Re: Retro gaming
By: Nightfox to All on Tue Sep 14 2021 09:14 am

Who else is into retro gaming?

I know we discussed this already in #synchronet, but ... I thought I'd mentioned here before that I bought a retro gaming handheld (the Powkiddy RGB10 MAX 2) a couple years ago and was super impressed at what you can get for the money these days. I even bought a couple as gifts.

My teenage daughter sort of took ownership of my RGB10 MAX 2, so today I bought myself (for a long flight) a Miyoo Mini Plus (for $59 on Amazon), which has a smaller, little bit lower res screen, and is in the vertical (Gameboy) layout, but mostly the same game/emulation support as the Powkiddy I own. I was also pondering the Anbernic RG35XXH (horizontal) or RG35XXSP (flip), but liked the look of the Onion OS option for the Miyoo better and it was about $10 cheaper <shrug>.

There are *so* many options (hardware, "OS") in the retro gaming handheld space. I do think I'd like something that played all (or most) N64 games well, but that's getting into the multi-hundo price range. The ports to these platforms of course run well on all of them, but volunteer devs can't (or won't) do that for most old console games (though, someone did it for the Super Mario 64). I see the Powkiddy RGB10 MAX 3 is out and there's other updated larger screen/wide devices and some super small form factor ones too. Fun stuff!
--
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Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Sun Aug 25 2024 19:48:09

Re: Retro gaming
By: Nightfox to All on Tue Sep 14 2021 09:14 am

Who else is into retro gaming?

I know we discussed this already in #synchronet, but ... I thought I'd mentioned here before that I bought a retro gaming handheld (the Powkiddy RGB10 MAX 2) a couple years ago and was super impressed at what you can get for the money these days. I even bought a couple as gifts.

My teenage daughter sort of took ownership of my RGB10 MAX 2, so today I bought myself (for a long flight) a Miyoo Mini Plus (for $59 on Amazon), which has a smaller, little bit lower res screen, and is in the vertical (Gameboy) layout, but mostly the same game/emulation support as the Powkiddy I own. I was also pondering the Anbernic RG35XXH (horizontal) or RG35XXSP (flip), but liked the look of the Onion OS option for the Miyoo better and it was about $10 cheaper <shrug>.

There are *so* many options (hardware, "OS") in the retro gaming handheld space. I do think I'd like something that played all (or most) N64 games well, but that's getting into the multi-hundo price range. The ports to these platforms of course run well on all of them, but volunteer devs can't (or won't) do that for most old console games (though, someone did it for the Super Mario 64). I see the Powkiddy RGB10 MAX 3 is out and there's other updated larger screen/wide devices and some super small form factor ones too. Fun stuff!

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Sun Aug 25 2024 19:48:09

I have the Anbernic RG 35XX plus, it like a game boy and is great.
Its very powerful and plays everything upto the PSP.
The software it comes with works great out of the box and comes fully loaded. You can put Onion on it is you like, I was going to but I really liked it how it come so I left it as is.

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Sun Aug 25 2024 07:48 pm

There are *so* many options (hardware, "OS") in the retro gaming handheld space. I do think I'd like something that played all (or most) N64 games well, but that's getting into the multi-hundo price range. The ports to these platforms of course run well on all of them, but volunteer devs can't (or won't) do that for most old console games (though, someone did it for the Super Mario 64). I see the Powkiddy RGB10 MAX 3 is out and there's other updated larger screen/wide devices and some super small form factor ones too. Fun stuff!

There are definitely a lot of options for handheld retro gaming. I decided to order a Powkiddy RGB10 MAX 3, so I'm looking forward to using that when it arrives. Depending on how I like it, I might sell my RetroFlag Pi-based retro handheld.

And in general, there are lots of options for emulation these days. Aside from handhelds and emulation on my PC, I also have a modded Nintendo Wii that I installed some emulators on, as well as a Nintendo SNES Classic Mini, and on another TV, I have an Nvidia Shield Pro with RetroArch installed on it (it can use a bluetooth gaming controller).

Nightfox

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Re: Retro gaming
By: GenFx to Nightfox on Mon Aug 26 2024 05:32 pm

Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Sun Aug 25 2024 19:48:09

I have the Anbernic RG 35XX plus, it like a game boy and is great.
Its very powerful and plays everything upto the PSP.
The software it comes with works great out of the box and comes fully loaded. You can put Onion on it is you like, I was going to but I really liked it how it come so I left it as is.

I think for that device, the custom OS equivalent is "Garlic" (not Onion), but yeah, same idea.
--
digital man (rob)

Breaking Bad quote #14:
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Re: Retro gaming
By: Nightfox to Digital Man on Mon Aug 26 2024 10:18 am

There are definitely a lot of options for handheld retro gaming. I decided to order a Powkiddy RGB10 MAX 3, so I'm looking forward to using that when it arrives. Depending on how I like it, I might sell my RetroFlag Pi-based retro handheld.

