Hyperkin, the manufacturer known for the RetroN 5, the recently released SmartBoy and a bunch of other retro related goodies might be entering the retro handheld arena if their Senior Account Manager has his way.
Posted on his personal Facebook account, Ramon Navo-Moral shared a few photos of an N64 handheld prototype. Suffice to say, this is the most hashtag and emoji laden leak I’ve personally ever seen:
Ramon is none too pleased that this prototype is the high number of 38 on their priority list, which is why he’s leaking it online to drum up support and hopefully get the ball rolling sooner – punishment forthcoming or not. “Good thing they forgot the NDA on this one”. Hmm. His Facebook post is still live if you wish to peruse it yourself.
As to what Hyperkin have to say about all this; they actually replied to a Nintendo Life request for comment. They confirmed that it does indeed exist, but pointed out that as a prototype there is every chance it will never enter production. They also added that action has been taken against Ramon for distributing internal R&D projects online. Whoops. As of writing, there is no mention of the handheld on their website or socials.
Taking a closer look at the photos, it’s obvious that it’s indeed a prototype since the plastic doesn’t look as refined as a commercial finished product (maybe something a hobbyist hacker would produce) and the screen looks a bit ill-fitting. Otherwise, it looks like a fun little product and many online commenters seem to agree. As the man himself said: “N64 is life thoughhhh”.
An N64 cartridge slots into the back – but that’s about all I can comment on because of the lacking information. The inclusion of a 16:9 aspect ratio screen is a bit worrying, though. If it does become the real deal, hopefully, a more natural 4:3 ratio is used instead.
