Anbernic RG552 Epic Retro Gaming Guide

Anbernic RG552 Epic Retro Gaming Guide

Last updated: 03JAN2023 (updated links to JELOS)

It’s no secret that the Anbernic RG552 is an expensive device. At its starting retail price of $227, it can be disappointing that it’s not powerful enough to run GameCube or PlayStation 2 at acceptable levels. However, there are some aspects of this device that really shine — namely its screen and overall feel when it comes to d-pad-centric gaming — and so in this guide I’m going to walk you through all the little tweaks and tricks I use to get the most out of this device.

At the end of the day, the Anbernic RG552 is my favorite console for RETRO (i.e. 32-bit and below) gaming, and with these tweaks, I think you might agree.

Buy one here (AliExpress)
or via Anbernic.com
or via Amazon Prime (more expensive but fast shipping)

Continue reading “Anbernic RG552 Epic Retro Gaming Guide”

Review: Analogue Pocket

Review: Analogue Pocket

The Analogue Pocket is the first FPGA handheld, promising cycle accurate gameplay for your beloved Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges with a brilliant display and modern features. But does this experience warrant its hefty price tag?

More info here (ships in 2023): https://www.analogue.co/pocket

Other devices featured in this video:
Miyoo Mini
Anbernic RG351V
Anbernic RG552

Continue reading “Review: Analogue Pocket”

Amazon Prime Day Deals 2022

Amazon Prime Day Deals 2022

Last updated: 12JUL2022

Hi everyone, here is a roundup of Amazon Prime Day deals. I’ll update this as I find more deals, please share in the comments below if you find any too! Please note that these are affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission on your purchases at no extra cost to you.

We’ll start with storage. The WD Black hard drive is great for Xbox or PlayStation consoles, and a great price. I am listing a few varieties of SD cards; the Samsung Pro Endurance are prized for their very long lifespan, and the SanDisk Extreme cards are faster than the Ultra cards. That speed difference won’t really be noticeable on retro handhelds, so I would recommend the lower priced option for those devices.

Storage:
5TB WD Black Game Drive ($99): https://amzn.to/3nRx3YB
2TB SanDisk Portable SSD ($189): https://amzn.to/3c9TYf6
1TB SanDisk Extreme MicroSD ($151): https://amzn.to/3Rp29El
1TB SanDisk Ultra MicroSD ($109): https://amzn.to/3IzbK7K
512GB SanDisk Ultra MicroSD ($47): https://amzn.to/3yB6iwi
256GB Samsung Pro Endurance ($39): https://amzn.to/3yYkoJB
256GB Sandisk Extreme MicroSD ($35): https://amzn.to/3OZCzEs
256GB SanDisk Ultra MicroSD ($27): https://amzn.to/3ACBC0q
256GB Samsung Evo Select ($26): https://amzn.to/3au9iTo
128GB Samsung Pro Endurance ($19): https://amzn.to/3RtMtzw
128GB Samsung Evo Select ($13): https://amzn.to/3nRy6aZ

Each of the controllers I have listed below I have tested (and have videos on!), and I think each of them are solid options, especially at these prices. But the KingKong 2 Pro price is really great.

Controllers:
GulitKit KingKong 2 Pro ($55): https://amzn.to/3RndxR4
8Bitdo Arcade Stick ($71): https://amzn.to/3c9VvSo
8Bitdo Pro 2 Wired for Xbox ($36): https://amzn.to/3NZvl1Q
GameSir X2 USB-C ($53): https://amzn.to/3NUicHr
GameSir T4 Mini ($27, burrito controller): https://amzn.to/3PhrZID

Here are some products that I like and are at a good price, and I’ve made videos about the Xbox, Fire Stick, and Tablet here on this channel if you want to check them out. The prices for those Fire devices are really crazy.

Xbox Series S + SteelSeries Headset ($298): https://amzn.to/3P2KJM6
NuPhy Air75 keyboard ($104): https://amzn.to/3It1nlL
Logitech G29 USB racing wheel ($199): https://amzn.to/3PjI6Ft
Anker 65W GaN II Charger ($34): https://amzn.to/3nXaZvs
Fire TV 4K Max ($34): https://amzn.to/3AYORc7
Fire HD 10 Plus tablet ($104): https://amzn.to/3nWwhJO

Also, 25% off selected used items from Amazon Warehouse: https://amzn.to/3O2vlhm

TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge on Retro Handhelds

TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge on Retro Handhelds

Last updated: 12JUL2022

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge has become a massive hit, and for good reason. It’s a perfect mixture of old-school beat-em-up and modern control schemes, and it has plenty of fun stuff to unlock, too. In this guide we’ll get the game running on various handhelds so you can play this game anywhere.

