No major reviews this week; instead, I focused on games and some fun ways to play them. (Never fear, a classic RGC review video should be out this coming week.)

🎥 Now Playing

Handheld Streaming Guide (Apollo, Moonlight, etc)

I love streaming games from my PC to a handheld; it allows me to play more demanding games on the go. This video is a comprehensive guide on how to set up a number of different options, including apps like Apollo, Artemis, Sunshine, and Moonlight.

My Favorite Games In Every Major Category

Bill from ‪Nerd Nest‬ challenged me to fill out this (surprisingly challenging) grid of game choices, and the whole exercise was so interesting that I decided to make a video explaining my selections. These are my favorite games in a variety of different categories, and here is the link if you want to try it out yourself.

The most fascinating part of this video was seeing how people reacted to my selections. Here were some frequent comments:

• Beatles: Rock Band was too easy of a soundtrack choice (good point, I could have gone with Mega Man 2 or Castlevania SOTN if I wanted to focus on an original soundtrack)

• Listing Red Dead Redemption as overrated might have been asking for trouble, lots of disagreements on that one (but several people agreed too!)

• People are still very divided on BioShock Infinite.

• Quite a few folks took umbrage as my choice of Mass Effect series’ main character as my favorite protagonist, but that was sort of my point: I loved how across a three-game saga it was the player who gently molded their protagonist into what they wanted them to be. In the end, your character will always save the universe, but how you choose to do it was what made “my” Commander Shepard feel special.

Either way, I’d love to hear in the comments what sort of games you chose for this fun little exercise, and what choices surprised you.

There’s A New PS2 Emulator Fork On Android

NetherSX2 Turnip is a new fork of the popular NetherSX2 (PS2 emulator) apps. It embeds custom Adreno Turnip drivers into the app itself, for improved accuracy and performance on Snapdragon devices like the Retroid Pocket 5/6, Odin 2/3, and AYN Thor handhelds. In this video I looked at how it performs compared to the standard NetherSX2 Classic (3668) app. Long story short: some games played better, some a little worse. We still don’t have a single-solution PS2 emulator on Android.

Other Russ Sightings

• I was the special guest on Retro Handheds’ After Dark livestream this week, and we had a great time talking about game streaming. We also played a slightly contentious game where we each had to choose a major retro system to remove from the universe.

• Over on Expedition Handheld, I grabbed the reigns as podcast host while Adam was away taking some personal time. So I grabbed my buddy TechDweeb to pinch-hit on team EH; I was a little nervous about hosting my very first podcast episode, but things turned out fine. Listen to us chat about AYN Thor downgrades, homebrew Game Boy games, and answer some burning viewer questions.

• Our NerdNest episode this week was centered on all the crazy Xbox news that came out, including lower Game Pass prices, and the brand re-thinking its approach to exclusivity.

📰 Power-Up(dates)

• Remedy's top-shelf supernatural action game Control has landed on iPhone and iPad, and it's a universal purchase across all Apple platforms for just $5. Additionally, if you already picked up the Mac version when it launched on the App Store last year, you should have automatic access to the other versions now. The Apple version ships with full controller support, and devices with an M5 or A19 CPU can even enjoy the game's tense ambience with ray-tracing. It's a pretty compelling pickup if you've never played it, especially with a sequel releasing later this year.

• GammaOS Next v1.3.0 has landed for the Anbernic RG Vita Pro. Built on Android 14 and tuned for the RK3576 platform, the headline addition is GammaOS Nano, a boot-to-game feature that drops you straight into RetroArch or DraStic. It also includes standard Gamma-named functions like GammaPad, GammaShader, GammaEQ, GammaRGB, and the new GammaOS Toolbox. Full and Lite builds are available (the latter being de-Googled for better performance and battery life), along with overclocked and non-overclocked options. The release is available publicly on day one, rather than behind the typical two-month Patreon window.

• Microsoft has dropped the price of Game Pass Ultimate from $30 to $23 a month, while also shaving off some future day-one Call of Duty access. PC Game Pass dropped to $14 (previously $16.50), too.

  • We also learned that a partnership with Discord looks set to take things further. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma confirmed the two companies are working together to make Game Pass "more flexible," and some leaked Discord code revealed what that likely means: a new Game Pass Starter Edition bundled with Discord Nitro ($9.99/month).

  • The potential Starter Edition would give Nitro subscribers access to 50+ games from the Game Pass library, 10 hours of Xbox Cloud Gaming per month, and Xbox Rewards points, with titles like Stardew Valley, Fallout 4, Gears 5, and Grounded spotted in leaked art. No official pricing or release date has been confirmed, but Sharma's teaser that players might "see some code in the wild" checks out. Discord's own response was simply, "soon."

