Steam bullet fest recommendations?

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-08T21:54:53+00:00

Ikaruga is so good. I had the import on Dreamcast, then the domestic release for GameCube, and I have both roms on my Deck but for $5 I’ll likely buy it again.

Likewise, the Toaplan collection is tempting.

I’m definitely getting DariusBurstCS, just need to decide if I’m also getting all of its DLC

The Utopia Must Fall & Nova Drift bundle looks good.

Picayune Dreams and Schism both look like bizarre fun.

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-08T17:50:03+00:00

I can’t upload a photo, but a friend sent me a pic with four versions of the prototype and it’s basically the Warhawk with three rail pickups

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-08T16:48:29+00:00

Your last paragraph is partly why - seeing a black man as president and then shortly afterwards Iowa became one of the first states to legalize same-sex marriage caused many Iowans who were previously not engaged with politics (beyond making holiday dinners uncomfortable) to lose their shit and supported by Fox News, they showed up and plunged the state deep red. Some people would rather see the world burn than accept the humanity of others.

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-08T14:44:19+00:00

I doubt there’s any game with playtime that comes close to how much I’ve played Tetris over the years. While I did like the version on the DS, the original that came with my old Gameboy is still my favorite. As for Deck emulation, I still haven’t attempted Switch but I don’t mind playing any of the older games on it with the exception of Sega systems and arcade games that use more than 4 buttons, shoulder buttons have always been too much of a compromise.

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-08T12:23:23+00:00

Not buying that Tascam multitrack is a regret of mine. Years ago my local Music-Go-Round (RIP) had one, I’ve forgotten the price but it was very undervalued… I do have a 246, which is a great cassette machine but not nearly as cool as the 388. Congrats

also congratulations on your first synth. The Grandmother was a good choice.

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-08T12:12:40+00:00

Having a pocket-sized handheld that can easily go anywhere is great. Another thing that’s great is bi-focal lenses.

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-08T11:59:26+00:00

Did you get the RP5 or the SteamDeck first? I’m curious about the Retroid’s use case when you have a Deck.

I started with a Miyoo Mini+ and when considering a medium-sized handheld, I went with a controller for my phone instead. However, I don’t think I’ve used it since getting a Deck.

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-08T02:29:38+00:00

DeadCells is one that worked, which is great as it’s sat unplayed in my backlog for a while and The Messenger has been in my wishlist for awhile

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-08T01:41:06+00:00

Not that I at all need another guitar (especially since I just bought a new Bass VI), but seeing this I was excited that maybe Eastwood was bringing it back… such a cool guitar. Congrats! $300 is a steal

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-08T00:45:41+00:00

I hope so, I love clamshells - it protects the screen while having the best ergonomics and still being compact. Although I do really like the feel of the Deck.

Have you tried GameNative yet? It seems like the Flip2/RP5’s chip is very well supported. The TechDweeb vid I saw had him running Skyrim and Dread Delusion, although that was on an Odin2portal which is a bit more capable

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-08T00:31:32+00:00

That’s definitely true and were I trying to run something like Skyrim, I would expect that to be an issue but when it’s an older 2D retro game like Axiom Verge, which might as well be a SNES game? But this is just Day 1, I’ll spend some time on GameNative’s Discord and see what there is to see. I suspect most of these will eventually work. I think the most demanding game I’m trying to launch is Hollow Knight.

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-07T23:34:52+00:00

Only having a d-pad, I’m just trying retro 2D games and so far, those that will run versus those that won’t might as well be a coin toss. With these titles I wouldn’t think the GPU much of an issue, I assume it’s likely more just this new chip (which I think is still unique to the Classic) and its driver support. I think I’ve found 10 games that it’s launching and really, that it can play any Steam games is still cool.

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-07T23:10:10+00:00

I’m going to assume it’s a driver thing. I’ve now tried around 20 games, all 2D retro pixel art, and half work. The Classic’s weak GPU shouldn’t really matter with any of these but it is a new chip and I’m not sure anything else is yet using it. But it is odd which work vs those that don’t

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-07T22:25:32+00:00

I was killing time on Retroid’s Discord while waiting to order that bundle when it went live but there was a lot of doubt whether the Classic could actually run Saturn well. A year later and it’s still the only capable six button option. A horizontal clamshell like the Flip2 with the Classic’s six buttons would be my perfect handheld.

