I've done a handful of programming on my monochrome 84+ (kiddie scripts, really) ~~and the screen isn't very good for actual games. Blur is a big issue but it's just a symptom of the fact that the 84+ uses a black-and-white LCD. None of the later versions in the series (with their "hi-res" and color[1]) have that eZ80.~~ Yes they do! Thanks souprock. Guess this point is pretty moot. An 88-key keyboard is still much better than you can get on an 84 though, the 84 seems more like a handheld game console than a real computer when actually working with it.
The Chloe 280SE would be a very sexy option for a Z80 hacker with that VGA-out, provided it's at a reasonable cost.
[1] after working with an 84+ for a year or so in my spare time, it really did seem like the +C was high resolution. I don't have one myself but a friend does and it feels like the Rolls Royce of calculators... not much power compared to regular cars, but it sure looks nice.