Sugar Cubes N97 Elite: Nokia Nostalgia Meets Gaming Frenzy by a Long Shot
Sugar Cubes presents the N97 Elite Handheld Game Console. Remember the Nokia N97? That very phone with the slide-out keyboard that took the world into frenzy in 2009? Well, China's Sugar Cubes sure does. They have taken inspiration for their latest gaming handheld device. The N97 Elite is really cool. It's a bit of retro flair mixed with an ambitious attempt to become relevant with modern gaming.
A Nod to the Past, Ready for Today's Games
Forgive the typical shape of a handheld console. In that regard, the N97 Elite is definitely something else. It has a compact body size, just 119 x 56mm in length, accommodating a 4.6-inch screen. What really makes things impressive is when its screen slides upward. Voila, game controllers appear, angled to prevent neck strain. If you are familiar with the Nokia N97, you will instantly notice the similarity. It's like they took that iconic design and gave it a serious gaming makeover.
It's basically a Nokia N97 smartphone reimagined as a modern gaming device.
Where Nokia's original N97 had a QWERTY keyboard, Sugar Cubes swapped that out for game controls. Making the N97 Elite purely about gaming, they even fit a bigger screen in a body that's only roughly the same size as the old Nokia. This is thanks to shrinking down those bezels. Progress is evident.
Power Where it Counts (Even if it's a Bit Retro)
On the inside, the N97 Elite is not exactly bleeding-edge but has ample muscle for retro gaming enthusiasts. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ processor, paired with up to 12GB of RAM and a heavy load of 512GB storage. The Snapdragon 855+ is decidedly not the newest chip off the block, having landed in 2019, but it is still very capable. Think classic console emulation up to Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2 eras. That's a whole load of retro goodness.
Tiny Buttons, Big Questions
Now, there are a few catches. Those buttons look pretty small. There's a D-Pad, which is great for retro games, but no analog sticks for more modern titles. And while it's already shipping in China, it's unclear if the N97 Elite will make its way to other markets. Starting at 1499 CNY (around $200), it's priced pretty competitively in China.
Early reviews out of Chinese sites like Bilibili are a bit mixed, but with the help of Google Translate, you can tell not everyone's particularly thrilled. It is most definitely a real product, though, and one people are actually getting their hands on. Whether it'll be a hit outside of China remains to be seen, but for sheer novelty and retro charm, the Sugar Cubes N97 Elite is definitely interesting.
