Author: taternews

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Next Level #2: Screw Indiana Jones

https://retrohandhelds.gg/next-level-2/

Next Level #2: Screw Indiana Jones — And Other Bold Indie Bets

The indie scene is cooking this month—not with fire, but with dosas, cat DNA, and stolen artifacts on the move.

Relooted flips the heist script: instead of stealing for greed, you’re returning looted African artifacts to their homeland. Think Monaco meets moral clarity—stealthy, smart, and surprisingly resonant.

Dosa Divas is what happens when rhythm meets South Indian cuisine and turn-based combat. Miss a beat? Burn the dosa, weaken your party. It’s deliciously intense—and visually electric.

Then there’s Mewgenics, Edmund McMillen’s feline roguelite where breeding cats is both art and science. Genetics, poop mechanics, mortality—yes, really. It’s gross, funny, and weirdly profound.

Meanwhile, Dead Pets captures the gritty, punk-rock grind of adulthood and artistic ambition—Bojack Horseman with a guitar strap. And Zero Parades hopes to recapture Disco Elysium’s magic with a retired spy’s quiet rebellion.

From Steel Wake (free Titanfall-inspired mech chaos) to Virtuoso: Skins Game (Y2K golf with bribes and cyber-style), the week proves one thing: devs aren’t just daring—they’re daringly specific. And players are leaning in.

Because sometimes, the best games don’t follow the map—they redraw it.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Ukraine Paves the Way for Pirate Site Blocking, Despite Ongoing War

https://torrentfreak.com/ukraine-paves-the-way-for-pirate-site-blocking-despite-ongoing-war/

Ukraine Moves Toward Pirate Site Blocking—Even Amid War

While Ukraine is busy defending its sovereignty, it’s quietly getting serious about online piracy—and taking cues from the EU to do it.

For years, Ukraine was labeled a piracy hotspot by U.S. and industry groups, landing it on the USTR’s “Special 301” watchlist. But with war raging since 2022, enforcement took a back seat—until now. In a 25-page update submitted for the 2026 report, Ukraine outlined sweeping copyright reforms, including a plan to adopt Article 8(3) of the EU Copyright Directive, paving the way for court-ordered blocking of infringing sites.

Here’s what stands out:

• 🛑 Site blocking, though framed around website operators and hosts rather than ISPs directly.
• 📜 Broader reforms aligning with EU norms—like 70-year copyright terms and better compensation for creators.
• 🎯 A parallel effort via WIPO ALERT, which blocks pirate sites’ ad revenue—and has already blacklisted 15 sites in 2025 alone.

Notably, Ukraine’s Clear Sky initiative has already blocked over 570 sites under national security grounds (mostly pro-Russian media), proving the technical and legal machinery can work.

The irony? The U.S., despite pressing others to act, still lacks federal site-blocking authority—even as new bills like Rep. Lofgren’s FADPA linger in committee.

Ukraine’s message is clear: We’re fighting two wars—one on the frontlines, one in cyberspace. And it’s winning both.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

GC Ultimate 2 Gamepad

https://retrorgb.com/gc-ultimate-2-gamepad.html

The GC Ultimate 2 Is Here—And It’s Almost Too Much Controller

The legendary GC Ultimate controller gets a serious upgrade with the Ultimate 2, now live on Kickstarter. Devoted GameCube fans (and perfectionists with thumbs) will love what’s new:

• 🎨 More colorways than your high school art class
• 📡 Upgraded wireless chip (hello, low latency!)
• 🔌 Wired-only mode for competitive play or battery anxiety
• 🎮 Switch 2 compatibility—yes, that Switch 2
• 🔧 Upgrade kit for owners of the original Ultimate

Priced at $75 (basic) or $115 (full wired/wireless kit), delivery is expected by year’s end. For context: Beast—a longtime RetroRGB contributor and certified controller wizard—calls it “the most godlike GameCube controller I’ve used.” High praise.

If you’re into pro-tier gear, customization, and nostalgia with a side of future-proofing, this might be your next obsession.

👉 Back the Kickstarter here

🎧 Bonus: Check out Beast’s controller deep-dive video if you’re into that kind of nerdery.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Rewind Roundup #2: Sony’s Big Week

https://retrohandhelds.gg/rewind-roundup-2/

Retro Rewind #2: Sony’s Big Week — A Bonanza of Remasters, Resurrections & Rumors

This week in retro gaming felt like a publisher’s archive dump—every corner of PlayStation’s vault scoured, some secrets finally revealed, others barely buried beneath hype. Let’s break it down.

🎮 Metal Gear Solid 4 Is Free at Last

After years of PS3-only purgatory thanks to its finicky Cell architecture, MGS4: Guns of the Patriots is finally escaping with Konami’s Master Collection Vol. 2 (Aug 27). Paired with Peace Walker and Ghost Babel, it’s the closest thing to a complete series reissue we’ve ever seen—complete with save states, filters, and modern UI. The community’s collective sigh of relief echoes across Reddit.

