About Retro Handhelds
About Retro Handhelds
Retro Handhelds was founded in 2020 by a group of friends who share a common love for portable gaming. We started this website as a hobby project to document our own adventures with retro handhelds, but soon realized that there was a huge demand for quality information and content on this topic. Since then, we have grown into a team of video content creators, writers, developers, and moderators who work hard to provide you with the best retro handhelds content on the web.
Our mission is to help you discover, enjoy, and celebrate the amazing world of handheld retro gaming. Whether you’re a veteran gamer who grew up with the Game Boy or Sega Game Gear, or a newcomer who wants to explore the classics of yesteryear, Retro Handhelds is here to offer you camaraderie, support, and inspiration.
We hope you enjoy our website and find it useful. If you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions, please feel free to contact us. We’d love to hear from you!
What is a Retro Handheld Anyway?
There’s been over three decades of portable gaming history at this point, so naturally handhelds like Nintendo’s Game Boy or Sega’s Game Gear are considered “Retro”. However, in the past few years, we’ve seen the release of numerous new devices designed solely for emulating classic handheld and console games. These devices often bring along modern niceties such as backlit LED screens and WiFi connectivity, while still celebrating the classics of yesteryear.
Our community celebrates all of these handhelds. Whether it’s a buzz-worthy device like the AYN Mini 2, a custom built Raspberry Pi handheld, or someone’s modded Game Boy, everyone’s got a seat at the table. If it can play retro video games on the go, odds are there’s someone in the Retro Handhelds community who’s eager to talk about it.
Meet the core Retro Handhelds Media Team
Stubbs
Stubbs is the founder and proprietor of Retro Handhelds, a community and brand born during the isolated lull of 2020 to connect people to a simpler time. Around here you may find him making videos, helping with community projects, or co-hosting the Retro Handhelds Podcast. Outside of RH, Stubbs can be found doing Dad things, playing video games, meticulously organizing his rom collection, reading a good book, or writing songs.
Favorite Game: Twisted Metal 2
Zu
Zu is an enthusiastic middle aged man with no formal reviewer training and a love of retro handhelds. Unfortunately, we have very little control over his actions. Also, it should be noted that Zu has a fondness of pickles and is the reluctant caretaker of Gary, his producer. – RH Legal Counsel.
Favorite Game: Final Fantasy 6
Andrew
Andrew is our non-so-mysterious writer and website manager, who also finds you the latest deals, and can be found on the RH Podcast! He likes to cover X86 and top end Android, but you’ll also see him testing handhelds from the minis to the macros! You could say he’s kind of a big dill.
Favorite Game: Call of Duty
Ban
Despite what you may think, Ban does not kick people off the server or out of live stream chat, but he does help to make the funny little posts you see on the RH Social Media! Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter (No not X. Twitter) are all his domain to spew information, sales and goofy controller imagery. He also writes articles, reviews, helps with YouTube timestamps, guests on the RH Podcast, runs the Handheld of the Month channel in the RH discord. Additionally he collects handhelds, sets up handhelds, looks at handhelds and does a lot of music!
Favorite Game: BurnOut 3 Takedown
Rapid
Rapid99 runs our Games of the Month (GotX) club and is a proven bad ass in all regards. He is confirmed to be very good at video games, and you may find him streaming Game of the Week content on our Twitch. Not only that, but he has a YouTube channel called ‘Cyberphile’ that has a bit of everything. From an excellent Retroid Pocket 2 getting started guide, to a love letter to Jet Set Radio, you never know what you’ll get when you tune in, beyond high quality gaming videos! Be sure to check out Rapid’s KoFi as well to support his hard work for RH’s GotX!
Favorite Game: Phantasy Star Online
Jim
Jim is a dad from Massachusetts by way of the Northeast Kingdom (IYKYK). He makes music as Our Ghosts, and with his band, Tiger Fire Company No. 1. He also takes terrible photos, writes decent science fiction and plays almost exclusively skateboarding games. He cannot, however, grow a beard.
Favorite Game: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
Joe
Joe is our resident Legend of Zelda lore expert and long time enthusiast of vintage technology going back to bricking his first PSP 1000 to repairing old audio equipment and completely building his New 3DS XL. He has been apart the handheld emulation scene since 2018 and a member of Retro Handhelds since it’s founding. He is currently a website writer and our Facebook admin. Do NOT ask him his opinion on proper screen saturation, lest ye be damned.
Favorite Game: The Legend of Zelda
Nick
RH resident “e-waste” enthusiast and writer of silly esoterica. Since first discovering emulation in the late 90s, Nick has been a big fan of making consumer electronics do things they weren’t necessarily intended to do – mostly run Chrono Trigger.
Fav Game: Chrono Trigger
Kalkeg
KalKeg is a girl dad, a dog lover, and an enjoyer of all things gaming. When not writing articles or reviews, he can be found at the nearest local bar or brewery, and sometimes at the tabletop with neighbors and friends. He enjoys taking trips with his family, slamming back a cold one, and all things Game of the X in the Retro Handhelds Discord.
Fav Game: N64 rules