I accidentally mislabeled Super Mario 64 as SMB2 at the end of the video, this channel is really going downhill. But to be fair, SMB2 is the superior game
I did this with the datafrog SF2000 for my neighbor's 9 year old girl who comes over all the time. Curated and set up everything for her. She looooooves it. Made sure to start inexpensive to make sure she enjoys it enough before I upgrade her to something nicer later. She's been loving it for months now. Her family is very poor, so I take care of a lot of things for her like maintaining her bicycle and such.
How do you curate the SF2000? I thought if you removed ROMs from the folders, they would still show up in the games list and cause an issue if they were selected.
The best roommate i ever had- I sent him a Miyoo Mini loaded with all the games we played together (we both collected retro, and had a split-display in the living room) 2 decades later, we're both married, on opposite ends of the country, and i found a flashlight in my stuff labeled "PVT Roomate" from his days in boot. I mailed him a box with his boot camp flashlight, and a miyoo mini loaded up. he called me when he got it and was super touched; i swear the psyops guy was tearing up on the phone(as a civilian, i always teased him if i should call him Dr captain, or CPT doctor.)
Seeing this thumbnail with this title made me so happy, as I have a 353PS sitting around with ArkOS not booting and was meaning to flash it with something else anyway. Thank you so much for the vid!
I was halfway through the video and I am already making a game list to do this for my wife who used to love playing PlayStation games when she was a kid. Thanks for making this!
This channel sets the bar ridiculously high but that said, this may well be the best video you've ever put together Russ. Brilliant stuff, it's not 'sexy', it's not click-bait, it's just genuinely useful information that anyone can use to help their friends and family enjoy this hobby.
My favorite video by Russ of all time! Well done! This is what is all about. Using our tech savvy gifts to make someone's day, or childhood. This has been my mission as well with these retro handhelds. The SF2000 got this treatment complete with Tadpole changes to every aspect of the user interface, before gifting a dozen copies last Christmas. Now it's the R36S in the dozens, and soon, a half dozen RG35XX H devices. I scarcely game myself, but the thought of knowing you've given a child something they'll treasure for a lifetime is really rewarding. Some things I do different include the use of two 64GB cards, separated by ESRB ratings, with only E-rated games on the OS card, and Teen games on the optional card. The parent can then decide if or when their child is ready to utilize the second card. ArkOS currently requires switching between cards using the Options menu, something a teen can handle on a regular basis or simply copy all the games to a larger card when the time comes. I also convert the videos to H.265 and trim down to 15 seconds each using a recursive FFMPEG script, saving 11 GB of storage in the process (just 3 GB now for 1600 videos).
Brilliant, very generous of you to present a project like this to the community! I had just last night brought my odin 2 pro to my nephew's house with a tv cord and some pre-linked bluetooth controllers to play some smash bros melee and mario party, and by the end of the night I was explaining to him about kiosk mode so I could help him get into the swing of things, so yes this kind of video serves a genuine need and you're a good dude for getting out in front of it. Cheers!
I've been in this hobby for a long time now and I give these devices to people for Xmas and birthday's. Every time I do I have to spend an hour showing them how to navigate everything. This is a great idea. As for what device, younger kids I go under $60. Adults I go under $100.
love the idea. I think the only thing I'd add (unless you mentioned it when I was turned away from the video) is setting it up for retro achievements. I thought of that when you mentioned your brother. I think we're roughly the same age - give or take 5 years based on the games you mentioned playing as a kid - and one thing I miss is playing in the living room with my younger brothers. I think the achievements might bring back some of that fun and sibling competitiveness.
So , I can't honestly say that this was your most helpful video yet because all of your videos are extremely helpful, but this was incredible! Thank you so much for your time and effort here Ross, and your meticulous attention to every detail.
I bought an R35xx+ recently and my husband loves it so I'm thinking of giving to him. I abandoned my RG353P last year, I think because I was expecting it to be something it wasn't. And now this video comes along and makes it attractive again. Thank you!
