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chuckroSince I last took stock, I’ve properly added the Retroid Pocket 3, RG35XX, Miyoo Mini+, and PowKiddy V90. I also got a My Arcade Go Gamer Classic (Family Sport 220-in-1) and My Arcade Go Gamer Retro (Nice Code Museum) which I cataloged for Talking Time, and was gifted a Pro 200 which got its own thread. The latter three are all getting given away when I can find a taker for them.
The PowKiddy X2 also got a Talking Time thread, this one going through the ridiculously-translated game titles. It’s currently the device with the biggest screen (7”), but it stretches everything to that size and only plays the lower-end systems. I think I’m going to look for something with the big screen but a bit more power and flexibility to replace it.
The Anbernic RG350 remains a workhorse, with over 300 hours and more than half of my total emulator handheld logged usage time. I think it’s shifted to the “sooner or later it’s going to die, but I’ll be okay with that” niche, as I’m now in my second summer of bringing it to the beach. I think it’s going to be interesting to see which (if any) system challenges its usage record over the next few years.
The Retroid Pocket 3 has surpassed the Anbernic RG552 as my go-to for SNES or NES games with cheats, and has become the default choice for DS and PSP (despite the slightly smaller screen). It’s more comfortable to hold, more customizable, and it has significantly better battery life without requiring the C-to-C high-power charger. The RG552 taught me how an Android device could be awesome, but the RP3 gives me access to the Play Store, so I can play Android games, easily stream Steam games, and update to the latest versions of DraStic and PPSSPP which have cheats built in. And especially as I continue to build out my “ideal rom list,” having the device be pre-loaded is less important. The downsides so far are that the RP3 takes a full minute to boot up, is too big for a cargo pants pocket, and I have continuing issues with the PS1 emulation quality on Duckstation.
The Retroid Pocket 2+ does everything the RP3 does, just with a smaller screen and somewhat more awkward form-factor. I keep upgrading it but keep not playing it. Time will tell whether it ever sees heavy use. (I recently figured out that I could clear a 15-GB “Games” folder from the SD card that I think was only relevant to the Retroid Pocket 1 before I upgraded it. So now it can fit all the games I’d actually want to play.)
The Powkiddy V90 isn’t a form-factor I really enjoy playing on, and it doesn’t do anything new, so it will also be going on the giveaway pile.
The Miyoo Mini+ has proven to be a nice side-system for ARR, because the smaller grip is fine for his hands and the ability to use cheats for any system (particularly GBA) makes him happy. I’m keeping it as the “throw in the bag when I want to distract him but don’t want to bring the Switch”; but meanwhile I’m not that crazy about long-term play on it myself specifically because of the “big hands” problem.
But the Anbernic RG35XX is the most interesting disruption to the ecosystem, especially with the improvements to GarlicOS. Now that it can play systems like Lynx, Game Gear, Pokemini, Atari 2600, and Pico-8, it can rival the capabilities of the reborn Powkiddy Q90; and it does them with a much better screen. (I don’t have a belt holster for it, but even in the case it’s still nicely pocket-sized.) For that matter, in terms of cheat capabilities it now rivals or beats the RG350 (native cheats for NES, Genesis, and PS1; ability to import hacked save files for SNES, GBA) and again, it has a nicer screen (though it doesn’t have analog sticks). The original device was great for pick-up-and-play but comfortable enough for longer sessions; the additional systems and cheat capabilities (and working fast-forward) make it potentially the new “train ride” choice.
I’ve built out my “Ideal roms list” for 15 systems now, though the Sega Master System and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive still need to get sorted out, as do all of the arcade and Neo-Geo titles. The priority has clearly been on either systems I actually owned (Nintendo and Sony ones) and portables that play really well on my handhelds (Lynx, Game Gear).
Overall: I suspect the RG350 still has life in it, but the RP3 and the RG35XX are the current hotness. And I think I need to give away or sell a bunch of the older systems at this point.
The PowKiddy X2 also got a Talking Time thread, this one going through the ridiculously-translated game titles. It’s currently the device with the biggest screen (7”), but it stretches everything to that size and only plays the lower-end systems. I think I’m going to look for something with the big screen but a bit more power and flexibility to replace it.
The Anbernic RG350 remains a workhorse, with over 300 hours and more than half of my total emulator handheld logged usage time. I think it’s shifted to the “sooner or later it’s going to die, but I’ll be okay with that” niche, as I’m now in my second summer of bringing it to the beach. I think it’s going to be interesting to see which (if any) system challenges its usage record over the next few years.
The Retroid Pocket 3 has surpassed the Anbernic RG552 as my go-to for SNES or NES games with cheats, and has become the default choice for DS and PSP (despite the slightly smaller screen). It’s more comfortable to hold, more customizable, and it has significantly better battery life without requiring the C-to-C high-power charger. The RG552 taught me how an Android device could be awesome, but the RP3 gives me access to the Play Store, so I can play Android games, easily stream Steam games, and update to the latest versions of DraStic and PPSSPP which have cheats built in. And especially as I continue to build out my “ideal rom list,” having the device be pre-loaded is less important. The downsides so far are that the RP3 takes a full minute to boot up, is too big for a cargo pants pocket, and I have continuing issues with the PS1 emulation quality on Duckstation.