Let us know how you like the RGB10 MAX 3. For $99, it's kind of hard to go wrong.
--
digital man (rob)

This Is Spinal Tap quote #46:
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Re: Retro gaming
By: Nightfox to Digital Man on Mon Aug 26 2024 10:18 am

arrives. Depending on how I like it, I might sell my RetroFlag Pi-based retr handheld.

Do you have the GPi Case? I've got one, and while I don't use it near as much as the Odroid Go Advance (which doesn't get much use to begin with), I don't think I'll ever get rid of it :). When the Gameboy first came out, I would lay awake at night thinking about them and how much I wanted one, and partly because of the aesthetic. Definitely will always love the GPi Case. What I've noticed, though, is it goes through AA batteries faster than if you hook up the regular USB power cable into a USB battery. I've been playing it that way. Also I have a distro on it that seemed to boot much faster than all the rest.

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Re: Retro gaming
By: GenFx to Nightfox on Mon Aug 26 2024 05:32 pm

I have the Anbernic RG 35XX plus, it like a game boy and is great.
Its very powerful and plays everything upto the PSP.

These days I mostly do my retro gaming on my Steam Deck, it does a great job running retroarch and has a nice screen for my old eyes ;)

I also have a heavily modded PS Vita that I still play around with quite frequently... it has some hockey games that came out for the PSP and Vita, and again, Retroarch runs good on it for most platforms.

About 3 years ago I played around with the "Retroid Pocket 2" and was pretty impressed with it but it really shows its age today compared to what's available. I even loaded up IPTV on it to give it that "nostalgic vibe ala "TurboExpress with TV adapter" feeling... I had a TurboExpress back in the day (that took me what felt like forever to save up for) but I never had the TV tuner. Here's what my IPTV install on the Retroid looked like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nmQi_Raz-0

(sorry for the mickey-mouse screen recording... it was a quick and dirty video)


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Re: Retro gaming
By: phigan to Nightfox on Mon Aug 26 2024 02:51 pm

Do you have the GPi Case? I've got one, and while I don't use it near as much as the Odroid Go Advance (which doesn't get much use to begin with), I don't think I'll ever get rid of it :). When the Gameboy first came out, I would lay awake at night thinking about them and how much I wanted one, and partly because of the aesthetic. Definitely will always love the GPi Case. What I've noticed, though, is it goes through AA batteries faster than if you hook up the regular USB power cable into a USB battery. I've been playing it that way. Also I have a distro on it that seemed to boot much faster than all the rest.

Yes, I have the GPi case. I think mine is the newer version though, as it uses an internal rechargeable battery rather than AA batteries (and it charges via USB-C). I think the battery has a decent life before it needs to be recharged.

I do like the aesthetic, though to me it feels a bit bulky in my hands. I think the original Game Boy did too though. Before I had this, I had a GCW Zero, which was thinner, and I felt like it was more comfortable to me to hold. The GCW Zero was also a wide one, with the controls to the sides of the screen rather than below. The main reason I bought the GPi was that the screen on my GCW Zero crapped out and wasn't really working anymore, and I thought the GPi would be a cool Raspberry Pi project (which it is).

Nightfox

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to GenFx on Mon Aug 26 2024 14:25:33

I think for that device, the custom OS equivalent is "Garlic" (not Onion), but yeah, same idea.

It can use both garlic and onion, I tried them both but liked the original software the best, nearly all games worked flawlessly with it.
It also has a pretty by device UI too lol

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Mon Aug 26 2024 14:26:26

Let us know how you like the RGB10 MAX 3. For $99, it's kind of hard to go wrong.

Id like to know too, i think id like a larger screen for home use.
I dont like rubber coated devices thou but it looks like not all of them are.

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Crushed to GenFx on Mon Aug 26 2024 18:45:14

These days I mostly do my retro gaming on my Steam Deck, it does a great job running retroarch and has a nice screen for my old eyes ;)

I also have a heavily modded PS Vita that I still play around with quite frequently... it has some hockey games that came out for the PSP and Vita, and again, Retroarch runs good on it for most platforms.

About 3 years ago I played around with the "Retroid Pocket 2" and was pretty impressed with it but it really shows its age today compared to what's available. I even loaded up IPTV on it to give it that "nostalgic vibe ala "TurboExpress with TV adapter" feeling... I had a TurboExpress back in the day (that took me what felt like forever to save up for) but I never had the TV tuner. Here's what my IPTV install on the Retroid looked like:

A steam deck would be nice, but a bit out of my price range.
I'll probably try the RGB10Max for the bigger screen if it's recieved well.
I really only play retro games on handheld anyway.

That IPTV install looks fun, I only had Casio pocket TV back when LCD panels were black magic. I used to play my NES through it lol

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Sun Aug 25 2024 07:48 pm

Who else is into retro gaming?

I have a full-size MAME machine.

LOVE IT!!! 2,120 games!

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Re: Retro gaming
By: KnightMare to Digital Man on Tue Aug 27 2024 10:09 am

I have a full-size MAME machine.
LOVE IT!!! 2,120 games!

