Retrogaming GP2X Pandora Wiz Dingoo

Play against other retrogamers online (2)

2010-01-03T03:41:00.000-08:00

Almost immediately after writing the last post in my blog I found another site with a gaming league.
It is more active than my previous link, and I have already played some games in season 17. The games played season 17 were:

Week 1 : Bubble Dizzy (ST)
Week 2 - Gribbly's Day Out (C64)
Week 3 - Boulderdash (C64) :
Week 4 - Pleiads
Week 5 - Insects in Space (C64)
Week 6 - A Day in the life (spectrum)
Week 7 - Superfrog (Amiga)
Week 8 - Frostbite (Atari 2600)
Week 9 - Psycho Pinball (Megadrive)
Week 10 - Vigilante (Mame)

A very nice variety of games from old systems and the ones I have played play great on my GP2X.
New season starts Januari 10th, but you can join whenever you want.

Here is the link to the league.

Play against other retrogamers online

2009-10-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

I have recently bumped into an old link I had in my favorite list. For years now a league is organized at the yakyak forums. You just have to register there to join a retrogaming league.
When there is a competition, everybody can suggest a game and the game most voted for will be played. Mame is probably the most chosen format, but also C64, CPC, Speccy etc.
Reply with a screenshot of your hiscore of the game and your score will be added. Most (all?) games are playable on the GP2X and you probably have a good chance on the Wiz and Dingoo too.

With gshot you can make screenshots of games on the GP2X. There is a Wiz version too.

Yakyak.org is the Jeff Minter fan forum. Jeff Minter is well known for some of the most entertaining psychedelic shooters like gridrunner and llamatron. He is still active developing software.

It is not only Jeff Minter software that is being discussed there. Main interest is retrogaming.

Here the direct link to the league.

Have fun :)

Game Video: Warcraft 1 - DOS

2009-07-29T02:11:00.000-07:00

There are not a lot RTS (real time strategy) games you can play on the GP2X. If you're not familiar with the term, look here. Most RTS games are for more recent consoles and therefore can not be emulated well on the GP2X.
Fortunately the two that started the popular genre, Dune 2 and Warcraft Orcs & Humans are both playable and still pretty fun. Might add a game video of Dune 2 later.

If you're into a lower paced but mesmerising strategy game, Warcraft is great. Don't compare this with later versions of Warcraft that had faster gameplay and better graphics for PC. You should judge this based on what it can provide on the GP2X.

Warcraft plays surprisingly well on the GP2X. Don't play it with dosbox but install the statically recompiled executable for GP2X MH-T has created here. He has added some functionality that makes it even work better than the original version.

To enjoy Warcraft the most, you should change the configuration file that contains the button mapping. The default settings are missing some functionality like one click action and selecting groups. I have copied the settings from Maanju that makes the game play a lot better. Source here
All the info you need, is included in the readme-GP2X.txt. Underneath is the button lay-out I use, you can change it to what works best for you. You can use the touchscreen on the F200 for mouse movement as well.

Adjust latest part in file Warcraft.cfg after this line:

" # Action_combo_mouse_left_button_select_group - acts like left mouse button, when mouse is moved during click, switches to select group "

with:

Button_Y=Action_combo_mouse_left_button_select_group
Button_A=Action_macro_key_m_mouse_left_button
Button_B=Action_macro_key_a_mouse_left_button
Button_X=Action_macro_key_h_mouse_left_button
Button_Select=Action_key_esc

Button_R+Y=Action_key_enter
Button_R+A=Action_key_s
Button_R+B=Action_key_backspace
Button_R+X=Action_key_f2
Button_R+Select=Action_virtual_keyboard

Button_Vol-=Action_volume_decrease
Button_Vol+=Action_volume_increase

Button_R+Vol-=Action_key_f5
Button_R+Vol+=Action_key_f8

A random players review here

Game Video: Super Pinball -SNES

2009-07-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

You probably know by now I like pinball, but to make sure you will not forget here is another pinball game video :)
Super pinball for the SNES is the most realistic pinball game you can play on the GP2X.
This pinball doesn't have bonusstages (as far as I know), creatures walking on the playing field or power-ups. Just a plain pinball simulation.. but a very good one!

You can choose between 3 pinball tables Pirate,Wizard and the Joker. It is possible to beat the tables (didn't manage this yet) The Joker should be the easiest of the three so start there.
Physics in this pinball game are very good and add to the feel of realism. After some practice it is possible to hit the targets and as in a real pinball table you can also nudge. Ruleset is also quite nice on these tables.
For a real pinball addict like me, this is a great game for the GP2X and right now one of my most played games.

Here is a review.

It plays well on PocketSNES, but you need to overclock as high as you can to get the most fps. I set cpu speed to 270 and sound to 8000 mono to get 37 fps.

Dingoo: How good is it?

2009-07-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

I was interested in buying a Dingoo, price is low, battery life is good, d-pad should be ok and booting time is fast.
Linux can be installed and should attract more developers and programs to the system.