This is a great idea. I gave my wife my RG351P, but she had a hard time figuring out how to use it, so she gave it back. I think if I set it up like this she'll be much happier with it and it won't just be collecting dust. Thanks for the video!
Awesome Video! This one really hit some special memories for me. I grew up in the 80's in the South Bronx in NYC it was a rough time and a dangerous time to be a kid. for safety we weren't really allowed to go out side to play. as a result we played alot of video games. My mom played Video games with us and she has pretty much always been a gamer. I've seen her finish Contra with out the cheat code LOL. She's in her mid 70's now and is still a gamer. She has a Raspberry Pi running RetroPie on her living room tv that she games on. Recently my father has been diagnosed with Cancer and has started Chemo. My mother of course goes with him to every single chemo and doctors appointment. Knowing she sits there for hours waiting with my dad(who is not a gamer LOL) so I showed he my collection and asked if she wanted one to keep her busy during the appointments. She picked out a Powkiddy X55 based the screen and ergonomics. I set it up for her. It has all of her favorites from Atari 2600, NES, SNES, some Genesis, and some Arcade games like Pac Man, Mr's Pac Man, Donkey Kong, and Dig Dug. Her absolute must have titales are Contra Super, Mario Bros 3,Arknoid, and Bubble Bobble. Again man this video was special thanksman
Daughter asked for a Gameboy or 3DS for her birthday to play Zelda etc so I just ordered the Anbernic RG35XX H for £45 shipped. Getting a larger, higher quality SD card and will be doing something like this. 👍🏻
I did this with a pair of R35Ses for my friends and their kids for Christmas last year! Great to see a comprehensive guide on it as well as a whole philosophy on making it intuitive and not overwhelming-and even making it more or less bulletproof.
I set up an Miyoo Mini Plus for my daughter to play these games. She's 15 and has loved learning about the games her mom and I played as kids. She's very into the Game Boy Color and GBA Pokemon games, old school Zelda, and Mario. I've curated the device with about 40 total games and she really digs it. This is how I do my flash cartridges, too. My Everdrives don't ever need more than a 4GB SD card because I have no more than 25-30 games on each of them.
Great video. A few years ago I gave my cousin and brother the ambernic 351 woodpanel one. I loaded it with the games we'd play afterschool, like resident evil 2. They liked it but later on told me they couldn't figure out how to get out of games and would have to reset the entire thing, and other annoyances like that, which make me think they probably barely used it. This StarkOS looks way easier to use. And the roundness of the 353 looks much more comfy, I'm very tempted to order one and give it a shot.
If someone made a miyoo mini plus with like 300 absolute all timers and none of the fluff, but you start with like 10, and unlock them Smash Bros style... that would be incredible.
As an Uncle who has literally been on the look out for how to setup, essentially this entire guide, for a soon to be 5 year old nephew, thanks for saving me hours of trying to do it myself Russ.
I haven't seen a lot of your content but this video is the most valuable so far, this is what it's all about, making a plug and play for kids and people you care about.
This is a stellar project! I love fiddling with settings and tinkering with devices, but there are so many people in my life that are not technical but love games. This really is a wonderful setup. Thanks Russ!
So personally, I like to put like a few hundred games on a system at a time, but put the ones I think they'll really like in the favorites section. A giant game list has pros and cons. On one hand it's intimidating. On another hand it's exhilarating and gives you the feeling that you have tons of value at your fingertips. So I find that a favorites section filled with some recommendations to start with is a good middle ground. And if they want to go "shopping" for there next game, they can. Of course, out of hundreds of games I set up, I didn't just grab random games. I went through the trouble of browsing tons of recommendation, hidden gem, and top rated lists for each console.