That's the way to do it! Unless you're this guy LOL:

https://x.com/historyinmemes/status/1828195718970171656?t=6SZjiAK6-IWFEVtbqCHBD A&s=08

Over 400 hardware consoles connected to a single TV... someone has too much time/money on their hands!!!

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Re: Retro gaming
By: KnightMare to Digital Man on Tue Aug 27 2024 10:09 am

Who else is into retro gaming?

I have a full-size MAME machine.

LOVE IT!!! 2,120 games!

I'm pretty sure I wrote that part of the message you quoted, but you responded to someone else..

I feel like 2,120 would be a lot to choose from. There's a paradox of choice where having too many things to choose from could make you feel overwhelmed and make it difficult to actually make a choice. I tend to have a smaller number of games on my emulation devices, and it's mostly games I really like or might want to play.

Nightfox

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Nightfox to KnightMare on Tue Aug 27 2024 13:17:29

I'm pretty sure I wrote that part of the message you quoted, but you responded to someone else..

I feel like 2,120 would be a lot to choose from. There's a paradox of choice where having too many things to choose from could make you feel overwhelmed and make it difficult to actually make a choice. I tend to have a smaller number of games on my emulation devices, and it's mostly games I really like or might want to play.

Definatly, Its like with all these streaming services, I end up clicking through the menu until I give up and re-watch something like Futurama that I have seen 15000 times.. It gets tiring.. A good while ago I soft-modded my wii and stuck almost every game that I have in my file areas on it (sega, snes, nes, n64, atari) ended up playing about 5 different things and doing other linuxy stuff on it.. now it's been in the closet for about 5 years. may break it out and put synchronet on it :-)
---
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Re: Retro gaming
By: kk4qbn to Nightfox on Tue Aug 27 2024 05:48 pm

Definatly, Its like with all these streaming services, I end up clicking through the menu until I give up and re-watch something like Futurama that I have seen 15000 times.. It gets tiring.. A good while ago I soft-modded my wii and stuck almost every game that I have in my file areas on it (sega, snes, nes, n64, atari) ended up playing about 5 different things and doing other linuxy stuff on it.. now it's been in the closet for about 5 years. may break it out and put synchronet on it :-)

I also modded my Wii and put some emulators on it, as well as some Wii game ISOs (so that I don't have to put in the discs). I actually haven't used it as much as I thought I would, but I do have several other ways to play emulated games if I want to do that.

The TV that I have my Wii connected to may have been one of the last TVs to still have analog RCA/component inputs, which the Wii is using (I have it connected via the 5 component inputs - 3 RGB for video, and 2 for the stereo audio. It seems that most TVs these days just have HDMI inputs. The TV I'm using with my Wii is a 55" 4K TV, and I think it's kinda funny it has the RCA inputs.. The Wii has an option to output either a 4:3 image or a 16:9 image, and the Wii actually looks pretty decent on the TV, especially with the 16:9 option.

Nightfox

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Re: Retro gaming
By: KnightMare to Digital Man on Tue Aug 27 2024 10:09 am

Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Sun Aug 25 2024 07:48 pm

Who else is into retro gaming?

I have a full-size MAME machine.

LOVE IT!!! 2,120 games!

do you use one of those gui softwares? i cant remember the name but i downloaded it.
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Re: Retro gaming
By: MRO to KnightMare on Tue Aug 27 2024 05:58 pm

do you use one of those gui softwares? i cant remember the name but i downloaded it.

My favorite front-end is Hyperspin! (combined with RocketLauncher for the emulation). I could just sit and watch it "spin" all day and see what it lands on next.

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Re: Retro gaming
By: MRO to KnightMare on Tue Aug 27 2024 05:58 pm

LOVE IT!!! 2,120 games!

do you use one of those gui softwares? i cant remember the name but i downloaded it.

It's not in a PC - i have a game console loaded with the ROMS inside a full size (heavy-as-fuck) coin-op machine. I wired it up and the joysticks and buttons. I'll take a pic of it and post it somewhere.

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Re: Retro gaming
By: kk4qbn to Nightfox on Tue Aug 27 2024 05:48 pm

have seen 15000 times.. It gets tiring.. A good while ago I soft-modded my w and stuck almost every game that I have in my file areas on it (sega, snes, nes, n64, atari) ended up playing about 5 different things and doing other linuxy stuff on it.. now it's been in the closet for about 5 years. may bre

Do you remember what you emu(s) you were using to play all those games? Was it anything that could run native or did you have to open the homebrew channel? Also, what kinda linuxy stuff did you do on it, out of curiosity?

I've got my Wii softmodded, but I mostly play native Wii games on it. If I remember right, there was at least one fun homebrew game and also a kinda minimal one called Cubivore :).

