Category: Tater News

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

LucasArts Emulator DREAMM Just Unlocked a Whole Era of Star Wars PC Weirdness

https://retrohandhelds.gg/lucasarts-emulator-dreamm-just-unlocked-a-whole-era-of-star-wars-pc-weirdness/

Ah, the lost golden age of Star Wars PC gaming—before everything was polished for Steam, before modern studios remembered how to make good space sims—has been resurrected, thanks to DREAMM 4.0.

For the uninitiated: DREAMM (short for DOS, Windows, and Mac Emulator for LucasArts’ Movies and More) is no ordinary emulator. It’s the lovechild of nostalgia, technical wizardry, and a very patient developer (ex-MAME legend Aaron Giles), built specifically to resurrect LucasArts’ very weird catalog—from the legendary X-Wing series to Monopoly Star Wars (yes, that’s a real thing).

The new update is massive: 60+ titles now work out-of-the-box on modern hardware, including obscure DOS/Windows/FM Towns oddities and the whole Lucas Learning edutainment stash (because yes, LucasArts made math games with Yoda). Think Rogue Squadron 3D, Rebellion, Episode I: Racer—and yes, even Jabba’s Game Galaxy. No more digging up CD images or hunting for破解’d installers.

It also just works: controller support, netplay experiments, D3D11 rendering, and improved MIDI (finally—John Williams deserves better than modem-era synth). And it’s cross-platform, so yes: Steam Deck, fire it up.

What are you playing first? 🎮✨

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Xbox Patents Human And AI “Help Sessions” To Beat Your Games For You

https://retrohandhelds.gg/xbox-patents-human-and-ai-help-sessions-to-beat-your-games-for-you/

Ah, the future of gaming has arrived—and apparently, it’s hiring freelancers.

Microsoft just dropped a patent revealing plans for “Help Sessions”: essentially, cloud-based co-pilots—human or AI—who can step in and play your game for you during the parts where you inevitably rage-quit. Think of it as GamePass + Fiverr, but with achievements tracked and age-gating so your 8-year-old doesn’t accidentally team up with a 30-year-old Elden Ring speedrunner.

It’s not fully AI-driven (yet), and it does let you reclaim control mid-mission—plus, helpers get LinkedIn-style profiles (seriously). But let’s be honest: this is just Sony’s earlier “ghost AI” idea with better marketing and slightly less existential dread.

There’s a legit accessibility angle here—great for players who want to experience stories without hitting brick walls—but as more devs lean into cinematic design over skill-based challenge, these features risk becoming less about support and more about outsourcing fun itself.

So: would you outsource your grind? Or is the dream over—when consoles are more skilled than their owners? 🎮🤖

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Rewind Roundup #3: Happy Happy Joy Joy

https://retrohandhelds.gg/rewind-roundup-3-happy-happy-joy-joy/

Rewind Roundup #3: Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy — And Also Some Niche Obscurities

This week’s Rewind Roundup is a glorious chaos of nostalgia, remasters, and deep-cut re-releases—like digging through your uncle’s attic and finding both the lost Ren & Stimpy games and a vending machine full of arcade cabinets.

Limited Run’s Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy Collection bundles all the classic Ren & Stimpy handheld and console games into one gloriously gross Switch/PS5/PC package—complete with rewind, museum mode, and a soundtrack player. Meanwhile, Unreal Tournament 2004 has been resurrected like a dusty LAN party ghost, thanks to OldUnreal’s modern patches and Epic’s blessing. (Yes, it runs on Windows 11 now—and yes, you can still headshot someone in a hallway at 3 a.m.)

Retro archaeologists will salivate over D4’s EGGCONSOLE line bringing obscure PC-98 food-RPGs to Switch—and eventually Steam—while M2’s Kyukyoku Tiger-Helo collection finally lands in Europe, packing Toaplan arcade legends and rare console ports. And for the Legacy of Kain faithful? A Defiance remaster plus a playable chunk of the mythical cancelled sequel, Dead Sun. It’s like Christmas for gothic vampire nerds.

Elsewhere: Geppy-X gets HD love, Plump Pop is back (yes, the circus Breakout), and Taito’s Challenge the Unknown Rapids—a brutal 1980s rafting sim—finally hits modern consoles. Also, Panzer Dragoon II Zwei has a demo now—Lagi’s back, and he’s bringin’ Lagi.

What deep-cut release are you most excited about? Let us know on [Discord](link) or in the comments—we’re still arguing over whether Dezaemon counts as a “real” game.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

U.S. Lists Notorious Piracy Threats, With Focus on Sports Streaming

https://torrentfreak.com/u-s-lists-notorious-piracy-threats-with-focus-on-sports-streaming/

U.S. Targets Sports Streaming Piracy in 2025 “Notorious Markets” List — But Major Offenders Still Missing

The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has unveiled its 2025 Notorious Markets List, spotlighting live sports streaming piracy as this year’s key focus—especially with the upcoming FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. But here’s the twist: despite the emphasis, no dedicated sports piracy sites appear on the main list.

