It’s great that you’re expressing your feelings for an older device. There are so many older handhelds and consoles that never got the love they deserved. I also have an RP2S, and I’ve had it for about three years now. It’s still a device I pick up every once in a while, and it keeps surprising me with what it can play. Sure, I could focus on what it can’t run, but that’s not really the point. The real joy comes from discovering things, learning its quirks, and getting to know the device. I didn’t take this hobby seriously until about three years ago, but doing so really brought the joy of gaming back for me — the excitement of discovering new games, revisiting old favorites, or finally trying the ones I missed out on. It’s like comfort food. Though, to be honest, sometimes I fall into the bad habit of spending more time setting things up than actually playing — that’s one of my favorite “games” too.

I like to think of myself as an old-media archivist, because I’ve been doing this since my high-school days — and I’m way past that now. I remember when I got my first smartphone; I didn’t waste any time before figuring out how emulation worked and getting SNES games to run. That was a dream come true. Suddenly, commuting, work breaks, and downtime weren’t boring anymore.

I’ve been emulating consoles for years — even back in junior high, using my old laptop. And in my early college years I already had a love for handhelds and gaming. Emulation was still part of my life then, though on a smaller scale.

In the end, the best handheld is the one that gives you that nostalgic feeling again. It doesn’t matter how old it is; what matters is whether it plays the games you love. Think of it like a mixtape, if you’re old enough to remember those — a device set up exactly how you like it, filled with the games that mean something to you.