The WIZ, successor of the GP2X

[Fort Apocalypse]

Gamepark Holdings, the makers of the GP2X Console, have today announced the successor, which is called the WIZ:

http://mobile.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/26/170222

[nathanallan]

I read "gameboy micro sized" and "touchscreen." That's a tiny screen to have touch ability. Neat and all, but the Pandora seems more human-friendly. I'll wait for more news before I say anything else.

 

Nathan

[AtticGamer]

I'll wait and see who gets the most homebrew. Pandora looks great but this one has close specs but probably doesn't have Wi-Fi. Plus the d-padish buttons don't look very comfortable, they remind me of the Virtual Boy.

[mimo]

$180 from Play-asia which is about $200 less than the price that the Pandora is expected to retail at (in the UK )

Looks interesting, but so does the Pandora, which one to buy

Edited August 27, 2008 by mimo

[Wickeycolumbus]

Interesting...

 

I was just about to pick up an F-200, I think I might get this instead. Anyone know if it will run GP2x games and emulators?

[SRGilbert]

That's a bit bigger than a Gameboy Micro

 

My micro measures 101x50×17.2 mm

The WIZ is spec'd at 121x61x18 mm

 

Looks interesting, I'm always interested in cool handhelds.

 

That's a REALLY stupid name though!

 

Edited August 27, 2008 by SRGilbert

[+remowilliams]

That's really quite interesting... I hope to hell they didn't find yet another way to totally screw up the controls though.

 

EDIT: OK, WTF were they thinking, the ABCD buttons are a pad?!?!

Edited August 27, 2008 by remowilliams

[mimo]

Interesting...

 

I was just about to pick up an F-200, I think I might get this instead. Anyone know if it will run GP2x games and emulators?

I just found out about it because I was looking for an f-200 as well.

IIRC we have to wait for the GP2X boys to re-port the emulators for the WIZ, so I think I will wait it out for a while (not available until October anyway)

 

And the buttons worry me, how can Gamepark keep getting joypads so wrong ?!!!

[AtticGamer]

It's like the Virtual Boy, the other d-pad, besides being used for buttons, will control the third dimension AKA aiming in FPSs.

Edited August 27, 2008 by Atari_kid

[mimo]

It's like the Virtual Boy, the other d-pad, besides being used for buttons, will control the third dimension AKA aiming in FPSs.

Ok, never seen a virtualboy.

Are the buttons usable for MAME etc is the biggest question

[Reaperman]

well now I'm torn.

 

I *HATE* my gp2x with a passion hotter than the sun, but I love my gbm about the same amount. But I don't *JUST* like my gbm because it's small. I like it because it's easy to use, well designed, has a lot of killer games and it's small. But of the list, only "small" applies to this product, and I'm assuming this is just another gp32/gp2x...

 

I guess gamepark can still go to hell for ripping me off the last two times.

[128bytes]

"gameboy micro sized"

 

I still use my Game Boy Micro as my portable system because, unlike a DS or PSP, it fits in a front pants pocket and goes anywhere. I have been hoping for a Game Park machine that small for years.

[Flojomojo]

I've preordered one from Play-Asia and will share my impressions when it arrives in October. It looks a bit bigger than the Micro, more like a regular GBA except with a nice backlit screen. The old GP2X was too big to take everywhere, it ate batteries, and the plastic screen was too easy to scratch. Hopefully the Wiz will fix these flaws.

 

I've read that the GP2X software just needs to be recompiled for the new machine. Since it's quite a bit faster and has 3D hardware, I expect it to do everything the GP2X can do and then some.

 

Pandora looks kinda-sorta neat, but being bigger than a DS and more expensive than a PSP makes it less appealing to me.

 

In the meantime, the iPod Touch (or iPhone) is a neat little commercial/shareware game platform. Nothing strictly "classic" on it but it's very casual friendly and the App Store is like a virtual candy shop.

[mimo]

"gameboy micro sized"

 

I still use my Game Boy Micro as my portable system because, unlike a DS or PSP, it fits in a front pants pocket and goes anywhere. I have been hoping for a Game Park machine that small for years.

You need bigger pockets

My DS fits fine in front or back pockets, and gets loads of use at work as a games machine and MP3 player

[SRGilbert]

Hmmm....let's see if we can get the size issue nailed down here........

 

Gameboy Advance (original): Size: (WxHxD) 5.69" x 3.2" x .97" Screen Size: 2.9"

 

The WIZ: Size: 4.76" x 2.4" x .70" Screen Size: 2.8"

 

Gameboy Micro: 4" x 2" x .70" Screen Size: 2"

 

GP2X: 5.65" x 3.26" x 1" Screen Size: 3.5"

 

Nintendo DS Lite: 5.24" x 2.9" x .85" Screen Size: 3"

 

Sony PSP (older): 6.7" x 2.9" x 0.9" Screen Size" 4.3" widescreen

 

http://www.sizeasy.com/page/size_compariso...s-Gameboy-Micro

[Ze_ro]

I posted this in another thread, but hopefully it'll be useful here too:

 

 

Also, it seems that they won't be doing the "2 D-Pads" thing after all... though the redesign will mean an extra month before it comes out.

 

--Zero

[SRGilbert]

Also, it seems that they won't be doing the "2 D-Pads" thing after all... though the redesign will mean an extra month before it comes out.

 

--Zero

 

That settles it, I'm getting one, no question.

[Wickeycolumbus]

Also, it seems that they won't be doing the "2 D-Pads" thing after all... though the redesign will mean an extra month before it comes out.

 

--Zero

 

Thats great! Knowing them they will probably drop the left d pad though

[+remowilliams]

Thats great! Knowing them they will probably drop the left d pad though

LOL - you never know with them.

 

Well I'm on the 'buy it' side now if they don't find something else to totally screw up.

[mimo]

Thats good news *gets credit card on standby*

[Ze_ro]

I'll probably be getting a Pandora instead. It's a hell of a lot more expensive, but the specs are WAY better, and the extra hardware features make it way more useful in my books (That keyboard will be really nice for C64 emulation). It's nice to have this kind of choice available though, especially considering the small market both systems are targeting.

 

--Zero

[SRGilbert]

I guess I don't see it as an "either/or" situation. Granted not everyone has the cash to get both. I see them as different animals like the difference between a DS and a Gameboy Micro. Both can play a lot of the same games, but I don't really consider the DS to be very pocketable or discrete even though I have both.

[SRGilbert]

Anyone heard any news on the redesign? I'm dying to see some pics and get an updated release date.

[mimo]

Anyone heard any news on the redesign? I'm dying to see some pics and get an updated release date.

Release date is "November".

All I would expect from the redesign is 4 buttons instead of an extra joypad on the right.

[Ze_ro]

I'm dying to see some pics

All I would expect from the redesign is 4 buttons instead of an extra joypad on the right.

Yeah, but GPH has a history of making inexplicable design choices... for all we know, they might choose some bizarre button spacing like the JXD 301.

 

--Zero