But... what can you do with it now. Personally I'm not that keen on spending money on a handheld that will be great "one day...".
I already own a GP2X F100 and F200 and to buy a Dingoo it should at least have some emulators that work better on it than on the GP2X.
Spending time on forums trying to get answers to this question didn't help.

The best emulator right now is probably Mame4All Dingoo V1.0. I've seen reports that it lags with some games.
Not everything you can download from the file archive seems to be working properly (link to the Dingoo library) and basically there isn't a lot ported yet.
GP2X has got a huge library with a lot of optimised software. Picodrive is absolutely amazing and full speed on it. Haven't seen reports of the Dingoo getting there.

How long will it take for the Dingoo to reach that state? If it ever will...
So still got my doubts, the Pandora will probably arrive long before the Dingoo has reached maturity.

[Edit July 28th]

Good and bad news for Dingoo owners.

Good: Picodrive (Sega Genesis emulator) has just been released and seems to be working great.

Bad: On screen tearing on the Dingoo is probably not solvable with software according to booboo (creator of Dingux)

Game Video: Gem Smashers / M&M's break 'Em - Gameboy Advance

2009-07-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Gem Smashers is a fun and entertaining action puzzler with more than 100 levels for the gameboy advance. In this game you are a creature that smashes gems and rocks while bouncing up and down. Because you are bouncing all the time you need to make sure to avoid the less friendly attributes in the game like skulls.
By clearing the field of all gems you unlock a door to another field or other level.

If you like PopCap type of games that are very popular for PC and often played by women and casual players, I'm sure you will have a great time playing this.

Here is a good review and description of the game.

M&M's break 'Em is pretty much the same game, it just has another theme. I personally like Gem Smasher better but unfortunately there isn't a video on youtube to show it to you. I did find a video of M&M's break 'Em.

Runs very playable without overclocking though seems to be a bit smoother with some overclocking on GpSP (240 Mhz),

Link: neogeoforlife

2009-07-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

If you like games with fantastic graphics, most Neo Geo games will not disappoint you.
The system has a couple of the most attractive games you can play on the GP2X.

Graphics only will never be good enough though. A great game needs good gameplay. Fortunately there are quite some Neo Geo games that combine both qualities.

You've probably noticed I don't review a lot of fighting games and might wonder why.
Well... to be honest..... {whisper mode} I don't really like them that much.... {/whisper mode}
Neo Geo has a lot of fighting games, so when you are into these games, you should definitely try some for the Neo Geo (Garou: Mark of the Wolve).

Not only fighting games though. Metal Slug (platform), Magical Drop (puzzle), Neo Drift Out (racing), Blazing Star (shmup). Each of these games are worth a review and a game video and I might add them to the blog later.

If you don't want to wait (and why should you) this site has got some good reviews for a lot of Neo Geo games. Worth checking out.

Game Video: Uniracers - SNES

2009-07-05T01:46:00.000-07:00

3rd and last review
_______________________________________________________________________________

I really enjoyed the pocketsnes release and tried some snes games that I have played before. I remembered playing uniracers in the past and tried it on pocketsnes v2. It plays rather good on it , you can get full speed on 240 mhz (I can't overclock more than that)

The game:

In this game you are a unicycle with the ability to twist, turn, flip in an incredible speed. You can play against the clock or against the snes. There are many tracks you can compete in and the tracks are really challenging and fun.

This is not a 'normal' racing game. The twisting, turning, flipping bit is really important to gain speed and complete a level. The first time you'll compete in a new track you will probably lose, you need to learn how the track is build to make the right decisions. Because of the speed you'll mostly not be able to make the right choices right away.

Graphics

Great graphics! Colourful and really add to the appeal of the game.

Score: 9/10

Sound

Superb music that pumps up the action, with the right sound effects.

Score: 9/10

Gameplay

Love it. There are not many games that give me an adrenaline boost while playing. This is one of the few.
If you like fast racing games, and don't mind the lack of realism and the camera view, you will have a great time playing it.
You will have to learn how to make the moves, but I don't think it's really hard and the learning curve is exactly right (for me that is.. )

Score: 10/10

Overall

What can I say more... an almost perfect game.

Score: 9.5/10

The game in action

Game Video: Killer Bees! - Odyssey 2

2009-07-03T13:26:00.001-07:00

My 2nd review:

_________________________________________________________________

This time I'm reviewing a game for Odyssey2 / Philips videopac / G7000/74000 Killer Bees!

The games for Philips Videopac are graphically rather basic and the sounds could be described as "bleep bleep". So the developers of these games had to put all their effort in making a game packed with as much gameplay as possible in limited lines of code.
In some cases they succeeded and made terrific games that we can still enjoy many years later. One of the best examples is Killer Bees!.

