For Just One July, Retro Handhelds is spending some quality time with games that only had one entry; no spin-offs, remakes, remasters, prequels, or sequels. All of the games that that were nominated (including all three winners) followed these rules, allowing for a month full of deep cuts and single-entry experiences.
GotX is the Retro Handheld Discord‘s version of a book club, and this month we’re playing some one-hit wonders. So come on in, sit down, and let’s play some games!
What is GotX?
GotX is short for “Games of the X“, which can be split into three categories: Game of the Month (GotM), Game of the Quarter (GotQ), and Game of the Week (GotW). Games of the Month are chosen according to a theme selected by community users who have previously beaten a GotM game for the prior month, aka “GotM Champions”.
Three games in total are selected, each falling within a range of release dates, nominated and voted upon by the GotM Champions. Winners each receive their own thread in the GotM channels in the Retro Handhelds Discord, where discussions, arguments, and ultimately fun are had by all.
Game of the Quarter and Game of the Week are selected independently in styles that are slightly different from Game of the Month, and they also don’t follow the same theme as the Games of the Month. Games in these two categories have either a runtime of under two hours (GotW) or a minimum runtime of 25 hours (GotQ), according to HowLongToBeat.
Completing a game (by posting a screenshot with ending credits, a date, and your Discord username) gets you an imaginary internet point that can be redeemed towards very real merch on the RH Store.
Game of the Month (Pre-1996) – Rapid Reload
- Console: PlayStation 1
- Genre: Run and Gun
- Time to Beat: 2 Hours
Rapid Reload is a run and gun where players control one of two treasure hunters, Axel or Ruka, in a race against a terrorist organization known as the Pumpkin Heads to find a legendary artifact known as the Valkiry. The game unfolds across six levels, where Axel and Ruka battle through swaths of Pumpkin Head soldiers to stop their plan for world domination.
Each character has their own set of four main weapons, a grappling hook that can be used to attach to the ceiling or walls, and the ability to throw enemies at close range. “Points” are also gained from defeating enemies; the more points you collect, the more powerful your weapon shots. Each level consists of one or two sub-bosses, ultimately culminating in a big boss battle.
Game of the Month (1996-2001) – Blast Corps
- Console: Nintendo 64
- Genre: Action, Puzzle
- Time to Beat: 8 Hours
Blast Corps is an action-puzzle by developer Rare, makes of other iconic N64 games like Banjo-Kazooie and Goldeneye 007. The player must clear a path for a runaway truck carrying defective, leaking nuclear missiles. The truck follows a specific path toward a controlled detonation site, and if it collides with any obstacle on that path, the missiles will explode, causing a nuclear winter.
The player will control various vehicles – like bulldozers, dump trucks, and mechs – to destroy buildings, move obstacles, and bridge gaps or spaces along the truck’s path. Consisting of over 50 levels, players must solve real-time puzzles by switching vehicles to move objects, rescue citizens, and find hidden scientists to assist with ensuring the truck reaches its destination.
Game of the Month (2002 and Later) – Jeanne d’Arc
- Console: PlayStation Portable
- Genre: Strategy RPG
- Time to Beat: 31 Hours
Jeanne d’Arc is a Strategy RPG that offers a fantasy twist to the historical story of Joan of Arc, combining elements like demons and magical armlets with Joan’s journey to lead France against English forces. Players will fight on a grid-based battlefield with an isometric view, using their party of characters, armlets, and skills to engage and defeat enemies. Much like Rogue Galaxy (also by developer Level 5), it also has a hauntingly beautiful title song.
The magical armlet system is fun and engaging, as having your characters transform into armor-clad super versions of themselves is very entertaining. Jeanne d’Arc doesn’t do anything revolutionary in the SRPG space, what with positional-based attack patterns, counterattacks, equipped weapons, skills, etc. However, minor tweaks here and there help give the game its own flavor and flair, especially in the skill stones and the fusion system that involves feeding these stones to a frog (yes, a frog).
Game of the Quarter – Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
If you’re looking for a meatier game to sink your teeth into, then the Game of the Quarter has you covered. GotQ consists of games that meet a minimum criterion of at least 25 hours to beat according to HLTB. Each quarter, four games are pulled at random from an extensive list of games that meet the minimum criterion, and then community users vote on which game they’d like to play for the next three months.
Completing a GotQ will still net you a single point, but there is also an opportunity to earn two additional points if you manage to 100% the game by completing all of the achievements through RetroAchievements and posting this as an additional screenshot.
- Console: Nintendo DS
- Genre: Role-Playing
- Time to Beat: 26 Hours
It’s time for a new Game of the Quarter! For quarter three of 2026, we’re playing Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (don’t worry, you only have to beat one). Pokémon Diamond and Pearl have you play as a new trainer traveling through the Sinnoh region, capturing and training Pokémon, while also thwarting the plans of the evil Team Galactic.
Along with new Pokémon to capture, Diamond and Pearl were the first Pokémon entries to introduce the physical/special split for Pokémon moves, a mechanic that would become a staple for generations to come. These were also the first Pokémon games on the Nintendo DS, followed shortly by the (vastly improved) Pokémon Platinum. These games also expanded on Pokémon abilities with passive effects, Pokémon Natures for further stat and growth customization, and were the first games to introduce Wi-Fi connectivity for global battling and trading!
Game of the Week, aka RetroBits
If short games and easy points are more your speed, then each Saturday at 5 PM PST, a new GotW is announced. Each game comes with a completion time of 2 hours or less, according to HowLongToBeat, and must be completed before the new GotW is announced the following Saturday.
Completion of the GotM and GotQ will earn you one point (three if you 100% the latter), but GotW will only net you half a point. Unlike the aforementioned GotM and GotQ, the GotW is chosen entirely at random by the GotX overlord Rapid99, selected from a large database of sub-two-hour games.
Above is an example of the four most recent GotW games that we’ve played in the Retro Handhelds Discord. S.O.S. is the most recent, and we’re still playing it from June 27, 2026, to July 4, 2026.
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