After reviewing the HEX Gaming Phantom controller, which was based on a PS5 controller, I’m now reviewing the Ultra X Controller, which is based on an Xbox Series X/S controller. Again, the controller is compatible with Nintendo Switch (via an 8Bitdo adapter, which I’m using) and a number of other systems. It is a great controller to use for emulation on a phone, as it’s compatible with Android.…
Category: Hardware Review
HEX Gaming Phantom Controller Review
The dominant controller design hasn’t changed much since the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube era. Two analogue sticks, four face buttons, and two pairs of triggers is what makes up the modern videogame controller. Clickable sticks, motion control and touchpads are relatively newer additions. Each console generation since the NES and Master System era has helped to carve the design of the modern video game controller.…
RetroSix GBA SP CleanScreen IPS Kit Review
The Game Boy Advance SP was the first internationally released Nintendo handheld to include a frontlight or backlight. The first version of the SP, the AGS 001 included a frontlight that made playing in the dark possible. However, it wasn’t very bright and was nowhere near as clear as modern (or contemporary) backlit screens. The AGS 101 model of the SP included an actual backlight.…
ExtremeRate Game Boy Color Shells – Review
The Game Boy Color was released all the way back in 1998. The console is slightly more powerful than the Game Boy (original) and the Game Boy Pocket. It also, as the name implies, added color, but there was still no backlight or front light. We’d have to wait another five or six years for the GBA SP to release for gamers to actually see their Nintendo portables in the dark.…
Game Boy Color 2.45 Inch HISPEEDIDO IPS Kit (non-laminated) Review
Playing games on emulators can take various forms. Using original hardware to play retro games via a flash cart is a more authentic way to experience a game than simply booting up an emulator on your PC to play said retro game. The Game Boy has a few hits that are still addictive, and worth playing today.…
Retrosix Cleanjuice USB-C Battery Kit for Game Boy Color Review
I’ve recently decided to check out the different ways to power different models of Game Boy iterations. Being someone who usually upgrades the screen to an IPS version, the normal way of powering these handhelds with AA or AAA batteries usually isn’t convenient for extended play. I’ve found that the Game Boy Pocket is the console that gets its power drained most quickly.…
HISPEEDIDO USB-C Battery Modification for Game Boy Color Review
The early Game Boy Systems used disposable batteries, which can be seen as both convenient and irritating. They are convenient in that you can replace batteries anywhere, rather than need a port to charge the system. They are irritating in that if you haven’t got batteries, you can’t power the system. While disposable batteries have become more efficient, their use has declined, and almost all devices have now migrated to cable charging.…
HISPEEDIDO (GBC) Backlight Screen Kit Q5 (Laminated) Review
Unlike the Game Boy Pocket, the Game Boy Color has a few screen kits available that require no soldering to install. This article reviews one of them, and the HISPEEDIDO Q5 kit is also one of the cheaper ones available. At less than £50 (if you’re lucky), this option will backlight your Game Boy Color with a new, beautiful screen and there are touch options to change brightness and color, even if your soldering skill aren’t up to the job.…
Everdrive GB X7 Review
The Game Boy and Game Boy Color are systems that live on in many of our memories but many people don’t know that new games are unofficially still being developed, and released for these systems. Infinity, Dragonborne, and Kudzu are just some of the ‘homebrew’ titles that are being professionally released, and are whole new worlds for gamers to explore on their 8-bit handhelds.…
RetroSix GBA CleanScreen Kit (Laminated IPS) Review
The humble Game Boy has become known as a great device to mod, especially by adding a backlit screen. If you go for an IPS screen, you could choose a Chinese unbranded one from Aliexpress or eBay, or you could go for a premium branded version, such as the IPS screens offered by Retrosix from the UK.…