The Game

In The Killer Bees you are a swarm of bees that needs to destroy some robots that run around the screen. You destroy them by attacking them. The robots will not die immediately, first they will lose power and run increasingly slower (as long as you attack them) until they are destroyed. Once you've destroyed a robot, a nice gravestone will appear. Your mission is to destroy all robots, if that succeeds a new level starts.

Fortunately there are some baddies that will make this a little harder to accomplish. The baddies are swarms of bees as well. If you touch an enemy swarm, a couple (or all) of your bees will be killed, that way your swarm decreases in size and will have less attacking power. It's possible to attack and kill the enemy swarm with an electric force-field. The force field needs to be recharged so you need to use it wisely.
You will die when all your bees are killed. Every new level you start with a renewed full sized swarm of bees.

Sound

Bleep bleep

Graphics

Well... not very good, but very clear sprites with no distractions (if you play the G7000 version)

Gameplay

I think it's a great short break game, that I tend to play a lot lately. Because the game will rapidly become harder to play, it's not boring and will not last for ages. You can finish one level in a couple of seconds, so very rapid gameplay. Even though the quality of sound is bad compared to more modern games, I prefer playing the game with the sound on. Guess I like the bleep, bleeps.
The game is really original and feels and plays fluid on the excellent o2em port from Spoyser here. The emulator has save states, great compatibility, it's fast and integrates well with gmenu2x.

Overall 8/10

And a very nice video of the game:

Game Video: Super Pipeline II - C64

2009-06-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

I have done 3 reviews on the GP2X forum. 3 games that play like a charm on the gp2x and are great fun. This was my first. Copied and pasted the content and added a youtube link.

______________________________________________________________________________
Here's my first review, I thought as I hoped for more emulated games reviews I should take a plunge and write one myself (copied a part from another source) . Hope you like it, keep in mind that English is not my native language.

Super Pipeline II: C64 tested on Vice

The game:

Your objective on each level is to fill the barrels at the bottom of the screen. So long as the pipeline is intact, oil will flow slowly down it and fill the barrels.

However, MEANIES are here to prevent you from completing your task! When facing left or right, you can shoot these meanies with your gun (Press fire to shoot). Lobsters are impervious to bullets from the front, but can be shot from behind... and nails just can't be shot at all.

Sometimes meanies will make a hole in the pipeline, causing your precious oil to escape. This is where your mates come in play. Clad in green, these guys will wander around the pipe aimlessly until you collect them, after that they will follow you. When you've got one following you, you can lead him to a hole in the pipe, and he will fix it for you.

Graphics

This games graphics are crisp and funny, you can't really expect more from a c64 game like this.

Score: 8/10

Sound

If you can't stand repetitive music it's probably better to mute the sound. I don't really mind and the sound effects are oke.

Score: 7/10

Gameplay

The most important part of a game of course is the gameplay. And the gameplay is great! Our hero moves and shoots fluently on the gp2x screen like he's been waiting since 1985 to do just that. It's easy to get into, but hard to reach higher levels. Can get frustrating if you can't reach the level where you're aiming for. However because you know you can do it, that's a sure sign of good and addictive gameplay :)

Score: 9/10

Overall

As already stated this is a great game. Just pick a d64 of the game and autostart the image with Vice. No need to overclock it or anything else to play this terrific game.

Score: 8/10

And a very nice feature of vice is the ability of making a screenshot
Yep, this impossible to beat score is mine :)

___________________________________________________________
And last but not least... a video :)

Wiz and Dingoo A320 info

2009-06-27T01:53:00.000-07:00

In this article (updated october 11th 2009) I want to give some links and information about the Wiz and Dingoo A320. Although I will probably not buy one of them, they share software with the GP2X and can both be used for retrogaming.
I will add a link to this article on the frontpage and adjust this with new infomation and new links whenever that is needed.

The Wiz is the official successor of the GP2X from GPH. Just as the GP2X it is a handheld video game console and media player. It is smaller than the GP2X and has a clear praised but small OLED touchscreen. Battery life is a lot better than the GP2X.

For an overview of some of the most important capabilities of the Wiz look here

The Dingoo A320 is the Chinese and less expensive brother of the GP2X and the Wiz. Just as the Wiz it doesn't have a keyboard.The Dingoo also lacks a touchscreen. According to some people the gamepad of the Dingoo is better than the Wiz.

For a good overview of some of the most important capabilities of the Dingoo A320 look here

There is a lot of interesting development for both handhelds and I'm pretty sure they both will be able to have a great softwarelibrary. So when you think the Pandora is too expensive and you can live without the keyboard, you could buy one of these. The stuff that I am reviewing can hopefully be played on these handhelds as well. Right now that is not always the case though.

In some cases emulators and games are working pretty good, but more development is necessary. Be sure to check how your favorite emulator works on of them before buying.
If you compare the old GP2X with the GP2X-wiz and Dingoo, good old GP2X still wins hands down. GP2X has an amazing software library, the Wiz/Dingoo are catching up, but the quality and quantity does not come close. Of course that is not very surprising, both are relatively new handhelds.