Why the disconnect? The USTR highlights how pirate operators are getting crafty—shutting down one site just triggers a rebrand or migration to another domain, hosting provider, or platform. With live broadcasts offering only minutes (sometimes seconds) before content goes public, enforcement lags behind real-time leaks. Traditional takedown systems? Too slow.

The report calls for faster legal tools—like expedited site-blocking or streamlined injunctions—which the U.S. currently lacks. While some progress exists (e.g., last year’s takedown of StreamEast, which had 1.6 billion annual visits), the original operation and others remain off the list.

Still, familiar names return: The Pirate Bay, 1337X, and RuTracker stay on the torrent roll call, while newcomers like MegaCloud (the rebranded successor to 2embed) and MyFlixerz, powered by “piracy-as-a-service” infrastructure, make their debut.

Looks like the U.S. is tuning in—but hasn’t yet hit full focus on the real-time, high-stakes world of sports piracy. 📺⚡

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

EasySMX X10 Lite: A Clicky Switch 2 Option

https://retrohandhelds.gg/easysmx-x10-lite-a-clicky-switch-2-option/

EasySMX S10 Lite: The Switch 2 Controller That Doesn’t Break the Bank (or Your Ears)

At $39.99, the EasySMX S10 Lite is a sharp value play for Switch 2 owners hunting a budget-friendly alternative to Nintendo’s $90 Pro Controller—and it shows real promise. Built on True Native Switch 2 Protocol, it pairs instantly, wakes your console with one button, and delivers solid motion control (Splatoon 3 testers, rejoice).

What shines:

• Hall Effect sticks: Smooth, precise, no grinding—better than many mid-tier controllers.
• Clicky microswitch face buttons: Zero travel, tactile feedback—ideal for fast-paced action.
• Solid ergonomics: Lightweight but sturdy, with grippy textures and well-placed controls.

Where it stumbles:

• ZL/ZR triggers: Loud, digital, and still need full travel—fine for casual play, but not premium.
• Hollow back buttons & L/R triggers: Less refined, but unlikely to bother most users.
• No NFC support: A non-issue unless you’re into amiibo or mobile sync.

Verdict? If you love tactile switches and don’t need NFC, the S10 Lite punches way above its weight. It’s not perfect—but at under $40? It’s a solid pick for budget-conscious gamers.

👉 Check it out on EasySMX or Walmart

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Saturn Port of Prize Fighter Uploaded to Internet Archive

https://retrorgb.com/saturn-port-of-prize-fighter-uploaded-to-internet-archive.html

Headline: Prize Fighter’s Lost Saturn Port Finally Lands on Internet Archive

Remember those cheesy full-motion video (FMV) games of the ‘90s? One such title, Prize Fighter, was poised to hit the Sega Saturn—until everything went dark. Now, thanks to tech archaeologist Josh Fairhurst (ex–Limited Run Games) and the crew at Screaming Villains, the long-lost Saturn prototype has surfaced: it’s live on the Internet Archive.

The release includes both North American and Japanese builds of Prize Fighter: Heavyweight Edition, plus a scanned manual. According to Fairhurst, this was a near-final “gold master,” canned just before printing due to Digital Pictures’ 1996 collapse after Acclaim’s bankruptcy. Yes, that Digital Pictures—the studio behind FMV hits like Double Switch and Corpse Killer.

The find itself has been brewing for years. Footage first surfaced at a 2015 retro gaming expo, and in 2022, Todd McHenry uploaded playable footage from original mid-’90s backups. This week’s official upload marks the culmination of a collaborative preservation effort—now timed to coincide with the launch of Prize Fighter’s modern PS4/5 and Steam ports.

And here’s the kicker: developers also have a Saturn (and PC) build of Maximum Surge, Digital Pictures’ unfinished 1996 project. Hogle confirms they’re prepping a remaster—but plan to hold off on archival until closer to release. So keep your Saturn warm… the golden age of FMV might just be getting a second wind.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Abxylute E1 Review: OK Fine, It’s Not a Clone. Now What?

https://retrohandhelds.gg/abxylute-e1-review/

Retro Handhelds Review Breakdown: The Abxylute E1 Isn’t a Clone—It’s Worse

The Abxylute E1 landed with fanfare as the “upgraded” successor to the notorious RX6H—but don’t be fooled. Yes, it uses a better chip (RK3566 vs. RK3326), adds Mini-HDMI, and touts dual-boot (Android + Linux). But as Retro Handhelds’ “e-waste guy” found out: better specs ≠ better experience.

### What’s Actually New (Spoiler: Not Much)

• RK3566 = slightly smoother emulation, especially for N64/PSP/Dreamcast
• Mini-HDMI port (finally—some actual utility)
• Dual OS? More like dual headache. Android is useless here: no touch support, clunky UI, and sketchy ROM-piracy instructions.

