There are probably millions of parents all around the world (like me) who would love to share retro games with their kids, but have run into the issues of the complicated UI, overwhelming game list, feature rich devices, etc. This is the most useful video for those parents on the internet.
I've got five kids, around 2 years apart from each other from 9 years old and below. I bought three Retroid 3 units for my oldest boys and installed GBA and DS games for them that I thought they would be able to play, installed Daijisho, and also loaded it with Hollow Knight, Minecraft, Vampire Survivors, tv shows, movies, and audiobooks. Sometimes they need help, but they mostly find what they want to watch or play when they have some game time. I got them for $109 each on Amazon months ago, and they have been great. By the way, when you have more kids - they play with each other for their entertainment so its not just up to you or your wife. Best years of my life, no doubt.
@@TechDweeb I've really enjoyed helping them play some of the games that I had when I was a kid with a GBA or DS. Surprisingly, with some determination, my oldest son beat the Radiance in Hollow Knight a few weeks ago. I've been really surprised how much they are capable of when they really want to do something. When he started, he couldn't beat a single boss in the game, so I beat them for him. After awhile he started winning some for himself, and he actually got that ending before I did since I took a break to play Ghost Trick and Starfield. Pretty interesting.
As a gaming dad of 2 kids and 10+ retro handhelds, this is an incredible video! For someone without kids, you completely understand. It really is just like enjoying the things that came before, movies, books, shows, music; how do you get kids to engage and appreciate classic video games, and expand their tastes? The setup, as well as the incentives, are engaging to the child and amazingly articulated. I greatly appreciate this video, and many of your others as well.
Quit reading my mind, TechDweeb ! I literally just bought both my 8 year-old and my 6 year-old daughter a PowKiddy Q90… hey, they were $23 so I don’t feel bad if they get destroyed. Seriously, thank you so much for this video. You definitely have given me clarity on how to set them up so I can make retro gaming fun and approachable.
This video was a breath of fresh air honestly. My kiddos have 3 35xx and they barely pick them up over their switches or tablets. I'm going to try to implement this to get them gaming with me on the classics. You don't have kids but you understand parenting suspiciously very well! Cheers brother
Genius video bro! Seriously. So happy you are putting out regular content that is bonified valuable. This is a great vid for anyone with a kid, or grandkid (older retro gamer). I always look forward to your content!
Honestly, as a 32 year old who hasn't played many games older than PS1, I would love to have a retro game library curated for me. That would be such a gift. Any parent who watches this and is inspired to do this for their kid, you're doing something awesome
Love how your content is starting to spill in to real world stuff like family. I adore this vedio and the one about getting a gameboy. Idk why but that one really hit home with me. Kinda reminded me of my childhood. Keep up the good vids.
This video was really lovely! Found the channel a while ago, and it's actually sparked an interest in emulation for the first time in my life, letting me visit some Sega CD games I owned but couldn't play on my original hardware. I really love how you make this part of the gaming hobby feel welcoming to everyone.
I’ve never knew there was a kid mode for emulation station. That’s really good. I think these steps could be better not just for my kids, but even adults. Our kids will play the old games but it’s all about the switch.
This was a great video that tackles a topic that hardly ever gets addressed. Helped me out in zoning in on a specific device. Thanks Tech Dweeb. This channel is swiftly becoming one of the best on UA-cam.
TechDweeb, you have read my mind. I recently bought a RG35XX and my 9 year old son has been wanting to take it to school. I did like most, dumped a bunch of ROMs onto my SD Card (tinybestset!) and he is having a hard time navigating it. I recently switched to MinUI and am trying to make a ROMset that is only a handful of the classics. Perfect video for me!
You literally posted this the same day I setup a miyoo mini plus for my 3yr old. The onle additions I'd have is that for a child that young you may want to add cheats to the system to remove some of the frustration that comes with retro games. He's been playing kirby 3 for snes and having a blast. He was also able to make it through the first level of the original SMB for nes without help nor cheats. Making dad so proud. You got my sub for this video kudos to you!
I've been hoping someone would make a video like this! My niece is interested in retro games but since shes so young shes been having trouble with the emulators. Thank you so much!
I just gave away my 3rd SF2000 to a kid who saw me playing it at a friendly gathering. It took me like 2 mins to explain it to him and he was playing Punch-Out most of the night... he made it to the first boss. Then he said it wss hard... so I showed him how to best Piston Honda and he was in awe. His dad text me three days later and said he's hardly put it down since I gave it to him.
This is awesome. I got my son who’s 6 a RG35xx. I setup Minui and basically only put GBC and GBA games on it. The streamlined menu interface makes it easy for him to go in and out.
Perfect video for me right now. My friends kids birthday is next week and i just bought a retro handheld for him. Was debating whether or not i should do any additional setup but now i think i will.
Great video thank you! My kids are 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son. Perhaps just a little young right now but give them a couple of years I think there could be lots of fun to be had with these ideas so we can enjoy things together.
I bought an R36S with plans to give it away for my company's holiday party. So this is not just kid friendly, but non-techy coworker friendly. Thanks for the info!
This is my first time commenting on one of your videos it took me so much time to decide weather i should buy an rg35 double x or a miyoo mini plus,but after looking at your videos,presentation style and how much you like the mm+ even i fell in love with that thin and thank you so much for removing my confusion on which one to buy after watching the mm+ video i got attracted so much with your voice i went ahead and watched all the other videos you got out there and i really like your voice and presentation and i mean it,also i liked your video editing its absolute class *does chef's kiss* mmuahh!!