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Nightfox to kk4qbn on Tue Aug 27 2024 03:39 pm

connected via the 5 component inputs - 3 RGB for video, and 2 for the stereo audio. It seems that most TVs these days just have HDMI inputs. The TV I'm

My TV also has component, but there are some supercheap HDMI adapters that came out for the Wii and they look fine for the most part. I think I paid $6.

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Re: Retro gaming
By: KnightMare to MRO on Tue Aug 27 2024 10:58 pm

It's not in a PC - i have a game console loaded with the ROMS inside a full size (heavy-as-fuck) coin-op machine. I wired it up and the joysticks and buttons. I'll take a pic of it and post it somewhere.

Just wanted to throw this out there if I haven't mentioned it already..

You can make your own arcade room in VR if you have a Quest 2/Quest 3! https://curifab.itch.io/age-of-joy

And a couple videos of people using it.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYY5oOcqYUc&t=78s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNc0WW3ehow

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Re: Retro gaming
By: phigan to kk4qbn on Wed Aug 28 2024 06:42:36

Do you remember what you emu(s) you were using to play all those games? Was > anything that could run native or did you have to open the homebrew channel? > Also, what kinda linuxy stuff did you do on it, out of curiosity?

I really don't remember if the emu's were off the homebrew channel or if they were ones for linux it has been a long time, Just know that I got that little wii to do a lot of stuff I did'nt think it was capable of, as of "Linuxy Stuff"I used it as a multi-use type computer for my ham radio stuff, satellite
tracking, and I think even sdr stuff. it was just a pretty good little linux box to play with. :-)

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Re: Retro gaming
By: KnightMare to MRO on Tue Aug 27 2024 10:58 pm

do you use one of those gui softwares? i cant remember the name but i downloaded it.

It's not in a PC - i have a game console loaded with the ROMS inside a full size (heavy-as-fuck) coin-op machine. I wired it up and the joysticks and buttons. I'll take a pic of it and post it somewhere.

I thought mame runs on personal computers.

what game console?
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Re: Retro gaming
By: kk4qbn to phigan on Wed Aug 28 2024 11:31 am

Stuff"I used it as a multi-use type computer for my ham radio stuff, satell tracking, and I think even sdr stuff. it was just a pretty good little linux box to play with. :-)

Hey, that's cool, I didn't think of stuff like that. I wonder if you can access any ports somehow in Linux.

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Re: Retro gaming
By: phigan to kk4qbn on Fri Aug 30 2024 04:54:58

Stuff"I used it as a multi-use type computer for my ham radio stuff, sat > > tracking, and I think even sdr stuff. it was just a pretty good little li > > box to play with. :-)

Hey, that's cool, I didn't think of stuff like that. I wonder if you can acc > any ports somehow in Linux.

I don't see why not. I cant remember if I was using a rooted acount of the linux that is on the system itself or installed one or what.. I need to break it back out and poke around on it.

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Re: Retro gaming
By: MRO to KnightMare on Wed Aug 28 2024 07:12 pm

I thought mame runs on personal computers.

MAME runs on all kinds of platforms, even little/cheap retro gaming handhelds. --
digital man (rob)

Breaking Bad quote #6:
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Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to MRO on Thu Sep 05 2024 12:35 pm

Re: Retro gaming
By: MRO to KnightMare on Wed Aug 28 2024 07:12 pm

I thought mame runs on personal computers.

MAME runs on all kinds of platforms, even little/cheap retro gaming handhelds.

yeah but he says he has a cabinet; isn't that always powered by a personal computer instead of some little handheld you get off amazon?
I knew people that built them and they always used a personal computer.
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Re: Retro gaming
By: MRO to Digital Man on Thu Sep 05 2024 09:19 pm

yeah but he says he has a cabinet; isn't that always powered by a personal computer instead of some little handheld you get off amazon? I knew people that built them and they always used a personal computer.

I haven't built a gaming cabinet myself, but I imagine you could use a lot of things, including perhaps a Raspberry Pi connected to a monitor and a gamepad installed in the cabinet.

Nightfox

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Mon Aug 26 2024 02:26 pm

There are definitely a lot of options for handheld retro gaming. I decided
to order a Powkiddy RGB10 MAX 3, so I'm looking forward to using that when
it arrives. Depending on how I like it, I might sell my RetroFlag Pi-based
retro handheld.

Let us know how you like the RGB10 MAX 3. For $99, it's kind of hard to go wrong.

The model I bought is actually the RGB10 MAX 3 Pro, which has some more buttons on the front (about $115). It arrived today, and I've played with it just a little bit. I bought it with a micro-SD card, and when I powered it on, I found it came pre-installed with an OS (JelOS) and a bunch of ROMs pre-loaded onto it (unexpected, but I suppose considering it came from China, not too surprising). The screen is clear and sharp, and the console feels fairly comfortable to hold & play. Even though the site lists the specs, I feel like it was a little bigger than expected. The GCW-Zero I used to have was a little smaller, and I think its size was a bit more manageable. I usually use a retro handheld while laying down on a couch or in bed, and I think the size could make a difference in how comfortable it is to hold & play that way.

