32blit is an open-source retro-style handheld that wants to help you code your first game

The brains behind the phenomenal Picade now have their sights set on retro handhelds, with 32blit (£90). But whereas Picade invited you to build an arcade cabinet, 32blit’s DIY nature is all about the games. So coo all you like at the device’s bright 3.5in display and decent selection of controls, backed by a 32-bit ARM processor; but it’s a pretty brick until you get to work. Fortunately, Pimoroni’s got you covered there, too, by way of monthly tutorials that – whether you’re a hacking newbie or coding god – lead you through programming your first game. Those with the artistic and musical bent of a tub of lard also get 2000 sprites and hundreds of sound effects to play with, whereas sickeningly talented types can get stuck into a gaggle of editors to craft their very own retro-infused masterpieces.