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

Today's episode covers how to use collections on the Trimui Smart Pro.

This method works both on Stock OS and CrossMix.

We'll be using the CollaGen app developed by rkr87. Thanks to a recent update the app works on Stock OS now.

You can find CollaGen here: https://github.com/rkr87/CollaGen/releases

After using CollaGen to create a collection, you can manually add an icon and background image. You can edit the config.json file in your collection folder to reflect the new images you added.

For Stock OS, you need to make 2 edits in the launch.sh file inside your collection folder.

You'll want to delete this line: Launcher=$(jq -r '.launch' "/mnt/SDCARD/Emus/$RomDir/config.json")

And then change this line to: LaunchPath="/mnt/SDCARD/Emus/$RomDir/launch.sh"

After saving the changes, collections created by CollaGen should work on Stock OS.

Thank you for listening!

Video guide: https://youtu.be/RT24dealNOg

Written guide: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/09/29/how-to-use-collections-for-trimui-smart-pro-stock-crossmix/

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

In today's SBC gaming news, the Miyoo A30 has a huge comeback and is surging in popularity.

Meanwhile, Anbernic releases another handheld, the RG40XXH. It's honestly a decent choice if you want a larger screen for 4:3 home consoles. Less pocketable, but easier on the eyes.

Time will tell who will win between Miyoo's strategy of taking time to make few handhelds compared to Anbernic's strategy of releasing a new handheld every month.

And more!

Thanks for listening!

News Sources: https://pastebin.com/B9T3A4su

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

Video Podcast: https://youtu.be/5U_MA4FF48E

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/

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

Today's episode covers how to port over Sonic Mania for the Miyoo Mini and Miyoo Mini Plus.

It's actually pretty easy to do since very smart and talented people already did the hard work for you!

All you need to do is install the Ports shortcut on Onion OS using the Package Manager and then download the necessary ports file from the Onion OS Ports github located here: https://github.com/OnionUI/Ports-Collection.

You will need the data.rsdk file from a Sonic Mania installation. I used the one from my Epic Game Store installation since I got it for free there some time ago.

The game runs at a widescreen resolution so there will be black bars on the top and bottom. If you want a 4:3 aspect ratio, you can crop the game by adjusting the width. You do lose some details on the sides but it's mostly playable.

To do this make the following edits to the settings.ini file in SD:\Roms\PORTS\Games\Sonic Mania

winWidth=352 maxPixWidth=352 pixWidth=352

It runs pretty well! It does drain the battery much faster than normal however.

Thank you for listening!

Video guide: https://youtu.be/MhB_WV-dgew

Written guide: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/04/10/sonic-mania-on-the-miyoo-mini-plus/

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

In today's SBC gaming news, we have new updates for the Miyoo A30 and the Anbernic RG28XX.

The A30 seems to have a USB C port that can transfer data and audio. It won't have an audio port but will come with a dongle.

The RG28XX seems to have a HDMI out as well as an audio port so it seems to have more functionality. It seems to lack Bluetooth however.

Both devices seem pretty decent in terms of processing power.

The A30 has a quad core CPU, a GPU, and 512MB of ram compared to the dual core CPU, no GPU, and only 128MB of ram of the Miyoo Mini Plus. It should be able to handle higher end systems like the Dreamcast and we already have video footage of the device running Crazy Taxi, albeit not optimally.

The RG28XX has the same SoC as the RG35XXH, Plus, and the 2024 version as well as the same stock operating system so we pretty much know how games will run on that device.

The one benefit of the RG28XX is that it should have Batocera and MuOS/Stock Mod available as custom operating systems at launch where as the A30 will probably require time for a feature rich custom OS/firmware to be available.

And more!

Thanks for listening!

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

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

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

Today's episode covers how to get the best graphics possible out of your PS1 games for your Miyoo Mini and Miyoo Mini Plus.

We'll do this by using Onion OS and the PCSX ReARMed emulator with the enhanced resolution setting turned on along with the enhanced resolution speed hack.

This will cause the game to slow down on the RetroArch core so overclocking will be necessary by adding a text file named cpuclock.txt with the number 1600 (for the OG Miyoo Mini) or 1800 (for the Miyoo Mini Plus) in the text file.

Create this file in this directory on your microSD card: SD:\Saves\CurrentProfile\config\PCSX-ReARMed

Even with overclocking, you may run into slowdowns. Using the standalone PCSX ReARMed app will produce much better results.

You still need to overclock it and we'll do this by adding one line that says "cpuclock 1600" or "cpuclock 1800" in the launch.sh file for the emulator right above the cpufreq.sh call.

If you need more details, I will provide links to both the video and written guide below.

Thank you for listening!

Video guide: https://youtu.be/57zGG7HpF_A

Written guide: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/04/17/how-to-make-your-ps1-games-look-better-on-the-miyoo-mini-plus/

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

In today's SBC gaming news, we have so many micro handhelds announced. The SIPEED, the Miyoo A30, and now the Anbernic RG28XX.

These handhelds have a screen size of 2" to 2.8" and are roughly the same size as a Game Boy Micro.

The SIPEED uses an FPGA that handled up to the SNES (last time I checked), while the A30 and RG28XX should be able to handle up to PS1 and a bit more.

Honestly speaking, the RG28XX looks more ergonomic to me with the lack of an analog stick and the slanted speaker grill but we shall see once the systems come out (rumored release date is mid April).

A console war is brewing between Miyoo and Abnernic with interesting results!

And more!

Thanks for listening!

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/S2RI9tXiRdQ

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

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

Today's episode covers two neat apps for the Miyoo Mini Plus.

WiPadRetro will let you use your Miyoo Mini Plus as a wireless controller over a WiFi network. The OG Miyoo Mini cannot be used for this since it does not have WiFi.

WiPadRetro Github: https://github.com/adildsw/WiPadRetro

AdvanceMENU is an alternative front end for Onion OS. It has video previews for each game! You do need to scrape and convert the videos yourself unless you use the snap pack created by shaquille.

Official Documentation: https://onionui.github.io/docs/apps/advancemenu

Snap Pack: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KoHhrSxNa3u--W2rhGIwRdPQguP52tqD/view?pli=1

Thank you for listening!

