Gaming News — Handheld console

Rest assured, we do what we can to comb through the updates and bring you the ones we deem fit to suit your cultured tastes. As such, we cap off the month with even more creepy unsettling retro games that pack the right amount of punch when it comes to action and new upcoming console that pays tribute to the classics the best way it knows how.

If you're just about as ready as we are for the yuletide season, just around the corner, Stick around as we bid spooky November farewell and brace ourselves for the first days of snow. 

Let's go! 

SHADOW MAZE

Now, the CPC Retro Dev 2023 brought us a lot of potential bangers, and Rayon Studio just might have a game you'll find quite interesting, especially if you own an Amstrad CPC. Shadow Maze is a game that finds players traversing a dark tomb, only illuminated by precious glowing stones. There's a lot of darkness and a lot of exploration. Two things that don't really mix, but make for a good game mechanic.

In this title, you portray Gwydion, a young Celtic magician who finds himself in a temple to find a way to craft a potion of invincibility. Things won't be so easy, though. As Merlin, your rival looks to foil all your plans and transform the temple into a dark tomb, and seal you inside for all eternity, like all evil villains do.

It's a race against time to escape the dark tomb, follow the luminous stones, and craft that badass potion as destiny foretold. If you're into finding your way out of the dark and enjoy exploring while you're at it, Shadow Maze is a game to get hyped for.  

TOWER OF EVIL

This time, we take a look at another title for the Commodore 64. It's a nice part of the old-school classic game Tower of Evil, a title which first came out on the Commodore 16, plus/4, ZX Spectrum, and VIC 20 way back between 1984 and 1985, thanks to Creative Sparks. This top-down action game sees you playing the role of Andross, a hero banished years ago by a terrible king and can only return once he rescues the kidnapped princess and finds the king's lost treasure.

This would all seem nice and easy, but with an evil necromancer standing in your way, well, you'd be dead wrong. You explore the game by going through each floor, searching the rooms, looking for treasure, and battling various creatures until you manage to find the princess. It's an intense gauntlet of stages where you must be on your toes or fall flat on your face.

Pretty intense, given how high the stakes are. You're saving the princess and saving the world, after all. Looking to climb the Tower of Evil? then check hitport out. 

ANALOGUE POCKET CLASSIC

Now we're looking at a classic design handheld that'll tug on your heartstrings and bring back many fond memories of childhood. Yes, Analogue just unveiled yet another special limited edition run of their insanely popular Analogue Pocket Classic.

Last time, we had a glow-in-the-dark and transparent. Now, we're getting a variety of pretty colors. And by pretty colors, I mean red, green, blue, yellow, pink, orange, indigo, and silver. Yes, the Analogue Pocket Limited Edition is definitely a whole lot of eye candy, with a generous 3.5-inch LCD panel with a 1600x1440 resolution in a 10x9 format. You can see where this is going. 

Yes, the sweet devices are all modeled specifically after your favorite classic Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Advance colorways. If you're a 90s kid, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. Aside from playing original game cartridges for Game Boy and Game Boy Advance, you can emulate using ROMs thanks to the dedicated FPGA chip and microSD card slot. Definitely a modern classic. As for pricing and availability, the limited edition Analogue Pocket Classic is now available with new colorways retailing for $ 249.99 each and limited to two per order. If you want to snag one of these colorful bad boys, best to check out Analog's official website. 

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For most peeps around the globe, it's prep time for the yuletide season, but in the US of A, we still got Thanksgiving rolling in, which is right on the ground because there's definitely a lot to be thankful for, especially in the realm of retro gaming.

We've covered new games and consoles every week, and this time, it's no different. If you're looking for a new title to get lost in for hours or a new handheld that can keep up with your badassery, you've come to the right place. Many thanks. So hang on to your seats because this ain't your average retro turkey dinner.

WORRIORZ

We're kicking things off with an absolute arcade classic. If you've been around and spent your fair share of coin currency, then you probably remember the 1980s arcade game Wizard of War. If not, maybe you played it on the Atari and C64, which was equally fun. Well, that brings us to a modern version named Worriorz, and its C64 release is coming to the Commodore Amiga thanks to 2ndMoon.

