(Image credit: Blaze / Retro Games Ltd)

Regular T3 readers will know that I'm a big fan of retro gaming and, in particular, retro gaming handhelds. Obsessed, in fact.

I own 20 or so handhelds already, sporting Linux or Android, plus several originals (including a prized Galaxy Invader 1000 that I've had since it first released). I have also recently built my own retro games console from a Mini PC and have several bar top arcade units.

However, the retro gaming market has taken a significant knock this year, with manufacturers having to scale back plans for new devices thanks to the ongoing RAM crisis. And it's even sent existing handhelds soaring in price. Where's my next fix coming from?

Well, the maker of HyperMegaTech and Evercade hardware, Blaze, and Retro Games Ltd have stepped up to the plate with a couple of devices to boost my collection and then some – hopefully yours too, as they're now available to pre-order for an October release.

The Spectrum Handheld and The C64 Handheld are recreations of the most renowned 80s computers but in flip form. Each like a Nintendo DSi, but without the bottom screen.

The clamshell consoles feature 25 classic games apiece, taken from their respective libraries, a 4:3 IPS screen (800 x 480) for pixel perfect play, and mappable controls and buttons.

There are stereo speakers too, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot to add your own game ROMs.

A rechargeable 2,000mAh powers each unit, with an estimated playtime of more than three hours.

Each of the devices is styled on its inspiration, with The Spectrum Handheld having trademark rubber keys as its buttons, for example.

Built-in games for The Spectrum Handheld include many you'll also find on the all-white edition of the full-sized Spectrum reissue that released recently – Manic Miner, Skool Daze, and Head Over Heels are particularly notable.

The C64 Handheld lineup includes Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, Paradroid, Bruce Lee (renamed Lee for legal reasons), and Boulder Dash.

Both consoles can be pre-ordered now for £109.99 / $129.99 / €129.99 each. There are also collector's editions, at £129.99 / $149.99 / €149.99. These also give you a hardshell carry case and a copy of a respective magazine – Crash for The Spectrum, Zzap! for The C64.