The Retroid Pocket 2+ does everything the RP3 does, just with a smaller screen and somewhat more awkward form-factor. I keep upgrading it but keep not playing it. Time will tell whether it ever sees heavy use. (I recently figured out that I could clear a 15-GB “Games” folder from the SD card that I think was only relevant to the Retroid Pocket 1 before I upgraded it. So now it can fit all the games I’d actually want to play.)
The Powkiddy V90 isn’t a form-factor I really enjoy playing on, and it doesn’t do anything new, so it will also be going on the giveaway pile.
The Miyoo Mini+ has proven to be a nice side-system for ARR, because the smaller grip is fine for his hands and the ability to use cheats for any system (particularly GBA) makes him happy. I’m keeping it as the “throw in the bag when I want to distract him but don’t want to bring the Switch”; but meanwhile I’m not that crazy about long-term play on it myself specifically because of the “big hands” problem.
But the Anbernic RG35XX is the most interesting disruption to the ecosystem, especially with the improvements to GarlicOS. Now that it can play systems like Lynx, Game Gear, Pokemini, Atari 2600, and Pico-8, it can rival the capabilities of the reborn Powkiddy Q90; and it does them with a much better screen. (I don’t have a belt holster for it, but even in the case it’s still nicely pocket-sized.) For that matter, in terms of cheat capabilities it now rivals or beats the RG350 (native cheats for NES, Genesis, and PS1; ability to import hacked save files for SNES, GBA) and again, it has a nicer screen (though it doesn’t have analog sticks). The original device was great for pick-up-and-play but comfortable enough for longer sessions; the additional systems and cheat capabilities (and working fast-forward) make it potentially the new “train ride” choice.
I’ve built out my “Ideal roms list” for 15 systems now, though the Sega Master System and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive still need to get sorted out, as do all of the arcade and Neo-Geo titles. The priority has clearly been on either systems I actually owned (Nintendo and Sony ones) and portables that play really well on my handhelds (Lynx, Game Gear).
Overall: I suspect the RG350 still has life in it, but the RP3 and the RG35XX are the current hotness. And I think I need to give away or sell a bunch of the older systems at this point.
no subject
Date: 2023-08-26 12:17 am (UTC)I think my Steam Deck might just be the perfect emulation handheld I've been looking for, except for its size and weight, but I haven't even bothered to install any emulators on it yet because I have so many other ways to play these games. As far as handhelds go, I've added a backlight to a GBA, which makes it perfect for all Game Boy games, though I sometimes just use a stock GBA SP instead. Lately I've been leaning heavily on a softmodded DSi LL (the Japanese version of the DSi XL), which I got some years ago hoping it would be good for NES emulation. (It is not.) In its current form, it runs GBA games more or less natively, and does a fine job emulating GB and GBC. It also holds all the DS games I don't own that I want to try out or are too expensive to buy.
Speaking of DS games, I imagine you've played Retro Game Challenge (based on Game Center CX), but if not, you should. Then check out the fan translation of the sequel, which was never released in North America, because only people like us bought the first one.
I still have all my old consoles hooked up (NES, SNES, N64, Wii, etc.), and I recently bought my first Genesis Model 1. But if I want to emulate a console or handheld game on a TV, I use the MiSTer FPGA -- have you heard of it? I am the type of player who gets hung up on how authentic a game is playing to the original console, whether there's any input lag, and so on, and the MiSTer is basically a souped up Retropie that runs these games nearly identically to the original console, as long as the cores have been programmed correctly.
Well, I can clearly talk about this forever, so I look forward to seeing your new posts, catching up on old ones, and geeking out about this stuff. I'm glad we were able to reconnect on our gaming obsessions!
no subject
Date: 2023-08-26 03:07 pm (UTC)I tried Dave's Steam deck briefly; the size and battery life were really the turn-offs for me. Even the Switch is honestly a little on the large size, and it's lighter. I suspect I'll see what the Steam Deck 2 ends up looking like and go from there.
I'm the weirdo who really liked the original GBA's non-backlit screen for specific purposes (specifically the beach and other "bright sunlight" situations), so I got a rechargeable battery pack and an EZ-Flash Omega, but didn't touch the screen.
I've played both Retro Game Challenge games (years ago); and I think I have reviews kicking around on here, too. I liked them! I thought they were entertaining.
I've never actually used a MiSTer, but several of the Talking Time folks swear by them. I apparently don't care enough about fidelity for them to matter to me. Then again, I also recently delighted at a spate of SNES FastROM hacks that "upgraded" assorted roms so they don't have the original slowdown.