Video Guide for Controller: https://youtu.be/f6jmf9e7bEA

Video Guide for AdvanceMENU: https://youtu.be/WkNYwm2f8aw

Written Guide for Controller: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/04/02/how-to-use-your-miyoo-mini-plus-as-a-controller/

Written Guide for AdvanceMENU: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/04/05/neat-frontend-for-the-miyoo-mini-plus-advancemenu-onion-os/

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

In today's SBC gaming news, one of my videos made it to Reddit! Yeah boi. A slew of new consoles were announced or prototypes leaked.

We recently saw the price for the OrangePi Neo. It was $499 for the 7840U model and $599 for the 8840U model. If those prices are real then it's actually a pretty decent price for the chipset.

The flip wars are heating up with Anbernic releasing sneak peaks of their RG35XXSP. It features a rather garish logo that lights up on the front. I hope it doesn't make it to the final version.

Handheld PCs aren't free of problems and we go over a few fixes for some common issues.

And more!

Thanks for listening!

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/g0LD7lz4k_g

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

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

Today's episode covers how to get better PSP performance on the Trimui Smart Pro.

The first thing to do is to check what version your system firmware is at. If it's before 1.0.4 it would be a good idea to update.

14:51 - Setting up PPSSPP 25:18 - PPSSPP Tweaks

We do this by flashing the latest system image to update the handheld as well as copying the latest files for the microSD card.

You can find the firmware and microSD cards on the Trimui Smart Pro github pages linked below.

►Trimui SP Firmware: https://github.com/trimui/firmware_smartpro/releases ►Trimui SP SD Files: https://github.com/trimui/assets_smartpro/releases

You can initiate a firmware update by holding the Vol- button and then pressing the power button. A green bar should show up and at this point you can let go of the Vol- button.

After the installation is finished, you can copy over the PSP folder from CrossMix or copy everything over. Some users like copying only the emulators and apps they want over so I would recommend doing that.

You can find CrossMix on the github linked below.

►CrossMix: https://github.com/cizia64/CrossMix-OS/releases

As for settings, you can turn on all the speed hacks and performance settings. If you see a graphical glitch, turn off "Skip buffer effects" and turn on frame skip instead. You can also try Vulkan. If it's still not enough, using OpenGL or Vulkan performance mode may help. Just be warned the handheld gets very hot while using the high performance mode.

Thank you for listening!

Video guide (updating Trimui Smart Pro and installing CrossMix): https://youtu.be/6TXFvHeNjP8

Video guide (PPSSPP tweaks): https://youtu.be/chn7y0_8p8I

Written guide: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/06/28/how-to-get-better-psp-performance-on-the-trimui-smart-pro/

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

Today's episode covers how to shop as safely as possible on Aliexpress and TikTok Shop. I'll be blunt, the safest way is to not use these store fronts. However, Aliexpress is usually the cheapest way to buy retro handheld devices.

To keep it short and summarize the three easiest things you can do:

1. Make a new email account just for Aliexpress and use it for nothing else.
2. Make a dummy phone number using Google Voice.
3. Use PayPal or a virtual credit card like Privacy Card for payment.

To prevent being scammed:

1. Check when the store opened (new stores are more high risk).
2. Check the store ratings (low rated stores are not worth it).
3. Check the number of reviews, the average review score, and the number of items sold. A legitimate store will be more likely to have higher numbers. These numbers can be faked but it's still a decent indicator overall.
4. If it's too good to be true, it usually is.

Thank you for listening!

Video Guide on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SrK-Ya61Css

Written Guide on My Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/03/30/how-to-shop-safely-on-aliexpress/

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

In today's SBC gaming news, I spent two weeks making a video because of one careless mistake lol. Never again.

Miyoo announces more information on two new consoles, the A30 and the Miyoo Mini Flip. The A30 looks very appealing to me since it looks very much like a Game Boy Micro, one of my favorite consoles of all time. Hopefully it's priced affordably.

A webstore announced that the A30 and the Flip should be coming out mid to late April. I'm very skeptical since the Manufacturer themselves released a notice saying that the A30 would ship first and the Flip afterwards. We shall see.

In a related note, a lot of other companies are teasing their variants on the flip form factor but since most of the teases were in the concept phase we shall see if any actually release.

2024 is shaping up to be an interesting year for retro handhelds.

And more!

Thanks for listening!

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/4zFnjQmO6UU

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

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

Today's episode covers the issue of counterfeit microSD cards. They impact the retro handheld scene in a huge way since counterfeit cards are not reliable. These card will get corrupted easily, resulting in lost save data. If the operating system files get corrupted as well, then the device will not boot.

The best way to avoid counterfeit cards is to buy from a physical store like Best Buy, Walmart, Target, or most photography stores. Avoid Aliexpress and Temu at all costs. Ebay and Amazon should be avoided.

If you have no choice but to buy on Ebay, buy only from the manufacturer or reputable reseller.

If you have no choice but to buy on Amazon, triple check the listing to make sure no 3rd party seller is shipping from Amazon. This is an issue called commingled inventory where all the items are dumped into one bin even if they are from separate sellers. This means that even if you order from Amazon itself, you can still get a counterfeit card.

Finally, use h2testw, Crystal Disk Mark, and the Samsung Authentication Utility to verify your microSD cards are legitimate.

►Video Guide on YouTube: https://youtu.be/u3DHOFZOObk

►Written Guide on My Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/03/26/how-to-know-if-your-microsd-card-is-counterfeit/

Thank you for listening!

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

Today's episode is about using the Miyoo Mini Plus as an MP3 player. We'll be using the Gmu app that's available on Onion OS. The listening experience is surprisingly decent! The only real drawback is a tiny blip sound after each track ends.

I would recommend a few tweaks however. I would either turn off the system sleep timer or set it to 30 minutes. I would also rebind the previous and next track buttons to Menu+L1/R1. If you plan on pocketing the Miyoo Mini Plus, the trigger buttons are very easy to press unintentionally. Rebinding it to Menu+L1/R1 will prevent it from being pressed accidentally.

►Official Onion OS Documentation on Gmu: https://onionui.github.io/docs/apps/music-player

►Video Guide on YouTube: https://youtu.be/36kDTkMrovs

►Written Guide on My Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/03/13/using-the-miyoo-mini-plus-as-a-mp3-player-onion-os/

Thank you for listening!