💀 Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered

Yes, that obscure 2003 cult hit. The remaster drops March 3—and the Deluxe Edition includes a playable demo of Dark Prophecy, the famously cancelled sequel. For lore geeks, this is like finding a lost episode of The Office.

🎨 Digital Eclipse Does Rayman Right

Their Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition (Feb 13) is the definitive version: five versions of the original, 120 bonus levels, Héral’s reimagined score, and even a never-shipped prototype. It’s not just an update—it’s a love letter to platforming history.

🔥 And Then There Were Dinos

The Steam re-release of Dino Crisis 1 & 2 is a minor miracle after years in licensing limbo. Flawed? Sure. But finally on PC—and playable with a few community patches—is huge for Capcom fans.

Nintendo surprised everyone too, reportedly skipping Switch Online for new Pokémon remasters—a sign they might diversify how retro content lands post-subscription fatigue.

And while AC4: Black Flag’s remake is still “leaked” (art book pre-orders, cough), one thing’s certain: Sony and others aren’t just mining nostalgia—they’re building a whole museum out of it.

What retro title should they dig up next? Let us know before another Gears of War port drops.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Castlevania SMS Demo

https://retrorgb.com/castlevania-sms-demo.html

Retro Gaming Alert: Castlevania Lands on Sega Master System — With a Fresh Glow-Up! 🎮✨

Developer xfixium just dropped a playable demo of their fan-made port of Castlevania for the Sega Master System—and it’s seriously impressive.

Yes, you read that right: a full demo, not just a tech test. It includes enhanced graphics (with an option to toggle original art), new enemies, extra weapons, and reworked music. Sure, it’s still a work-in-progress—no bosses, and some features are TBD—but what’s there already feels polished and passionate.

The demo’s standout feature? Those new visuals. Think crisp sprite work, smoother animations, and a visual fidelity that makes the classic NES original look charmingly dated—without losing its soul. And for audio geeks: discussions are already brewing about adding FM sound support, a dream come true for SMS purists.

If you’ve ever wished Castlevania looked like it was made for the Master System (instead of just on it), this is your sign to dive in. The download link’s live—and yes, you can try it right now.

Bonus: If this sparks joy, consider supporting the dev. Retro magic doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally Needs More Sleep

https://retrohandhelds.gg/the-asus-rog-xbox-ally-needs-more-sleep/

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally Needs More Sleep — And So Does Windows

Let’s be real: the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally is almost perfect. Sleek design, great ergonomics, solid hardware—and it docks like a dream for TV play. But then there’s Windows, the uninvited toddler at the party who refuses to nap or stay quiet.

You press sleep. You walk away. Ten minutes later, your RGB analog sticks glow like a disco ball in standby mode—because Windows thinks it’s still awake. Battery drains like it’s auditioning for a Tesla commercial, even when docked or tucked in your bag.

It’s not just you—this is a well-documented Windows 11 quirk: sleep mode leaks power, Wi-Fi stays active, background updates roll in uninvited. And because the Ally runs vanilla Windows (not Xbox’s tightly controlled OS), you’re stuck with all the modern Microsoft quirks.

Fix? Sure—hibernation. It’s clunkier (15-second wake-up), but it actually kills power draw. Swap sleep for hibernate, and suddenly your Ally stops acting like it’s caffeinated on a midnight coding binge.

The hardware shines—but the OS drags it down. Until Microsoft (or ASUS) fixes this nap crisis, consider dual-booting Linux… or just accept that sometimes your handheld needs a lullaby, not an API update. 😴

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Hacking The Mainframe #2: Re-hacking The Past

https://retrohandhelds.gg/hacking-the-mainframe-2-re-hacking-the-past/

Hacking the Past, One ROM at a Time: This Week’s Retro Mod Explosion Is Wild

ROM hacks have officially entered the “wait, what did they just do?!” phase of their evolution—where ambition, obsession, and sheer technical wizardry collide in gloriously chaotic ways.

This week’s highlights read like a fever dream curated by a group of unhinged gaming historians:

• Sonic Megamix Mania v1.0a finally dropped after years of anticipation, fusing Megamix with Mania Plus, adding three modes, six playable characters, and native PC support—no emulator needed.
• Mario Kart Wii Deluxe X v10 now boasts 700+ tracks, battle arenas, and community mods galore. It’s less a game, more a modding museum with a kart engine.
• Pokémon Odyssey II is officially in the works—a Fire Red hack ditching gyms for Etrian Odyssey-style dungeon crawling, with subclasses, custom Pokémon designs (yes, Robin Hood hats included), and a lore-heavy World Tree plotline.

Then there are the absurd ones:

• Half-Life 3: Gordon & Daxter—Gordon Freeman bunnyhopping through Jak & Daxter as a first-person shooter. Yes, really.
• Castlevania 1: Fortified Army reimagines the NES classic with darker visuals, pitch-shifted music, and infinite lives unless you’re masochistic enough for Hard Mode.
• Senshi Wars: Beryl’s Revenge turns Streets of Rage 2 into a Sailor Moon beat-em-up—with Neptune added as playable senshi, female KO screams, and an “OP Edition” that turns you into a magic-powered god by Stage 3.

