Author: taternews

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Epomaker RT82 Review: Retro Modern?

https://retrohandhelds.gg/epomaker-rt82-review/

You know what’s retro? Beige keyboards that weigh more than your first laptop.

Enter the Epomaker RT82 — a 75% keyboard that looks like it crawled out of 1998, but runs on Bluetooth, has a tiny GIF screen, and costs less than your monthly coffee habit.

It’s got pre-lubed switches that feel like typing on butter, a 1.14” screen that displays your battery level (or a dancing cat if you’re extra), and VIA support so you can reprogram keys like a keyboard wizard. The battery? 115 hours with everything off — which is great, unless you’re using the screen. Then it’s a 14-hour power nap. (Yes, your GIFs are draining your soul. And your battery.)

The height? A bit too “throne-like.” The pogo pins? Exposed and drama-prone. But here’s the thing — it feels right. Chunky keycaps, retro curves, and a screen that turns your desk into a nostalgia vending machine.

If you want a keyboard that looks like it belonged to a 90s hacker with a Tamagotchi, this is your baby. Alternatives? Womier SK75 for color, 8BitDo for button-mashing fun. But only the RT82 lets you put a GIF of a screaming raccoon on your keyboard while typing “urgent email.”

$86 for that? Worth every penny. 🎮⌨️

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Weekly Roundup #496

https://retrorgb.com/week496.html

Hey there, retro radars—your weekly dose of nostalgia just got a serious upgrade. 🎮

Bob from RetroRGB is back with another wild ride through the land of classic gaming tech. This week? We’ve got a PS2 emulator update that’s smoother than your favorite 90s arcade cabinet, and a Virtual Boy ROM cart batch—because who doesn’t need more reasons to squint at red-and-black pixels?

But wait—it gets better. The Titan 27” IPS monitor is now a budget-friendly dream for retro gamers (no more squinting at 4:3 CRTs in 2024). And if you’ve ever wished your Tomb Raider gameplay had analog sticks? There’s a patch for that. Yes, really.

Also: the Octopus Fight Stick is in stock (yes, it looks like a sci-fi octopus took over an arcade cabinet), and Sega merch is now on Amazon—because nothing says “I miss 1996” like a Sonic hoodie.

Oh, and if you’ve ever wondered how to sharpen a knife using water… well, Bob filmed it. Because why not? 🤷‍♂️💧

Support the channel, grab some gear via their links (no extra cost!), and remember: retro gaming isn’t just about the games—it’s about the weird, wonderful junk we collect along the way.

Patreon? Yes please.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Groupon ‘Redeems’ Itself With Rapid Takedown of Pirate IPTV Deal

https://torrentfreak.com/groupon-redeems-itself-with-rapid-takedown-of-pirate-iptv-deal/

Groupon just became the unlikely hero in the fight against pirate IPTV—by nixing a deal so suspicious, it practically screamed “I’m illegal.”

BREIN, the Dutch anti-piracy group, spotted a Groupon listing for OpliTV—a service promising 29,000+ channels for a steal. The discount? A jaw-dropping 32% off an already absurdly cheap annual plan. If it sounds too good to be true? That’s because it was. BREIN flagged it, and Groupon didn’t just blink—they deleted it immediately.

Why’s this a big deal? Because when a trusted platform like Groupon features pirate services, it accidentally gives them legitimacy. Consumers think, “If it’s on Groupon, it must be safe.” Not so fast. These services often vanish overnight—and sometimes come with malware or ties to organized crime.

The secret sauce? BREIN’s new “Trusted Flagger” status under the EU Digital Services Act. Think of it as a VIP pass to fast-track takedowns. Since getting the badge last September, Groupon and others now treat BREIN’s notices like urgent alerts—not suggestions.

Still… we just found another Groupon deal for a similar IPTV service. And it’s already sold 1,000+ times. So while the system works—sometimes—it’s a whack-a-mole game. And the moles are still very, very cheap.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Virtual Boy Owners Finally Get the Flashcart They Deserve

https://retrohandhelds.gg/virtual-boy-owners-finally-get-the-flashcart-they-deserve/

Let’s be real: the Virtual Boy was Nintendo’s “whoops” moment—a red-eyed, neck-straining relic that died faster than a Tamagotchi on vacation. But now? It’s having a renaissance.