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

In today's SBC gaming news, Nintendo sues Yuzu and they settle.

This is one of the few times an emulator developer had no defense because they were actively decrypting the games during runtime and doing so is circumventing Nintendo's copyright protection. Few emulators do this sort of decryption which is why most emulators have won their lawsuits and are still around to this day unless it died due to lack of developer interest.

Yuzu has shut down everything and turned it over to Nintendo. As part of the fallout, Emulation Station has been removed from the Amazon App store. You can still purchase it from their patreon with a one time purchase that comes with future updates.

Emulation Station has taken more steps to protect itself legally by removing Yuzu and Citra from their future updated versions. (You can still use it with a little bit of editing). The Turnip team has also closed down shop as well.

Out of the ashes rises Ryujinx to take over the void. This all happened so quickly.

And more!

Thanks for listening!

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/QRcDE4vauxI

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

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

In this episode we cover over every single change listed in the release notes. The audio format can't cover everything but I did try my best to edit in audio notes to clarify the changes as much as possible. I will link the video portion below for those wanting more information as well as the official release notes.

The most notable change is the addition of native DS support through Drastic but there are also so many small but significant quality of life changes and interesting new cores and standalone apps to experiment with. The standalone scummVM app for example provides way better performance than the retroarch core.

►Official Release Notes: https://onionui.github.io/blog/release-notes/4.3.0

►YouTube Video Guide: https://youtu.be/OZ-VaApCgbA

►Written Guide: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/03/05/a-deep-dive-into-whats-new-in-onion-os-4-3-0-miyoo-mini-plus/

Thanks for listening!

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

Today's episode is a recap of retro handheld news from the most of the retro handheld and PC handheld subreddits.

The Powkiddy RGB20SX has been announced. It'll run a RK3566 and have the same 720p 1:1 square screen the RBG30 has. It may be worth keep an eye on, especially if they can keep the price low.

The GameForce ACE has some unfortunate build quality issues, mainly with the controls and screen.

The Switch Lite has an OLED display mod with video out coming up for around $50 or so. It should be a relatively easy mod and upgrade the look and feel of your handheld.

Emulation Station is out for android (effected indirectly by legal drama from Nintendo vs Yuzu but you can still get it for a one time payment from their Patreon).

And more!

Thanks for listening!

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/CIu9Xrgmhk0

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

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

You can stream anything that can run on your computer to your Miyoo Mini Plus if you have a robust wifi network. Mine was unfortunately on the weak side so I have to be close to my router.

Simplified Steps

Install Sunshine onto your PC/laptop.

Install the automatic resolution script (optional but does help).

Install Moonlight onto your Miyoo Mini Plus.

Start Sunshine, start Moonlight, and pair the devices.

Stream your desktop or Steam Big Picture mode to the Miyoo Mini Plus.

YouTube Video Guide: https://youtu.be/VbKkk6Hv04k

Written Guide: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/02/28/streaming-pc-games-to-your-miyoo-mini-plus-w-moonlight-sunshine/

Thanks for listening!

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

Today's episode is a recap of retro handheld news from the most of the retro handheld and PC handheld subreddits.

In today's SBC gaming news, the Gameforce Ace has some teething pains.

Switch emulation on the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro is actually OK if you run games at .5 resolution.

Bazzite updated to have Steam OS feature parity on the Lenovo Legion Go.

Mad lad gets native Android working on the Steam Deck.

And more!

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

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

Thanks for listening!

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

Onion OS is incredibly feature rich and has many convenient hotkeys to make using the Miyoo Mini Plus so much easier. This episode will go over most of the hotkeys available.

If you need more assistance, I will have a video and written guide linked below along with the official documentation.

►Official Documentation: https://onionui.github.io/docs/apps/shortcuts

►Video Guide: https://youtu.be/5rtw6bVDCV0

►Written Guide: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/02/23/a-list-of-handy-hotkeys-for-the-miyoo-mini-plus-onion-os/

Thank you for listening!

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

In today's SBC gaming news, we have a lot of Anbernic related news.

One big update is that the RG 556 and RG Cube bootloaders have been unlocked, meaning Gamma OS will be available for these handhelds in the future.

In the meantime, the analog stick snapping has been fixed thanks to TheGammaSqueeze.

Having just released the Cube, in typical Anbernic fashion they announce yet another H700 based handheld, the RG40XX. The main thing of note is that it has a 4" 4:3 aspect ratio screen, making it an ideal handheld for those wanting to play retro home consoles on a larger screen.

And finally, we see a slew of Pokemon themes that look fantastic! Perfect timing for all the Pokemaniacs out there, especially with the release of two custom roms.

And more!

Thanks for listening!

News Sources: https://pastebin.com/9pwFQ3Nb

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

Video Podcast: https://youtu.be/u6X79vtHNGY

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

I am a survival crafting fan, especially when you can build a massive base as well as sprawling production lines. I was drawn to this game because of the colorful aesthetic and the mech! I love mechs and I love survival crafting, combining the two would be a no brainer for me.

So how did the Lightyear Frontier demo pan out? It’s a little rough to be honest. There were things I liked and things that definitely annoyed me.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1677110/Lightyear_Frontier/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/02/17/my-thoughts-about-the-lightyear-frontier-demo/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/AeStjHxy3E0 ►Gameplay: https://youtu.be/dOcSywjv2NM

I was first introduced to Pacific Drive from the Game Awards show. The trailer was very atmospheric but what piqued my interest the most was that the trailer made the game look like it was mostly you and your car against a hostile world. Your car wasn't just a mode of transportation, it was your home, your shelter against an ever changing and uncertain landscape.

And since the focus appeared to be on the car, it looked like there would be a lot of driving. I'm not making a stretch here or projecting what I want. If you go and take a look at the earlier trailers, all of them make it look like you spend a significant amount of time driving. There was something charming about the idea of driving alone with only the picturesque and sometimes otherworldly scenery to keep you company.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1458140/Pacific_Drive/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/02/19/pacific-drive-isnt-about-driving/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/Rf55WZcB0EY ►Gameplay: https://youtu.be/2r-naJOwgfc

Thanks for listening!

