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Is it a console? Is it an MP3 player?

The PocketPlay handheld from Lavod can't quite make up its mind. Making its debut across Europe in April, the device lets users play digital audio files along with a selection of Sega classic games. Although not much solid information about the PocketPlay series is available (such as, crucially, its price), we can't help but wonder how it will be received.

If you're bored with the Solitaire and Breakout clones that came with your iPod, then perhaps the retro games on the PocketPlay will soothe your gaming withdrawal symptoms while you wait for a bus. However, if you're the sort to get itchy when away from a console for too long, you've probably already got a DS or PSP; if you're really into your retro games, you've probably got something else that will play them already. Combining the buzzwords "portable", "retro" and "MP3" might work, especially if the price point is attractive, but we're not convinced just yet.