So if you want to play the most emulators and games full speed without too much hassle you might try to buy a 2nd hand GP2X F200. Eventhough development for GP2X is very low I think it is still the best buy. They are not very easy to find anymore though.
If you like the very good OLED touchscreen and small form factor of the Wiz go for that one.
If your budget is tight go for the Dingoo, you can get a pretty good handheld for less than 100$.

Other links:

Small GP2X-Wiz review. The discussion underneath the review is interesting.

Dingoo A320 forum. Most active forum for Dingoo users, lot of discussions about new releases.

GP32X forum. Discussions about the Pandora, GP2X, GP32X, Wiz, Dingoo. Very active forum but for Dingoo discussions you'd better go to the Dingoo A320 forum.

Open handhelds file archive. Large amount of homebrew, apps and emulators for open handhelds.

Dingux.com Here you can find the information regarding porting linux to the Dingoo.Very exciting stuff for every Dingoo user.

Game Video: Devil's crush - PC Engine

2009-06-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

Another pinball game, this one is for the PC engine / TurboGrafx 16. Physics are not as good as Psycho Pinball for Genesis, but the fun-factor compensates that. 6 bonus stages and a lot to discover in this great pinball game. You can choose between slow and fast speed, IMO the fast speed is a lot better and plays more like real pinball.

Review from someone I totally agree with is here

Plays without overclocking on Temper

Game Video: Galaga - Arcade

2009-06-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

One of the most well known arcade games of all time and probably played by almost all visitors of this blog. A true classic: Galaga.
Goal is to kill swarms of aliens. One of the best ways to do that is obtaining a double shooter. You are an easier (bigger) target, but the better firing power outweighs that.

This game is in my top 3 for sure, never stopped playing it. Why it is so good?

The graphics - colourful graphics with a black (with some dots/stars) and not disturbing background. You see what you need to see, nothing more nothing less. Everything that moves has to be shot.

Shooting is not an automatic fire, you have to work to kill the baddies. To survive more advanced levels you need adrenaline. Shooting is working and to avoid being hit you need a lot of concentration.

The bonus levels (challenge stages) . You can gain extra points by shooting a perfect score on the bonus levels. Can be frustrating when you miss one alien, but that's part of the fun.

Balanced gameplay. The first levels are pretty easy but soon the levels get more difficult and then you have the bonus levels to keep you sharp and alert. The creators of the game did build up the gameplay perfectly, sometimes playing a longer game feels like a game of sports.
There are a lot of great conversions to consoles. IMO the best is still the original arcade version. There are also some sequels that are not that bad (e.g. galaga '88), but still do not compare to the feel of the original.

Plays without overclocking on MAME4ALL

Game Video: Taz - Atari 2600

2009-06-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

Taz or Astrix (the same game, other character) is a simple but fun game. Avoid hitting the dynamite and get the goodies. Like a lot of games from this era, it starts slow and will increase in speed.
After completing a level, speed increases, goodies change and you will get more points for them. The first couple of levels are not too hard, but after a certain level the speed is increased a lot. The game is then in insane mode and only the best will survive (and I'm not one of them ;) )

It's a fast game you play in a couple of minutes, so great for a quick game when you are in a hurry.

Plays without overclocking on GP2X-2600

It's been quiet :)

2009-03-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been lazy lately and haven't updated the blog a lot. Not that I don't play games anymore, just a bit less and also played Nintendo DS more frequently.
I like the little machine, it has some advantages compared to the GP2X.
There are more up-to-date commercial games, better battery life and the one I probably like the most: a fast boot up time.

That doesn't make the GP2X obsolete *yet*. The GP2X has got a bigger screen, great homebrew and fantastic emulators. If you want an impressive retro-games collection on a 4 gb sd-card the GP2X will serve you well.
A week ago I played my good old GP2X again, installed some new homebrew and it was pretty fun playing it again.
Animath is a great Zookeeper clone made by Ruckage. Quality of the game is outstanding, it gives the GP2X users a commercial quality game for free. If you play the game please support Ruckage with a small (or big) donation. He deserves it, and we really should embrace his effort. He is one of the few homebrew developers that is capable of making really good games with awesome graphics.

Maybe even more amazing is the fantastic work of senor quack / djwillis and Orkie in creating Open2X. Its first official release is near. Very nice!

Game video: Revenge of the Gator - GB

2008-07-20T04:56:00.000-07:00

There are a couple of pinball games on the Gameboy as well. Revenge of the Gator is a nice one, that is not very difficult. For the random, shoot don't aim player you can still play for a while without losing the ball and score some points.
I think the game is fun, but the physics are not very good. If you are looking for a pinball simulation, this is not for you. It never stopped me from playing, because there is a lot to discover in this game.

Here a review.