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

DS emulation is drastically improving on the Miyoo Mini/Plus...see what I did there haha.

Onion OS now has native Drastic support and most DS games are actually playable on the Miyoo Mini/Plus. You can even safely overclock the handheld to squeeze out even more performance for games that are not running optimally.

The audio format may not be the best so here are other formats if you need more information:

YouTube Video Guide: https://youtu.be/Wq0gfPtUe_s Written Guide: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/02/15/playing-nintendo-ds-games-on-the-miyoo-mini-plus/

Thanks for listening!

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

Today's episode is a recap of retro handheld news from the SBC Gaming subreddit.

There are a lot of rumors floating around about Microsoft exiting the hardware business and bringing first party exclusives to Sony while another rumor is suggesting Microsoft will have a new Xbox ready for 2026 along with a handheld console much like the Steam Deck.

The RG556 is out and a lot of reviewers have quick looks on it already. It seems like an ok device other than the plastic feeling a bit cheaper than normal.

Retroid Pocket 4 Pro shoulder button woes.

And more.

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/UC8JAypEm9o Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

Thanks for listening!

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

Excerpt of Transcript:

This is my review of the Miyoo Mini Plus.

I’ll get all the relevant information out of the way to be completely transparent about this review, so you can judge for yourself whether or not my perspective covers everything you’re looking for.

I’ve used the Miyoo Mini Plus for approximately twenty six hours as of this writing according to the Activity Tracker app. The device is running the latest firmware and Onion OS with screen brightness set to the lowest setting, WiFi turned off, and volume set to low. I’ve spent most of this time playing Link’s Awakening DX and Lunar Silver Star Story Complete indoors. I played in about four hour chunks for Link’s Awakening DX and around thirty minute chunks for Lunar Silver Star Story Complete. I bought mine new from Amazon for around sixty four dollars shipped and with my own money. No one payed me for this review and is completely my own opinion.

OK now that’s out of the way, let’s get into the review.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/02/07/the-miyoo-mini-plus-in-2024/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/234bz9mpQ9k

Thanks for listening!

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

’ll cut straight to the chase, I had a lot of fun with the game. Now, in my opinion, the fun does run out and the game does have what I perceive to be an inherent flaw but I’ll get to that later. The game may not be for everyone but Palworld is this delightful amalgamation of many different genres cobbled together into a Frankenstein’s monster of delight.

When it works, it feels amazing. It’s not just a straight up survival crafting game. It’s not just a production line design game. It’s not just a monster hunting and taming sim. It’s not just an action adventure game. It’s all of that combined and it somehow works.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1623730/Palworld/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/02/10/my-honest-palworld-review/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/mQTvbptCcMI

Thanks for listening!

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

Today's episode is a recap of retro handheld news from the SBC Gaming subreddit.

I'm completely obsessed with these devices!

There is a rumor of a Sony handheld such as a Sony Vita2 possibly coming out alongside the PlayStation 6. There is speculation that it will be able to handle playing PS4 games natively. This is pretty exciting news for me.

A neat PS2 Memory Card, the MemCard Pro is released.

A look at the RBG10 Max 3 ($89.99/69.99 w coupon), ONEXPLAYER X1 ($859-$2049), and ROG Phone 8 PRO ($1,199.99).

MSI Claw ($699.99-$799.99), and AYANEO Flip KB & DS (~$939-$1479) pricing revealed.

And more.

Thanks for listening!

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

I bought a Steam Deck and more recently a Miyoo Mini Plus and it lead me back into replaying the games of my childhood. I decided to check out Link's Awakening DX because that was one of the first Game Boy Color games I ever played, the very first being Pokemon Red.

I had a lot of fun playing through the game. It holds up surprisingly well for the most part.

Full Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/01/26/links-awakening-dx-retrospective-a-link-to-the-past/ Video Review: https://youtu.be/zul-hAm95t0

Thanks for listening!

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

Sunlight Scream is a visual novel set in a small town university. The story and visuals seem heavily inspired by anime. There is one major problem however. The original language was not English and let's just say the text feels like it was made using Google translate sometimes.

The inconsistent translation makes reading the novel very awkward at times. The occasional spelling error and sloppy grammar would have been OK but the word choices definitely take you out of the story. They use words the average English speaking person would not have in their daily lexicon. Those words may have fit in the narrative exposition of Sunlight Scream but not so much in the dialogue between people. No sane person would speak like that.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2608440/Sunlight_Scream/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/13/sunlight-scream-gameplay-preview-ok-visual-novel-with-translation-errors/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/6wG_550tQjU

Pretty Girls Escape PLUS is another fantastic puzzle game from the friendly folks at Zoo Corporation featuring some well endowed anime girls.

The puzzle design in this game is actually fantastic. I usually blaze through most of their games in about two hours or so unless it has a challenge mode. The later puzzles in Escape PLUS require more thinking and strategy. I was actually stuck on a few levels and had to come back to them later to get past them.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2670340/Pretty_Girls_Escape_PLUS/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/14/pretty-girls-escape-plus-gameplay-preview-i-am-bad-at-this-game-but-it-has-booba/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/t7lm31mWWMg

Final Stardust: Cosmic Nexus is a simple card game that features monsters with elemental properties much like Pokemon. I'm playing the preview build so not a lot of features are in the game yet but I can write about what I've played so far and how it feels.

For starters the game is very simple. The playing field only has three character slots and the main cards you have are your basic monster cards, evolution cards, and some spell cards. The monsters have a health and attack rating. The way to win is to defeat all of the opponent's monsters and attack the player directly until their health is brought down to zero. This is very similar to other card games such as Yugioh, Magic the Gathering, and Hearthstone.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1896570/Final_Stardust_Cosmic_Nexus/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/15/final-stardust-cosmic-nexus-gameplay-preview-simplified-pokemon-like-card-game/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/7Y_a5-Z4T4c

Thanks for listening!

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

Space Station Tycoon is a management sim about building up your own space station. I do have to mention that the normal game mode feels very slow. The rate at which you earn money and research points as well as the rate at which ships visit your station is painfully slow. It’s slow to the point where you won’t be able to actually build up your space station at a decent pace and you end up having to wait a long time before being able to do anything at all.