besides favorites i always like using arkos's other sections which can be very useful. 'last played' for keeping track or finding a recently played game you forgot where, what system it was from, also for those times you forget which screensaver game you played. 'never played' try a game you never played on the handheld yet (w/ random game search recommended). 'all games' to randomly search through every library combined into one list
Excellent proposition. Big props on sharing the custom image to jump start the process and the writen guide with links to easily follow and get things going without endless research. Well done
"maybe you have cousin or sibling that struggles to change tv input" - how nice this sublimes decades of helping aunts and neighbours to set up that printer or find lost icon :D:D
I think I know what I'm getting my dad for Father's Day now! My dad played arcade games, Atari, NES, and PS1 back in the day so I'm sure he would love this. Thank you Russ for being awesome!
I have a Miyoo Mini + I'm setting up for my sister and her spouse. Going to have mostly Pokémon and Mario set up for her as that's what she loved growing up, but a second SD card that has a larger list of all the games we grew up on if they want to dive in more. This video gave me some food for thought on setting things up for them!
I have an amazing special needs friend who accidentally ruins these little consoles I give him. This video may come in very handy. I personally took Tech Dweeb up on his recommendation of the Litxt Onion OS premade SD card for Miyoo Mini Plus. It was so awesome to have something so lovingly prepared ready to go right out of the box!
Russ! I've had 2 R36s for my two kids since Christmas, and I've been meaning to set it up better for them to use for 4 months! This video is EXACTLY what I needed! They're going to love them so much! Thanks man!!
I don't think arkOS supports R36S. R35S yes. R36S no. I think Russ misspoke in this video. I hope I'm wrong because I kinda want to do this to my R36S.
It supports it! 👌 Arkos is what's currently running on the two R36s that I have. Just a sort of weird fork of it that has God of War logos whenever you select games 😂 I still have the stock SD cards with like, 15thousand games. A nightmare for my 6 and 4 year old. Haha
Thanks for this, Russ! I'm loading up a RG351V for my brother to give him for his 40th birthday. I'm loading it with a bunch of "Greatest Hits" and all the old NES games we played as kids.
Even though I am nomally an 'advanced' user of Retro Handhelds. I like to keep my game collections short. I would usually only be playing one of at most 5 or 10 games in rotation. So I really like the idea of an UI that just shows you your games in the same list from the beginning. Looking how you managed to make it work, the result really can't be argued with. I will actually try to mod my ArkOS to do this. Nintendo and then the Steam Deck were probably on to something there.
I kinda wish I could do something like this for my 84year old father. He used to play through all the Metroid games, Space Megaforce, and Galaga. One year we even got him a PC with all the emulators configured in advance (way before Steam and emudeck.) Unfortunately, he's at a stage where he barely has the focus to know how to turn a device like this on.
What a cool video, thanks! I started with some retro handhelds just few months ago, and immediately after felt the desire to set one up for my 5yo son. But time is limited, I wasn't able to do it really fast, soooooo.... Well he had the time to learn enough by himself to use both my rg35xxP and (even better) his datafrog sf2000 satisfactorily. I even think this helped him learn to read (does not go to school yet, but basically reads already). But the idea of making a special handheld with his favourites (yes, he already has a clear idea what he likes to play...) is still in my mind, it feels so good to share these old games with him.
Just when I thought u couldn't impress me more...u do this...I just this this setup love it..I just see what I wanna play simple..ready and play no over load of games...thx russ..from all the adult children😊
I bought the 351v for the form factor and absolutely love it. I've had my eye on the P and SP since it came out... I might have to buy myself an early birthday present. The additional functionality is really impressive. I wish there was a quick shutdown on the 351v.
The name that kept for the OS (StarkOS), is perfect. It's reminds me of the Marvel Studios movie "Spider-man: Homecoming" where Tony Stark made the Stark Suit for Peter. The UI of that suit (that was made by him(T.S.)) was advanced. So, he(T.S.) trimmed it and make it simple for Peter so that he(P) can practice with that and when he(P) becomes an expert, he(T.S.) will unlock the advanced mode for him(P). Love from Bangladesh ❤️🇧🇩
Terrific video! I have an extra RG351V that I will turn into a GBC for my mother. It’ll only have Tetris DX and a few others. I’ve tried to make her one before, and she was overwhelmed with the options and library. This is perfect.
