Two weeks before the game releases, on October 1st, Konami and Evil Empire are releasing a demo for Castlevania: Belmont‘s Curse. It’s always a positive sign when publishers feel so strongly about their game that they’ll let potential consumers get some hands-on time before the actual release date. Capcom recently did this with Pragmata and […]
Author: Mike
News & Stuff
Sep 20, 2026
Retroid Listens: Meet the Duo Lite+
A Saturday night surprise announcement from Retroid! Just updated across their socials and Discord page, Retroid announced that after listening to community feedback, they’re releasing the Duo Lite+. Price wise, this model sits between the Duo and Duo Lite. Not considering pre-order discounts, the Duo retails for $269, and the DuoLite+ is now $219. The […]
News & Stuff
Sep 20, 2026
spruceOS v4.4.2 Brings DSi Support and More H700 Improvements
Version 4.4.2 of SpruceOS was released earlier today. As is usually the case, this release introduces new features, device improvements, and bug fixes. Before we dive in, it’s important to call out that updating from v4.4.1 to v4.4.2 requires installing the full package. While it was thought to be included in the v4.4.1 release, it […]
News & Stuff
Sep 18, 2026
Retroid Shows Off the Pocket Duo’s Control Center
Yesterday, Retroid released another YouTube video for the upcoming Pocket Duo. The focus of the video was to highlight the software that will manage its dual-screen experience. The new Control Center demo shows several display and performance controls designed specifically for the handheld, including support for a 120 FPS mode.
Podcasts
Sep 17, 2026
On Second Thought with Mike & Matt: 66
Episode 66: Hot Tequila – September is moving along at a precipitous clip. The weather is changing in the Northeast while Matt is still sweltering in the Midwest. Soon enough it will be the cozy season, albeit, maybe sooner than we like. Mike has been head down working secretly on his website. Details are scarce, […]
News & Stuff
Sep 15, 2026
GameNative 1.2.0 Adds Retroid Pocket Nova 4:3 Steam Filter
This adds a bunch of goodies, and eliminates the performance regressions introduced in the previous version. Did you recently buy the new hotness, the Retroid Pocket Nova? Well, GameNative has good news for you, especially if you have a robust game library on Steam. There is now a curated 4:3 filter for the Steam Library, […]
News & Stuff
Sep 13, 2026
slot. A GBA-only frontend for the Anbernic RG SP
A bespoke performative, GBA-only frontend for the Anbernic RG SP. In some handheld social media circles, there has been a slight buzz about slot., a new custom firmware/frontend project by Brandon Kowalski. This frontend is built specifically around turning the new Anbernic RG SP into a dedicated Game Boy Advance-style handheld. For those who suffer from choice […]
News & Stuff
Sep 12, 2026
Shmup Index: For Sickos Like Me
Part and parcel of this handheld journey has been a deeper appreciation, and dare I say, a slight addiction to shoot’em ups. Big or small, I like’em all. Shmups, bullet hells, bullet heavens, I’m not picky. I’ll admit I’m not great at them, but the zone these games transport me to is worth the grind. […]
News & Stuff
Sep 12, 2026
spruceOS v4.4.0 released today
Update: September 12, 2026 – Hotfix v4.4.1 was released a short time ago. This fix addresses several issues reported by the community. This patch fixes the following: DSperate on the Miyoo Flip, Tandy CoCo support, restores missing Jaguar theme icons, adds J2ME support through Game Nursery, and makes incremental OTA updates available to users on […]
News & Stuff
Sep 9, 2026
Kirby and the World Beyond out in 2027
Can the gaming-sphere as a whole slow down with the news this week? No? Good, I didn’t prop up this little site to waste time anyways. Announced today as part of the Nintendo Direct is a Switch 2 exclusive, Kirby and the World Beyond, from HAL Laboratory. With a fondness for the small, round, pink […]
News & Stuff
Sep 9, 2026
Retroid reveals Pocket Duo and Pocket Duo-Lite
Update: 9/10/2026 9:20 PM EDT – Retro Pocket Duo and Duo Lite Pre-Order Launch Details Orders open September 11, 2026 9:30 PM Pre-order: Retroid Pocket DuoPre-order: Retroid Pocket Duo-Lite Availability Pre-Order Retail Price Duo: $269 / Lite: Starting at $149 Preorder Discount Duo: $20 off with code DUO Lite: $14 off with code DUOLITE Shipping […]
News & Stuff
Sep 8, 2026
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time out November 5th
What just ended was an epic The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct. You can watch the whole thing below. The big news for people that want to get more mileage out of their precious Switch 2 handheld is that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will release on November 5, 2026. Clearly, Nintendo […]