This is a shame because if you play the game in creative mode, you get to see the full potential the game has. Honestly speaking here, I think the game is infinitely more enjoyable playing in creative mode. You can spend all your time designing your ideal space station or experiment with different layouts. Everything is unlocked in creative mode (other than jump gates) and you have infinite money so your imagination is the limit here. You can even unlock most of the achievements in creative mode.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1324270/Space_Station_Tycoon/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/08/space-station-tycoon-gameplay-preview-slow-management-sim/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/mS9OpXMvrgU

Cosmo Cheats at Poker is a poker game with some cheating mechanics thrown in. It’s an OK game but I didn’t encounter anything that made it stand out among the sea of other poker games out there. It reminded me of playing Poker Night at the Inventory way back in the day and honestly speaking that experience felt smoother than the one provided by Cosmo.

It’s not that this game has any specific issue or problem that makes it lackluster, it’s just that the game doesn’t really add anything on top of playing poker to make the game stand out in any way. There’s just too many options when it comes to playing poker, including playing poker in other games like Red Dead Redemption 2.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2479950/Cosmo_Cheats_at_Poker/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/09/cosmo-cheats-at-poker-gameplay-preview-ok-poker-game-with-cheating-mechanics/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/IOMH6PHXJKo

Costa Verde Transport Department is a game where you design a network of roads that can handle the stress of traffic. I will cut to the chase with this game as well. It's mediocre at best and there's really no reason to play this game over a similar game such as Mini Motorways.

The main flaw of Costa Verde is that the road designing mechanic does not work well at all. For most other games focusing on or containing elements where you build a network of roads, it is essential for the game that building the roads feels intuitive and natural. It's the core element of the game and if the core doesn't feel good, nothing else will.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2403100/Costa_Verde_Transport_Department/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/11/costa-verde-transport-department-gameplay-preview-mediocre-road-design-game/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/8Jp8PG3Ozws

Let's get one thing out of the way real quick. The Invincible is a walking sim. It's basically an interactive movie of sorts. You walk through a mostly linear path with minimal interaction and experience the narrative. I completely understand that this won't appeal to everyone but if you love a good, slow sci-fi narrative you may want to give The Invincible a chance.

I will admit that I am pretty biased as I love science fiction, especially the slow kind that focuses more on the science element rather than grandiose battles and flashy action sequences. Invincible fits right in the first category. It is a gloriously slow and meticulous story that feels like it could actually happen in the not so distant future.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/731040/The_Invincible/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/12/the-invincible-gameplay-preview-amazing-slow-sci-fi-walking-sim/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/ICRBIsM42Z4

Thanks for listening!

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

Some random thoughts I had on how to improve discoverability on YouTube.

Steam has these limited discoverability boosts for developers where you can increase impressions by 500k around 5 times. You can use these anytime.

Why not have a similar feature for YouTube but obviously these boosted impressions/views won't count towards your total view count, count as monetized views, or impact the algorithm in any way.

It would just be a way to show more people you exist.

►YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-oIykI9TS4 ►Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

Thanks for listening!

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

Today's episode covers how to upgrade the stock OS for the RG35XX series of handhelds to stockmod (cbepx-me) using a phone. This includes the RG35XX 2024, Plus, H, SP, and even the 28XX.

It's pretty simple! You just need to download the Update Package for Stock mod for your specific handheld version using the github: https://github.com/cbepx-me/RG35xx-P-RG35xx-H-Modification/releases

Do note here that the stock microSD cards are highly susceptible to corruption and this upgrade process may corrupt your card. If the card becomes corrupted your handheld will be unusable. If you are unwilling to take this risk, I would recommend not doing this process.

I inserted my microSD card into my phone using my microSD card slot but you can also use a microSD to USB adapter if your phone has OTG support.

I then used the SanDisk Memory Zone app to access the ROMs partition on the microSD card, deleted the two largest Dreamcast games to make some space, and copied the extracted Update Package to the Roms directory on the card.

After this, you can insert the card back into the TF1 slot on the handheld, boot it up, and go to RA Game, the Apps folder, and start up the upgrade app. This process will take around 10 minutes or so total.

After updating, you should have RetroArch 1.18 and the gpSP core needed to trade GBA Pokemon wirelessly! Just remember to set the GBA Link Connectivity to GBA Wireless Adapter before connecting via netplay.

Thank you for listening!

Wesley10Pro's Guide: https://www.reddit.com/r/RG35XX/comments/1d7uk07/this_is_how_i_update_my_ambernic_without_a_pc/

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

Written guide: https://duckyobrien.com/2024/06/19/update-the-rg35xxh-2024-plus-sp-28xx-stock-os-to-latest-stockmod-using-your-phone-android/

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

Gaming and movies seem to be sharing the same problem lately. Your choices as a consumer seems to range from AAA titles, with massive, multi-million budgets and a team made up of hundreds of talented creators, to way smaller indie studios where the quality may not always be guaranteed and the scope of the project and production values are definitely more limited.

There does seem to be a sense of fatigue from all the AAA games and movies feeling the same, while the indie scene has just so many titles to wade through that it feels daunting to find one that speaks to you. In this pool of tired consumers, there seems to be one sentiment rising to the surface. People are asking where have all the B tier entertainment gone?

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1681430/RoboCop_Rogue_City/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/04/robocop-rogue-city-demo-gameplay-preview-id-buy-that-for-a-dollar/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/uJP4lHsw6o0

I will cut to the chase. I played the demo for Pneumata and it needs work. Pneuamta is a horror game and instead of feeling scary it just feels very tedious. This is mostly due to the combat and a strange mechanic where the screen goes super dark and you just can’t see anything. It’s not fun.

The reason why the combat feels tedious is that there are so many zombies and the weapons have a very low durability. Combine the tedious combat with a small inventory space and you a recipe for boredom. The gun is practically useless since you never have enough bullets and the damage is worse than the melee weapons. The melee weapons feel pretty OK but they break so quickly. This leaves you with the knife and the knife is quite possibly one of the worst weapons I have ever used in a game.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1183850/Pneumata/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/05/pneumata-demo-gameplay-peview-plastic-dinner-knife-stats/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/MezpD4Dp_pE

The Last Faith is a 2D Metroidvania Soulslike and it feels pretty decent. I saw one reviewer use the term Soulsvania and I'm actually digging it, I may use it in the future. As a side note, what a time we live in where there are so many established video game genres and design archetypes that we have specific terms for them. Video games have come a long way.