I gave my 6 year old nephew a Miyo Mini v2 because it was just a little too small for my hands, and he loves it. I probably should have curated the games list a little better before hand though. Great video
I really love your drawed character and the voice acting i wonder how you make so high quality content so fast but im very glad you do because you really entertain me and eveeryonehere
Solid ideas. When my kids get a little older I'm definitely going to challenge them to finish games and receive rewards. That nano would be good for their little hands 😊
Some great tips here, and real good to make old games more kid friendly. Some other options kids may like is setting up Retro Achievements for the games that are on there, as the dopamine hit of getting achievements may be an incentive to get further for them. Another fun thing is to see if the kid has interests, like TMNT or Power Rangers and having older games based on older versions of those that may interest them, especially if there is a multiplayer component to play with them
I’m a retro GRANDDAD, all you other DADS, back up!!! Hahaha but seriously, this is the video I’ve been looking for. My grandson is 3 so he’s gotta a bit to go but I have nieces and nephews that this video is perfect for. The game outside the game is absolutely brilliant. Thanks for the vid man.
Don't forget you like retro stuff because you were young when these games came out. I loved me some Merio back in the day, and I still do now, but I would never wish SMB1 on a kid when there's Super Mario Wonder to play. Maybe 3 and World when they're done with Wonder, but there's so much new stuff coming out, I'm pretty sure there isn't enough time for them to relive my past as well as their own present, which will be retro for them and for them alone in 30 years, not for their kids.
Exactly we cherish these games because these were our childhood games and the current games will be their retro games they will play years later. Like I never would get into atari and only some of nes, because I didn't grew up with these. I think maybe showing them what you played as a child could be interesting or make similar memories you had as a child with them and the current games like super mario bros wonder. I'm sure they will love these moments and look back happily years later.
@@LetsplayAori Can you imagine the 10.000 in-one gaming systems in 30 years time when we're looking at 150 gigglebytes games right now? Here's Spider-man 2, BOOM 100GB. Here's COD, BOOM! Another 150GB. Here's Baldur's Gate 3, that'll set you back another 150GB. We'll throw in BG1 and 2, there's 100MB righ there. Too bad a lot of the modern games just won't work anymore because the servers were turned off at some point and Valve got bought up by Disney.
@@Zastrutzki yeah, it's truly a shame that we won't be able to play many games in the future due to online only drm. Let's hope it won't become more popular, but atm it seems to be stagnate. And yes it'll be ridiculous to see if storage keeps increasing in amount and decrease in price.
Oh wow man the Sujano reference xD. Nice to see that my subbed youtubers are connected and watch each other. I was one person that bought a powkiddy v90 thinking my family would play retro games but I got disappointed, the UI and menu are not intuitive so I lost my two kids for roblox and my wife to instagram, now I'm trying to figure out how to configure an android phone to be a retro handheld without using the android launcher, in fact kids these days prefer to use touch screens, when I made an old all-in-one pc a mini batocera (that played up till ps2) I got my bigger kid(11y) and my little daughter(5y) to play, but they had some trouble adapting to a simple ps2 usb cheap joystick, so I think maybe you should make a guide like this for android devices. I don't know in Canada, but here in Brazil many families tend to give kids their old phones, and I'm talking like motorola g5, iphone 5 or a samsung a10 kind of stuff, not the higher end ones. to play games and watch streaming stuff. So maybe it can be a good idea for you. Anyways thanks for the video techdweeb, love your content byebye.
Might I suggest DIG for your phone launcher needs? There's also a SUPER SIMPLE emulation program called Lemuroid, it has the emulators and the frontend combined (but it's not a stand-alone launcher). Solid suggestion, TY!
How to actually set up a retro handheld for a kid: 1) Put some games on it 2) Watch as the kid smears chocolate in every hole of the handheld and then slams it screen first against the table until it breaks
Thank you for this video and the tip with the label maker. I already have the SF2000 for my girl, but an EmulationStation Handheld will be the next step. Again - thank you.
Great video! I’ve been thinking about doing something like this for my nephew, but he’s still a toddler so it might be too early. Another thing to possibly consider would be the controls. Most retro handhelds follow Nintendo’s button layout, so you probably don’t have to worry about A/B and X/Y being reversed. But you may want to prioritize the SNES versions of games over the Genesis versions simply so kids don’t ask “where’s the C button?” And have fun trying to explain how N64 controls translate to a retro handheld.
There is another point about controls and the original NES. It seems that most emulators will assign NES "A" to the SNES layout "A" and "B" to "B." However, in, for example, _Castlevania_ for the NES "A" is jump and "B" is attack. Yet on _Super Castlevania IV_ "B" is jump and "Y" is attack. This is because many who played the earlier games (including me) used the thumb joint for "A" and the thumb tip for "B," which doesn't really work on an SNES button layout, while "B" and "Y" does work out. This has made it so I map NES "A" to "B" and NES "B" to "Y" on most emulation hardware. Not everyone likes that, and it could also again be confusing to someone new to the systems just playing on an emulator. On the other hand, there are those like me who will always find the default way awkward.
@@CFWhitman Yeah, Super Mario All Stars does the same thing. Thankfully, some NES cores (I think Mesen and Nestopia) have an option to rotate the controls instead of having to actually remap them.
I think one way to make the experience more fun for kids would be (if the device/OS can handle it) to have gameplay clips as well as regular thumbnails for each game. I set up my RG353VS (ArkOS) to display a 3D box thumbnail that changes to a short video of the gameplay. I think that is a more visually stimulating way to display game lists, and it really doesn't take that much memory...Depending on the amount of games included.