This is some really early news, as there's very little news to go around. We know it's at a very early work-in-progress state with a very early downloadable demo. Worriorz have up to four players battling against each other around the Pac-Man-like maze, while many disappearing enemies try to take you out first. For a game this cute, it's pretty intense for sure. 

So, if you want to be a warrior and go to war against your closest friends, best keep your eyes peeled for this title. 

CRIMBO

As we said earlier, Christmas comes early for many people. Mariah Carey is good to go, and so are we. So, for anyone who played on an old-timey PC or emulates using DOS Box, you might enjoy the wholesome Christmassy family game Crimbo by Blackjacket.

All we're getting is an unofficial ZX Spectrum to DOS conversion by Little Shop of Pixels, which, as we all know, is already a ton of fun. The mission is clear and simple. You're jolly old St. Nick, and it's your job to collect all the scattered presents while avoiding some holiday-hating duck demons and surprisingly dangerous pine trees.

Yes, we never knew the Yuletide foliage could be so deadly. Of course, once you clear each area, you've essentially saved Christmas. And you can do it all again next year, or maybe immediately if that tickles your fancy.

GORETROID GUNMETAL RETROID POCKET 2S

It's only been a couple of weeks since Retroid gave us all a taste of the Pocket 2S, and this time, we're getting quite the snazzy update that not only looks good but feels even better. Safe, even. While people clamoured for something badass, GoRetroid gave an equally badass answer with the GoRetroid Pocket 2S Gun Metal version. Make no mistake, colorful hard plastic is all well and good, but there's something satisfying about wielding a solid steel handheld console. So badass. Currently, there's no news of the release, only an official teaser.

Still, with GoRetroid saying it's coming soon, we can at least be relieved to know that it's actually going to happen. So, if you want a bit more, GoRetroid's Gunmetal Retroid Pocket 2S might just be up your alley. 

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As the month of September comes rolling in, so does a slew of retro gaming news and updates for everyone to enjoy. Now, towards the end of Q3 of 2023, the number of retro titles and retro-ready consoles keeps getting higher, and we know you're all excited for what we're bringing. From old-school story-driven games to action-packed shoot 'em ups, to super-powered pocket PCs, best believe we got a scoop this week, so sit tight and enjoy the ride. Let's go!

CHALUUL’S CURSE

To all the Commodore 64 havers who want a great retro PC game from the 90s, you're in luck. This week, BrocantyGames PC remake of Chaluul's Curse is available to download and play on the C64 thanks to Sönke Wolfgramm. While this may not be the most action-packed game you'll come across, the text-driven story mechanics will hook you right in.

You follow the exploits of Howard Carter, an archaeologist and Hobby Detective, who finds himself tasked by an old friend to uncover the secret of an ancient sword of the Knights Templar. What's so special about it? It comes packed with a good old ancient fatal curse, just like any old relic. Chaluul's Curse was written in Adventure Game Studio as freeware for Windows, Linux, and Mac back in 1995. The game itself featured several puzzles, which have since been remade to be more logical and more challenging to solve.

Newer versions, like this one, include extra responses and dialogue to player actions, different mouse controls, and new music and sound design for newcomers to enjoy. It's something to pick up in 2023 if mysteries, storytelling, and decision-making are a big part in your gaming experience. So, if taking on archaeological mysteries and ancient curses is up your alley, then maybe Chaluul's Curse will be worth your time.

COMMANDO

Now, for a little something that retro action gamers and Atari XL owners can get hyped for. We got news that Shanti77 just announced that the previous Commodore 64 conversion of Commando had received a small fix update for the Atari XL. While this has nothing to do with the old-school Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, you do kind of feel the same way John Matrix does in the movie.

Commando is a one-man army shoot 'em up where your mission is to kill anything that moves to progress through the game. Sounds easy enough, right? You might think otherwise, as the baddies keep coming, and the difficulty gets cranked up to the maximum. This port has a few differences compared to the arcade conversion from a while back, but this time, you're guaranteed extra sprites, some very smooth scrolling, and brand-new level changes, which is great!

The music and sound design still need a bit of work, but Shanti77 is on the job to ensure that this commando will be worth playing if you have an Atari XL/XE with VBXE. 