Enter MrCART: the flashcart that finally treats Virtual Boy owners like grown-ups. No more juggling fragile, $300 cartridges or begging your PC to talk to a 1995 handheld that hates you. Just pop in a microSD, power on, and scroll through your entire library—on the actual screen. Yes, you read that right. No PC. No wires. Just you, your d-pad, and 20+ games at your fingertips.

It even saves your progress. No more replaying “Teleroboxer” from scratch because you switched games. And it looks like a real Virtual Boy cart—dust cover, original shell, zero modern clunk. Beneath the nostalgia? An ARM chip zipping through 4MB games in under a minute.

For fans who’ve spent years preserving this weird little system, MrCART isn’t just a tool—it’s redemption. You can finally play the Virtual Boy… without wanting to throw it out a window.

Pre-orders are open. Your eyeballs will thank you.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

You No Longer Need $8K to Enjoy Delisoba Deluxe

https://retrohandhelds.gg/you-no-longer-need-8k-to-enjoy-delisoba-deluxe/

You used to need a second mortgage to play Delisoba Deluxe—now you just need a Saturday afternoon and a Saturn emulator.

This 1996 Japanese game show spin-off—where you pedal a soba bike through Tokyo while dodging traffic, construction cones, and a giant gorilla throwing bananas—was so rare it sold for $8K. Why? Because it was never sold in stores. Only given out to lucky audience members on Tokyo Friend Park. Think of it as the Pac-Man of obscure game show merch… if Pac-Man had a side quest involving noodles and primate sabotage.

Enter ExxistanceDC, the unsung hero of retro preservation. They just dropped a full English patch that translates menus, redraws the title screen, and even fixes the track editor’s text. No more guessing what “選択” means when you’re trying to tweak a banana-throwing checkpoint.

This isn’t just translation—it’s rescue work. A cult oddity, trapped behind language and scarcity, now lives again in living rooms (and emulators) worldwide. You don’t need $8K to experience the chaos. Just a controller, some caffeine, and the unshakable belief that yes, a gorilla did once try to end your soba delivery career.

Now go. Deliver those noodles. The monkey’s waiting. 🍜🐒

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Super Robot Wars 64 Finally Getting English Translation

https://retrohandhelds.gg/super-robot-wars-64-finally-getting-english-translation/

You know that feeling when you’re 12, hunched over your N64, watching a Japanese mecha show with subtitles scrawled on sticky notes? Yeah. That nostalgia just got a major upgrade.

RoboVerse Translations is finally bringing Super Robot Wars 64—the 1999 tactical RPG that mashed up Gundam, Dancouga, and Giant Robo into one glorious, turn-based chaos—to English speakers. For 25 years, this gem has been locked behind a wall of licensing nightmares. Anime rights? A legal horror show. But now, thanks to a passionate fan team, it’s getting the translation it deserves.

Think grid-based battles, anime cutscenes that feel like a VHS tape you found in your uncle’s basement (in the best way), and a roster so stacked it could start its own anime convention. No more squinting at kanji while Googling “what does ‘Mecha X just punched a robot whale’ mean?”

They’ve already dropped WIP videos on YouTube and are sharing updates on Discord. No release date yet—but when it drops, you’ll hear it like a Zaku’s thrusters in an empty room.

Patience? Check. Fan love? Over 9000.

#SRW64 #N64 #GundamForever

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Sega’s New Mini Cabs Are Here to Destroy Your Shelf Space

https://retrohandhelds.gg/segas-new-mini-cabs-are-here-to-destroy-your-shelf-space/

Let’s be real: your bookshelf is already a graveyard of “just one more” retro gadgets. And now Sega and My Arcade are dropping mini arcade cabinets—yes, actual tiny OutRun booths with steering wheels—and your willpower just checked out.

These aren’t just cute souvenirs. They’re authentic little time machines: marquee lights, side art, even custom control layouts that make you feel like you’re 12 again, quarters in hand, dodging trucks in a neon-drenched arcade. And if you’ve got one? You’ll need three more. Golden Axe? Check. After Burner? Obviously. Space Harrier? Don’t even ask.