I'm not sure if I want to keep JelOS on it. I've been using Recalbox on my Pi-based RetroFlag handheld, but I've also heard you mention Onion, which I might check out.

Also, I hadn't previously noticed, but their web site says it doesn't have built-in wifi, so if you want that functionality, you'd have to buy a separate wifi adapter. They have a small USB wifi adapter they sell (along with a required USB-A to USB-C adapter to plug it into the device); it looks like AliExpress sells theirs, and it sounds like there are some wifi adapters on Amazon that will work with it. Some emulators let you play multi-player online, and some retro gaming OSes allow accessing the storage over your network, which is where a wifi adapter can be useful.

Aside from a wifi adapter, a carrying case might be nice to have, to protect it while in storage and if I want to bring it with me somewhere. Powkiddy sells those too, but I didn't really think to buy one there when I ordered mine.

Nightfox

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Nightfox to Digital Man on Thu Sep 05 2024 08:14 pm

The model I bought is actually the RGB10 MAX 3 Pro

I forgot to mention, the D-pad is pretty sensitive. So far I've found it can be fairly easy to accidentally go to the next game system/category due to the D-pad sensitivity.

Also, I've found that the analog sticks by default don't seem to work in the Playstation games I've tried, but the analog sticks (at least the left one) works in the NES emulator, where it's probably not really needed. There may be settings to be changed for that.

I'm not sure if I want to keep JelOS on it.

I did a little bit of searching online, and it sounds like JelOS (or its replacement, Rocknix) may be the only OS option for it. Maybe the pages I saw online were out of date. I thought I saw Onion was also an option.

Nightfox

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Nightfox to Digital Man on Thu Sep 05 2024 08:14 pm

Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Mon Aug 26 2024 02:26 pm

There are definitely a lot of options for handheld retro gaming. I decided
to order a Powkiddy RGB10 MAX 3, so I'm looking forward to using that when
it arrives. Depending on how I like it, I might sell my RetroFlag Pi-based
retro handheld.

Let us know how you like the RGB10 MAX 3. For $99, it's kind of hard to go wrong.

The model I bought is actually the RGB10 MAX 3 Pro, which has some more buttons on the front (about $115).

Oh, interesting. The MAX 3 Pro is actually older than the MAX 3: https://youtu.be/PVxSdVQwQ6s?t=695

It arrived today, and I've played with
it just a little bit. I bought it with a micro-SD card, and when I powered it on, I found it came pre-installed with an OS (JelOS) and a bunch of ROMs pre-loaded onto it (unexpected, but I suppose considering it came from China, not too surprising).

They mostly seem to come with SD Cards with many thousands of ROMs as kind of a selling point. Usually the SD Card is not very high quality though.

The screen is clear and sharp, and the console
feels fairly comfortable to hold & play. Even though the site lists the specs, I feel like it was a little bigger than expected. The GCW-Zero I used to have was a little smaller, and I think its size was a bit more manageable. I usually use a retro handheld while laying down on a couch or in bed, and I think the size could make a difference in how comfortable it is to hold & play that way.

I'm not sure if I want to keep JelOS on it. I've been using Recalbox on my Pi-based RetroFlag handheld, but I've also heard you mention Onion, which I might check out.

Also, I hadn't previously noticed, but their web site says it doesn't have built-in wifi, so if you want that functionality, you'd have to buy a separate wifi adapter. They have a small USB wifi adapter they sell (along with a required USB-A to USB-C adapter to plug it into the device); it looks like AliExpress sells theirs, and it sounds like there are some wifi adapters on Amazon that will work with it. Some emulators let you play multi-player online, and some retro gaming OSes allow accessing the storage over your network, which is where a wifi adapter can be useful.

Aside from a wifi adapter, a carrying case might be nice to have, to protect it while in storage and if I want to bring it with me somewhere. Powkiddy sells those too, but I didn't really think to buy one there when I ordered mine.

Thanks for the review!

I probably will get another bigger/horiztonal handheld at some point, but not sure it would be the RGB10 MAX 3 Pro, based on other reviews.

I've put a few hours on the Miyoo Mini Plus now and while the form factor isn't as comfortable, it's small size is pretty great. For Gameboy/GBC/GBA games, I think it's a great device. I think its biggest downside is the lack of analog sticks. Even though the hardware (processor, graphics) are capable of playing some old favs like Doom, Quake, and Duke Nukem, the lack of the stick really makes playing those games impractical.

My 18 year old daughter still plays the RGB10 MAX 2 a lot (Pokemon games, not sure for which platform), so it's held up. I'd buy another Powkiddy device.
--
digital man (rob)

Sling Blade quote #4:
Doyle: wimpy-ass kids or mental retards.. she got one of each livin' with her. Norco, CA WX: 108.6øF, 17.0% humidity, 8 mph W wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs
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Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Fri Sep 06 2024 01:22 pm

The model I bought is actually the RGB10 MAX 3 Pro, which has some more
buttons on the front (about $115).

