Apparently, being late can pay off if you're all about pink portables, as Ayaneo just dropped another GBA clone as part of a KONKR Pocket Advance restock. The new "Peach" version is a hat-tip tribute to a certain Italian plumber's crowned companion, and while it's an outstandingly pretty portable, I feel like it should have been available before now.
GBA clone handhelds under $60
Copycat Game Boy Advance handhelds aren't anything new, and if you're on a slightly tighter budget, the Anbernic RG34XX will provide similar GBA vibes to the KONKR Pocket Advance for under $60. If you're specifically looking for its clamshell successor, the RG35XXSP comes in at just over $50 and boasts a similar emulation punch.
On Friday, Ayaneo officially unveiled its KONKR Pocket Advance "Peach" edition in all its pink jammy glory. The two-toned Sakura-paletted portable starts at $89, just like its best retro handheld counterparts that only just reached the battlefield, and its launch coincides with a restock of the other colorways following pretty high demand.
In an email update, Ayaneo admits that demand for the KONKR Pocket Advance "far exceeded our expectations." In an effort to explain the initial availability situation, the handheld maker explains that "some SKUs sold out so quickly that they had to be temporarily removed from sale," while also revealing that it "immediately started working with our suppliers to explore every possible solution," which ultimately resulted in a second wave of stock after "working late into the night" to secure components.
Despite efforts to get more KONKR Pocket Advance units into production, Ayaneo says "the restock is limited." That said, dropping the new pink GBA after the first wave of pre-orders seems to have been the plan all along, and I'd be lying if I said the strategy sits right with me.
Revealing additional colorways and versions after players rush for pre-orders is becoming a trend in the handheld scene. We're not just talking a chunk of time after the initial launch, as in many cases, companies are dropping new variants before initial orders have even shipped.
Ayaneo isn't the only handheld maker guilty of this, as Blaze recently unveiled an Evercade Nexus DOOM edition that now has players itching to swap their initial pre-order. I have no doubt that early KONKR Pocket Advance adopters are now wishing they'd waited until it was "too late" so as to grab the pink GBA instead, and that could breed resentment.
Of course, if you went straight for the "Coral" Pocket Advance that borrows the look of a Spiced Orange GameCube, you made the right call. That specific colorway is currently sold out, meaning the only available models are the "Navy" version or the NES-inspired "grey".
I can't promise I won't try to get hold of the pink GBA for my Kirby shrine, as I already missed my chance to grab a portable to pair with the Spiced Orange cube. At the same time, I do fully believe the Peach version should have been part of the original lineup, and seemingly withholding models won't go down well availably dries up quickly in the second wave.
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