They’re playable, yes—but their real power is visual. Picture this: your desk transformed into a 1992 arcade corner, complete with glowing logos and the faint smell of stale popcorn. Productivity? Gone. Nostalgia? Peak.

If your shelves are already groaning under the weight of NES Classics and PixelJunk monsters… this is the final straw. Or the ultimate flex. Depends on your bank account.

Bottom line: You don’t need it. But you’ll buy it. And you’ll love every second of the regret. 🎮💸

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

GameStop Closing Hundreds Of Locations, Again

https://retrohandhelds.gg/gamestop-closing-hundreds-of-locations-again/

GameStop’s aisles are going quiet—again.

Remember when you’d stroll into GameStop on a Friday night, smell the old cartridges, and haggle over a used copy of Skyrim? Yeah. That’s becoming a nostalgic footnote. In 2025, GameStop axed nearly 600 U.S. stores. This January? Another 300–400 are vanishing, with employees getting little warning and shelves emptied into warehouses.

The official line? “Store portfolio optimization.” The real story? CEO Ryan Cohen’s $35 billion stock option dream hinges on slashing costs—and physical locations are low-hanging fruit. Even if it means turning GameStop from a community hangout into a corporate spreadsheet.

For most of us, this isn’t life-changing. We’ve been buying games digitally or on Amazon for years. But in small towns and suburbs? The local GameStop was often the only place to browse physical games, trade in your old console, or find that obscure PS2 gem. Now? If you want a used copy of Metroid Prime, you’re probably driving an hour—or scrolling through eBay.

The end of an era isn’t loud. It’s just… closed.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

AYN Issues a Massive Thor Update

https://retrohandhelds.gg/ayn-issues-a-massive-thor-update/

Let’s be real: if your handheld’s update notes include “anti-image retention for OLED panels,” you’re not just buying a device—you’re adopting a pet that needs therapy.

AYN just dropped a massive OTA update for the Thor, and it’s packed with goodies: better bass EQ, smarter fan control, third-party launcher support (finally!), and—yes—that all-important OLED “don’t burn my screen” mode. Pro tip: after installing, let your Thor die completely before recharging. Apparently, the update messes with battery math like a toddler with a calculator.

But here’s the kicker: while Batch 2 orders are finally shipping (yay!), Batch 3 is coming… at a higher price. RAM costs spiked, so Early Bird pricing is dead. Lite and Base models jump $10; Pro and Max? +$20. No ship dates yet for Batch 3, but if you’ve been waiting? Now’s the time to pounce—while stock lasts.

This isn’t just a firmware update. It’s a warning shot: if RAM keeps climbing, your next handheld might come with a “memory tax” sticker. And we all know who pays for those… us.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Budget Beatdown: Mangmi Air X vs. AYANEO Pocket Air Mini

https://retrohandhelds.gg/mangmi-air-x-vs-ayaneo-pocket-air-mini/

Let’s be real: for under $100, you’re not buying a gaming console—you’re buying a tiny, pocket-sized miracle. And yet, here we are, comparing the Mangmi Air X and AYANEO Pocket Air Mini like they’re rival superheroes in a retro-action flick.

The Mangmi Air X? Big screen (1080p IPS!), bigger battery, and it feels lighter even though it’s heavier. It crushes PSP and Wii games with ease—plus, it doesn’t scream “budget” when you hold it. The AYANEO Pocket Air Mini? Slimmer, denser, and oddly premium-feeling—like a mini RG CubeXX with a personality disorder. Its buttons? Mushy. Its sticks? Tiny. But its 4:3 screen is perfect for N64 and PS1, and it outperforms the Air X on heavier titles like Rogue Galaxy.

Here’s the twist: Air X wins on screen quality, Pocket Air Mini wins on raw power. One’s a sleek all-rounder; the other’s a 4:3 specialist with ghosting issues and squishy buttons. And yet—both run everything from GBA to GameCube with surprising grace.

So which to buy? If you want one device, go Pocket Air Mini—it does more. But if you’re the type who owns two Game Boys… just get both. At this price? You’re not paying for perfection—you’re paying for joy. And that’s priceless.