Author: taternews

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Krikzz Releases New Everdrive GBA Pro

https://retrorgb.com/krikzz-releases-new-everdrive-gba-pro.html

Forget “just another flash cart”—Krikzz just dropped the GBA’s ultimate power-up.

The Everdrive GBA Pro isn’t just an upgrade; it’s a time machine with cheat codes, gyro controls, and 98 save states per game. Need to pause Wario Ware: Twisted mid-spike-ball-chaos? Done. Want to play NES games on your GBA without juggling cartridges? Yep, it’s got you. Even better: real-time clocks that don’t reset when you turn it off, and menus so slick they make the original feel like a flip phone.

Sure, it’s $129—$30 more than the classic model—but for retro fans who want everything (including DMG/GBC emulation and mGBA cheat support), this is the Swiss Army knife of handhelds. The only thing missing? Rumble. (RIP, Drill Dozer purists.)

And as of Dec 23rd? Sold out. But with holiday chaos behind us, restocks are coming—probably faster than you can say “Save State #47: ‘I swear I’ll finish this level tomorrow.’”

If you’ve ever wished your GBA could do more than… well, play Game Boy games—this is your sign. Or, if you’re frugal? The original still rocks. Just don’t cry when it doesn’t tilt for Metroid Fusion.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Weekly Roundup #493

https://retrorgb.com/week493.html

Hey there, retro lovers — your weekly dose of pixel-perfect magic is here, and it’s wild.

First up: Kaze’s deep-dive on the Analogue 3D? It’s like X-ray vision for your GameCube. Turns out, the “3D” isn’t just marketing fluff — it’s a clever bit of hardware wizardry that actually works. And if you’ve ever wondered what’s hiding inside the sleek black box? There’s a teardown. Spoiler: it’s got more guts than your 2003 Xbox.

Meanwhile, Resident Evil on GBC? Yeah, it’s real. And yes, someone finally dug up a working copy. Imagine facing off against Mr. X… on a screen the size of your thumb. Chilling.

The RetroTink 4K just got smarter with new scanline filters, the OSSC firmware dropped a sweet update (less lag, more clarity), and RGB-Pi 2 is now a thing — because why wouldn’t you want to turn your Raspberry Pi into a full-blown retro console?

Oh, and Blur Busters 3.0? If you’ve ever squinted at motion blur on your old CRT, this is your new best friend. Also: a HDMI Time Crisis light gun kit. Yes, you can now shoot zombies in HD. With a real gun. No, really.

Feet? We all have ‘em. But do they know how to dance with your N64 controller? Watch the video. You’ll thank us later.

Support Bob if you love this stuff — or just buy that $50 cable you were already gonna get. Win-win.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

ASUS ROG Xbox Ally Review: The New Steam Deck?

https://retrohandhelds.gg/asus-rog-xbox-ally-review/

Let’s be real: if you’re spending $600 on a handheld, you better feel like you’re holding the future—or at least a really comfy Xbox controller with a screen.

Enter the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally. It’s chunky, it’s pricey, and it doesn’t outgun the Steam Deck OLED or AYN Loki. But here’s the twist: it feels amazing in your hands. Big, meaty grips? Textured triggers? A design that actually mimics an Xbox controller? Yes. For gamers who hate squinting at tiny sticks or wrist-cramping ergonomics, this is the handheld equivalent of a warm blanket after a long day.

Performance? Solid for indie gems and older AAA titles—Forza Horizon 4 at 900p? Smooth. Forza Horizon 5? Gotta drop to 720p. It’s not a beast, but it doesn’t need to be. The real win is Windows + Xbox Full-Screen Experience (still a bit buggy, but improving) and the fact that you can swap out the SSD like it’s a snack.

Competition? The Steam Deck OLED is sharper and more powerful. The Lenovo Legion Go S gives you the same chip for less. But if comfort is king? The Ally wears the crown.

Bottom line: Buy it if you love Xbox vibes and want a plush handheld. Not if you’re chasing raw power. Your AYN Loki is still the smarter buy… unless you just really, really like big buttons.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Inside The Analogue 3D

https://retrorgb.com/inside-the-analogue-3d.html

If you’ve ever wondered what makes the Analogue 3D feel like a N64 but better—Ken from What’s Ken Making just cracked it open, and it’s basically a tech love letter to retro gaming. Inside? A sleek FPGA brain, flawless video output, and… a sneaky little Bluetooth stack that’s not actually free for commercial use.

