Retro Handheld News, Reviews, and Guides (and sometimes random things)

Today's episode covers how to trade Pokemon wirelessly for the Game Boy Advance games on the RG35XXH. This guide should work for the RG35XX Plus and the SP as well. The RG35XX 2024 version doesn't have WiFi so it won't work on that handheld.

All we need is an OS that has RetroArch 1.18 and a recent build of the gpSP core. We'll be using muOS for this guide but the latest version of stockmod by cbepx-me also has RetroArch 1.18.

You download the muOS image from here: https://muos.dev/release/plush

And then flash the image using rufus: https://rufus.ie/

If you don't want to flash your card, you can use the upgrade package from stockmod: https://github.com/cbepx-me/RG35xx-P-RG35xx-H-Modification/releases

After installing, make sure you are using the gpSP core. On stockmod you need to set it by pressing Y on the Pokemon game and selecting the core manually. On muOS gpSP should be the default core.

Once in game, bring up the RetroArch menu (Menu+X on muOS, Menu on stockmod) and go to Core Options and set Link Cable Connectivity to GBA Wireless Adapter. After that, one person needs to host, and the other can join using Netplay.

You can find out your IP address in RetroArch under Main Menu, Information, and then Network Information.

Thank you for listening!

Video guide: https://youtu.be/sfwRzS3X_uo

Written guide: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/05/29/how-to-trade-pokemon-wirelessly-for-game-boy-advance-on-the-rg35xxh/

Notes go here

In today's SBC gaming news, we see some issues with the RG35XXSP. One user posted an image of their SP battery exploding.

Another user posted their battery expanding as well. Using a 5v 1.5A charging brick with a USB A to USB C cable is recommended unless you can measure the voltage coming out of the charger to confirm safe operation. Other people use their computer's USB port to charge as well.

It's the price for the devices being cheap. They don't go through a QA and QC process.

We also have some unfortunate news of the Gameforce Ace not shipping. It's turned into a scam essentially with people not getting their units. The few that did receive units have handhelds with too many problems.

There's definitely a tradeoff for buying these devices as low prices from companies that cut corners. The tradeoff is that consumers need to do their own research as well as be ready to make some repairs themselves. The handhelds aren't designed properly and the reliability can be a hit or a miss, along with some being straight up scams.

On the whole however, they're amazing devices for the price for anyone willing to put in some work. They're definitely not ready for mass consumption for the general crowd however.

And more!

Thanks for listening!

Stick Hole Plugs: https://www.printables.com/model/825678-rgb30-analog-plugs https://makerworld.com/en/models/403629

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

Video Podcast: https://youtu.be/pHjT7WWzEPE

Retro Handheld News, Reviews, and Guides (and sometimes random things)

Today's episode covers how use a toolchain to compile an app for a linux based operating system for these retro handhelds. I honestly don't know what I'm doing, so don't use this as a guide but more of a documentation of the steps I took to get a working binary file.

It's quite difficult to go over all the steps using audio only so referring to the linked video and/or written versions may help.

Hopefully it'll be enough to get you guys started.

Two handy reddit posts from user Ordinary_Tension5730:

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowKiddy/comments/1cwnezf/tiny_llm_on_v90_miyoo_cfw/ https://www.reddit.com/r/PowKiddy/comments/1d604ia/whispercpp_on_powkiddy_v90_and_comparison_of/

Thank you for listening!

Video guide: https://youtu.be/V3w0dX_bivc

Written guide: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/05/28/how-to-build-apps-using-a-toolchain-for-retrohandhelds/

Video Game News, Reviews, and Guides (and sometimes random things)

In today's SBC gaming news, we have more details about the AYN Odin2 Mini and the AYANEO Pocket Micro and DMG.

The Odin2 Mini features the same chipset as the Odin 2 so it'll pack a lot of power in a more portable format. It also looks like the Vita which may scratch that itch for nostalgia.

The AYANEO Pocket Micro features the Helio G99 chipset, which is pretty darn powerful. It also has a 3:2 aspect ratio screen which is a bonus for Game Boy Advance games. Expect pricing to be high however. The preorder price will probably be close to $200 and the retail price above $300.

The AYANEO Pocket DMG features the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 chipset which is the same one in the Pocket S. This is a really powerful SoC capable of PS2 and GameCube emulation. However, there's only one analog stick and two shoulder buttons. This is a baffling decision as it's powerful enough for later home consoles but lacks the proper controller inputs. Pricing will also be high for this as well. The preorder price will probably be close to $400 and the retail price above $500.

It's a shame because AYANEO comes close enough but misses the mark. To make things worse, it'll be too expensive for most people who wanted a Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance replacement.

And more!

Thanks for listening!