Plays without overclocking on GnuBoy2X or Lemonboy2x

Game Review: Psycho Pinball - Genesis

2008-07-19T01:15:00.000-07:00

If you like pinball and want to play it on the GP2X, you really should try Psycho Pinball. There are other great pinball games, but Psycho Pinball has all the elements that make pinball so much fun.
If you ask a pinball enthusiast what is the most important aspect of a good pinball game, he/she will probably say "flow". And that's what Psycho has, it has great flow.

Psycho Pinball has 4 tables. You can play the tables separately, but when you play the Psycho table you can reach the other 3 tables as well. That's an awesome feature that makes this game even more impressive.
Another aspect of a good Pinball table is the ruleset, you need to have a good ruleset. Only shooting for 1 goal and reaching amazing scores is not a good thing. Also here Psycho Pinball doesn't fail, it has a great varied ruleset that is interesting and challenging.
The colourful graphics are superb and the sounds are cheerful and entertaining.

I always like to add a nice youtube video of a game, but couldn't find one. I think that is amazing, for a terrific game like this.

Well for a month a video was present... but the user already deleted the video.

More detailed description here.

Plays smooth as butter on Picodrive without overclocking.

Game Video: High Speed Pinball - NES

2008-07-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

One of my most enjoyed type of games are pinball games. I love the recreations and original pinball tables made possible with visual pinball for PCs. On the GP2X it is also possible to play some fun pinball tables. One of them is High Speed Pinball for the NES. Graphically not very great, but it plays very good. If you keep in mind this is the old NES and you can't compare it with a modern PC, the physics in the game are excellent. It has some nice surprises, so don't give up too fast. The game has a high replay value.

Here a review.

Plays without overclocking on GPFCE.

GP2X will no longer be produced

2008-07-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

The end of the GP2X did not come as a big surprise, but it was sooner than expected.

Here the thread were the news was announced.
RIP GP2X, but don't worry. There are a lot of developers that are still supporting the GP2X.

Link: Atari-ST homebrew preview PicocrossST

2008-04-26T04:17:00.000-07:00

Another great homebrew puzzle game is on its way for the Atari-ST. Not finished yet, but that should not take long (expected release date end of april). I hope it will be compatible with OutcaST.

Looks great! Link with a preview video of PicocrossST

[Edit] Works like a charm on Outcast! Great music, great game.

Use the MSA disc version here

A very good GP2X original picocross game is the exellent Max in Ghostpix
Here you can download Max in Ghostpix

Link: MSX homebrew

2008-04-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

Interested in some excellent homebrew? Then you should try this site.
Once a year there is a msx game development contest and it has got some high quality games. All roms from the site that I have tried are working without problems on gp2msx

Some examples:

Lotusf3 - Race game: graphics not very good, but fun gameplay, also a ghost racer mode! Racing against yourself, how cool is that!

BeTiled! Addictive bejeweled clone, with special tiles in later levels.

Caos. Adventure platformer, good music, good graphics and good gameplay.

Game Video: Space Taxi - C64

2008-04-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

Space taxi for the C64 is a "thrust game". Pick up customers with your taxi and deliver them to the desired place. Brilliant game!

Link with more detailed information about the game here

Works without overclocking on Frodo, I had problems getting it working on Vice2X.

Link: cpcgamereviews.com

2008-03-31T10:42:00.000-07:00

The Amstrad CPC computer is a 8 bit computer from the period of the Spectrum and C64. The thing that always strikes me are the colors of the CPC games. They seems to be brighter and more vivid than the colours of the C64
It has a nice game library, most games will be available for other systems as well. See what versions you prefer.

A site with 100's of small reviews of CPC games you can find here

Game Video: Switchblade - Amstrad CPC

2008-03-30T02:54:00.000-07:00

Switchblade is a smooth playing platformer for the Amstrad CPC with great music. After you get comfortable with the controls this is a treat to play.

The comment added to the youtube video describes the game in more detail. The video is part 1 of a walkthrough. The videos can help you when you are stuck in the game.

Plays without overclocking on GP2X-CAP32.

Link: Paradize homebrew for Atari-ST

2008-03-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

If you like homebrew you don't have to limit yourself to GP2X homebrew only. For a lot of older systems there are still programs being made or have been made in the past.
For the Atari-ST look here for a good example. This group still makes some nice games for the Atari-ST. Not all games work with OutcaST, but some that I have tested do. Their game Nuclear Waste Dump is for example a nice original little game that works great with OutcaST.

Game Video: Repton - BBC Micro

2008-03-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

Another game that is considered a true classic by many and made by a young developer (Tim Tyler). Repton for the BBC micro.
Especially people from the UK will remember the BBC micro personal computer, but it is not so well known in other countries. I knew of its existence, but never played it until I fired up Beebem on the GP2X.

This game looks a lot like Boulderdash. Gather all diamonds and avoid being killed.

More information about the game and some historical facts here

Plays without overclocking on Beebem

GP2X and Pandora

2008-03-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

In this article (updated July 29th 2009) I want to give some links and information about the GP2X and Pandora. I will link to this article on the frontpage and adjust this with new information and new links whenever that is necessary.