Yep. Analogue used an open-source Bluetooth library—cool, right? Except this one requires a paid license if you’re selling products. And yet… no public credit. No mention in the docs. Just silence.

Is this a violation? Probably not—if Analogue paid for the license, they’re likely under NDA or terms that let them stay mum. But it’s still a weird vibe in the open-source world, where attribution is basically gospel. You don’t just borrow someone’s code and pretend it’s yours.

Still, the console itself? Pure magic. The video quality is buttery, the controllers feel like nostalgia with a turbo boost, and the whole thing just works. So while we wait for Analogue to drop a “Built with ❤️ and licensed libs” footnote, just know: you’re not buying a box—you’re buying engineering art. And maybe a tiny bit of legal gray area.

(Still totally worth it.)

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

French Torrent Giant YggTorrent Faces User Revolt after Introducing Paid ‘Turbo Mode’

https://torrentfreak.com/french-torrent-giant-yggtorrent-faces-user-revolt-after-introducing-paid-turbo-mode/

French torrent giant YggTorrent just turned its loyal user base into an angry mob—and it’s not even Christmas anymore.

For years, YggTorrent thrived as a rare, community-run tracker where uploaders and leechers coexisted in sweet, free harmony. Then came “Turbo Mode”: an €86 lifetime fee to bypass a 30-second countdown and download more than five torrents daily. Non-payers? Welcome to the slow lane, folks.

The backlash was immediate. Team_QTZ, a legendary upload crew with over 3,300 high-quality releases, called it a betrayal: “You’re monetizing our hard work.” They launched a site-wide seeding strike. YggTorrent’s response? Ban them. Delete their post. No apologies.

Now, users are whispering: Is this an exit scam? Are they cashing out before the lights go out? No proof yet—but the optics are not good. Meanwhile, fans are fleeing to alternatives like Sharewood and TheOldSchool, packing up their torrents faster than a pirated movie hits the web.

YggTorrent claims it’s about curbing bots and leechers. Fair point. But when your community feels exploited, even the best server can’t save you. Sometimes, the real bandwidth issue isn’t technical—it’s trust. And that? Can’t be bought with €86.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

MANGMI’s Pocket Max is Powered by a Rather Familiar Processor

https://retrohandhelds.gg/mangmis-pocket-max-is-powered-by-a-rather-familiar-processor/

MANGMI’s new Pocket Max just dropped a bombshell—or at least, a slightly smudged one. The device’s heart? The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865. Yes, that Snapdragon. The same chip that powered your 2020 flagship phone. And yes, it’s still a solid pick for retro gaming.

Here’s the twist: MANGMI first tweeted it’d come with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage… then deleted it. Oops. The updated post only confirmed the chip, leaving RAM and storage in limbo. Could’ve been a typo. Or maybe global memory prices forced a downgrade to the more common 6GB version—like the Retroid Pocket Mini V2. Either way, it’s not a dealbreaker. The 865 still crushes NDS, PS1, and even early GameCube emulation.

The real mystery? Price. MANGMI’s Discord teased an “extremely sweet” early bird deal—meaning you’ll probably pay double later. Classic move. If you’re itching to grab one, now’s the time to watch your inbox. And maybe stock up on snacks—you’ll need ‘em while you’re reliving the golden age of gaming on a device that’s basically a smartphone from 2019… but cooler. 🕹️

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Fantech EOS Mini Review: A Mini Winner?

https://retrohandhelds.gg/fantech-eos-mini-review/

Let’s be real—tiny controllers are the snack-sized snacks of the gaming world: weirdly satisfying, surprisingly functional, and way cheaper than your last pair of AirPods.

Enter the Fantech EOS Mini—a $12.80 palm-sized champ that doesn’t try to be a luxury controller, just a good little guy. Its clicky shoulder buttons? Actually usable. The D-pad? Smooth as butter in Celeste. And yes, it works with Switch, iOS, Android… basically anything that accepts Bluetooth (and your patience).

But here’s the twist: it’s not the best. The IINE Mini has softer buttons that won’t make your fingers rebel after 10 minutes of Super Mario Bros. The 8BitDo Micro lets you remap buttons like a digital wizard. And the Aolion AL-N5? Looks like a confused hamster with shoulder buttons. We love it anyway.

