A handful of fresh releases landed this week that didn’t make it into the main roundup. The GameMT EX8 has quietly gone on sale at a $140 price point, a massive Pokemon Black 2 ROM hack just dropped for DS flash cart owners, and AYANEO slipped out a limited-edition collab unit while nobody was looking. Here’s the breakdown.
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GameMT EX8: A New Android Handheld Enters the $140 Bracket
GameMT isn’t the most prominent name in the Chinese handheld space — their previous devices, like the E3 Vigor and the EX5 with its performance dial, never quite broke through into the mainstream conversation. The EX8, however, is a more serious attempt, and it’s available to buy right now.
Current stock is listed through a smaller retailer called Royibeila at $139.99. Specs are as follows:
- Display: 4.88-inch, 1620×1080 (3:2 aspect ratio), 60Hz, 520 nits peak brightness
- SoC: MediaTek Helio G99 (TSMC 6nm, octa-core)
- GPU: Mali-G57 MC2
- RAM / Storage: 6GB RAM + 128GB
- Battery: 5000mAh
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 2.4/5GHz + Bluetooth 5.2, wireless screen projection
- Controls: Wide-angle capacitive LED joysticks, 6-axis gyroscope, linear motor
- Ports: USB-C 4.0, 3.5mm audio, MicroSD (SD 4.0)
- Weight: ~290g
Note: initial stock has sold out — check the listing for restock updates or wait for wider retail availability.
The Helio G99 is well-understood at this point — it’s the same chip powering the Miyoo Flip, Anbernic RG405V, and numerous other mid-range Android handhelds. Expect solid PS1 and N64, comfortable PS2, and light GameCube emulation. Six gigabytes of RAM is a minor bump above the 4GB configs common at this price tier and will help with Android multitasking and larger emulator memory footprints.
The 3:2 display ratio is genuinely appealing for retro gaming. It’s a natural fit for original GBA (which outputs at roughly 3:2), Game Boy Color, NES, and SNES content — all of which look noticeably better without letterboxing or pillarboxing on a widescreen panel. It’s a smart choice that Anbernic has also leaned into with several recent devices.
Aesthetically, the EX8 leans into a blocky, squared-off look that’s a little different from the rounded-everything trend that’s dominated the category. The white-and-purple colorway is clean. The capacitive LED sticks are a divisive choice — they look good in renders but tend to feel less precise than the hall effect sensors you’d find in competing devices at this price.
Should You Buy It?
At $139.99, the EX8 is competing directly with the Anbernic RG405V, the Miyoo Flip, and the recently revealed MagicX Two Dream Light (which shares the same Helio G99 but hasn’t shipped yet). The Anbernic and Miyoo options have more established community support, RetroArch optimization, and a longer track record. GameMT is an unknown quantity in terms of long-term firmware support.
If you’re an early adopter who wants something a little different in the hand, the EX8 is worth watching. If you want a safer bet at the same price point, the RG405V remains the better-supported choice until more community testing arrives on the EX8. The only AliExpress listing currently visible appears to be a third-party reseller at $200+, so stick to the Royibeila listing or wait for wider retail availability.
Pokemon Aether White 2: The DS ROM Hack That Rewrites Black 2 From Scratch
For the DS flash cart crowd — DSTT, R4, Ace3DS, or any NDS-compatible card — a substantial new ROM hack just dropped that’s worth loading up this weekend.
Pokemon Aether White 2, created by ROM hacker ely, is a comprehensive overhaul of Pokemon White 2. This isn’t a simple difficulty hack or minor tweak pass — it’s a near-total reimagining of the trainer roster and encounter tables built on top of one of the best mainline Pokemon entries ever made.
What’s New
- 800+ custom trainer battles, all redesigned from scratch with curated teams
- 500 Pokemon available to catch across the game, all with custom learnsets
- Custom Grottos replacing the original Hidden Hollow system
- Custom weather events tied to specific areas and story moments
- No grinding required — Rare Candy availability is unlocked, XP pacing rebalanced
- Challenging double battles worked into the main story
The no-grinding philosophy is worth paying attention to. Ely has deliberately removed the friction that makes replaying Pokemon games feel like a chore, keeping the focus on the actual battles and team-building decisions. Combined with 800 custom trainers, each with deliberately constructed teams, this plays like a challenge hack that respects your time — more in the spirit of Pokemon Blaze Black 2 Redux than a pure difficulty spike.
Black 2 and White 2 are already the mechanical peak of the classic DS Pokemon formula: full 649-Pokemon roster accessible from the start, Challenge Mode, excellent post-game, and the most polished structure of the generation. Running a full overhaul on top of that base is an exceptionally strong foundation.
How to Play It
You’ll need a Pokemon White 2 ROM and a DS flash cartridge or a compatible emulator. Aether White 2 patches onto the base ROM — the download link and patching instructions are in the description of ely’s YouTube trailer. The hack has been tested on hardware and should run without issues on any NDS-compatible cart.
Download link and patching instructions are in the video description.
If you’ve been letting your DS flash cart gather dust, this is a solid excuse to dig it back out.
Quick Hit: AYANEO Pocket Air Mini B. Duck Edition
AYANEO quietly released a limited B. Duck edition of their Pocket Air Mini this week. The B. Duck collaboration is a yellow rubber duck IP popular in Asia — the kind of licensed collab that shows up periodically in the Chinese tech market. Specs are identical to the standard Pocket Air Mini. If you’re already planning to buy one and want the cheerful yellow-duck aesthetic, it’s there — check the AYANEO store for availability. If you’re on the fence about the hardware itself, the collab doesn’t change the calculus.
Sources: Retro Dodo · Retro Dodo · Retro Handhelds
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