Oh, interesting. The MAX 3 Pro is actually older than the MAX 3: https://youtu.be/PVxSdVQwQ6s?t=695

Ah, interesting.. Spec-wise, I wonder if the Pro is still supposed to be a step up from the non-Pro version. Their site says they have different processors, but the Pro's is a 6-core, whereas the non-Pro has a quad-core.

They mostly seem to come with SD Cards with many thousands of ROMs as kind of a selling point. Usually the SD Card is not very high quality though.

Ah, I figured it would be convenient to order the card from them. And since it's already loaded with stuff, it's an example of how the ROMs are organized and how to add more (there are XML files in each directory where you can specify a 'cover art' image for each ROM and specify the publisher, release date, etc. if you want).

I think my main complaint about it is that the D-pad is fairly sensitive. The lack of wifi is a little disappointing, but honestly I don't use network capability in a handheld emulation device much anyway.

I've put a few hours on the Miyoo Mini Plus now and while the form factor isn't as comfortable, it's small size is pretty great. For Gameboy/GBC/GBA games, I think it's a great device. I think its biggest downside is the lack of analog sticks. Even though the hardware (processor, graphics) are capable of playing some old favs like Doom, Quake, and Duke Nukem, the lack of the stick really makes playing those games impractical.

Yeah, I think it's good to have the analog sticks. Also, this is the first one I've had that looks like it can play PS2 games fairly well. I thought it would be interesting to try out some PS2 games on it. I thought it was already impressive that other handhelds I've had before can play original Playstation games fairly well.

Nightfox

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Nightfox to Digital Man on Fri Sep 06 2024 04:51 pm

Oh, interesting. The MAX 3 Pro is actually older than the MAX 3: https://youtu.be/PVxSdVQwQ6s?t=695

Ah, interesting.. Spec-wise, I wonder if the Pro is still supposed to be a step up from the non-Pro version. Their site says they have different processors, but the Pro's is a 6-core, whereas the non-Pro has a quad-core.

Yup, I think it is still considered a "step up", spec-wise.

They mostly seem to come with SD Cards with many thousands of ROMs as kind of a selling point. Usually the SD Card is not very high quality though.

Ah, I figured it would be convenient to order the card from them. And since it's already loaded with stuff, it's an example of how the ROMs are organized and how to add more (there are XML files in each directory where you can specify a 'cover art' image for each ROM and specify the publisher, release date, etc. if you want).

I found some ROM sets on archive.org pre-setup with cover art, etc. Saved me a lot of time curriating.

I think my main complaint about it is that the D-pad is fairly sensitive. The lack of wifi is a little disappointing, but honestly I don't use network capability in a handheld emulation device much anyway.

I've put a few hours on the Miyoo Mini Plus now and while the form factor isn't as comfortable, it's small size is pretty great. For Gameboy/GBC/GBA games, I think it's a great device. I think its biggest downside is the lack of analog sticks. Even though the hardware (processor, graphics) are capable of playing some old favs like Doom, Quake, and Duke Nukem, the lack of the stick really makes playing those games impractical.

Yeah, I think it's good to have the analog sticks. Also, this is the first one I've had that looks like it can play PS2 games fairly well. I thought it would be interesting to try out some PS2 games on it. I thought it was already impressive that other handhelds I've had before can play original Playstation games fairly well.

I don't think the non-Pro MAX 3 can play PS2 games very well (or at all?), so that's probably the main advantage of the Pro model.
--
digital man (rob)

Sling Blade quote #7:
Karl: I don't reckon the Good Lord would send anybody like you to Hades.
Norco, CA WX: 91.5øF, 29.0% humidity, 6 mph NW wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs
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Re: Retro gaming
By: Nightfox to Digital Man on Fri Sep 06 2024 04:51 pm

The lack of wifi is a little disappointing, but honestly I don't use network capability in a handheld emulation device much anyway.

I found the WiFi support on the Miyoo Mini Plus convenient for OTA updates and retro achievements.
https://retroachievements.org/
--
digital man (rob)

This Is Spinal Tap quote #20:
Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation. Norco, CA WX: 91.5øF, 29.0% humidity, 6 mph NW wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs
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Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to MRO on Thu Sep 05 2024 12:35 pm

MAME runs on all kinds of platforms, even little/cheap retro gaming handhelds.

I almost sure there's a Pi version too!

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Re: Retro gaming
By: MRO to Digital Man on Thu Sep 05 2024 09:19 pm

yeah but he says he has a cabinet; isn't that always powered by a personal computer instead of some little handheld you get off amazon?
I knew people that built them and they always used a personal computer.

A PC is certainly a way to run, but this is 2024 and there are lots of ways
to get a pro-loaded MAME console, then do the wiring for the lights, sound, joystics, buttons, a sold PSU.,, It truly *is* a labor of love.

I really need to upload a video or some pics to show you.


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Re: Retro gaming
By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Fri Sep 06 2024 08:20 pm

I found some ROM sets on archive.org pre-setup with cover art, etc. Saved me a lot of time curriating.