Still, if you want the most balanced little beast under $20? EOS Mini wins. Not because it’s perfect—but because it doesn’t suck. And in a world where controllers cost more than your last Netflix subscription, that’s a victory.

P.S. The IINE Gamebrick Mini—an NES controller mashed into a thumbprint—is the real MVP. It’s ugly. It’s glorious. Buy it for your cousin who still thinks “retro” means “mismatched socks.”

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Game Over: Tiger R-Zone

https://retrohandhelds.gg/game-over-tiger-r-zone/

Let’s be real: if you’ve ever stared at a red LCD screen inches from your face while a smoke alarm hummed in the background, you weren’t playing Panzer Dragoon—you were being scammed by a company that thought “virtual reality” meant “glow-in-the-dark calculator with a headband.”

Tiger’s R-Zone wasn’t a console. It was a fever dream wrapped in plastic, marketed to kids who didn’t know better (and parents who thought “Star Wars” on a $30 gadget was a steal). The headset? A forehead band that turned your brow into a stress ball. The games? Red blobs pretending to be dragons. The sound effects? A dying fax machine having an existential crisis.

Tiger tried fixing it with three more versions—handheld, gun-shaped, and a PDA that couldn’t even remember your mom’s phone number. All used the same sad, flickering cartridges. The only thing more pathetic than the graphics was the fact that Batman & Robin got a port.

By 1997, Tiger buried it like a bad high school yearbook photo. Today, R-Zone collectors pay big bucks for the “original” model—not because it’s good, but because it’s so bad it loops back to iconic.

The R-Zone didn’t fail. It screamed failure. And somehow, that’s why we love it.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Anna’s Archive Backed Up Spotify, Plans to Release 300TB Music Archive

https://torrentfreak.com/annas-archive-backed-up-spotify-plans-to-release-300tb-music-archive/

Let’s be real: Anna’s Archive just turned Spotify into a digital time capsule—and no, this isn’t fan fiction.

What started as a shadow library for books has now gone full music archaeologist. After scraping Spotify’s public metadata and—yikes—bypassing DRM to snag 86 million tracks (that’s 300TB of music), they’re archiving the sound of our era. Think of it like the Library of Alexandria, but with more EDM and fewer scrolls.

The catch? You won’t be downloading “Blinding Lights” solo anytime soon. The first drop is just metadata—199.9GB of artist, album, and track info—already being shared by 200+ people. The full music torrent is coming… in batches. Because who has 300TB of free space? (Spoiler: Not you.)

And here’s the twist: This isn’t just for pirates. AI companies salivate over this data. The U.S. tech giants? Probably nervously sipping tea after their last copyright lawsuit. But overseas AI labs? They’re already lining up—with donations in hand.

Spotify’s scrambling to figure out how this happened. Anna’s Archive? Just playing the hero: “We’re saving music from wars, budget cuts, and… algorithmic oblivion.”

So yes—this is piracy with a mission. And it might just be the most important data heist since Napster… if we don’t lose it all again.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Anbernic RG477V First Impressions

https://retrohandhelds.gg/anbernic-rg477v-first-impressions/

Anbernic just dropped the RG477V—and it’s basically their greatest hits album, but in handheld form.

Packed with the Dimensity 8300 chip (yes, that one), a gorgeous 4.7” 120Hz 4:3 screen, and enough power to run Switch games like they’re just chillin’ on vacation, this thing is the most capable vertical handheld Anbernic’s ever made. It’s also the cheapest Dimensity 8300 rig on the market—$199 for 8GB? Sign me up.

The controls? Solid. The fan? Loud but effective. The battery? Lasts a solid 8 hours if you’re not pushing it to PS3 levels. And yes, the screen is again the same stellar panel from the RG477M—no complaints here.

But ohhh, that black model. 🤦‍♂️

Glass front + fingerprint magnet = your hands will be dusting it like a museum exhibit. And while the ergonomics are comfy, the design feels… safe. Like they ran out of creative juice after the woodgrain RG556.

Stability’s still a bit wonky—some users report crashes. Wait for GammaOS or OTA updates if you’re not in a rush.

Bottom line: If you want a powerhouse 4:3 retro rig that won’t break the bank? The RG477V is your guy. Just… maybe skip the black one. Your thumbs will thank you.