Going back on topic, The Last Faith has a medieval, grimdark atmosphere. This extended to one aspect of the game that I did not expect to see, voice acting! There wasn't a lot of interactions with NPCs but the few that I did encounter had voice acted lines of dialogue. There is some light narrative framing the game but most of the play time is spent exploring and fighting monsters.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1274600/The_Last_Faith/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/06/the-last-faith-demo-gameplay-preview-metroidvania-souls/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/yi07Uo1qTzM

Imagine combining Picross with Minesweeper and you have Polimines 2. It has the familiar logic of games like Picross with some Minesweeper mechanics thrown in to mix up the game play. While I did enjoy playing the game, I must admit I struggle with these types of games.

The only issue I personally had was due to being unfamiliar with how the logic works for games like this. I'm really comfortable with Sudoku and can solve up to hard puzzles with no issue but man Polimines 2 is a different kind of beast.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2328730/Polimines_2/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/07/polimines-2-gameplay-preview-big-brain-minesweeper/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/tEJ7y4LCyHk

Thanks for listening!

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

Some random thoughts I had on what makes an indie game indie in this day and age. In my opinion, the spirit of an indie game is one that takes risks and feels fresh and this usually happens in an environment where the developers are free to do what they want. This can happen even with backing by big publishers and investors involved.

►YouTube version: https://youtu.be/yKwkEOuEdfI ►Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

Thanks for listening!

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

Rungore is a fast paced card combat game with the trappings of a roguelite. You fight one enemy at a time. Before each battle, you usually select three items from a random assortment of cards and armor. After selecting your items, the characters fight automatically in real time but you can use cards to make the battle much easier.

The cards you get can range from effects such as giving your character bonus armor, dealing extra damage, and applying the marked status effect. The marked status effect is used for bonuses on other cards such as dealing extra damage to marked enemies or receiving extra armor.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2113040/RUNGORE/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/11/29/rungore-gameplay-preview-fast-paced-card-combat/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/jrJIxXLt5EA

Labyrinthatory is a 2D puzzle game. There’s a very light narrative about an eccentric relative that passed away. During the funeral you receive a call from said relative asking you to discover the truth to what “man’s greatest need” is. You go to said area, meet a robot assistant, and the game starts and then from there it kind of devolves into a series of disjointed puzzles.

While the puzzles themselves are OK and standard fare, there’s really no underlying mechanic or theme uniting them all together. Even the narrative backdrop is pretty much forgotten. Before I go on to explain, I am mentioning this from the spirit of offering possible feedback rather than taking a dump on the game. I enjoyed the game so I have no desire to put it down, rather I saw some shortcomings that could be improved upon for the developer’s next game.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2132770/Labyrinthatory/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/11/30/labyrinthatory-gameplay-preview-indie-puzzle-compilation/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/tvSeKh_N76w

Growth is a very relaxing board game. The premise is very simple, you send out animals from their habitat tiles to explore the board with the hopes of discovering new habitats. When you deconstruct the game play loop, it’s sort of like a less lethal mine sweeper with a range on how far you can explore.

The end goal is to uncover enough of the board, which then adds a new board to explore. The immediate goal is to uncover new habitats since discovering new habitats increases the number of animals you have. The animals are sent forth to explore and each animal has a different range and ability.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2300300/Growth/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/01/growth-gameplay-preview-relaxing-board-game/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/tYqbua0JCcI

Tribe: Primitive Builder may look like a standard survival crafting game but it introduces an interesting mechanic that threatens to break the illusion that is the survival crafting genre. What mechanic is that you ask? Unlike survival crafting games, you don’t have to grind all the way to the platinum axe to find out the answer.

The game incorporates a management sim aspect and the results are very interesting to look at. The game lets you build huts with specific functions, i.e. a fishing hut, and then assign workers from the tribe to said hut. They will carry out their duties as long as they have two things, food and tools. This has a greater impact on the game than one would think, it’s just unfortunate that the survival crafting mechanics of Tribe are too shallow to let the game really shine.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1059900/Tribe_Primitive_Builder/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/01/tribe-primitive-builder-gameplay-preview-survival-crafting-with-some-management-sim/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/Tjq1__fhiKI

Thanks for listening!

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

Some random thoughts I had on the ethical dilemma of content. It's something I'm always thinking about and feel conflicted about whenever I make content.

►YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uNa0Mu1fF8 ►Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

Thanks for listening!

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

I’ve seen plenty of roguelikes over the years and the genre is fairly popular for the most part. They are mostly two dimensional in terms of movement and/or graphics. You see many games sharing mechanics found in games like Spelunky, Binding of Issac, Dead Cells, Hades, and so forth. However, you don’t really see as many first person shooter roguelites for some reason.

Battle Shapers is one of the few first person roguelites I have played. I know Returnal is one but I didn’t have an opportunity to check that game out yet. I’ll just cut to the chase, overall I enjoyed my time with Battle Shapers. The game feels like Mega Man but in first person.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1421290/Battle_Shapers/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/10/19/battle-shapers-gameplay-preview-first-person-mega-man-roguelite/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/b_zjZ3C-HrU

Thyria: Step Into Dreams is a demo for an interesting take on the dungeon crawler genre made popular by games such as Darkest Dungeon. While the combat feels pretty similar to Darkest Dungeon, Thyria focuses more on exploration than the combat.

The game is made by a two person dev team and while they did a fantastic job for the most part, there are definitely some flaws in almost every aspect of the game. Thryia has that home made indie game feel.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2457040/Thyria_Step_Into_Dreams/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/10/20/thyria-step-into-dreams-gameplay-preview-homemade-darkest-dungeon/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/8jikxlN2c9Q

Solium Infernum is a simplified turn based strategy game, similar to games such as Civilization. The overlord of hell has gone missing and now all its factions are vying for the throne. You play one such faction and everyone takes turns plotting their devious methods.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1893810/Solium_Infernum/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/10/21/solium-infernum-demo-gameplay-preview-tactics-from-hell/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/muHbIlcwD3k

Cyber Paradise is an interesting take on the action roguelite genre. You only have one weapon throughout the game, but you can build and modify your character by picking up cards. The cards are spread throughout the level and also dropped after defeating enemies. The card system is interesting because not only do cards add new abilities, they can also modify the cards next to them.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2431790/Cyber_Paradise/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/11/21/cyber-paradise-demo-gameplay-preview-what-the-dog-doing/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/xnFpOhy2Wog

Thanks for listening!