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

Video Podcast: https://youtu.be/FAatqvbXo6w

Video Game News, Reviews, and Guides (and sometimes random things)

Today's episode covers how to play RPG Maker 2000 and 2003 games on the Miyoo Mini and Miyoo Mini Plus. We'll be using the EasyRPG core for RetroArch. Theoretically speaking any handheld running RetroArch should be able to do this as long as the EasyRPG core is compiled for that operating system.

Zipping the games into .zip files provide for a much more convenient launching experience so I'd recommend using a program like 7-Zip to repackage them.

Not all games will run well. For example, Theia the Crimson Eclipse will lag pretty hard during battle sequences.

MOTHER: Cognitive Dissonance (a fan Earthbound game) seemed to provide a much smoother experience.

If you want to try the games out yourself:

►Theia – The Crimson Eclipse: https://gamejolt.com/games/theia/426665 ►MOTHER: Cognitive Dissonance: http://cogdis.tazmily.com/

Thank you for listening!

Video guide: https://youtu.be/3EIboIHoBlU

Written guide: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/05/19/how-to-play-rpg-maker-games-on-the-miyoo-mini-plus/

Video Game News, Reviews, and Guides (and sometimes random things)

In today's SBC gaming news, we have a slew of new handheld rumors, announcements, and releases!

To start with, the Miyoo A30 receives some fixes. SNES performance was poor due to the normal2x filter being turned on my default. Turn the filter off to bring performance back to a stable level. Also, the most recent firmware update should increase the brightness levels.

The RG28XX receives support from Knulli and MinUI. The custom firmware options are catching up!

If you were on the fence for the A30 or the 28XX, MagicX is releasing the XU Mini M running the RK3562 SoC. Should be an interesting competitor if the price can be kept around $60 or lower.

And finally we have news about the RG35XXSP and the Cube. Russ from Retro Game Corps already has a video out about it and it looks fantastic! The device has a working sleep mode when you close the clamshell but the battery will probably not last long in this mode. Also the buttons require a lot of force to push down so that may turn some people off.

The Cube came out of nowhere as well and even more surprising is the SoC, it will run the T820 which is what the RG556 runs. This is a pretty powerful chipset capable of playing some PS2 games. If it's priced around $150 this will be a pretty decent handheld! Anbernic has been on a roll lately.

And more!

Thanks for listening!

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

Video Podcast: https://youtu.be/FAatqvbXo6w

Video Game News, Reviews, and Guides (and sometimes random things)

Today's episode covers how to trade Pokemon wirelessly for the Game Boy Advance Pokemon games like Fire Red and Leaf Green.

Theoretically this is possible for any device running RetroArch 1.18 and the latest gpSP core. Developer David Guillen Fandos has added emulation for the GBA wireless adapter and this will let us trade and battle other people using WiFi.

For the Miyoo Mini Plus, Koriki has RetroArch 1.18 and the latest gpSP core. For the RG35XXH, muOS has RetroArch 1.18 as well.

Koriki (MMP): https://github.com/Rparadise-Team/Koriki muOS (RG335XX PlusH): https://muos.dev/release/plush

You'll need to format the microSD card to FAT32 for the MMP using guiformat and then download, extract, and copy the files over.

For the RG35XX Plus/H, you'll need to download the image and write it using a program like rufus. You can also use Balena Etcher but it did create issues for some people.

guiformat (for formatting large SD cards to FAT32): http://ridgecrop.co.uk/guiformat.htm rufus (for writing images to SD cards): https://rufus.ie/

If you wanted to keep Onion OS, version 4.4 will update RetroArch but it's not out yet.

After installing these operating systems, you just need to configure core options to use the GBA wireless adapter for netplay and then have one handheld be the host and have the other device connect to it.

It works pretty well but the wireless connection is finicky, especially on the Miyoo Mini Plus. I've managed to trade Pokemon between my Miyoo Mini Plus, my laptop, and my RG35XXH.

Thank you for listening!

Video guide: https://youtu.be/ih0cbeg4mfY

Written guide: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/04/26/how-to-trade-pokemon-wirelessly-for-game-boy-advance-on-the-miyoo-mini-plus/

Video Game News, Reviews, and Guides (and sometimes random things)

In today's SBC gaming news, we have a bunch of handheld PC news!

The Legion Go finally has customizable control bindings and battery bypass at 80%. The battery bypass may not work after updating until you uninstall and reinstall Legion Space.

The ROG Ally gets AFMF. AMD Fluid Motion Frames basically creates additional frames in between existing frames. It's basically virtually increasing the frame rate for smoother performance. How well it works depends on the game and how many frames per second you are working with, higher is better.

There's a slew of bugs and problems related to AFMF so make sure to read the documentation and follow instructions! Most problems can be fixed by updating software through the Microsoft Store, and then disabling/enabling features. And finally, a mad lad adds 30ish TB to his Steam Deck. Why? Getting ready for the apocalypse I suppose.

The takeaway, no console is perfect. Even these expensive handheld PCs come with their own quirks and problems.

And more!

Thanks for listening!

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/Y7HQ1eN4Fdg

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/