The GP2X is a handheld video game console and media player. It is capable of emulating other devices like NES/SNES/C64/Atari-ST/Amiga/Spectrum/Genesis/Arcade and more. Also there is a lot of other free quality software especially made for the GP2X made by hobbyists. You can also use the GP2X as a mediaplayer (MP3/Video).

For a good overview of some of the most important capabilities of the GP2X look here

The Pandora will be the non-official successor of the GP2X (that is the GP2X-Wiz). It is not made by GPH, but an initiative from GP2X distributors with input from the GP2X community. It will have a clamshell design like the Nintendo DS and will have a small keyboard, touch screen and wifi on-board. The specs of the device will be a lot better than the GP2X and PSP. Launch date is not known yet. Launch is expected in September. More info here

Other links:

Dingoo or GP2X-wiz what is the best choice?

GP32X forum. Discussions about the Pandora, GP2X, GP32X, Wiz, Dingoo. Very active forum.

Open handhelds file archive. Large amount of homebrew, apps and emulators for open handhelds.

Game Video: Chuckie Egg - ZX Spectrum

2008-03-23T02:59:00.000-07:00

A cult classic that has been ported and cloned on many systems. The first version was the Sinclair ZX Spectrum version and the hardcore fans of the game think the Spectrum version is still the best.
Goal of the game is very simple, catch all the eggs and don't get killed by man-sized evil chickens. No review link this time, but an interview with the developer of the game Nigel Alerton here.
He claims he was 15 writing the game, other sources come up with 16. Nevertheless writing something classic as this game on that age is something to be proud of.

Funny little game, still worth a try especially this time of the year :).
Plays without overclocking on Gp2xpectrum.

Link: IGN.com best games ever list

2008-03-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

Although I don't really believe in 'the best games ever' lists, I always like reading them.
Here you will find the 100 best games of all times according to the IGN readers.
We will not be able to play the no.1 and other games on the GP2X (a lot more will hopefully be possible on the Pandora) but quite a few of the games on the list will work without a problem.

Game Video: Bump 'n' Jump - NES

2008-03-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

According to a review of Bump 'n' Jump for the NES you can find here (scroll a bit down to find the review) the NES version is better than the arcade version of this game.
I don't know about that, but this version is fun indeed and has some extras compared to the arcade version.

Drive along a road and try to avoid being crashed, while crashing other cars and jump over obstacles.

Works without overclocking on gpfce.

Shredz64 - Guitar Hero on the C64

2008-03-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Amazing! This guy has succeeded in making a Guitar Hero clone for the C64 and uses a playstation guitar with a PSX64 interface.

Part 1

Part 2

Great SID music!

Game Video: Pitman - Gameboy

2008-03-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

If you like puzzle games, this one might interest you. It is one of the few games I ever finished completely.

Haven't seen a review on the internet so I made one myself:

Menu

In the menu you can choose the round (level) to start. There are 99 levels and 1 level ??. Level ?? is the last level. The only way to unlock this level is by playing through all the levels.
There is an output and input password option. This was handy in the days without gameboy emulators and savestates, but nowadays I prefer to save a snapshot after finishing a level instead of writing down a password. .

You can create your own levels with Pitman. I never bothered with this option, but for the seriously addicted it could prevent going cold turkey after finishing all levels.

The Game

You are a catboy or a catgirl (and in some later stages both) and have to clear levels from creeps. The creeps are easy to eliminate, just punch them in their faces.
Like most puzzle games, to solve a level, you have to use a certain part of your body called 'brains'.
There are pretty common puzzle objects like rocks you can push and use to fill up holes . Bushes in the game can't be moved but can be eliminated by walking through them. Blocks above the bush can fall down. When blocks or creeps fall down on you, you will not be killed, but they can block your way out of a level. In some later levels you can switch from catgirl to catboy and solve the puzzle with 2 moving characters.

Controls

In GnuBoy2X the 'a' or 'b' button can be used to take back a move. Home / Start button will give you the option to scroll the game (useful in large levels), restart the level or exit to the menu.

Gameplay

A lot of puzzles start easy and are fun, but when the level difficulty starts to increase the boredom strikes in. Not with Pitman aka CatTrap.
I like this game a lot. The main reason is probably the easy controls and fast gameplay. If you've made a mistake taking back a move is painless and fast. Although levels can be difficult sometimes it never gets annoying because of the fast restarts or take backs.

If you like games like Sokoban, this will certainly appeal to you. If not, well.. give it a try anyway.

Plays without overclocking on GnuBoy2X

Link: lemon64.com

2008-03-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

This site is dedicated to the best-selling single personal computer model of all time: the Commodore 64.
It is a huge, very attractive site with lots of reviews, comments of members and a great forum.

Should definitely be bookmarked.