Honestly, I inherited my parents’ NES and SNES consoles from when they were younger and love them to death. I cleaned up the consoles and currently have them stored safely until I figure out how I want to set them up. The snes purple rg353ps might be a great fit to catalog and keep all their old games from the cartridges and I might take the time to prep a couple of these devices for them maybe around their anniversary. Thanks so much for the guide Russ!!
got inspired by this video when it went up to give a handheld to my niece this coming weekend for her 6th birthday, i kept running into issues with the pre-made image and my 353PS i bought for this. had to use the stock ArkOS image and find a "less aggressive" default overclock in order to get the device to even boot ArkOS. i also had to redo some of the keybinds by default, the shoulders and triggers the normal order of keybinds was buttons 4,5,6,7... but i needed to change the order to 4,7,6,5 or something like that. easy to fix but took a while to notice. but i finally got past all the issues and i have a handheld with games for young kids favorited, with many other amazing gems hidden away for when she can read.
Thank you so much for these videos. I have an older handheld I'm going to give to a cousin who I grew up with, who knows nothing but deer hunting and construction, to play when he's got free time.
Dude, thanks for this. Great guide. I ordered a R36S for my pokemon card game obsessed niece and I'm going to give her a pokemon based handheld so she'll know where it all started. I did the test run on one of my devices. I love the Contra code to unlock the buttons out of kid mode!
- A wild Retro Game Corps appeared! - Retro Game Corps used Guide Video. - It's super effective! Thanks for the video! Now I can breath new life into my console! :D
awesome! adult child mode ACTIVATE would love to set something like this up for my Mom and fill it with puzzle games (puzzle bobble, bust a move, tetris, dr mario, bejewled?) but wanted to use my 405M since it's a bit more rugged/premium... just need to apply this to Android maybe using DIG? i'd love to get her more into Tetris - rosy retrospection seems perfect
I love this. The fact that these devices are so inexpensive, they really do make a perfect gift. I think ideally you should choose devices WITHOUT charger issues. I also agree that disabling WiFi, or alternatively choosing a device without WiFi (with support for a dongle) is viable. That said most devices have WiFi now, so leaving it disabled means it can be "upgraded" later. IMO clamshells offer the best pause/resume experience. Devices with large screens are essential for "adult children". 😊
Haven't watched all the video yet but will definitely do so when I have the time. Recently treated myself to a Logitech G Cloud, I know the specs aren't amazing but I love the form factor and it's a decent screen for media content. At some point I want to put some GameBoy, SNES, Mega Drive and GBA emulators on there.
This is awesome. I have the 353PS sitting in a drawer about to get a new life. Not sure who I'm gonna give it to yet. I think my dad might get a kick out of it. Throw a few games I know he liked on it.
This is the best ui concept I’ve seen, you have once again outdone yourself, this UI would be great for the RG35XX plus or the Miyoo mini plus, it’s perfect for the RG353P/S/V/M, though I do see myself going over 50 games 😅, but I will work on keeping a games list under 30. Thanks again Russ you are the best.
This is such a great video and it's got me thinking about all the people in my life who I'd love to give a device setup like this. My kids, for sure, but also both of my brothers. Curating it with a bunch of the NES/SNES games we grew up playing together would make a really great gift. Ducktales, the original Final Fantasy, Mario Bros., Super Mario RPG, Mario Kart...there are a bunch so I'd have to think about the top 20 or 30 to put on for them. Such a fun project!