Ah, thanks for the tip.

I tend to not really like having too many games to scroll through. I made a backup of what was on the card initially, and then removed many of the ROMs and kept the ones I typically like to have on a device. The cover art for many of the games were already on the SD card, which saved me some time. I also found a utility for generating a gamelist.xml file, though it's fairly simplistic in that it looks for every file in a directory and writes a gamelist.xml with the filename, name (with the extension stripped off), and a cover art image, which it assumes has the same name as the ROM but with a .png or .jpg or something. I still had to do some manual work in specifying the actual cover art filenames. Also, the tool I was using doesn't write things like the release date, publisher, etc. (not smart enough to do that, and I'm not sure if there's a database for those kinds of things for such a tool to use).

Nightfox

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Re: Retro gaming
By: KnightMare to Digital Man on Sat Sep 07 2024 01:00 am

MAME runs on all kinds of platforms, even little/cheap retro gaming
handhelds.

I almost sure there's a Pi version too!

This Powkiddy handheld that I bought recently looks like it has MAME on it too.

Nightfox

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Re: Retro gaming
By: KnightMare to Digital Man on Sat Sep 07 2024 01:00 am

MAME runs on all kinds of platforms, even little/cheap retro gaming
handhelds.

I almost sure there's a Pi version too!

There is. There's a been a "retropie" project in active development for a long time. It was the first raspberry pi project I ever built, on a Pi 2B+ I Spent a lot of hours playing old SNES games, along with my favorite arcade game, SMASH-TV

...RAM DISK is NOT an installation procedure!

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Re: Retro gaming
By: KnightMare to MRO on Sat Sep 07 2024 01:02 am

A PC is certainly a way to run, but this is 2024 and there are lots of ways to get a pro-loaded MAME console, then do the wiring for the lights, sound, joystics, buttons, a sold PSU.,, It truly *is* a labor of love.

I really need to upload a video or some pics to show you.

no thanks, i dont need a video.
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Re: Retro gaming
By: Nightfox to KnightMare on Fri Sep 06 2024 11:43 pm

I almost sure there's a Pi version too!

This Powkiddy handheld that I bought recently looks like it has MAME on it too.

== Sweet! ==

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Re: Retro gaming
By: DaiTengu to KnightMare on Sat Sep 07 2024 08:11 am

There is. There's a been a "retropie" project in active development for a long time. It was the first raspberry pi project I ever built, on a Pi 2B+ I Spent a lot of hours playing old SNES games, along with my favorite arcade game, SMASH-TV

I'd like to get the newest Pi, but I don't have a lot of free time to screw around with it and I don't need another "toy" just sitting around collecting dust...

I have a NUC I hardly use...


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Re: Retro gaming
By: MRO to KnightMare on Sun Sep 08 2024 06:38 am

I really need to upload a video or some pics to show you.

no thanks, i dont need a video.

I meant that in general, not at you, direcctly... LOL

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Re: Retro gaming
By: KnightMare to MRO on Sun Sep 08 2024 12:23 pm

Re: Retro gaming
By: MRO to KnightMare on Sun Sep 08 2024 06:38 am

I really need to upload a video or some pics to show you.

no thanks, i dont need a video.

I meant that in general, not at you, direcctly... LOL

just dont
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I really need to upload a video or some pics to show you.

no thanks, i dont need a video.

I meant that in general, not at you, direcctly... LOL

just dont

³ Why can't or mustn't they upload a video. :| ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Your time was just wasted by ̹ƒlian

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Archaic Binary * bbs.archaicbinary.net

There's a retro gaming expo going on this weekend in the area where I live. I went yesterday, and they have a lot of vendor booths selling old console games (some even in original packaging) and consoles, and some with some more unique stuff (there was a guy there selling Nintendo Game Boys that he reconditioned with modern backlit screens, etc.), and they also had some consoles & retro computers set up with games on them you could play, as well as a section with arcade games & pinball machines. They also had a Tetris tournament going on.

I thought it was cool to see everything there. I almost thought about buying an old console, such as a Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, or a TurboGrafX-16. I thought they all wanted too much money for them though. For instance, the ones who had a TurboGrafX-16 for sale, they were asking about $200 or $250. I checked eBay and saw some there for less (around $100 to $150 or so). Also, honestly I might not play them very often, and I already have several ways to play old console games via emulation (and often, emulation handhelds or even something like a custom Raspberry Pi setup would cost less than what people often ask for an old console). I think it would be cool to have some physical consoles though. Maybe if I can find some deals somewhere.

Nightfox

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Nightfox to All on Sun Sep 29 2024 01:03 pm

There's a retro gaming expo going on this weekend in the area where I live.

Does anyone go to VCFs? I discovered the whole vintage computing thing several years ago... I have personally been into the hobby since those machines were just 'computers' instead of 'vintage computers.'

I went to VCFSW in Dallas and VCFMW in Chicago last year, but was only able to attend VCFMW this year because of financial constraints.

