Enjoy! Just wait until you hear that iconic theme music in the menu…reimagined :P

So nice to see you enjoying the Brick Hammer, too. Such a classy handheld :)

No…nothing at all like Marathon. That was a (nice) old FPS, this takes what was known for being a FPS and changes it completely.

Here’s an image which might help you picture it better

I had the chance to interview Mike Miller, the developer behind Halo: Combat Devolved, an ongoing project that aims to bring Halo: Combat Evolved to the Game Boy Color (and retro handhelds) using GB Studio. I’ve been playing through it on my Brick Hammer, it really feels at home on there.

We talked about the difficult process of translating Halo’s weapons, enemies, vehicles and levels to such limited hardware, the creative solutions he’s come up with along the way, why authenticity sometimes means changing the original game, and what he’s got planned for future levels. If you’ve ever wondered what Halo would have looked like as a '90s Game Boy game, or wanted to hear a bit more about how he’s made it all happen this one should be right up your alley!

It is, yes! Gamma uses DJ Khaled for his display picture everywhere, so this felt appropriate :)

So here’s my review on the 55G1 retro handheld.

The chip itself is pretty interesting: the CPU is capable, while the relatively weak GPU creates a pretty unusual performance profile, which by now is no shock to anyone here.

I also chatted with Gamma (the mind behind GammaOS) about what he’s been able to do with the RG55G1’s drivers and where he thinks there’s more performance to be found.

And I spoke to Camille, lead dev/creator of Eden (a Nintendo Switch emulator), about the G1 Gen 2, Switch emulation, drivers and how the chip compares with other Snapdragon hardware in his experiences. Obviously I review things too, but these are the two unique angles in my lil article here.

There’s a lot I really like about the RG55G1, but the $150+ price makes it a difficult handheld to place. I think the part I’m most proud of in this review is the image of Gamma on top of MC Hammer’s ubiquitous album cover, which I used for his section in here:

You’re so welcome!

I interviewed Navi about Swiff, you might find that a little bit interesting too:

https://gardinerbryant.com/inside-swiff-an-interview-with-navivani/

Check the link! She does one for a Game Boy Color, and one for the AYANEO Vert. Aside from that it is things like iPods and the Xteink reader. I guess things all depend on what devices she himself owns so she can design them for them.

I’ll 100% pass on that a similar case for a RPC would be a dream to you, though!

Hey there, kuiskaaja!

I know this isn’t the ‘IRL’ part of things, but I had a couple people who I chatted to a bunch who desperately wanted the same thing, except…online. After recommending a bunch of options, in the end I revived an old (and abandoned) Discord server we had, and invited all my friends from the retro handheld scene there.

• Russ (RGC)
• Gamma (GammaOS)
• WhatCookie (RPCS3)
• Mothrip (Cocoon)
• ChrisCovers (Retroid)
• Camille (Eden)
• Nathan (iiSU)

…and just so, so, so many more. All the developers and creators I know joined in. So if you do want a (very small!) space to chat about handhelds with others, send me a DM and I’ll send you an invite :)

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Here’s the latest in my super long running series of developer interviews, this time with the team behind Cocoon, the Android frontend for retro handheld gaming systems (or phones!)

I find their team especially interesting because the trio have such distinct roles: development, UI/UX design and sound. I was so fascinated to learn early that they’ve even commissioned musicians and instruments specifically for Cocoon’s menu music. I mean, everything else as well, but that was taking things to the next level for me.

Anyway, it’s a super long and super detailed interview, so if you’re interested in software development, UI/UX, sound design, dual-screen handhelds, their history and how Cocoon is made, or just getting a behind-the-scenes look at how projects like this are done, there’s a lot to dig into here. Hope some here enjoy it :)

Thank you so much!

You mean why do I share a post in more than one community?

I prefer each community having their own post. It gives that space its own chance to shat about it. I just…don’t personally like cross-posting, that’s all

I’m glad you enjoyed her story!

Well now I wish that was a thing!

(Sorry for any confusion!!!)

This is a small interview (by my usual standards!) with Jiayu, a girl in China who runs MagiGamer, a business she started making custom buttons and controls for various gaming handhelds. Tech, but with a custom twist :)

She makes buttons for things like the Nintendo Switch, 3DS & DS handhelds, the Steam Deck and her recent favorite: AYN’s Thor (as well as the Odin 3), and more.

I chatted to her a bit for some quotes to use in my AYN Thor article I shared here yesterday, but this is the full chat, only because I love the work she does and how she gives people an option to truly make a console unique for everyone. I thought it deserved to be shared :)

There’s plenty of behind the scenes pictures of the effort she goes to, and detailed pictures of the handhelds with her buttons installed. I thought this was a fun little one to share, hopefully you like it too!

___

I hope so too! I really enjoy it, but as we all know, the prices on original 3DS consoles are just constantly going up (esp the ‘New’ series)

After all, this kind of dual screen device was thought impossible just two years ago, so there’s always a chance we’ll see some kind of true 3D brought in at some stage :)

I’m glad I could help!!!

(Nice to see a Swiff user in the wild, too!)

I had the luck to stumble across Swiff recently, a project that brings Flash games back to modern Android devices, and its developer NaviVani was kind enough to let me interview her for both this piece and an upcoming article.

Swiff is a really interesting project for anyone who grew up with Flash games, but also for those who never got to experience that super weird but also super creative era of the internet. In my interview, we talk about NaviVani’s own history with Flash games, the challenges of preserving and running them today, the retro handheld community, her love of the RG Rotate, and where she hopes to take Swiff in the future.

If you have any fond memories of Flash games, or just want to discover some of what the old web had to offer, I think you’ll enjoy this one :)

A dedicated Game Boy Advance console, literally designed to be a love letter with thumbsticks just doesn’t feel right to me! Luckily for you though, they make GBA-esque one with the sticks: the RG34XX SP

Have you tried Aliexpress?

From what I’ve seen, that is the option which saves the most on shipping. Anbernic’s own site adds way too much with shipping, but when they sell on Aliexpress that drops so significantly. I’ve seen a few users saying it is the way to go, so maybe it is worth a look!