August 29, 2006 - The Tablet isn't the only VG Pocket device that will soon be available. In keeping with the medicinal theme, the oblong VG Pocket Caplet is a bigger dose of retrogaming therapy. Like the Tablet, the Caplet integrates an LCD, controls, speaker, and TV-out capabilities in a tight little package, now chock full of an extra serving of 35 retro and retro-ish games.

The Caplet hardware is similar to the Tablet, though it is sporting a larger LCD and two extra action buttons. Screen quality is, once again, the most eye-grabbing aspect of the VG Pocket design, and the LCD employed in the Caplet is once again exceptionally bright and well suited to mobile play indoors or out. Buttons are also well made and have a good feel, though some games seem more responsive and accurate than others.



The Caplet's headlining titles are licensed from Taito. The three major titles include Space Invaders, Bust-A-Move, and Burger Time. Space Invaders is an excellent port and plays beautifully upon the Caplet's 2'' LCD. Bust-A-Move is also a ton of fun to rediscover, and works really well as a mobile game you can enjoy for 2 minutes or 20. The remaining games are once again diverse and retro-inspired, and are generally rather high quality. BlazeBusters is an amusing BreakOut adaptation with a variety of new elements. Bubble Blaster and Yummy and Tasty are both rather fulfilling puzzlers. A Space Harrier clone Deep Storm shows off some surprising sprite-scaling capabilities in an impulse-priced handheld device. The diversity of other games is enough to make things feel fresh, even if you have to try out a few games that don't really grab you before you find one that does.



The accessory pack for the Caplet is similar to that of the Tablet in that it includes a protective case, lanyard, screen protectors, keychain, and TV-out wires. Like the Tablet, the Caplet's TV-out feature makes it a direct competitor to the Plug-And-Play TV joysticks that have been popular over the past few years. The combination of mobile capabilities thanks to the LCD and TV play via the TV-out wires makes the VG Pockets a quality diversion and a cool gift for gamers or all stripes.