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

In this episode, I cover four indie (and non indie) games:

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless has all the hallmarks of a Disgaea game. You can lift teammates (and enemies) up, creating a hilarious but highly mobile tower and proceed to throw people willy nilly all over the place. Prinnies still explode when thrown, as they should. You still have item worlds and other familiar mechanics carrying over and topping it all off is the gorgeous artwork, excellent voice acting, and catchy music. The dubs are always fantastic for NIS games in my opinion, they hit the perfect balance of being somewhat close to the original Japanese and just enough corniness to make it charming.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2250600/Disgaea_7_Vows_of_the_Virtueless/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/10/11/disgaea-7-vows-of-the-virtueless-gameplay-preview-ewwdo-dood/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/CAWwDLoaIZg

Tatari: The Arrival is a demo for a horror game and it’s pretty darn rough. It doesn’t even feel like the game has reached an alpha phase and we’re just getting a look into a concept. Let’s just say there is a metric ton of jank in the demo.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2496460/Tatari_The_Arrival/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/10/11/tatari-the-arrival-gameplay-preview-janky-demo-with-potential/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/z-SptFdznBU

Ooblets is immediately reminiscent of a modern take on Viva Piñata, a wholesome mix of village sim, some light farming, and a casual sampling of Pokemon. If you’re not familiar with Viva Piñata, you grow Pokemon from the soil. Plants are people too OK. Take that PETA.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/593150/Ooblets/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/10/11/ooblets-gameplay-preview-im-not-like-the-other-viva-pinatas/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/wl01uovtNc4

Sweet Dreams Alex is like a tower defense game but without the towers. There is a singular monster taking the shortest path towards a sleeping child. It’s your job to create a maze to make sure the dream ends before the monster makes it to the kid. Later levels have multiple monsters, faster monsters, and benevolent ice cream creatures (who doesn’t like ice cream?!) so the game provides more of a challenge than you’d think.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1561090/Sweet_Dreams_Alex/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/10/12/sweet-dreams-alex-gameplay-preview-tower-defense-puzzles-without-the-towers/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/HbYe298eGTs

Thanks for listening!

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

In this episode, I cover four indie (and non indie) games:

Hauma – A Detective Noir story is an interactive visual novel. The game features a gripping narrative backed by solid voice acted lines of dialogue. The story does start off slow but once it gets going, it managed to pull me in and keep me invested in how the ending would pay off despite some moments that did manage to break the immersion.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1443470/Hauma__A_Detective_Noir_Story/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/09/27/hauma-a-detective-noir-story-gameplay-preview-interactive-visual-novel/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/CrmWDjaD9aY

BIT.TRIP RERUNNER revisits the classic BIT.TRIP RUNNER series and comes complete with extra levels, additional material that gives a peak behind the scenes, and a level maker to make, share, and play user created levels. If you are a fan of the BIT.TRIP series, RERUNNER definitely looks to be the ultimate version out as of now.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2222540/BITTRIP_RERUNNER/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/09/27/bit-trip-rerunner-gameplay-preview-the-ultimate-version/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/WcWWzQDpbeM

The First Descendant is a looter shooter from Nexon. You shoot things, get guns to shoot bigger things to get even better guns to shoot even bigger enemies. You get the picture. Destiny 2, Warframe, and Borderlands are some games from the same vein.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2074920/The_First_Descendant/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/09/29/the-first-descendent-beta-gameplay-preview-bland-and-blase-but-not-terrible/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/QlSkykubImY

Conquistadorio is a rather macabre point and click adventure game. The general atmosphere and feel of the game is pretty unique as a result. For some reason I can’t quite put my finger on, the game conjures up the same feeling as Limbo even though the two games are quite different in mechanics.

►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2472550/Conquistadorio/ ►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/10/03/conquistadorio-gameplay-preview-if-limbo-was-a-point-click-adventure/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/E0ZfDVNFHzM

Thanks for listening!

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

In this episode, I cover four indie (and non indie) games:

Sunkenland is the very definition of jank. There are so many quality of life features missing, so many bugs, so many things that are imbalanced, and just overall very rough edges on almost every mechanic you interact with. Yet, I can’t deny after close to nineteen hours into the game, there is definitely something magical about it.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/09/11/sunkenland-gameplay-preview-ghetto-rust-in-waterworld/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/cQ-4JdxCeO0

ghostpia is a kinetic visual novel. I mistakenly thought this meant that the visual novel had animated sequences but the ‘kinetic’ actually just refers to a visual novel with no choices. You simply read the narrative and you can’t pick your own options.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/09/12/ghostpia-season-one-gameplay-preview-kinetic-visual-novel/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/gRVuR70JmH0

Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess takes place after some years have passed following the events of the first Rhapsody game. You play as Kururu, the daughter of Cornet, as she ventures forth to find a dashing prince of her own.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/09/12/rhaposdy-ii-ballad-of-the-little-princess-gameplay-preview-the-musical-adventure-returns/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/kmgS-ix0CBI

HYENAS is an interesting take on the extraction shooter genre. The extraction part is not focused so much on obtaining loot like in Escape from Tarkov, where any gear you bring in is lost forever if you die. Games like Tarkov create a high risk versus high reward style of play where bringing in better guns and gear means a better chance of getting out alive but also carries the higher risk of losing everything with other players targeting you.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/09/12/hyenas-gameplay-preview-interesting-ideas-but-unnecessary-progression-system/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/K2el9BnAfxQ

Thanks for listening!

