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2 yr. ago

I just play Steam Deck and write about gaming + Linux a lot

  • I had the chance to interview Mike Miller, the developer behind Halo: Combat Devolved, an ongoing project that aims to bring Halo: Combat Evolved to the Game Boy Color (and retro handhelds) using GB Studio. I've been playing through it on my Brick Hammer, it really feels at home on there.

    We talked about the difficult process of translating Halo's weapons, enemies, vehicles and levels to such limited hardware, the creative solutions he's come up with along the way, why authenticity sometimes means changing the original game, and what he's got planned for future levels. If you've ever wondered what Halo would have looked like as a '90s Game Boy game, or wanted to hear a bit more about how he's made it all happen this one should be right up your alley!

  • It is, yes! Gamma uses DJ Khaled for his display picture everywhere, so this felt appropriate :)

  • So here's my review on the 55G1 retro handheld.

    The chip itself is pretty interesting: the CPU is capable, while the relatively weak GPU creates a pretty unusual performance profile, which by now is no shock to anyone here.

    I also chatted with Gamma (the mind behind GammaOS) about what he’s been able to do with the RG55G1’s drivers and where he thinks there’s more performance to be found.

    And I spoke to Camille, lead dev/creator of Eden (a Nintendo Switch emulator), about the G1 Gen 2, Switch emulation, drivers and how the chip compares with other Snapdragon hardware in his experiences. Obviously I review things too, but these are the two unique angles in my lil article here.

    There’s a lot I really like about the RG55G1, but the $150+ price makes it a difficult handheld to place. I think the part I'm most proud of in this review is the image of Gamma on top of MC Hammer's ubiquitous album cover, which I used for his section in here:

  • Technology @lemmy.world

    Hands-on with the Anbernic RG 55G1; Anbernic's Snapdragon Gamble

    gardinerbryant.com /hands-on-with-the-anbernic-rg-55g1/
  • Here's the latest in my super long running series of developer interviews, this time with the team behind Cocoon, the Android frontend for retro handheld gaming systems (or phones!)

    I find their team especially interesting because the trio have such distinct roles: development, UI/UX design and sound. I was so fascinated to learn early that they've even commissioned musicians and instruments specifically for Cocoon's menu music. I mean, everything else as well, but that was taking things to the next level for me.

    Anyway, it's a super long and super detailed interview, so if you're interested in software development, UI/UX, sound design, dual-screen handhelds, their history and how Cocoon is made, or just getting a behind-the-scenes look at how projects like this are done, there's a lot to dig into here. Hope some here enjoy it :)

  • Technology @lemmy.world

    Building Cocoon: An Interview with the Development Team

    gardinerbryant.com /building-cocoon-an-interview-with-the-devs/
  • I'm glad you enjoyed her story!

  • Well now I wish that was a thing!

    (Sorry for any confusion!!!)

  • This is a small interview (by my usual standards!) with Jiayu, a girl in China who runs MagiGamer, a business she started making custom buttons and controls for various gaming handhelds. Tech, but with a custom twist :)

    She makes buttons for things like the Nintendo Switch, 3DS & DS handhelds, the Steam Deck and her recent favorite: AYN's Thor (as well as the Odin 3), and more.

    I chatted to her a bit for some quotes to use in my AYN Thor article I shared here yesterday, but this is the full chat, only because I love the work she does and how she gives people an option to truly make a console unique for everyone. I thought it deserved to be shared :)

    There's plenty of behind the scenes pictures of the effort she goes to, and detailed pictures of the handhelds with her buttons installed. I thought this was a fun little one to share, hopefully you like it too!

    ___

  • Technology @lemmy.world

    Making Buttons Into Little Pieces of Art

    gardinerbryant.com /making-buttons-into-little-pieces-of-art/
  • I'm glad I could help!!!!

    (Nice to see a Swiff user in the wild, too!)

  • I had the luck to stumble across Swiff recently, a project that brings Flash games back to modern Android devices, and its developer NaviVani was kind enough to let me interview her for both this piece and an upcoming article.

    Swiff is a really interesting project for anyone who grew up with Flash games, but also for those who never got to experience that super weird but also super creative era of the internet. In my interview, we talk about NaviVani’s own history with Flash games, the challenges of preserving and running them today, the retro handheld community, her love of the RG Rotate, and where she hopes to take Swiff in the future.

    If you have any fond memories of Flash games, or just want to discover some of what the old web had to offer, I think you’ll enjoy this one :)

  • Technology @lemmy.world

    Inside Swiff: An Interview with NaviVani on Bringing Flash Games Back to Android

    gardinerbryant.com /inside-swiff-an-interview-with-navivani/
  • A dedicated Game Boy Advance console, literally designed to be a love letter with thumbsticks just doesn't feel right to me! Luckily for you though, they make GBA-esque one with the sticks: the RG34XX SP

  • Have you tried Aliexpress?

    From what I've seen, that is the option which saves the most on shipping. Anbernic's own site adds way too much with shipping, but when they sell on Aliexpress that drops so significantly. I've seen a few users saying it is the way to go, so maybe it is worth a look!

  • Have you tried Aliexpress?