Meanwhile, the niche continues to thrive: NES-to-SMS ports of Castlevania, PS1 ports of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (built from scratch!), and seasonal junk like a pink-drenched Sonic 1: Valentine’s Day Edition.

The message is clear: if you can dream it, someone has likely reverse-engineered it—and probably added a bunnyhop. 🕹️💥

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

This Game Boy‑Inspired Kids’ Handheld Ditches iPad Chaos for Calm Learning

https://retrohandhelds.gg/this-game-boy-inspired-kids-handheld-ditches-ipad-chaos-for-calm-learning/

Oh, yes—please build this right now.

Puzzle Pals is the rare kids’ tech concept that actually gets what parents (and former Game Boys kids) secretly crave: distraction-free, frictionless play. No pop-ups, no accidental Zoom calls mid-boss battle, just chunky buttons, soft curves, and two smart little games—Animal Memory and Shape Pattern—that grow with the kid instead of locking content behind paywalls or ads.

Think of it as:

• Physical comfort: Oversized buttons, curved edges—built for tiny hands and enthusiastic thumb-mashing.
• Calm design: Gentle feedback, no penalty for mistakes (no rage-quitting toddlers flinging devices across the room).
• Tiny teachable moments: Win? Get a fun fact—Snapple Cap style—no screen fatigue, no app-hopping.

Sure, it’s just a concept (for now), but with rising parental anxiety around screen time and ad-saturated “educational” apps, Puzzle Pals feels less like nostalgia bait and more like intentional design—a small, focused tool for calm curiosity.

Until it’s real? Grab a Miyoo Mini. 🧸🎮

(And yes, we’d 100% pre-order one with a little red button that says “I did the thing!”)

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

GameMT’s Pocket Super Knob 5000 Is the Weirdest Android Handheld Yet

https://retrohandhelds.gg/gamemts-pocket-super-knob-5000-is-the-weirdest-android-handheld-yet/

GameMT’s Pocket Super Knob 5000: A Knobby Nod to Weirdness in a Sea of Clones

Let’s be real—handhelds have gotten boring. Same buttons, same sticks, same “me-too” designs. So GameMT threw subtlety in the trash and dropped a device with one joystick, one giant RGB rotary knob, and the audacity to call it the Pocket Super Knob 5000. Yes, really.

Under that cursed branding lies a surprisingly compact slab—just 13.2mm thin and ~200g—with a MediaTek Helio G85 (think PSP-tier performance), 5” Full HD screen, and metal back for cooling. Battery gets a boost via a power-saving mode, clocking in at 5–8 hours depending on usage.

But the real question: What do you even do with a knob? It could be genius—think throttle controls in racing games, spinning dials for magic spells, or even analog mini-games à la Playdate. Or it could just be an AliExpress bait-and-switch gimmick that makes Halo controls feel like playing with oven mitts.

Pricing’s unconfirmed, but given the SoC and GameMT’s recent $45 E3 Vigor launch, expect it in that “impulse buy” zone—probably under $150. For now, the Super Knob 5000 feels less like a serious gaming tool and more like a question posed in hardware form. And honestly? That’s kind of refreshing.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

DISH Sues ‘DMTN IPTV’ in $21m Piracy Lawsuit; Operator Posed as Breaking Bad Creator

https://torrentfreak.com/dish-sues-dmtn-iptv-in-21m-piracy-lawsuit-operator-posed-as-breaking-bad-creator/

DISH Network Goes Full Breaking Bad Mode in $21M Piracy Lawsuit

When pirates go full Hollywood villain, you know it’s going to be good TV—especially when they impersonate Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan.

DISH Network has filed a $21 million lawsuit against Moroccan national Idriss Elkasmi and crew behind the pirate IPTV service “DMTN IPTV” (and its many aliases like Idriss Premium TV and Manx TV), accusing them of mass copyright infringement, deceptive billing tricks, and bizarrely… identity theft.

Here’s the twist:

• The operators allegedly used fake receipts listing purchases as “Philos Brown Leather Backpack” to sneak payments through a shell company called “Genuine Leather.”
• When DISH’s investigator asked for proof of purchase, they got a receipt for a backpack—and then working IPTV credentials.
• Later, Elkasmi swapped his Facebook photo with a legit image of Vince Gilligan—no relation, per DISH. (Gilligan’s IMDB confirms he’s just… a showrunner.)

The piracy operation allegedly streamed 100,000+ movies/series and thousands of live channels. DISH says it sent 68 cease-and-desist notices between 2021–2026—ignored each time.

Now, DISH wants not just damages but a broad injunction targeting everyone from domain hosts to payment processors.

IBCAP’s Chris Kuelling sounds confident: “We expect a similar outcome as past wins.”

If history repeats, those domains—dmtn8k.com, dmtniptv.net—may soon vanish for real.

Bonus trivia: “DMTN” stands for… well, probably not “Don’t Mention The Netflix.”