Forget the Switch Pro. Forget Project Q. Forget the Playdate. The newest name in handheld gaming is a console that's exclusive to Chinese McDonald's, only plays Tetris, and is shaped like a chicken nugget.
Spotted by Retro Dodo, the handheld is being released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the chicken McNugget, which first came to McDonald's menus in 1983. A quick Google translation of the McDonald's China website suggests that you'd be able to pick up this piece of history by simply adding a 30 yuan payment (around $4.24) onto any eligible purchase. Adorably, the console appears to come with its own nugget-themed carry case, complete with cutesy artwork.
I feel I should be clear, here. I say 'console', but this is closer to the 'novelty pocket calculator' level of technological power. I'm actually reminded of a knock-off Harry Potter machine I had as a kid, where a game about dodging Devil's Snare was housed in an outsize plastic cast of the character. I'd love to share what that looked like, but I can't find any evidence that it actually existed, so there's a chance it was just a weird part of my childhood imagination.
As for the choice of Tetris, it seems that McDonald's is leaning on nostalgia, with a message on the site suggesting that the game will transport fans back to their childhoods and the dawn of the McNugget. Sadly, unless you've got a friend in mainland China who's prepared to ship one of these to you, it seems unlikely that you'll be getting your hands on it.
It's a fun idea, certainly. And while it shares several similarities, it's also quite a lot more wholesome than KFC's 4K console that came with a built-in chicken warmer. To be fair, that launched at the end of 2020, a year that it's probably better if we all try to forget.
A new candidate has emerged for our list of the best video game consoles of all time.