I did a Packet Radio exhibit at VCFMW both years, which was well-received. I sold a few of my Laser 128 Apple II clones this year, along with a black face ADAT machine that I used to use in my studio.

I bought an Atari 800XL, an ADM-22 terminal, and brought home a couple of
free G3 iMacs. I also found a RGB monitor for my Apple IIgs in the free pile, which turned out to be perfectly functional!

The ADM-22 looks nice sitting on top of my Altair 8800 :)


o
(O)
BeLLy

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There's a retro gaming expo going on this weekend in the area where I l

Does anyone go to VCFs?

I'd love to go to VCFSE (which is part of Southern Fried Gaming Expo), but I can't afford transportation to/from, and lodging in, Atlanta. :/

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Re: Retro gaming
By: halian to Belly on Tue Oct 01 2024 06:17 am

I'd love to go to VCFSE (which is part of Southern Fried Gaming Expo), but I

I haven't made it to VCFSE yet, which is strange as it's actually the closest to me. I know several who go every year, though.

VCFMW is definitely the most fun that I have, mainly because it's a really relaxed atmosphere. A convention center and hotel full of old computers and drunk nerds! I even chatted to the front desk clerk about Sinclairs as I was checking in!


o
(O)
BeLLy

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Belly to Nightfox on Mon Sep 30 2024 02:08 pm

I bought an Atari 800XL, an ADM-22

Have you gotten on any Atari 8bit BBSes
yet? :) area52.tk:5200

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Re: Retro gaming
By: phigan to Belly on Mon Oct 21 2024 06:44 am

I bought an Atari 800XL, an ADM-22

Have you gotten on any Atari 8bit BBSes
yet? :) area52.tk:5200

I have not. I haven't even built a wifimodem for it yet. Too many things on the RL plate at the moment.


o
(O)
BeLLy

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Belly to phigan on Mon Oct 21 2024 11:52 am

I have not. I haven't even built a
wifimodem for it yet. Too many thing
on the RL plate at the moment.

Something that's super easy and cheap
to build is an SIO2PC (not the original
one) with a simple $2-3 FTDI interface
board. One side goes to the Atari, the
USB goes to a PC or Pi or whatever you
have, and you run Fujinet-PC on that
(or RespeQT or a handful of
alternatives). But, there's also a
regular/real Fujinet :).

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Re: Retro gaming
By: phigan to Belly on Tue Oct 22 2024 07:24 am

Something that's super easy and cheap
to build is an SIO2PC (not the original
one) with a simple $2-3 FTDI interface
board. One side goes to the Atari, the
USB goes to a PC or Pi or whatever you
have, and you run Fujinet-PC on that
(or RespeQT or a handful of
alternatives). But, there's also a
regular/real Fujinet :).

What I typically do is use an ESP8266 with wifimodem firmware, since I have a drawer full of those things. The hardware is close to free and it emulates a Hayes modem. Fujinet is something on my list to look into, though, although the idea of having it tethered to a PC isn't appealing.


o
(O)
BeLLy

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Belly to phigan on Wed Oct 23 2024 12:47 pm

Re: Retro gaming
By: phigan to Belly on Tue Oct 22 2024 07:24 am

a Hayes modem. Fujinet is something on my list to look into, though, although the idea of having it tethered to a PC isn't appealing.

Fujinet does not have to be tethered to a PC. It can be 'connected' to your LAN wirelessly but even that doesn't have to happen.

IMHO, the best thing about a Fujinet is the ability to connect your Atari 8 bit computer to ATASCII BBSes... like mine:

bfbbs.no-ip.com : 8888

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Bf2k+ to Belly on Thu Oct 24 2024 03:29 am

IMHO, the best thing about a Fujinet is the ability to connect your Atari 8

bfbbs.no-ip.com : 8888

sounds like a wifimodem

(yes, I know what Fujinet is)


o
(O)
BeLLy

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Re: Retro gaming
By: Belly to phigan on Wed Oct 23 2024 12:47 pm

What I typically do is use an ESP8266 with wifimodem firmware, since I have drawer full of those things. The hardware is close to free and it emulates a Hayes modem. Fujinet is something on my list to look into, though, although

Which firmware do you run on the ESP8266?

The regular Fujinet does not connect to a PC. I was talking about using a PC (or other device) as a Fujinet with Fujinet-PC software.

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Re: Retro gaming
By: phigan to Belly on Thu Oct 24 2024 09:35 pm

Which firmware do you run on the ESP8266?

I'm at work now, but I believe it's this one: https://github.com/dhansel/WifiModem


o
(O)
BeLLy

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https://x.com/historyinmemes/status/1828195718970171656?t=6SZjiAK6-IWFEVtb A&s=08

Over 400 hardware consoles connected to a single TV... someone has too much time/money on their hands!!!

Welll.. admirable... and seriously worth Sheik's budget :)

-h1

... Xerox Alto was the thing. Anything after we use is just a mere copy.