No matter how much you try to lock down a system, kids will always manage to get into some menu lol. I built a Raspberry Pi based bar-stick arcade machine. I used to take to to my work holiday party, and it was a big hit. I made it so that it was impossible to back out of MAME or get into the Retroarch menu because the hot key was not physically accessible from the exterior of the machine. I would have to open up the cabinet in order to access the button and shut the machine down. This was fine when adults were playing on it, but as soon as a group of kids would start playing, I would get called over to fix the machine, because they had somehow managed to accidentally get into the Retroarch menu or back out of MAME. To this day, I still don't know how they managed it.
My army budy from Tennessee has 2 kids who have never had a video game console of any sort. Spend all day in the pool and running around. Set up some TrimUIs with MinUI installed and playtested. They're 7 and 8 years old. Gonna blow their little minds for xmas.
My kid took over my RG351V and loves it. He is getting surprisingly good at Super Mario on NES. I put on a few shows on it also that he can get to through the mplayer. He's watched the Mario Movie on it several times now haha
As somebody who got into retro games at 13 and didnt get into emulation on andriod until this year this guide is great wish i had parents that knew how to do this. IMAGINE IF I KNEW ALL THIS AT 10 ID BE A UA-camR AT 13!!! enjoyed the video per usual. Ima hope in on the rg nano thing so i can finally get an emulation console!!!
This is the kind of video I needed to get my nephews into retro gaming, now I gotta discover if the r35s can also follow this steps since I can get one for each of them for the price of a rgb20s
Thanks. This is a great video. I need as much help as I can get for myself. Not to mention my 6 1/2 year old. Her brother got a switch when he was 10. She has a ways to go. But she wants to game. This will make it easy for me to set up, and fun for her to play. And also reasonably priced. Perfect.
I set up an RG35XX for my 3 y/o and he enjoys it in spurts. Getting the games right for the child/age is def very important. I only added about 6 games to include Kirby, Excite Bike, SMB2, TMNT2, Matchbox Cross Town Heroes and Pokemon Pinball. Bonus points for putting family photos as part of the theme B)
I got a datafrog sf2000 with the two wireless controllers (which somehow work amazingly, the thing has a dual band 2.4ghz receiver built into it) and spent a day setting it up with snes games, nes, and gameboy color games for my neighbor's 9 year old who hangs out at our house. I only included about 60 games total, but curated only really good ones. Shes immediately latched onto Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone for the gbc and has been playing the hell out of it. The stock software on the sf2000 is surprisingly great for kids. Just a shame the screen is only mediocre and the chipset can't really do gba or all snes games. And it needs a headphone jack. I told her that if she finishes 4 games on it I'll buy her a better one. She's super into "tiny" things, so I've actually been thinking about an rg nano for her for christmas. The v90 is on my list too. Her family doesn't have much, so we try to give her something nice every now and then. Next year its probably going to be a new bike.
Good video tech dweeb! Can you make a retro games recommendations tier. Having a list of what's worth must play, try, or just nice to have would be amazing.
My inner child would cry receiving a gift like this ❤ This video made me think about how Linux based systems, cfw like Jelos or ArkOS, are definitely more enjoyable and better looking than Android. In the end, being a English native speaker kid is a huge privilege: consider that some masterpieces, e.g. Banjo-Kazooie, are not translated in Italian (and I could finally enjoy and apprentice some details, like Gruntilda's rhymes, only years later).
❤ this video! Great idea for the non technical peeps in my life, and eventually for my little minions who take up all my time …. Until i get them addicted to these retro games 😈 great idea for distraction. You’re awesome @TechDweeb.
Another option is a hacked 2DS. A few advantages They play 3DS, DS and GBA games natively* You can install old games as if they were 3ds games, which avoids digging through menus Twilight menu++ is a pretty powerful, and fairly easy to navigate front end for even more emulation options, once the kid gets used to things. *GBA is a weird half native, half emulated thing, but basically the 3ds has GBA hardware inside it.
My 5YO loves his Powkiddy v90 running miyoo v1.3.3 i took all the extra emulators off and installed only games he would like. He loves when we play together both on the v90. Live the get on my lawn life!
If anyone wants a cheap handheld for a gift that can do everything up through most all ps1 and all snes except f zero and starfox, keep an eye out for when the old anbernic rg300 goes on sale. It's the same size as the 35xx but with a smaller (still amazing) screen and only l1/r1 shoulders and occasionally goes on sale from random aliexpress vendors for $26 with a bunch of games on the internal storage and an SD card slot. I just got one and it's insanely great.
Funny because I have a nephew who is only 6 years old and somehow he's became very tech savvy to the point where he suddenly knows what Linux is and had thoughts on getting him a Miyoo Mini Plus or something similar for Christmas afterwards.
Thanks for this amazing video, this cemented many ideas that were kicking about my head since getting my first RG35XX+ a couple weeks ago! First up is picking up a couple SF2000 to see if i can get one all setup, and then see if i can easily replicate it. I do have a couple questions if you are still reading comments! Since this video, the R36s (aka The Budget King) has been released with ArkOS - In theory, is it compatible with the Emulation Station setup and kids mode settings as described here? Are there any other budget devices recently released that you would put in the "good for kids / newcomers" category? I have read that the RGB20s requires you to do a software shutdown (similar to the v90), or risk corrupting your data. Is this true? How big of a barrier is this to kids and newcomers in your experience? Thanks again, your channel rocks.