I'm using these tips to improve my anbernic 353v for myself. Just enabling quick load made a world of difference to me. And I started using the favourites menu too. It's cool seeing all of the zelda games standing next to each other, ready to play
I recently had a buddy help me move. I gave him a 351M loaded up with games as a thank you. WAY better than pizza. The only thing id change from this guide is upping the sd card to a 32 or even 64 for an extra $5 bucks. I absolutely agree on using Anbernic devices for the build quality.
Thanks for the video, I am thinking of doing this with the RG351MP, which I'm not really using anymore and giving my Dad a way to play some of the games we would play when I was a kid, such as Super Mario Bros. on NES.
I did something like this to a friend who, while he's pretty tech-savvy, I know he wouldn't tinker with it too much. So I installed the 1.3.3 CFW, curated a romset, and then, after scraping all those games, I used one of the dark themes (and changed a lot of the images it used, since I wanted something a bit more personal, even added an EasyRPG one) and then just hide or deleted everything he wouldn't use. It was a nice machine, to be honest, I still have a backup of that SD since it was more work I put into my own console haha
"You might already have one of these devices sitting in a drawer somewhere" I hate how absolutely accurate this is, lol. I have so many perfectly good devices just sitting around not being used that I definitely need to figure out what to do with.
Just put em up on a shelf like every other hoarder who is trying to fill the hole in their life with 15 handhelds. Putting things on a shelf magically turns you from hoarder with impulse control issues into a *collector*
I'm actually right now in the process of setting up a Miyoo Mini Plus to give my partner's kid who's a Pokemon nut - just gonna load it up with all the classic Pokemon he can handle and let him go to town. Really lovely video. Nice work. ❤
Thanks a bunch; was setting up a Miyoo recently with a way too big card and complete ROM sets for my nephew; seems like he was overwhelmed with choice and tossed it aside, maybe time to sit down together with some lemonade and go over with him what games to keep; must have for him would be anything CoD, trying to get him onto games better suited for a twelve year old
I have been wanting a simple pick up and play device lately and I couldn't be happier with the RG353P and this guide. I got burned out on the fancier devices that take forever to setup and rarely feel perfect. The immersion factor is definitely there and I don't have any of that "cell phone with a controller" vibe I got so sick of.
Love this, have often thought about setting up a device for my nephew but the thought of him ending up in the back end menus and breaking it always put me off.
Great video and great idea! Haven't finished the video yet, but I can see that the Anbernic RG353P/S is being used. So sad mine stopped working after I installed JELOS on it.
Hello both, after installing JELOS, the battery started discharging relatively noticeably fast, even when the device was turned off. I turned it on and off routinely to check on the battery and eventually forgot about it. After some time, I decided to check on it and after trying to charge it for a bit, the battery wouldn't charge, so I stupidly tried using my phone charger which I think burned the Rockbox chip inside (I opened it and investigated the PCB with a multimeter). The battery itself charges and works on another Anbernic device. I haven't tried flashing another firmware onto the SD card, I might try that. Thank you for the advice and sorry for the wall of text!
@@miro_trendafilov JelOS screwed up their entire OS with an update back in november 2023 trying to address battery drain issues. The result is that the battery reading is completely fu**ed up on JelOS and even with a hardware reset (disconnecting and reconnecting the battery) the issue persists. Unless you find a JelOS image from before that update, that OS is utter garbage (but ooupsie they removed ANY release before the last one from github). Yesterday I finally boot up again ArkOS and everything is fine. It is just JelOS that is now not usable on RK3566 devices. Their successors ROCKNIX are still in beta for devices with our chip so that is not usable either. The only option now is ArkOS.
No 35XX H support 😢 Finally have Jelos working perfectly on a RGB30 and don’t want to touch anything again for fear of broken things, again. I know I can use a separate SD card.
Once a foldable pops up whether from Miyoo, Anbernic, or the off chance Powkiddy updates the V90, definitely gonna prep one of those to gift my younger brother with GBA games we grew up with, as we were SP kids but our SPs are pretty banged up and our carts are also pretty banged up.