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

In this episode, I cover four indie games:

En Garde! is like Sekiro for ants, and what I mean by that is that the game is actually quite very good! The combat in En Garde is spiritually similar to Sekiro but it’s much more accessible and forgiving. The magical quality of the combat is that it still makes you feel like you are a pro whenever you successfully pull of a series parries and dodges in a row, especially when surrounded by multiple enemies.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/08/28/en-garde-gameplay-preview-sekiro-for-ants-this-game-is-pretty-good/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/A-nUPnpxbCI

An Ankou is a simple roguelite. You go into the game, craft one weapon, upgrade one set of armor, and leave a bloody trail of spider and other monstrosities’ corpses as you fight your way tooth and nail to the final boss.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/08/29/an-ankou-gameplay-preview-the-spiders-dont-stop/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/BXiDN3O0GWs

Fae Farm is a very competent farming simulator in a sea of farming sims. It has tried and true elements and mechanics found in games such as Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley as well as the more casual social village sims like Animal Crossing.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/08/31/fae-farm-gameplay-preview-harvest-animal-crossing-valley/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/Ol9akHZPNyA

Dead by Daylight fans will be immediately familiar with the asymmetric multiplayer gameplay focusing on horror found in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Four survivors are tasked with escaping the basement and then the house of the Slaughter family.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/09/01/the-texas-chain-saw-massacre-gameplay-preview-dead-by-chainsaw/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/BxRHKh8JVLw

Thanks for listening!

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

In this episode, I cover four indie games:

STONKS-9800 is a stock market simulator with retro vibes and some inspiration from anime. The game seems to give the impression that you are a salaryman day trader..

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/08/25/stonks-9800-gameplay-preview-retro-anime-stock-sim/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/e6vd3RIGJzg

Super Catboy is a platformer that takes heavy inspiration from the classics. The pixel art style looks fantastic and a lot of the game comes so close to being as pixel perfect as the art.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/08/25/super-catboy-gameplay-preview-retro-catformer/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/Jf1BuH-1glY

Trepang2 seems a little basic in terms of modern game design. There are no progression tracks, no meters constantly going up for completing pointless micro tasks and manipulating you into playing the game for far longer than you had wanted to. There aren’t a bazillion guns that mostly perform the same with hundreds of mundane modifications. What Trepang2 does have, however, is fun and it has it in droves.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/08/26/trepang2-gameplay-preview-oldschool-fps-like-f-e-a-r/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/AWFf1fuhulw

We Stay Behind seems to be an interactive narrative from what I’ve gleaned from the demo. You play the role of a reporter investigating a small town that is under imminent threat of being completely destroyed by a falling asteroid. Some of the townspeople have chosen to stay despite the danger and it’s your job to investigate why.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/08/26/we-stay-behind-demo-gameplay-preview-intrigue-mystery-and-possibly-something-sinister/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/evWMBinl4S8

Thanks for listening!

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

Sorry for the late release! I procrastinated too much this time around lol.

In today's SBC gaming news, Powkiddy has not one, not two, but three new handhelds slated for release!

One is the Powkiddy V10. It looks like the Anbernic 280V but has a 3:2 aspect ratio screen, which is perfect for Game Boy Advance Games. It'll supposedly have a RK3326, which is an older SoC but it'll be good enough for GBA.

There is a horizontal handheld as well but no details. If it has the same 3:2 aspect ratio screen, this may be very well an ideal GBA machine.

The last Powkiddy handheld is a horizontal one with a Helio G99. Looks like they're aiming for a handheld with a bit more power.

We also have video footage of the Small Universe x Sugar Cube console. It's the handheld that had the rotating screen. I gotta be honest, I thought it was never going to come out but it looks like it actually might. The video had a prototype with an all metal body and a commenter mentioned that it'd have a SD 888 SoC which would make the price very expensive. Not sure if it'll have a market with that high of a price (I'm guessing around $300).

And while the screen still feels gimmicky, seeing it in action makes it seem not completely pointless.

The handhelds never stop coming out I guess.

And more!

Thanks for listening!

News Sources: https://pastebin.com/J8iVGupq

Blog: https://duckyobrien.com/

Video Podcast: https://youtu.be/2y5HmSGz1xw

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

In this episode, I cover four indie games:

Bat Boy is a retro platformer through and through. From the nostalgia inducing 8-bit graphics to the simple but catchy chip tune sound track, this side scrolling action platformer feels like an old classic made in modern times.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/08/21/bat-boy-gameplay-preview-retro-platformer/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/XcsBy5DUCUc

Killer Frequency is an interactive thriller from the perspective of washed up radio host Forrest Nash. Through a series of rather unfortunate events, all the 911 calls have been routed to the radio show and now Forrest must try to save everyone calling in. We won’t speak of Ponty’s Pizza however…

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/08/21/interactive-radio-thriller-killer-frequency-gameplay-preview/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/I_sXci7zrfA

Meaningless is a pretty chill puzzle game. Your main goal is to manipulate blocks so that the marble can get to the end of the level. This may seem like a simple mechanic but the puzzles grow in complexity to the point that the solution isn’t so obvious at first glance.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/08/22/meaningless-gameplay-preview-chill-puzzle-game/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/fMNpmIvd_kI

Zoo Corporation is back at it again fellas. They usually make solid puzzle games featuring what one could say are very well endowed anime girls. This one doesn’t have any anime girls and honestly speaking that makes me more comfortable playing this game.

►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/08/22/settris-gameplay-preview-tetris-puzzles/ ►Video: https://youtu.be/PGcpsvF35dM

Thanks for listening!

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

I don't know why platforms always pay millions and go after a few of the biggest streamers when you can save a lot of money and go for way more smaller/medium sized streamers in a wide variety of categories to create an instant healthier ecosystem. Mixer signing Shroud and Ninja didn't work so well.

YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSgvuiIt3iw Blog ► https://duckyobrien.com/

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

Vampire Hunters has so much potential but is marred by tedium and contradictory design elements.

►Steam Store Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2206270/Vampire_Hunters/ ►YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/zZ2I88hUadE ►Blog Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/08/11/unwanted-feedback-vampire-hunters/

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

The developer reached out to me 2 years after I first covered the game letting me know they're still working on the game. I checked it out and they did great work. The game is still janky and needs work but the developer is actively taking feedback and making changes right away.

The game is a third person roguelite that's heavy on action.

►Dev Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/justinsix ►Dev YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTF55vLsfcuI2epJShoZa0Q ►Steam Store Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1478310/Alien_Life_Sim ►YouTube Preview: https://youtu.be/Fb2RToHJkts