Yup, any ArkOS device will work exactly the same way as I've shown here. For other devices it really depends on the kid and what they'd be playing. Just get something that's about the size and shape that would fit their lifestyle. I don't think the 20s requires software shutdown. I don't think it's likely that you'll corrupt anything. At least I haven't been doing that :P. However having devices with physical power switches is definitely a plus for kids because they often forget to turn them off if it takes them more than 0.1 seconds. Check out my vid on the M17, that would be a solid choice for a kiddo.
TD, THANK YOU! I wish I had this video last year before I gave my daughter her V90. Not that the device is bad - but I made a lot of the mistakes you mentioned. I gave WAY too many games and systems (even though it wasn't all of them), and struggled with the UIs when she got lost. Or worse, messed up the emulator settings like turning off sound or changing aspect ratios. This is a great guide with a ton of good tips. Kid mode is a compelling feature. Is there another budget (sturdy) device without sticks that runs similar firmware as these? I do wish there was a device that just defaulted to a games list, and not fiddle with systems. Something like the Onion OS favorites list, but those are a bit too fragile for little kids, as much as I love Miyoo.
I think the RG35XX would be a good fit for your needs. GarlicOS is very simple, and you can lock down the retroarch settings like I've shown so she can't get in and mess up the settings.
@@TechDweeb Thank you! I use the same CFW but on the Picodrive Genesis/Megadrive emulator, any rom I add, does not run in fullscreen mode. That's why I asked. I'm looking for alternatives/fixes. Thanks again!
I love your videos! attention to detail, filming, I also like the geek character that always you to fully express yourself! I do have a question though, my nethew is 6 years old and I want to get him a smaller handheld as a birthday gift. Will the RG35XX with Batocera cfw do? It has emulation Station, so that's all I need for this guide I think. I also though about getting the R36S with ArkOs since its cheaper, has emulation station and is really similar to the device you are showing off(powekiddy). But I think smaller is better for his hand size Thank you for the videos! this one is extremly helpful
My seven and 13-year-old siblings have a switch they share but they recently have seen gaming handhelds on TikTok. I think I’m going to get this for them. I’ll set it up with all the gaming consoles and games I played growing up. And of course the classics like SNES and NES. Which one would you recommend that has emulation station and can do everything you showed on this video but can be plugged into a TV and connect to controllers over Bluetooth?
In that case I'd say go for the RG353VS. The X55 might do the job, but the 353vs is a better overall device and it's not much more $. I can confirm it performs GREAT as a TV home console. www.litnxt.com/products/rg353vs-handheld-game-console?ref=9wwsczy2&variant=40991730335837
@@TechDweeb so I just saw your review for the RG 353 VS. I want to include PS2 games. Would you recommend a system that could do what I mentioned but play PS2 as well?
There are probably millions of parents all around the world (like me) who would love to share retro games with their kids, but have run into the issues of the complicated UI, overwhelming game list, feature rich devices, etc. This is the most useful video for those parents on the internet.
I've got five kids, around 2 years apart from each other from 9 years old and below. I bought three Retroid 3 units for my oldest boys and installed GBA and DS games for them that I thought they would be able to play, installed Daijisho, and also loaded it with Hollow Knight, Minecraft, Vampire Survivors, tv shows, movies, and audiobooks. Sometimes they need help, but they mostly find what they want to watch or play when they have some game time. I got them for $109 each on Amazon months ago, and they have been great.
By the way, when you have more kids - they play with each other for their entertainment so its not just up to you or your wife. Best years of my life, no doubt.
That's wholesome as heck!
@@TechDweeb I've really enjoyed helping them play some of the games that I had when I was a kid with a GBA or DS. Surprisingly, with some determination, my oldest son beat the Radiance in Hollow Knight a few weeks ago. I've been really surprised how much they are capable of when they really want to do something.
When he started, he couldn't beat a single boss in the game, so I beat them for him. After awhile he started winning some for himself, and he actually got that ending before I did since I took a break to play Ghost Trick and Starfield. Pretty interesting.
@@sevbait just awesome!
"All stuff and no fluff" The most bad-ass tattoo a teddy bear can get.
As a gaming dad of 2 kids and 10+ retro handhelds, this is an incredible video! For someone without kids, you completely understand. It really is just like enjoying the things that came before, movies, books, shows, music; how do you get kids to engage and appreciate classic video games, and expand their tastes? The setup, as well as the incentives, are engaging to the child and amazingly articulated. I greatly appreciate this video, and many of your others as well.
Quit reading my mind, TechDweeb ! I literally just bought both my 8 year-old and my 6 year-old daughter a PowKiddy Q90… hey, they were $23 so I don’t feel bad if they get destroyed. Seriously, thank you so much for this video. You definitely have given me clarity on how to set them up so I can make retro gaming fun and approachable.
Amazing! Hope they love em! (the v90 was the first handheld I gifted to kiddos too, it's a good one because it's built like a tank!)
What a thoughtful concept. I was wondering how to do this for my neice.
This video was a breath of fresh air honestly. My kiddos have 3 35xx and they barely pick them up over their switches or tablets. I'm going to try to implement this to get them gaming with me on the classics. You don't have kids but you understand parenting suspiciously very well! Cheers brother
Good luck!
Your channel just gets better and better.
Genius video bro! Seriously. So happy you are putting out regular content that is bonified valuable. This is a great vid for anyone with a kid, or grandkid (older retro gamer). I always look forward to your content!
