Quirky handhelds are something of a weakness for us here at Retro Dodo. Sure, the Playdate could fall into this category, but I’m thinking more along the lines of the McDonald’s Tetris McNugget handheld. I’m talking about handhelds with weird shapes, collector’s items that never fail to put a smile on our faces.
Tetris isn’t afraid to partner with popular brands as their McDonald’s collaboration shows, and now a new partnership with 7-Eleven is bringing us a slushy-based handheld with the iconic block-tumbler title built in. As found in VGC, the Slurpee Tetris handheld is based on 7-Eleven’s popular Slurpee drink and, as you can see from the picture below, manages to capture all of the bright colours that make this iconic drink so popular.
According to the official listing on the website, the handheld comes equipped with ‘an on/off switch to illuminate the Slurpee dollop in a rainbow of colors’, which could be handy if you’re playing at night and want some extra light! It runs on 3x AA batteries or can be powered by a USB-C cable if you’re gaming near a plug or have a portable charger, which could be a cheaper option than whipping through batteries if you already own one.
Calorie Controls
While at first glance the handheld itself doesn’t look as ergonomic as the original Game Boy DMG, its shape doesn’t look like it would be too awkward to hold. The 1.8″ screen is pretty diddy, we have to admit, but the D-Pad and control buttons are nicely placed to be able to manipulate with your thumbs while holding. 7-Eleven also says that the Slurpee has a speaker that ‘delivers clear, immersive sound’, so we’re expecting those nostalgic Tetris tunes to be ringing out true while playing. There’s also a Volume Off button if you want to play in secret while at work, though it might look a little odd when you try to drink your Slurpee and nothing comes out!
The Slurpee Tetris Handheld will soon be available from the 7-Eleven website and is priced at $30. It drops alongside many other Tetris-related merch items including caps, clothing, and more. For $30, this is a piece of handheld history that anyone can pick up and keep to both wow and confuse younger generations. Keep your eyes peeled on the website for more information on release dates!