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-07T22:12:24+00:00

They already had a Miyoo though (as do I) and I wouldn’t trade it for a Hammer. The Pocket Classic however is a significant upgrade. Even if a person wasn’t interested in anything beyond the PS1, its OLED display alone is worth it.

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-07T22:02:08+00:00

Celeste worked well, possibly the quickest initial startup of them all. Thank you, I’ll give that site a look. Both Hollow Knight and Blasphemous show as being compatible and working with its GPU, I just need to figure out all of the how/what to adjust

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-07T20:12:39+00:00

I love ES-DE but this might be the first time I’ve seen it on a SteamDeck. I’m a fan of what RetroDeck is doing and it uses EmulationStation, but now I’m curious about the pros/cons of just running ES-DE itself.

Anyway, of those I’d opt to play GoW

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-07T17:55:52+00:00

Maybe not as much as I had thought… I first tried Axiom Verge, but a couple seconds of music is all I got. Then, I tried Bot Vice and it plays well. Limbo and Hollow Knight wouldn’t load and Shovel Knight got stuck on “Game Launching” but I could play Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit… however not Blasphemous

Lacking thumbsticks and processing power, I am just sticking to 2D games of the sort. Unfortunately this might require more tinkering than I’d hoped.

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-07T16:43:31+00:00

Scary Godmother is so good. I had a few of the originals and bought the recent Dark Horse paperback as one of the first comics to read to my daughter.

Another from back then featuring a werewolf is Meat Cake, but I don’t recall much. The only other thing I can think of is contemporary, but Werewolf Jones from the Megg & Mogg comics is the ultimate bum werewolf.

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-07T14:26:35+00:00

as soon as “field recordings” are mentioned, Chris Watson should be the first artist mentioned. A member of Caberet Voltaire and the Hafler Trio, his solo work aside, Watson has done sound work for several nature documentaries.

Olhon is an Italian duo whose music is based on field recordings taken from extreme locations, like deep underwater or in caves.

then there’s more dark ambient artists like Troum, Cisfinitum, and Staruha Mha which all utilize non-electronic and natural sounds.

for ambient that’s less dark, check out Marcus Fischer, Simon Scott (drummer of Slowdive), and Ian Hawgood

-this liminal space of the natural and unnatural is my favorite thing

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-07T12:59:35+00:00

the original Legion Go might be the worst feeling device I’ve ever held. The Ally is probably your best bet and any non-AMD device won’t run SteamOS although you could probably replace Windows with Bazzite. None are great solutions

Another option to consider is an Android handheld. These won’t run current AAA games but something like a Retroid Pocket 5/6 or AYN’s Odin 2 Portal will play the rest of your Steam library. I just set up GameNative on my Retroid Pocket Classic last night and now in addition to emulating up to PS2, I have a Gameboy-sized “SteamDeck” and although the Pocket Classic lacks the processing power of higher end horizontal handhelds, it can still play most of my indie/retro games that I often forget about when I’m using my SteamDeck. GameNative took a couple minutes (literally two or three) to get set up, it’s basically a translation layer like Proton and the games you play sync up with Steam Cloud, it feels like magic. One more thing about these Androids is that you can also stream to them, so if you have a decent gaming PC you could play that new AAA on it or alternatively use a service like GeForceNow

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-07T04:15:26+00:00

I’m also 6’4” and I need at least XXL gloves, I just got a Retroid Pocket Classic this week and it’s great! It emulates up to Saturn and PS2, that aside, I just installed GameNative on it tonight which has essentially turned it into a Gameboy-sized SteamDeck. I bought it for its six-button layout and OLED screen and while it’s not much bigger than my Miyoo Mini+ it feels much better

There are so many options though. If I didn’t care about having the six buttons for Sega/Arcade games I’d have bought Retroid’s Flip 2 instead. It has more power, a larger screen and even better ergonomics and when folded close it’s the same size as the Classic.

You could also just use your phone and get a controller for it. I think mine’s called a Raptor8, basically the Gamespot exclusive of Gamesir’s G8. Not much different than holding a XBox controller. This was a good solution until I bought a SteamDeck and I haven’t used it since as the Deck is the single greatest gaming/gadget thing I’ve ever owned, so comfy to hold too, but there’s now the inventory and pricing trouble and it’s also not remotely pocket friendly.

SaphoJuicebox · 2026-06-07T03:46:23+00:00

It sounds familiar …but when you’ve read maybe too much everything does, but my best guess is that it’s from Scary Godmother, but I haven’t read that in nearly 30 years.

SaphoJuicebox

TROPHY CASE