Anbernic RG552 (AmberELEC, JELOS)
Anbernic RG353P (JELOS, TheRA)
Anbernic RG503 (JELOS, ArkOS, TheRA)
Anbernic RG351P (AmberELEC, JELOS, ArkOS wuMMLe fork)
Anbernic RG351M (AmberELEC, JELOS, ArkOS wuMMLe fork)
Anbernic RG351V (ArkOS, TheRA, AmberELEC, JELOS)
Anbernic RG351MP (ArkOS, TheRA, AmberELEC, JELOS)
PowKiddy RGB10 (ArkOS) and tangentially the RGB10S and RGB20S
GameForce Chi (ArkOS, TheRA)
RK2020 (ArkOS)
ODROID Go Advance (ArkOS)
ODROID Go Super (The RetroArena, RetroOZ)
PowKiddy RGB10 Max and Max 2 (The Retro Arena, RetroOZ)

For best results, make sure you are running the most recent version of ArkOS, AmberELEC, or JELOS, and that you have installed the latest version of PortMaster. Here is my PortMaster guide.

Note that the “Final” version of ArkOS for the RG351P and RG351M will not support the game due to an outdated SDL2 library. However, wuMMLe’s fork of ArkOS has been updated to support it, but there are some script changes needed (see the notes below). If you want the latest for those devices, I recommend using JELOS or AmberELEC, since they are in active development.

Setting up this game is similar to other ports such as Celeste, Shovel Knight, Undertale, Timespinner, and Iconoclasts. Big thanks to developer JohnnyOnFlame for getting this port up and running; please consider buying him a coffee for his hard work.

Continue reading “TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge on Retro Handhelds”

GMKtec NucBox 5 Micro PC Review: Fantastic Price to Performance!

GMKtec NucBox 5 Micro PC Review: Fantastic Price to Performance!

The new GMKtec NucBox 5 is a huge upgrade from previous tiny PC models: it has an 11th-generation Jasper Lake N5105 processor, WiFi-6, Bluetooth 5.2, and lots of new ports. Let’s take a deep dive into its potential for PC gaming, retro emulation, and as a dedicated Batocera machine, too.

Buy it on Amazon
15% off on Amazon this week

GMKtec website
Discount Code: 15%OFFEaster (good for one week)

This will bring the final price to $254.99 (256GB) or $339.99 (512GB)

Continue reading “GMKtec NucBox 5 Micro PC Review: Fantastic Price to Performance!”

EmulationStation on Steam Deck! Showcase and Guide

EmulationStation on Steam Deck!  Showcase and Guide

Well, that didn’t take long. The desktop version of EmulationStation works really well with the Steam Deck, and allows you to streamline your emulation setup on this impressive handheld. Plus it works in perfect sync with EmuDeck, allowing you to have preconfigured emulation settings AND multiple options when it comes to organizing your ROM library. In this video we’ll go over basic setup, add artwork, and improve how it displays in SteamOS.

Download EmulationStation Desktop Edition here, and be sure to check out their extensive user guide.

Other tools used in this video:
EmuDeck for emulator auto-configuration
SteamGridDB for posters, heroes, grid, and logo images
ScreenScraper.fr to sign up for a free account for scraping images

Note that while I didn’t show it in the video, you can go into Main Menu > Other Settings and adjust the default emulators to your liking. This is helpful if you have a preferred RetroArch core or want to use a standalone emulator.

Continue reading “EmulationStation on Steam Deck! Showcase and Guide”

100K Subscribers! Here’s what’s next.

100K Subscribers!  Here’s what’s next.

Amazingly and unexpectedly, this little project has grown to 100,000 subscribers. Let’s talk about the future of this channel, and I’ll give away a bunch of stuff too.

Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/retro-game-corps
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/retrogamecorps

Enter the giveaway here

Continue reading “100K Subscribers! Here’s what’s next.”

Review: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2021)

Review: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2021)

Amazon’s latest Fire TV Stick 4K Max packs an impressive retro gaming value for its $55 MSRP — essentially, it contains 75% of the NVIDIA Shield’s gaming performance at 25% of the cost. In this video we’ll go over setup, customization tips, and emulation performance of this device.

Continue reading “Review: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2021)”