and includes many of your classic favorites like Super Mario Bros and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I wont list them all as it would take too long. If you would like an idea of all the games included, just drop me a message in the comments section and I will try to get you a list.

I was looking for a small gaming device to take with me as Karl and I traveled. I wanted something that was low cost and I wouldn’t get too upset over if it was lost, stolen, or broken. Being under $20, it fit the bill perfectly. If you are interested in taking a look, just click here for the Emaas Handheld Gaming Console.

The Good

The Emmas Handheld Gaming Console has a lot of positives going for it. If you love retro stylized gaming, then this little console is for you. It takes my back to my first Gameboy. The Emmas Handheld Gaming Console, on first glance, does look like the Gameboy Pocket (as you can see here in a side by side comparison). The biggest difference is that the newer versions have “Sup” emblazoned across the body. The biggest difference is that you don’t need to lug around all of your cartridges wherever you go. The Emmas Handheld Gaming Console packs 400 games into its emulator. This will give you plenty of games to occupy those bus commutes to work, airplane ride, or just a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I loved the ability to take my Gameboy where I wanted and game whoever the mood hit me. The drawback was always the battery life. If you remember, the Gameboy took four AA batteries and you got a few hours of play out of it before you had to replace those copper tops. The Emmas Handheld Gaming Console comes with a rechargeable lithium ion battery. I charged it when I got it and in three weeks have only had to charge it once. Once fully charged, you have between 4 to 6 hours of continuous game play.  Playing in short bursts, I have not had to charge it since the initial charge. 

While the small size is perfect for travel, you aren’t just limited to playing handheld. It comes complete with an AV cable to connect it to your television and a controller that can be used when connected to an external display. The controller can also be used for 2 player action. 

At under $20, it is the lowest cost gaming system to boast 400 unique gaming titles. You cannot beat that affordability combined with the fun of gaming nostalgia.

The Bad

There aren’t a lot of bad parts, when it comes to the Emmas Handheld Gaming Console. Most are minor and lend itself to the nostalgic build of the console.

In this day and age, we have grown accustomed to being able to play mobile games on the fairly large screens of tablets, smartphones, and portable devices like the Nintendo Switch. The Emmas Handheld Gaming Console is exactly like I mentioned, a replica of a Gameboy Pocket. That means it comes with a similar 16 bit  2”x2” screen. Even the Gameboy tried to combat that with Nintendo selling things like screen magnifiers to make things look larger. This console has no such accessories. If you want to see it larger, you have to connect it to your television via the AV cable included. The cable doesn’t improve the quality of the graphics, so you basically the 2×2 screen at a larger size. 

Many of the games seem to lack the clarity or quality of the original counterparts. Super Mario, for example, seems to have its color just slightly different than the original version. This could be due to the emulator or the more budget friendly TFT (thin film transistor) style screen it uses. The lower color quality doesn’t take away from the nostalgia of the games, all that much. But it can be noticeable in some of them.

It’s not just the game controls that lack explanation. There isn’t much on how to navigate or make selections with the Emmas Handheld Gaming Console. Primarily, you use the direction buttons to move up and down in the menus and when you have the selection you want, you have to press the start button. If you want to back out of a game, you have to push the small round “Home” button. The “A” and ”Y” buttons jump you ahead in the menu or you can used the up and down buttons to move through them one at a time. 

The menu and navigation are broken down into two language options, Chinese and English. If you aren’t careful, you default into Chinese and won’t be able to understand any of the games listed. Just remember, if you get stuck just hit the “Home” button to take you back to the main menu.

Oh, one final thing. There is no save function. Each time you log into a game it restarts at the beginning. Think of it as a true arcade experience, just minus the pocket full of quarters. (Do they even have arcades anymore???)

The Opinion

If you are looking for low cost nostalgia gaming, then the Emmas Handheld Gaming Console being under $20 is a perfect option. With it boasting 400 games, it translates to roughly five cents a game. That is a budget friendly system if there is one. 

The Emmas Handheld Gaming Console may not be the most up to date system on the market, but let’s be honest Super Mario wasn’t designed to be played on a 4K system. This little handheld system packs the retro feel and you wont need a subscription service to play any of its titles. 

If you are looking for a small device to take with you while you are out and about and don’t want to use your phone or tablet, this device is perfect. Even if you leave it on a bus or airport, you won’t have to worry about breaking the bank to replace it or lose valuable data along with it. 

Get out there and pick up the Emmas Handheld Gaming Console and get back to your gaming roots. It is definitely worth the price to play all the games you loved as a kid. Let me know in the comments below if you purchased it or what your thoughts on it are.