Game Video: Warioware Inc - Gameboy Advance

2008-03-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Warioware Inc is one of those games that combines elements of various games into something completely new.
It contains wacky very short reaction minigames. You are jumping, dodging, shooting, catching, stopping etc. After completing the minigames for a certain level, without losing all 4 lives, you are confronted with a slightly harder minigame, the boss. Beating the boss can unlock other levels.
A very addictive, original and fun game. Review here

Works flawless overclocked to 240 Mhz on GpSP.

Opinion: Buy a GP2X and don't wait for Pandora

2008-03-16T04:08:00.001-07:00

One of questions I see a lot on the GP2X forums, is 'should I buy a GP2X or wait for Pandora'.
I still believe it is a good idea to buy a GP2X until the release date of the Pandora is final. Right now we only know the first 100 units will be probably sent to developers in May. They have to test the units, that will take a couple of weeks or even months. After the test period there will probably be bugs in the design and fixing that will take some more time as well.
Also after the Pandora is released, the sofware library will not be as huge as the GP2X. The only reason I can think of to wait for Pandora is when you want it primarely for PSX emulation. There is a PSX emulator for the gp2x, but it is too slow to be really usable. See examples here

When you buy a GP2X, you will know what you get:

- Lots of great emulators and homebrew that will give you the ability to play an amazing amount of games
- Still actively developed for
- Light weighted
- Easy vertical playing of Mame games
- A lot of quality homebrew, fa Sqdef, Ruckman
- Most of the problems from older versions of the GP2X has been solved fa the current d-cap on the F200 is very good.

Even if every developer would stop developing for the GP2X you would still have 1000's emulated games and homebrew to play. Enough games to keep you busy for the rest of your life.
When you read the GP2X forum, most of the discussions are about the Pandora or the newest emulator/homebrew. There is almost no discussion about the games that already play flawless and are available.

That is what I aim to achieve with this blog, show what the GP2X is capable of today.

[Edit] 07 July 2008: Production of the GP2X has been stopped. That doesn't make this blog entry less valid. You can still buy the GP2X cheap second hand.
My guess is that it will still take some time (months) to produce the Pandora.

[Edit] March 21st 2009:
Nope still no launch of Pandora :( Whatever the reason of these delays, a lot of them were predicted (I was one of them) so the Pandora team should be more careful in predicting launchdates. I add another prediction here... I don't expect its release before July 2009

[Edit] June 7th 2009
Launch of Pandora is confirmed being July 2009.

[Edit] June 27th. I will not update this opinion anymore, because of the launch of the Wiz and Dingoo. A second hand GP2X will probably cost as much as a new Dingoo. If you don't want to wait for the Pandora or you think it is too expensive, buy a Wiz or a Dingoo. They are both great for retrogaming.
Pandora will not be launched in July (hopefully August)

Game Video: Yar's Revenge - Atari 2600

2008-03-15T03:41:00.000-07:00

For today I have chosen an old classic for the Atari 2600, Yar's Revenge. The best original selling title of the 2600, released in 1981.
It is a game that hasn't aged that much. I even think the graphics are still pretty nice, its got some nice explosions and a colorful safe zone. Gameplay is fun and fast, and as most games for the 2600 every level gets increasingly harder.
This game has not had a real sequel and the gameboy color version sucks imo. That makes it still a good and original game that every retrogamer should have played.

Review here

The video is a great tutorial how to play the game. Plays without overclocking on GP2X-2600

Link: tomheroes.com

2008-03-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

This site has a huge amount of retrogaming information and has some great sections. For example: 100 mame game reviews here
Magazines with lots of interesting articles here and lots lots more.

The site could use a graphical artist, but it is definitely recommended especially if you're into the older consoles. There is even an Odyssey II section.

Game Video: Vectorman - Genesis

2008-03-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Vectorman is a platform-game for the Genesis / Megadrive.
It is one of the most attractive games you can play on the GP2X, but it is not only graphics. This platform-game has it all. Animation is fast and fluent, it got has got some very original ideas and crazy power-ups.

Review here
Works without overclocking on Picodrive.

Link: NES best games ever list

2008-03-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

If you like gaming lists and reviews (like I do), this one is a pleasure to read. Entertaining reviews of the games in the list and all accompanied by a clear screenshot of the game.

I'm not going to tell you what the best games are according to this site, you need check it out yourself, but I didn't see big surprises there.

Game Video: Stunt Car Racer - Amiga / ST

2008-03-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite racing games is Stunt Car Racer. Graphics are a bit outdated, but that was not its best feature anyway. The realistic physics and the original tracks are what makes this game shine.
Don't judge this game only based on the youtube video, this is a game you need to experience and hopefully enjoy as much as I do.

Not much difference between the Atari-ST and Amiga version The Amiga version has got slightly better sound, but the Atari-ST version appears to have a better framerate.
The C64 version is pretty good as well, some people even prefer that version (don't ask me why).

