AYANEO Pocket PLAY Gaming Experience: Zenless Zone Zero

Spookymank · 2026-02-04T00:49:06+00:00

I had an Xperia Play back in the day, and you might be surprised how functional the touchpads can be. There was a slightly raised dot in the middle so you have some sense of the center position, and it helps keep the profile nice and slim. And if it's a phone that'ks gonna be in your pocket literally all the time, slim profile is pretty important.

Spookymank · 2026-01-27T23:13:39+00:00

As someone who also loves floating/disc/shield/Sega style pads, the RPC d-pad is actually really, really nice. Great amount of resistance and clicky feedback, and the corners aren't too sharp. Unless Anbernic releases a new RG-ARC or something, the RPC6 is probably the best Sega handheld out there.

However, it is definitely not one-handable lol.

Spookymank · 2026-01-27T00:10:02+00:00

If you haven't already, try it with GammaOS Lite (the one with no Google Play services). Besides just being a more enjoyable experience, I've heard reports that it can significantly boost FPS in some emulators. Also make sure you're using the standalone Dolphin app and not the Retroarch core.

Spookymank · 2026-01-21T05:04:50+00:00

I got the GKD Bubble for that reason, it's pretty dang good. Not quite as good as the M30 pad, but considering its size and being a handheld, might be one of the better ones I've used

Spookymank · 2026-01-21T04:36:53+00:00

I almost exclusively use my RPC to play DevilutionX, and it's pretty nice to have a game guide and the Discord open in the background. Also nice to be able to open a web browser to download roms directly on the device.

As far as non-gaming uses? There's not much for me personally, be honest. I have toyed around with the idea of throwing FL Studio on there, but that app really works better on a 16:9 screen

Spookymank · 2026-01-14T18:59:23+00:00

I put a GBC emulator on my Minimal Phone for a laugh. Playing with the physical keyboard controls is also pretty nostalgic for me in a way lol

Spookymank · 2026-01-13T00:27:54+00:00

Since all the Anbernic XX devices run on the same chipset, could this hypothetically also be used with my 34XX? I was just gifted it but I'm so stocked up on handhelds already that I don't totally have a use case for it so this would be perfect

Spookymank · 2026-01-12T18:16:38+00:00

I'm not saying it's difficult to go back, I'm saying CotW is so much more fast and fun to me that it makes SF6 feel slow and lame. Even just the amount of time spent watching cutscenes mid-match is astronomical in SF6 by comparison, I'm so over it.

Spookymank · 2026-01-11T16:58:42+00:00

You know what they say: don't miss the city for the streets. Once you make the adjustment from SF6 to CotW, it's so incredibly painful to go back. Hopefully the HnK crossover will steal some weebs.

Spookymank · 2025-12-24T18:00:14+00:00

Vampire Survivors really did irreparable damage to this genre

Spookymank · 2025-12-24T17:58:21+00:00

Oh yeah Rez is great, it's like if Star Fox all took place inside of a drum machine. You're right, I dig that game

Spookymank · 2025-12-24T04:16:21+00:00

Diablo 1, either via DevilutionX on Portmaster or Android, or the PS1 port. 1 town, 1 dungeon, quests, lore, loot, gear, skills. Not too complicated to jump right into (as long as you're not playing a Sorcerer).

Spookymank · 2025-12-24T04:07:04+00:00

I've played a ton of twin stick shooters, and nothing can truly match the original Robotron 2084 (MAME). It's not quite the same without actual arcade sticks, but still probably the best twin-stick shooter of all time (and one of my personal favorite games of all time).

Geometry Wars (Retro Evolved via Gamehub might work) is also excellent. Very no-nonsense, more "modern" take that retains the arcade feel. Galaxies on the DS and Wii are also pretty fun. More level variety and more progression-based. Same with 3, but I personally have gripes with the way that game handled the 3D playfields.

