The Sugar Cubes N97 Elite games console is one of those gadgets only available in another country that you desperately want to lay your hands on. The ‘why’ should be as obvious as the retro device the name references. 2008’s Nokia N97 is an iconic cellular phone for loads of users, garnering attention despite the Apple iPhone launching the year before.
Nokia’s sliding phone may have slipped into the past but it’s back in the shape of this little games console. Well, the form factor and the designation have returned. You couldn’t play the games this thing handles back in the day.
Nice little N97
The diminutive handheld clones Nokia’s original design but increases screen acreage to cover much of the lid. Pushing the 4.7in panel back into an angled position reveals a Nintendo SNES-like controller layout with a circular D-pad on the left and four face buttons on the right. In the centre is a cluster of buttons for menu navigation and other functions. Internally, it’s very far from Nokia’s 2008 effort, however.
It’s powered by a Snapdragon 855+, an older but still speedy mobile chipset, and 12GB of RAM. 512GB of storage lives at the heart of the N97 Elite, an essential given how much stuff you’re likely to cram into the little gadget. If, that is, you can get past the lack of analogue sticks.
It’s a pity, too, because Sugar Cubes’ device would make for an excellent cloned PSP otherwise. The software needed to emulate the defunct Sony handheld’s library is extensive and functions perfectly. N97 Elite owners could pair a controller to add the function but that kills the point on this gadget. Still, if you wanted to load every pre-analogue stick retro game ever made onto it, we reckon there’s probably enough space.
Remember how we mentioned that the Sugar Cubes N97 Elite was only available in another country? It’s unfortunately only on sale in China for the moment, with no concrete plans known for an international release. If you’re a keen importer, expect to pay about R3,800 before shipping and import taxes add their burden to your straining wallet.