    From what I've seen, that is the option which saves the most on shipping. Anbernic's own site adds way too much with shipping, but when they sell on Aliexpress that drops so significantly. I've seen a few users saying it is the way to go, so maybe it is worth a look!

    (And I totally understand, with those handhelds the power to run GBA games is well in hand, but the form factor of this RGSP is a beautiful nod to the original!)

  • If you've got some nostalgia for playing the Game Boy Advance back when it was the thing, then this might scratch that nostalgia itch you didn't know you had :)

  • Technology @lemmy.world

    Hands On with the Anbernic RG SP; The Game Boy Advance SP Reimagined

    gardinerbryant.com /hands-on-with-the-anbernic-rg-sp/
  • If it doesn't, I highly recommend the OSTENT 1,400 mAh batteries. Higher capacity than the original and they work perfectly. 100% the one to choose!

  • Oh absolutely. This was exactly me for the longest time. I review retro handhelds, so I've had everything from the entry-level to the high power ones (like the Odin 3 Max). I thought you couldn't get better than upscaled graphics and save states, but when I got a re-obsession semi-recently with the PSP:

    https://gardinerbryant.com/tag/psp/

    ...I've realized that native hardware just has magic to it. The handheld is slim, the design is retro futuristic in the best way (in my eyes), the jailbreak and add-ons are invaluable and the experience is just fun. I've just reviewed the Retroid Pocket Nova, am reviewing the Anbernic RG SP, and have a couple more on the way, but that isn't stopping me absolutely loving WipEout on my PSPs :)

  • So recently, I spent a fair time chatting with the creator of PSPunk, a website I’m sure many here might have visited. But that chatting (which ended up being an interview) pivoted instead to something a bit different from what I usually end up doing with articles.

    Rather than just talking about the website itself, we ended up discussing the people who keep older gaming communities alive. We covered how PSPunk started as a simple custom firmware guide, why preserving guides and community knowledge is just as important as preserving games themselves, the modern PSP homebrew scene, and why the handheld still has such an active community more than 20 years after launch. You might recognize me from a few PSP articles I’ve done these last months, I just…think they’re neat:

    It was also interesting hearing from someone who doesn’t consider themselves a developer or a major figure in the scene, just “a helpful user who creates guides.” I think that humility says a lot about projects like this, because every community needs people documenting, organizing and preserving information just as much as it needs people writing the software.

  • Technology @lemmy.world

    The People Still Keeping the PSP Alive: PSPunk

    gardinerbryant.com /the-people-still-keeping-the-psp-alive-pspunk/
  • That and the ending (V for Vendetta) were the sections I wrote in this article. Because as soon as I saw the news, it was all I could think of :(

  • Technology @lemmy.world

    AI companies are now destroying warehouses full of rare books

    gardinerbryant.com /ai-companies-are-now-destroying-warehouses-full-of-rare-books/
  • Technology @lemmy.world

    Hands On With The Hidizs AP30 Music Boy; A Game Boy-Inspired Music Player With Audiophile Ambitions

    gardinerbryant.com /hands-on-with-the-hidizs-ap30-music-boy/
  • Technology @lemmy.world

    Is Denuvo's Dominance Finally Beginning to Crack?

    gardinerbryant.com /is-denuvos-dominance-finally-beginning-to-crack/
  • Technology @lemmy.world

    A Modern Setup Guide for the PSP-2000 (Jailbreak, Plugins, and More)

    gardinerbryant.com /a-modern-setup-guide-for-the-psp-2000-jailbreak/
  • Technology @lemmy.world

    Keeping Physical Gaming Alive

    gardinerbryant.com /keeping-physical-gaming-alive/
  • Technology @lemmy.world

    WeatherMaster, Open Source, and the Future of Android; An Interview with Pranshul

    gardinerbryant.com /weathermaster-open-source-and-the-future-of-android/
  • Technology @lemmy.world

    F-Droid and the Future of Open-Source Android; An Interview with DocWolle

    gardinerbryant.com /f-droid-and-the-future-of-open-source/
  • Technology @lemmy.world

    The Other Side of Android: My Favorite F-Droid Apps

    gardinerbryant.com /the-other-side-of-android-my-favorite-f-droid-apps/
  • Technology @lemmy.world

    Some of Android's Most Interesting Games Aren't on the Play Store

    gardinerbryant.com /some-of-androids-most-interesting-games/
  • Technology @lemmy.world

    The Quiet Modder Behind Some of Handheld Gaming's Most Interesting Hardware Hacks

    gardinerbryant.com /the-quiet-modder-behind-hardware-hacks-2/
  • Technology @lemmy.world

    Stepping Away from Streaming with the Snowsky Echo Digital Audio Player

    gardinerbryant.com /stepping-away-from-streaming-with-the-snowsky-echo/
  • Technology @lemmy.world

    Why Everyone’s Picking Up a PSP Again in 2026

    gardinerbryant.com /psp-in-2026/
  • Technology @lemmy.world

    Stepping Away from Streaming with the Innioasis Y1 Digital Audio Player

    gardinerbryant.com /stepping-away-from-streaming/