Honestly, as a 32 year old who hasn't played many games older than PS1, I would love to have a retro game library curated for me. That would be such a gift. Any parent who watches this and is inspired to do this for their kid, you're doing something awesome
Already exists. Look up Tiny Best Set
Love how your content is starting to spill in to real world stuff like family. I adore this vedio and the one about getting a gameboy. Idk why but that one really hit home with me. Kinda reminded me of my childhood. Keep up the good vids.
This video was really lovely! Found the channel a while ago, and it's actually sparked an interest in emulation for the first time in my life, letting me visit some Sega CD games I owned but couldn't play on my original hardware. I really love how you make this part of the gaming hobby feel welcoming to everyone.
Thanks for saying so! Welcome to the hobby :)
I’ve never knew there was a kid mode for emulation station. That’s really good. I think these steps could be better not just for my kids, but even adults.
Our kids will play the old games but it’s all about the switch.
This was a great video that tackles a topic that hardly ever gets addressed. Helped me out in zoning in on a specific device. Thanks Tech Dweeb. This channel is swiftly becoming one of the best on UA-cam.
TechDweeb, you have read my mind. I recently bought a RG35XX and my 9 year old son has been wanting to take it to school. I did like most, dumped a bunch of ROMs onto my SD Card (tinybestset!) and he is having a hard time navigating it. I recently switched to MinUI and am trying to make a ROMset that is only a handful of the classics. Perfect video for me!
Awesome! You can do the same retroarch lockdown that I did here on the 35xx, so that should help not get him into where he can break it :P
You literally posted this the same day I setup a miyoo mini plus for my 3yr old. The onle additions I'd have is that for a child that young you may want to add cheats to the system to remove some of the frustration that comes with retro games. He's been playing kirby 3 for snes and having a blast. He was also able to make it through the first level of the original SMB for nes without help nor cheats. Making dad so proud. You got my sub for this video kudos to you!
I've been hoping someone would make a video like this! My niece is interested in retro games but since shes so young shes been having trouble with the emulators.
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much! Christmas is coming up and I've been looking for something like this, thank you!
I just gave away my 3rd SF2000 to a kid who saw me playing it at a friendly gathering. It took me like 2 mins to explain it to him and he was playing Punch-Out most of the night... he made it to the first boss. Then he said it wss hard... so I showed him how to best Piston Honda and he was in awe. His dad text me three days later and said he's hardly put it down since I gave it to him.
You're like a retro game Johnny Appleseed - planting seeds of retro gaming in the youth. Doobie Retroseed!
Wait until he gets to Tyson 😂😂 you're gonna be getting texts about strategy
He's gonna be all on his own if he ever does... I've never beaten tyson.
@@trinidad510
This is awesome. I got my son who’s 6 a RG35xx. I setup Minui and basically only put GBC and GBA games on it. The streamlined menu interface makes it easy for him to go in and out.
Perfect video for me right now. My friends kids birthday is next week and i just bought a retro handheld for him. Was debating whether or not i should do any additional setup but now i think i will.
Good timing!
Great idea for a video. I feel the 80s and 90s was the golden age of gaming and retro game can appeal to all ages.
Dude. I've been needing this.
As a parent worried about my son getting frustrated by emulator stuff, this was much appreciated! Fingers crossed he likes it for Christmas!
Good luck!
Great video thank you! My kids are 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son. Perhaps just a little young right now but give them a couple of years I think there could be lots of fun to be had with these ideas so we can enjoy things together.
I bought an R36S with plans to give it away for my company's holiday party. So this is not just kid friendly, but non-techy coworker friendly. Thanks for the info!
This is my first time commenting on one of your videos it took me so much time to decide weather i should buy an rg35 double x or a miyoo mini plus,but after looking at your videos,presentation style and how much you like the mm+ even i fell in love with that thin and thank you so much for removing my confusion on which one to buy after watching the mm+ video i got attracted so much with your voice i went ahead and watched all the other videos you got out there and i really like your voice and presentation and i mean it,also i liked your video editing its absolute class *does chef's kiss* mmuahh!!
Thanks so much for saying so! The MM+ is still my most recommended handheld (and among my all-time personal favourites!)
Love it! Don't forget we're able to have favorites and put them to the top. :) Also we're able to lock down retroarch to prevent changes.
Great guide!
I gave my 6 year old nephew a Miyo Mini v2 because it was just a little too small for my hands, and he loves it. I probably should have curated the games list a little better before hand though. Great video
A lovely video. The thought you put into giving the kids a reason to play made me tear up.
That warms my heart, thanks for saying so!
I really love your drawed character and the voice acting i wonder how you make so high quality content so fast but im very glad you do because you really entertain me and eveeryonehere
Thanks for saying so!
I’m slowing getting my 7 year into retro games. Love the video!
I’m only introducing one game per 1-2 weeks
Solid ideas. When my kids get a little older I'm definitely going to challenge them to finish games and receive rewards. That nano would be good for their little hands 😊
Some great tips here, and real good to make old games more kid friendly.
Some other options kids may like is setting up Retro Achievements for the games that are on there, as the dopamine hit of getting achievements may be an incentive to get further for them.
Another fun thing is to see if the kid has interests, like TMNT or Power Rangers and having older games based on older versions of those that may interest them, especially if there is a multiplayer component to play with them
Good suggestions 👍
I’m a retro GRANDDAD, all you other DADS, back up!!! Hahaha but seriously, this is the video I’ve been looking for. My grandson is 3 so he’s gotta a bit to go but I have nieces and nephews that this video is perfect for. The game outside the game is absolutely brilliant. Thanks for the vid man.
