Let’s travel back to nearly a decade ago, in the glorious Pokémon GO days. Everyone spent every waking minute of their lives buried in their phones, trying to fight at gyms, catch wild Pokémon, and win achievements. There was a time when more than 80% of my screen time was just in the Pokémon GO app. It sucked all my time, and also nuked my phone’s battery, which eventually needed to be charged twice (sometimes thrice) a day. What if that wasn’t the case?

What if, instead of your phone, there was a wearable that let you engage with the game’s core functions? That’s what the Nintendo Niino concept set out to be – a tiny Nintendo device capable of playing microgames as well as engaging with larger Nintendo titles in a limited but fairly acceptable capacity. With three buttons and a touchscreen, the Niino (if it existed) could arguably be MORE popular than the Switch… More here.

I remember the time well, it really was a bizarre period where so many people, kids and adults alike, were wondering around destroying their phone batteries to grab some Pokemon. My wife and my son joined in, as did I, and for a brief period it really was fun. I suspect many more people still use the app than we expect.

Categories: Accessories, Gadgets, Gaming