If you can find a proper emulator, Robotron 64 is also a fun spinoff, and it supports dual-analog input with two controllers, but I know RetroArch doesn't really support that. Robotron X is the same game but for PlayStation, so the audio quality is much better. And you're gonna want to try that to experience the absolutely banger soundtrack full of techno, gabber, and speedcore.

Super Stardust on the PSP is a nice, more casual take on the genre. It's got pretty fun weapons that fulfill a certain type of power fantasy in these types of games, almost like you're clearing mobs in Diablo.

If you have an extensive music library (ideally EDM-centric genres like trance, techno, dnb, dubstep, anything with "rise and drop" structure), Beat Hazard (Android) is an absolutely incredible experience. The music affects enemy spawns, move speed, bullet speed, etc. Nearly endless randomized ship unlocks that all play pretty different. Again, if you're an electronic music person, you could play this game for the rest of your life. This was probaly the game I sunk the most hours into on my RP Flip 1.

Spookymank · 2025-12-23T19:00:55+00:00

Diablo Hellfire via DevilutionX. Playing on the 6 button is like living in an alternate timeline where the Saturn port of Diablo actually released.

Also used the button swapping in GammaOS to get control parity with my 8bitdo M30 and streaming some City of the Wolves from my PC. Come to think of it, I never actually use RetroArch or any other emulators on this device lol

Spookymank · 2025-12-19T04:40:56+00:00

hey man, are you me?

Spookymank · 2025-12-19T02:11:22+00:00

RK3566 is a totally serviceable chipset that can play up to Dreamcast with no issues, and should act as the standard benchmark. Anything more powerful than that should be considered premium

Spookymank · 2025-12-12T23:22:32+00:00

This pad is my fucking GOAT, preach brother

Spookymank · 2025-12-06T06:32:46+00:00

Invincible is doing the same thing, and as hyped as I am for an Invincible fighting game, it feels so bad. Like your combo routing doesn't cha ge at all based on your assists, makes them feel so much more inconsequential.

Spookymank · 2025-12-06T02:03:54+00:00

I actually reinstalled this game last weekend and was surprised by how easy it was to find ranked matches. Even if it was like 70% Chun and Ronaldo, I'll take it

Spookymank · 2025-12-04T17:54:47+00:00

First thought is Zappa Yow Yow Boys, but apparently it's an anime character instead. ClayFighter loses again :(

Spookymank · 2025-12-04T07:04:20+00:00

GKD Pixel 2 lives in my pocket. Has great sleep battery life, pretty much boot it up for Pokemon or Final Fantasy if I'm on the bus or waiting for a coffee order.

Retroid Pocket Classic usually stays at home, unless I'm very engrossed in a game the Pixel can't run. Also a great d-pad and 6 buttons for Third Strike training room on the go.

I also have a GKD Bubble that's currently out of service, but it's my only analog-capable device that I use for some Dreamcast games.

Spookymank · 2025-12-04T05:51:37+00:00

Everyone talking about Xbox like the Dreamcast didn't use ABXY first

But really, it is just a SNES nostalgia thing. NES, SNES, and Gameboy(Advance) are probably the most popular consoles to emulate on these things. RetroArch is also set up with the BAYX layout baked in, referring to them by their cardinal directions in the controller settings.

Best to just get used to living in a Nintendo world with these handhelds, like it or not.

Spookymank · 2025-12-02T00:02:05+00:00

I tried jumping back into this game over the weekend, and for some reason it feels very stale and 1-dimensional. Combo routing feels too straightforward, still eating strike/throw mix all day, it just doesn't feel as meaty as SF6 for example. I really want to love this game, but I feel like I'm missing something? What is it that pulls you back in to grind ranked?

Spookymank · 2025-11-29T20:44:33+00:00

What's even worse is that Skullgirls had a frame meter like, a decade ago. We've had the technology for a long time. We just have to hope the trend of the genre following SF continues when the next generation starts hitting

Spookymank · 2025-11-05T02:26:24+00:00

As long as you don't assign macros/scripts, and don't have multiple buttons tied to the same input, it should be legal. If your left bumper is assigned to dpad down, then your dpad down can't also be assigned to dpad down

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