• OnePlus is debuting its first gaming controller on April 28. The Marksman Gaming Controller is a grip-style clip that the phone slots into, featuring two rear triggers with a 1,000Hz polling rate, two programmable macro buttons, a built-in gaming antenna, USB-C passthrough charging, and support for a magnetic cooling fan. The catch: there's no D-pad, face buttons, or shoulder buttons…all primary input is handled by the phone's touchscreen. It's a China-exclusive launch, but you can read more about it on the Retro Handhelds site.

• WaterField Designs has launched the Versus Gaming Sling, a dual-compartment sling bag built specifically for carrying two handheld gaming consoles. A padded rear compartment handles the primary device, sized for the Steam Deck, Switch 2, ROG Ally, and similar, while the front compartment flexes for a second handheld, accessories, or everyday carry items. Like all of Waterfield's stuff, it was handcrafted in San Francisco, but at $229, it's firmly in bourgeois territory. That's par for the course with this premium brand, and to their credit, their cases remain some of my most-used gaming gear.

• Sega has announced a new initiative called Sega Universe in Japan, built around the slogan "No Old, Stay Gold" and focused on bringing classic IP back into the spotlight. The teaser page name-drops franchises like OutRun, NiGHTS into Dreams, Guardian Heroes, Sakura Wars, and Segagaga, with the initial phase centered on titles celebrating anniversaries in 2026. The caveat, as ever with Sega, is that this doesn't necessarily mean new games; it could amount to merchandise or related products rather than actual revivals. It's also worth noting that Sega made similar noises in 2023 with its Power Surge announcement, promising new installments in Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi, most of which have yet to materialize (but hey, we did get that excellent new Shinobi game last year).

• RJNY, the developer behind the popular Obtainium emulation pack script, is cooking up some scripts for Apollo that bring Steam Deck-style suspend/resume to PC game streaming. When you disconnect from your Apollo session, the pause script grabs whatever game is in the foreground, minimizes it, and freezes the process. When you reconnect, the resume script thaws and restores the game right where you left off. It's a work in progress with a couple of known caveats (fullscreen games won't minimize correctly, and if Apollo closes unexpectedly while paused you'll need to run the resume script manually) but it's available on GitHub now pending a proper merge into Apollo.

❤️ Currently Grinding

Retro Game: Virtua Fighter 4

In my “Favorite Game in Every Major Category” video the other day, I mentioned that I haven’t really played any recent fighting game. This got me thinking, what was the last major fighting game that I actually enjoyed? After digging through the cobwebs lurking in the recesses of my brain, I realized that it was Virtua Fighter 4 on PS2, which came out in early 2002. This entry was unique because it was the first VF game to not release on a Sega system, and it was a big leap in graphics from its predecessor. This one had a training mode that I practiced religiously in my little barracks room in Pearl Harbor, up until the point that I realized that I didn’t have any shipmates who were actually fighting game fans. And with VF4’s lack of online multiplayer to hone my skills in the ether, I fell off the game pretty fast.

I took a stab at Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution (PS2) on my AYN Odin 3 earlier this week, and yep, I’m terrible at it now. VF4 still remains one of my favorite VF games, though Virtua Fighter 2 (arcade version) ultimately takes the crown for me. It’s also crazy to think that we haven’t seen a new VF game since Virtua Fighter 5 launched nearly 20 years ago; there have been a lot of VF5 remasters and re-releases over the years, but I’m still hoping VF6 comes out some day.

Modern Game: Pragmata

This week I bit the bullet and paid full price for the recently-released Pragmata. Initially I was going to wait and buy it during an eventual sale, but something about the fast-paced action in its trailers kept calling to me. Pragmata also uses the RE Engine (just like Resident Evil 4 remake), so it felt like a great fit with my other recent gaming adventures. Turns out I made a great choice, because this game is right up my alley: it’s short (~8 hours) and unapologetically single-player. It reminds me of a cross between several older games:

• Vanquish (2010): fast-paced gunplay and suited protagonist who has jet boosters

• Dead Space (2008): slow, zombie-like enemies

• Lost Planet (2006): third-person action with large mech bosses

• Donkey Kong Country Returns (2010): companion who rides on your back and augments your combat

In the end, it feels like a game that is more at home in 2010 than 2026, and I’m glad Capcom delivered such a fun, classic-feeling action title. I’m about 1/3 of the way done with it, and I think it’s going to take me much longer than 8 hours to complete the game, because I am deliberately backtracking a lot to make sure I don’t miss anything. I’m currently playing the game on my main gaming PC, but I’ve also been streaming it to my Odin 3 when I want to lounge on the couch at the same time.