### Why It Still Sucks

• Controls are just as bad—chonky D-pad, sticky analog sticks, fake analog triggers
• User experience is hostile: empty SD card, cryptic setup, partitioned storage that doesn’t work out of the box
• Ethical red flags: Encourages illegal ROM downloads via third-party links, then shoves blame onto users

### The Bottom Line

For $69–$89, you can get so much better—from Libretro-ready handhelds to ones with actual community support. The E1 feels less like a product and more like a scam in sheep’s clothing, designed to profit off newcomers who don’t know better.

TL;DR: Skip it. Even retro budget kings like the RG35XX or Anbernic RG35xxP series make this look like a thoughtful product.

> “This will be sold to people who don’t know any better… who will then get turned off from the hobby entirely.”

> — Retro Handhelds (still salty, but fair)

📰 New article from RetroRGB

PicoIDE – A New Open Source IDE/ATAPI Drive Emulator For Vintage Computers

https://retrorgb.com/picoide-a-new-open-source-ide-atapi-drive-emulator-for-vintage-computers.html

PicoIDE: The Retro Computing Enthusiast’s Dream Tool Just Got Real

Forget swapping physical CDs or hunting down vintage IDE drives—PicoIDE is here to bring your retro rig (think 90s PCs, Macs, even arcade systems) into the modern age—without losing that authentic vibe. Created by Ian “polpo” Scott—the mastermind behind the beloved PicoGUS sound emulator—this little gadget is a full-featured, open-source IDE/ATAPI drive emulator powered by the RP2350 chip (yes, Raspberry Pi’s new star).

What makes it special?

• It reads disk and CD images from an SD card, supports formats like `.iso`, `.bin/.cue`, `.img`, and more
• Redbook audio support—yes, actual CD-quality sound for old-school games and demos
• The Deluxe version adds a slick OLED front panel, Wi-Fi, RGB LED, and even a DOS utility for on-the-fly image switching

You can’t juggle two drives yet—but a future firmware update will unlock dual-device support. For now? You’re getting one ultra-flexible, period-perfect drive emulator that fits neatly into a 3.5” bay or dangles externally.

Base model: $69 | Deluxe with all the bells: $110

👉 Pre-order on CrowdSupply

Retro computing just got a serious upgrade—no soldering required. 🎮💾

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

YggTorrent Shuts Down After Hack, Leak and Stolen Crypto

https://torrentfreak.com/yggtorrent-shuts-down-after-hack-leak-and-stolen-crypto/

YggTorrent, France’s Last Major Tracker, Calls It Quits After a Devastating Hack

Once the crown jewel of French torrenting—running on a rare, community-powered tracker model—YggTorrent is shutting down for good. The shutdown comes just days after a sophisticated hack exposed its infrastructure, stole user data and crypto funds, and triggered widespread outrage.

The breach began on a staging server (a non-public test environment), where attackers exploited exposed services—like an unprotected SphinxQL search engine—to gain access. From there, they escalated privileges, wiped and stole the main database, and exfiltrated sensitive data. Shockingly, while modern passwords were hashed securely, millions of legacy accounts used outdated MD5 without salting—offering little protection to older users.

But the real bombshell? The hackers claim YggTorrent was a cash machine—reportedly pulling in millions in 2025 alone—and used elaborate money-laundering tactics (fake e-commerce sites, Tornado Cash, crypto swaps) to hide the flow of funds. The leak site, dubbed YggLeak, even offers 11GB+ of data to law enforcement.

In a poignant farewell, the team thanked users for nine years—but with trust shattered and legal risks looming, they’ve opted to close rather than rebuild. As one last digital sigh:

> “A platform can shut down. A community, however, leaves a lasting legacy.”

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Weekly Roundup #503

https://retrorgb.com/week503.html

RetroRGB Weekly Roundup #503: More Retro Tech Magic Than a Time Machine Can Handle

Bob from RetroRGB is back with another packed episode of hardware hacks, firmware drops, and love letters to vintage tech — all served with his trademark blend of enthusiasm and geeky precision. If you’ve ever wanted to turn your Raspberry Pi into a legit 240p CRT machine or mod a Neo Geo AES without breaking the bank (or the board), this week’s roundup is chef’s kiss.

Highlights include:

• Neo Geo AES bypass boards for easier RGB modding — yes, it’s as cool and straightforward as it sounds.
• RT4K firmware v1.9.9.8, bringing more 4K upscaling magic to your retro setups.
• Lu’s MiSTer updates, now with Eight Tutankham, Apple IIGS fixes, and more FPGA goodness.
• OpenMenu’s Virtual VMU trick: use a $10 serial SD adapter to give Dreamcast games per-game memory cards.
• And yes, there’s even a Super Contra NES-to-SNES conversion guide — because why not mix those two classics?

Also worth noting: Bob’s gear list and affiliate links (no markup, just support!) make it easy to grab the tools he uses — like that sweet 10Gbps USB-C cable or the newly reviewed Arcooda 4K arcade monitor.

Pro tip: If you’re into Linux and DaVinci Resolve, his Linux Mint compatibility guide might just save your weekend.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts — and consider tossing a tip his way if you’re feeling generous. Retro doesn’t run itself!