Grate video been having trouble getting my kids into retro gaming those tips are awesome 👌
Don't forget you like retro stuff because you were young when these games came out. I loved me some Merio back in the day, and I still do now, but I would never wish SMB1 on a kid when there's Super Mario Wonder to play. Maybe 3 and World when they're done with Wonder, but there's so much new stuff coming out, I'm pretty sure there isn't enough time for them to relive my past as well as their own present, which will be retro for them and for them alone in 30 years, not for their kids.
Exactly we cherish these games because these were our childhood games and the current games will be their retro games they will play years later. Like I never would get into atari and only some of nes, because I didn't grew up with these. I think maybe showing them what you played as a child could be interesting or make similar memories you had as a child with them and the current games like super mario bros wonder. I'm sure they will love these moments and look back happily years later.
@@LetsplayAori Can you imagine the 10.000 in-one gaming systems in 30 years time when we're looking at 150 gigglebytes games right now? Here's Spider-man 2, BOOM 100GB. Here's COD, BOOM! Another 150GB. Here's Baldur's Gate 3, that'll set you back another 150GB. We'll throw in BG1 and 2, there's 100MB righ there.
Too bad a lot of the modern games just won't work anymore because the servers were turned off at some point and Valve got bought up by Disney.
@@Zastrutzki yeah, it's truly a shame that we won't be able to play many games in the future due to online only drm. Let's hope it won't become more popular, but atm it seems to be stagnate.
And yes it'll be ridiculous to see if storage keeps increasing in amount and decrease in price.
I love retro achievements, I love playing the old stuff I thought I remember but having the familiar modern attaboy to keep my interest.
Oh wow man the Sujano reference xD. Nice to see that my subbed youtubers are connected and watch each other. I was one person that bought a powkiddy v90 thinking my family would play retro games but I got disappointed, the UI and menu are not intuitive so I lost my two kids for roblox and my wife to instagram, now I'm trying to figure out how to configure an android phone to be a retro handheld without using the android launcher, in fact kids these days prefer to use touch screens, when I made an old all-in-one pc a mini batocera (that played up till ps2) I got my bigger kid(11y) and my little daughter(5y) to play, but they had some trouble adapting to a simple ps2 usb cheap joystick, so I think maybe you should make a guide like this for android devices.
I don't know in Canada, but here in Brazil many families tend to give kids their old phones, and I'm talking like motorola g5, iphone 5 or a samsung a10 kind of stuff, not the higher end ones. to play games and watch streaming stuff. So maybe it can be a good idea for you. Anyways thanks for the video techdweeb, love your content byebye.
Might I suggest DIG for your phone launcher needs? There's also a SUPER SIMPLE emulation program called Lemuroid, it has the emulators and the frontend combined (but it's not a stand-alone launcher).
Solid suggestion, TY!
Kids are cool, thanks for keeping it wholesome TD
Atari games are awsome. As a kid 8 had one of those Jack's Pacific plug n plays that had atari Activision games on it and it was a blast.
My 7 year old kid loves messing around with retro handhelds and trying new games on it.
Lucky mama!
How to actually set up a retro handheld for a kid:
1) Put some games on it
2) Watch as the kid smears chocolate in every hole of the handheld and then slams it screen first against the table until it breaks
I should have made that video instead...
Great video! Great timing! Getting my first emulator tomorrow!
Enjoy man! Curious to know what it will be
The hot key recommendations are great.
Thank you for this video and the tip with the label maker. I already have the SF2000 for my girl, but an EmulationStation Handheld will be the next step.
Again - thank you.
Great video! I’ve been thinking about doing something like this for my nephew, but he’s still a toddler so it might be too early.
Another thing to possibly consider would be the controls. Most retro handhelds follow Nintendo’s button layout, so you probably don’t have to worry about A/B and X/Y being reversed. But you may want to prioritize the SNES versions of games over the Genesis versions simply so kids don’t ask “where’s the C button?” And have fun trying to explain how N64 controls translate to a retro handheld.
Haha ain't that the truth :P
There is another point about controls and the original NES. It seems that most emulators will assign NES "A" to the SNES layout "A" and "B" to "B." However, in, for example, _Castlevania_ for the NES "A" is jump and "B" is attack. Yet on _Super Castlevania IV_ "B" is jump and "Y" is attack. This is because many who played the earlier games (including me) used the thumb joint for "A" and the thumb tip for "B," which doesn't really work on an SNES button layout, while "B" and "Y" does work out. This has made it so I map NES "A" to "B" and NES "B" to "Y" on most emulation hardware. Not everyone likes that, and it could also again be confusing to someone new to the systems just playing on an emulator. On the other hand, there are those like me who will always find the default way awkward.
@@CFWhitman Yeah, Super Mario All Stars does the same thing. Thankfully, some NES cores (I think Mesen and Nestopia) have an option to rotate the controls instead of having to actually remap them.
@@Melonposting Thanks for the tip. I'll keep that in mind.
This is amazingly helpful. You have sold me on this device!
Still an excellent choice!
I think one way to make the experience more fun for kids would be (if the device/OS can handle it) to have gameplay clips as well as regular thumbnails for each game. I set up my RG353VS (ArkOS) to display a 3D box thumbnail that changes to a short video of the gameplay. I think that is a more visually stimulating way to display game lists, and it really doesn't take that much memory...Depending on the amount of games included.
Solid suggestion!
No matter how much you try to lock down a system, kids will always manage to get into some menu lol.
I built a Raspberry Pi based bar-stick arcade machine. I used to take to to my work holiday party, and it was a big hit.