Album: Reggie and the Full Effect - Promotional Copy

Reggie and the Full Effect is not a serious band. It’s the solo project of James Dewees, former keyboardist of The Get Up Kids, and former drummer of metalcore band Coalesce. Reggie and the Full Effect started as a joke, in the form of a four-song cassette passed around at concerts during the 90s, but the “band” gained enough attention to eventually release seven full-length albums of catchy power-pop-punk. Promotional Copy is their sophomore album, first released in 2000, and it’s my favorite. Legend has it that the album was rejected by retailers like Best Buy and Sam Goody because they mistook the shipped boxes as actual promotional copy (and not something meant to be sold at retail).

As a record, it’s a big step up in terms of recording quality and songwriting from their scratchy (but darling) debut. Like with many of their albums, the multi-talented Dewees recorded most of the instruments himself, with the help of some Get Up Kids and Coalesce alumni. The tracks on Promotional Copy alternate between their trademark earnest emo-twinged love songs, and silly comedy tracks mocking other artists and genres; examples include a new wave “band” called Fluxuation, and the Finnish industrial metal band Common Denominator. I sometimes make a playlist of just the 8 “serious” songs from this album, and it’s an agonizingly-short 24 minutes of rock and roll bliss.

💰 Bargain Bin

• The Handheld Heritage Bundle I mentioned last week is live; the sale closes on April 30, so be sure to check it out soon. The $30 package includes 30 Game Boy and Game Boy Color homebrew titles, and they timed its launch to coincide with the Game Boy's anniversary. All games are verified to run on original hardware (via flash cart), Analogue Pocket, and emulators. You can try out most of the games directly in your browser if you want to give them a whirl ahead of time!

• Nocturnal is free to keep on Steam right now, but only until later today, so you'll want to move fast. It's a 2023 side-scrolling action platformer from Swiss studio Sunnyside Games, set on a fog-shrouded island where your flaming sword is both your weapon and your only defense against the encroaching Mist. It normally sells for $17, holds a “Very Positive” rating, and clocks in at a brisk two to three hours. The giveaway is to celebrate the announcement of Nocturnal 2, which is targeting a late 2026 release.

• Large capacity microSD cards are becoming more scarce: Samsung and Amazon Basics options are currently sold out on Amazon. After looking through our options, I think a 256GB Sandisk Ultra microSD card might be our best bang-for-buck option right now; its $53 sale price is not great compared to 2025 prices, but (sadly) it’s the best deal out there. Consider grabbing a discounted card reader ($10) while you’re at it.

  • 256GB Sandisk Extreme microSD: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

  • Anker SD/MicroSD Reader: Affiliate / Non-affiliate

• With storage prices on the rise, it might also be time to think outside the box. GoRAM is an industrial-focused microSD manufacturer with more economical pricing, and their GoPlus line is high-speed and well suited to retro handhelds. Capacity tops out at 64GB, making them a better fit for something like a Miyoo or the RG*XX devices than larger installs, but for those use cases that's plenty. They're not on Amazon, instead they're supplied through OEMPCWorld, a trusted retailer that vets its products; worth bookmarking if you buy microSD cards in bulk. Non-affiliate links: 32GB ($10.85) // 64GB ($14.85)

⏪ Previously on Retro Game Corps

Top 5 Retro Games — with MashTec and More Tech Sir!

In celebration of my recent collaboration with TechDweeb, let’s take a look at my very first collab video. Way back in 2020 (pre-face-reveal), when I got together with a couple other OG retro handheld folks to talk about our five favorite retro games. Statistically, if you’re reading this paragraph, you haven’t seen this video!

🎬 Behind The Scenes

I picked up a new piece of kit last week! This is the Canon EOS R50 V, a $650 compact, video-focused camera that I plan to use for travel instead of my phone’s camera. I already own a compact mirrorless camera (the Sony A6700), which I have been using as the top-down camera for all of my videos for the past couple years. The Sony is fine, but I took it with me on a trip to NYC a couple years ago and it was a disaster: the menus were unintuitive, it took forever to turn on/off, and the colors and autofocus didn’t fully capture moments in the way I expected them to. I’m sure a lot of that was user error and a need to acclimate to the camera, but at the end of the day, I am a Canon guy. With an upcoming channel-related trip to Taiwan in the works, I wanted something that felt more natural in my hands from the get-go, and this new EOS R50 V suits me nicely. This also means I don’t need to remove my Sony from its permanent suspended position in my studio.

As with any time I pick up more channel-related hardware, it reminds me that the reason I’m able to purchase new tools like this is thanks to you folks. By watching my videos, joining my Patreon, or using one of my affiliate links, I’m able to do this full-time. So thanks for your support, as always - it means the world to me.

See you next week!
Russ