AYANEO

Console time. We've covered our fair share of handhelds, but we're kicking things up with something that packs more power. Our good friends over at Ayaneo just unveiled the first few clear and confirmed images of one highly anticipated handheld device. We're talking about the Ayaneo Flip. Just a few months after announcing the Ayaneo Kun, revealing the new Ayaneo Pocket S, and an upgrade for the Ayaneo Pocket Air, we're getting yet another banger from the popular brand. And from the look of things, we're in for quite the surprise. 

So far, we only have a sneak peek of the aesthetics and no specs just yet. It's also worth noting that this could be a Windows-powered device, given its design. So, the chipset packing is still up in the air. Ryzen 7 processor? Maybe. Hopefully, the flip features two joysticks, a compact keyboard, a D-pad, ABXY buttons and what looks like a massive OLED screen.

Given Ayaneo's track record of premium gadgets, we can only expect top-shelf quality. While having a long list of announcements over the year is nice, we feel the INEO flip won't be coming out anytime soon. The best bet would be early to mid-2024. Still knowing it's in the pipeline gives all of us something to be excited about. We personally can't wait. 

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As we go through the month of August, we uncover a few more gems to add to our collection, both with games and consoles. While the action might take a bit of a backseat this week, we always make sure to keep the excitement at a high enough level.

Don't worry. We won't be staying up anytime soon. This week we have two chill titles for anyone who wants to have fun while taking things easy and a cool new console that can definitely add to that much-needed r and r. We keep our retro news hot and fresh, so stick around if you haven't gotten your weekly dose!

MEGA WIZARD

It looks like Commodore 64 owners are eating good this month because Retro Gaming with Jeffery is working on an interesting multi-party game that just might be the star of everyone's show once it comes out. This one's called Mega Wizards. It's currently a work-in-progress build, but it shows a whole lot of promise.

As of right now, there's little info on the game, but thanks to a short preview online, we have a better idea of what we're getting. We can expect a simple game with easy mechanics, which is something you'd expect from C64 title. Since the colors are nice, the music has a tippy vibe, and that multi-party nature is always something to look forward to.

If you're a fan of the classic Warlord games, but wanted a bit more fast-paced and competitive, it's best to keep your eyes peeled for Mega Wizards.

HOLIDAY

Now the party won't stop. It'll just slow down a bit. You know, just like taking a vacation in a semi-literal sense. If you have a Commodore Amiga and wanna get away from the usual hustle and bustle of everyday life, you can go out of town from the comfort of your seat with Holiday by LifeSchool22.

If you need a clearer description, this game will have players trying to survive for 11 days in a climate of heat, humidity, and the air smelling sweet like ripe bananas at a Spanish resort. We know it sounds quite challenging, but isn't every vacation?

It plays like any classic text-based. Choose your own adventure type of game with real photos of different places and a variety of options that'll lead you down a given path. This is definitely a game where you take your time, enjoy the scenery, and make the right choices so your vacation ends on a good note. So if you don't feel like stepping out but wanna enjoy a good, challenging out of towner, then a holiday might be for you. 

ANBERNIC RG405M

You want handheld. Of course, we want handhelds. Thankfully, our good friends at Anbernic has some really nice handhelds that are tailor-made for the fans. Anbernic has a very active community and they've been clamoring for console of particular sensibilities, that being a vertical version of their popular Android-based handheld, the Anbernic, RG405M.

So they gave it that vertical Game Boy aesthetic and called it the RG405V, which actually looks pretty good. It comes in different colorways, including the classic RG351V wood finish in terms of their track record in aesthetics. The RG405V is definitely an outlier being a bit rounder and smooth along the edges compared to most. It might be everyone's cup of tea, but it's definitely a cute-looking console while it's already an officially confirmed device, we've only got a quick rundown of specs.

Like 4’’ IPS touch screen, A Unisoc Tiger T 618 chipset, A Mali G52 GPU, 4GB LPDDR4X RAM, and of course an Android 12 operating system. There will be more to unpack as more details on the RG 405 V to come out, so we'll make sure to be aware of its cuteness in the near future.

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