I made it so that it was impossible to back out of MAME or get into the Retroarch menu because the hot key was not physically accessible from the exterior of the machine.
I would have to open up the cabinet in order to access the button and shut the machine down.
This was fine when adults were playing on it, but as soon as a group of kids would start playing, I would get called over to fix the machine, because they had somehow managed to accidentally get into the Retroarch menu or back out of MAME.
To this day, I still don't know how they managed it.
Haha ain't that the truth!
My army budy from Tennessee has 2 kids who have never had a video game console of any sort. Spend all day in the pool and running around. Set up some TrimUIs with MinUI installed and playtested. They're 7 and 8 years old. Gonna blow their little minds for xmas.
Lucky kiddos!
My kid took over my RG351V and loves it. He is getting surprisingly good at Super Mario on NES. I put on a few shows on it also that he can get to through the mplayer. He's watched the Mario Movie on it several times now haha
that Mr. Sujano reference was a good one
As somebody who got into retro games at 13 and didnt get into emulation on andriod until this year this guide is great wish i had parents that knew how to do this. IMAGINE IF I KNEW ALL THIS AT 10 ID BE A UA-camR AT 13!!! enjoyed the video per usual. Ima hope in on the rg nano thing so i can finally get an emulation console!!!
This was a great video, definitely coming back to it once my niece is old enough!
Dweeb! I love your videos. You are the best! Could you please make videos about budget gaming laptops? That would be so awesome!
This is the kind of video I needed to get my nephews into retro gaming, now I gotta discover if the r35s can also follow this steps since I can get one for each of them for the price of a rgb20s
The same steps would definitely work on the r35s.
This will definitely be usefull to me, thanks a lot. Your channel keeps surprising me :). So far my kid is to small she wants to watch me play.
Try Hamtaro on GBA ;)
Thx, I don't know that game. I will try for sure :)@@TechDweeb
Thanks. This is a great video. I need as much help as I can get for myself. Not to mention my 6 1/2 year old. Her brother got a switch when he was 10. She has a ways to go. But she wants to game. This will make it easy for me to set up, and fun for her to play. And also reasonably priced. Perfect.
Very useful tips! I was looking into this already then I found your video. Thanks!
You sound like an awesome uncle.
Thank you for this great video.
Thanks for mentioning the Bluetooth label maker. I managed to pick it up today for $17.99 and will have it tomorrow!
Nice!
I set up an RG35XX for my 3 y/o and he enjoys it in spurts. Getting the games right for the child/age is def very important. I only added about 6 games to include Kirby, Excite Bike, SMB2, TMNT2, Matchbox Cross Town Heroes and Pokemon Pinball. Bonus points for putting family photos as part of the theme B)
Your videos are amazing!.. please never stop making them ✌🏼😁🎮
As a kid who loves retro gaming I might do this for my siblings so they can also enjoy retro games too!
I got a datafrog sf2000 with the two wireless controllers (which somehow work amazingly, the thing has a dual band 2.4ghz receiver built into it) and spent a day setting it up with snes games, nes, and gameboy color games for my neighbor's 9 year old who hangs out at our house. I only included about 60 games total, but curated only really good ones. Shes immediately latched onto Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone for the gbc and has been playing the hell out of it. The stock software on the sf2000 is surprisingly great for kids. Just a shame the screen is only mediocre and the chipset can't really do gba or all snes games. And it needs a headphone jack.
I told her that if she finishes 4 games on it I'll buy her a better one. She's super into "tiny" things, so I've actually been thinking about an rg nano for her for christmas. The v90 is on my list too.
Her family doesn't have much, so we try to give her something nice every now and then. Next year its probably going to be a new bike.
The SF2000 is such a solid starter handheld!
Good video tech dweeb! Can you make a retro games recommendations tier. Having a list of what's worth must play, try, or just nice to have would be amazing.
That's a great idea!
I think you make a great dad... My 14 year old son is getting into retro
I've set up a couple of kids with emulation boxes, handhelds, etc. I put maybe 10 games in their 'favs' and show them how to get there.
another amazing video by the goat of emulation!
My inner child would cry receiving a gift like this ❤ This video made me think about how Linux based systems, cfw like Jelos or ArkOS, are definitely more enjoyable and better looking than Android. In the end, being a English native speaker kid is a huge privilege: consider that some masterpieces, e.g. Banjo-Kazooie, are not translated in Italian (and I could finally enjoy and apprentice some details, like Gruntilda's rhymes, only years later).
❤ this video! Great idea for the non technical peeps in my life, and eventually for my little minions who take up all my time …. Until i get them addicted to these retro games 😈 great idea for distraction. You’re awesome @TechDweeb.
I've been wanting to do this, so thanks for the guide. I get confused in the menus, maybe I need to put my own system in kid mode 😂
You are the Blues Clues of the emulation world
Great suggestion!
Great video! Thanks for the tips
Awesome, Appreciate it ❤
Another option is a hacked 2DS.
A few advantages
They play 3DS, DS and GBA games natively*
You can install old games as if they were 3ds games, which avoids digging through menus
Twilight menu++ is a pretty powerful, and fairly easy to navigate front end for even more emulation options, once the kid gets used to things.
*GBA is a weird half native, half emulated thing, but basically the 3ds has GBA hardware inside it.
My 5YO loves his Powkiddy v90 running miyoo v1.3.3 i took all the extra emulators off and installed only games he would like. He loves when we play together both on the v90. Live the get on my lawn life!
This is on hell of a video. Nice job.