Plays without overclocking on OutcaST and UAE4All.

Link: Racketboy.com

2008-03-08T16:31:00.000-08:00

http://www.racketboy.com/

A very good retrogaming site. Reviews of many games for lots of consoles that are playable on the GP2X. Best part of the site is the 'defining games' section.

Also an active forum is present.

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/index.php

Game Video: Progear : CPS-2

2008-03-08T01:20:00.001-08:00

There are some great "manic" shooters for the CPS-2 and Progear is one of the best. The graphics, sounds and gameplay are all awesome.

A very good extensive review of the game can you find here
Works without overclocking on CPS2EMU

Opinion: Why is retrogaming the way to go?

2008-03-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

If you like gaming there is no better way than retrogaming and of course best enjoyed on the handheld king of emulation the GP2X.

Why is that?

Well, if you read reviews for new games they seem to be not always impartial. There is a lot of money involved in the gaming industry so I am sure some of the good reviews are being sponsored by the companies making the games. So you think you buy the best game ever, but it could well be a major disappointment. Also there is not always a lot of choice for new consoles. Best games for any console are mostly made near the end of its commercial success. Do you want to wait that long, for a couple of good games?
If an older game is still played today and people are still liking it, that's a sure sign of having a good game. History judged the games, and the games surviving are the best to play. The only thing probably will be less are the graphics. New technologies will continue to improve graphics. A 3d racing game on the PS3 will look a lot better than the first 3d racer on the Spectrum.

That said a game with great graphics but poor gameplay will not last long. That doesn't mean new games have less gameplay, but certainly different. Stuntcar Racer will not look very good compared to the new Gran Turismo 5 but I don't think GT5 makes Stuntcar Racer a bad game. It is still a great game with its own physics and tracks that makes the game unique and loved by many gamers.

Oh, btw... did I already mentioned retrogaming is cheap.

Game Video: Tetris Attack - SNES

2008-03-06T08:07:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't like Tetris Attack? I don't think there are people that ever played the game without liking it. It's like popcorn, a taste for everybody.
You can puzzle, play it laid back from level 1, you can select the vs mode and play against SNES, play through rounds or you can have a challenging game selecting any starting level on the endless mode.
So a lot of options to keep you busy for months, or even years.
Only one point of critizism, and there are more Nintendo games with this 'problem'. The ever present cuteness factor makes me want to puke sometimes.

Nevertheless if you can overcome that small issue, you will have a great time playing it.
Plays without overclocking on PocketSNES

Video shows the Battle mode

Link: History of video games

2008-03-04T11:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.thegamesarena.co.uk/History%20Of%20Video%20Games.html

A chronological overview of computers and consoles from 1972 until 1999.
The site doesn't look too great, but it has some interesting content. Most computers and consoles are emulated on the GP2X, but we are still missing some nice ones.

Hopefully Pandora will fix that :)

Game video: Jumping Jack'son - Amiga

2008-03-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

Jumping Jack'son is a puzzle-action game that was released for Atari-ST and Amiga. You are Jumping Jack'son and you need to collect records and play them on a record player. Collecting all needed records and playing them will finish the level. If you've ever played Q*Bert you will recognize an element of that game, tiles will change colour when you jump on them. You need to change tiles into 1 colour to receive a record.
Very funny game, good graphics and the music is one its best features.

The add to promote the game (1990) is hilarious: Brave Jumping Jack'son needs to save us from evil classical music, see here

I normally prefer the ST version, uae4all doesn't have savestates so it is a bit more work to start a game on it.
In this case I haven't got another option, because Jumping Jack'son doesn't work on OutcaST.
It works pretty good on uae4all, but it runs a bit smoother with some overclocking.

Link: Retrogaming radio

2008-03-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

If you like to listen to stories about retrogaming you could check out http://www.retrogamingradio.com/.
Almost every month new shows and there are some archived shows you can listen to. Shows are pretty long (the latest is 141 minutes).
The host Shane R. Monroe tells a lot of stories about games and his personal life. Sometimes the personal stuff can be a bit long and boring, but fortunately I have a great mp3 player so I can easily skip this when I want. Best part of the show are interviews with a variety of people from different areas.

He also made a forum available http://www.monroeworld.com/forum with nice discussions about retrogaming, there is even a GP2X section.

Game video: Viewpoint - Neo-Geo

2008-03-01T07:40:00.000-08:00

Great game that I recently discovered. An original clever made shooter with a different point of view. Music, graphics, atmosphere and gameplay are top notch! I've played it on FBA2X without overclocking.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viewpoint_(video_game)

First blog entry

2008-03-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

What can you expect here:

- my view on retrogaming in general
- maybe some topics on game developing
- Emulated games reviews, only games that run perfect on GP2X and / or Pandora
- Videos of games, links to youtube videos
- Homebrew for GP2X and Pandora, yep not on topic, but it is my blog so who is going to stop me :)
- Links to the best retrogaming sites and forums