If anyone wants a cheap handheld for a gift that can do everything up through most all ps1 and all snes except f zero and starfox, keep an eye out for when the old anbernic rg300 goes on sale. It's the same size as the 35xx but with a smaller (still amazing) screen and only l1/r1 shoulders and occasionally goes on sale from random aliexpress vendors for $26 with a bunch of games on the internal storage and an SD card slot. I just got one and it's insanely great.
Wow is that thing still around? That was a legend!
Protip
@@TechDweeb I actually just saw another on sale for $26 today. Picked it up as a gift for someone.
honestly very good ones
Love this.. I am setting up a Miiyoo Mini Plus for my mum (retired) and Niece (8). Hope i can beat one of them on something
Thx, i buy a Rg28XX for my 5 years old daughter, and i need idears for a simple usage 👍🏼
Funny because I have a nephew who is only 6 years old and somehow he's became very tech savvy to the point where he suddenly knows what Linux is and had thoughts on getting him a Miyoo Mini Plus or something similar for Christmas afterwards.
Thanks for this amazing video, this cemented many ideas that were kicking about my head since getting my first RG35XX+ a couple weeks ago! First up is picking up a couple SF2000 to see if i can get one all setup, and then see if i can easily replicate it. I do have a couple questions if you are still reading comments!
Since this video, the R36s (aka The Budget King) has been released with ArkOS - In theory, is it compatible with the Emulation Station setup and kids mode settings as described here?
Are there any other budget devices recently released that you would put in the "good for kids / newcomers" category?
I have read that the RGB20s requires you to do a software shutdown (similar to the v90), or risk corrupting your data. Is this true? How big of a barrier is this to kids and newcomers in your experience?
Thanks again, your channel rocks.
Yup, any ArkOS device will work exactly the same way as I've shown here. For other devices it really depends on the kid and what they'd be playing. Just get something that's about the size and shape that would fit their lifestyle. I don't think the 20s requires software shutdown. I don't think it's likely that you'll corrupt anything. At least I haven't been doing that :P. However having devices with physical power switches is definitely a plus for kids because they often forget to turn them off if it takes them more than 0.1 seconds. Check out my vid on the M17, that would be a solid choice for a kiddo.
TD, THANK YOU! I wish I had this video last year before I gave my daughter her V90. Not that the device is bad - but I made a lot of the mistakes you mentioned. I gave WAY too many games and systems (even though it wasn't all of them), and struggled with the UIs when she got lost. Or worse, messed up the emulator settings like turning off sound or changing aspect ratios. This is a great guide with a ton of good tips. Kid mode is a compelling feature. Is there another budget (sturdy) device without sticks that runs similar firmware as these?
I do wish there was a device that just defaulted to a games list, and not fiddle with systems. Something like the Onion OS favorites list, but those are a bit too fragile for little kids, as much as I love Miyoo.
I think the RG35XX would be a good fit for your needs. GarlicOS is very simple, and you can lock down the retroarch settings like I've shown so she can't get in and mess up the settings.
@TechDweeb this is a great point- thanks TD!
Yes so true! Thank you for this
Great video. What worked with my nephew were soccer games. BTW, what OS was on the Powkiddy V90?
I used the "Miyoo CFW" for the v90, it adds more emulators and gives a little better performance.
@@TechDweeb Thank you! I use the same CFW but on the Picodrive Genesis/Megadrive emulator, any rom I add, does not run in fullscreen mode. That's why I asked. I'm looking for alternatives/fixes. Thanks again!
Thanks for this video. Got one for the pico 8
So i got a x55. The front end means I download jelos and then home station?
Great video. Keep up the good work
Now I wish I was in a Game of the Week Club that sounds awesome lol
I liked that small shoutout to Mr Sujano!
My homage to a legend.
@@TechDweeb One legendary Canuck to another.
doing the konami code to get out of kid mode is such a nice touch
Might be good to do another video using Knulli, I’d like to get my kid into the xx series for ambernic
Almost the exact same steps in Knulli! Knulli also has the same kid mode
I love your videos! attention to detail, filming, I also like the geek character that always you to fully express yourself!
I do have a question though, my nethew is 6 years old and I want to get him a smaller handheld as a birthday gift.
Will the RG35XX with Batocera cfw do? It has emulation Station, so that's all I need for this guide I think.
I also though about getting the R36S with ArkOs since its cheaper, has emulation station and is really similar to the device you are showing off(powekiddy).
But I think smaller is better for his hand size
Thank you for the videos! this one is extremly helpful
How would one do something similar with a RG35XX SP?
My seven and 13-year-old siblings have a switch they share but they recently have seen gaming handhelds on TikTok. I think I’m going to get this for them. I’ll set it up with all the gaming consoles and games I played growing up. And of course the classics like SNES and NES. Which one would you recommend that has emulation station and can do everything you showed on this video but can be plugged into a TV and connect to controllers over Bluetooth?
In that case I'd say go for the RG353VS. The X55 might do the job, but the 353vs is a better overall device and it's not much more $. I can confirm it performs GREAT as a TV home console. www.litnxt.com/products/rg353vs-handheld-game-console?ref=9wwsczy2&variant=40991730335837
@@TechDweeb thanks so much.
@@TechDweeb so I just saw your review for the RG 353 VS. I want to include PS2 games. Would you recommend a system that could do what I mentioned but play PS2 as well?
Can we have a recommended games list for adults too! I just got into retro gaming but have no idea where to start
Can we get some other recommendations for kid friendly handhelds capable of this set up