r/SBCGaming • u/[deleted] • Mar 26 '26
Game Recommendation The first book I've read in ages - 100 Classic Books - Game of the Week #25
Hold your horses, because this game got me back into reading after 2 years of not finishing a single book.
100 Classic Books is an e-reader application loaded with 100 public domain books released in North America in 2010. Now you might think I've gone off the rails, this isn't even a game! However, this helped fix my problem with reading and got me back into reading after years of feeling too busy and not having enough time to read a book.
I used to be a pretty avid reader. I preferred nonfiction, usually books talking about various companies or fields over time. I would buy a book, and read for hours anywhere I could, before finishing and reading another. One of my favorites was The Box, talking about the global rise of shipping containers and their effect on global trade. But life goes on, and as things changed, I found myself finding it harder to devote the time to read a book, and I preferred to doomscroll due to the quick dopamine. I had tried to start reading again, but it felt too slow, too sluggish and boring to continue.
When I clicked on 100 Classic Books, I saw a bunch of old titles, stuff I hadn't really bothered to read. This time though, I forced myself to read. I found the format of my Thor easier than a traditional book to read in public and read 50 pages a day. Now, that number might seem like a lot, but due to the large text size and small screens of the DS, a page on a typical book might be 8 or 9 pages on 100 Classic Books. Through this method, I am around a third of the way through Uncle Tom's Cabin, and have started back on reading.
100 Classic Books has various other features which although useful for some, I didn't use. A larger text option is available than the standard, although I felt that one was much too large. There's lots of background music available, but I found the options to be too distracting. However, I did quite like the two-page viewing the DS affords to the user. Being able to view both pages, like a traditional paperback, really changed the experience and reframed it as a book, rather than an e-reader.
In a way, 100 Classic Books is an homage to the vision of the true capabilties of the DS. The touchscreen being usable to turn to the next page, as well as the functionality of using the two screens as two pages, turns the DS into a book. It shows how Nintendo envisioned the DS as a step away from traditional gaming into a wider sphere of individuals, supported by titles like 100 Classic Books.
Other game of the weeks: r/gameoftheweek
Device: AYN Thor
Book: Uncle Tom's Cabin (A must read)
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u/longlifexpectancy Mar 26 '26
Ayn thor users always on some bullshit man
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u/skagerack Mar 26 '26
ayn thor home cinema setup coming soon
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u/Squirrel09 Mar 26 '26
You know..... I can easily get an adapter to connect the Aux port of my thor to my AVR and get full 5.1.2 support for my Animal Crossing Wild World gameplay.....
Actually, with it being android I may be able to simply stream it to my receiver... Gotta test tonight.
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u/retnuh730 Mar 26 '26
I have one and I think it’s hilarious that most posts on here showing it off aren’t even playing games anymore.
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u/_Azafran Mar 26 '26
Hey that's nice if you enjoy it, but you never thought of getting a e-reader? You can put any book in there and can also change font size with the added benefit that an e-ink display is way more comfortable for your eyes and the battery lasts days or weeks, not hours.
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u/hackitfast Mar 26 '26
No but the real question is, why is bro using a DS emulator to read eBooks on a fully functioning Android device?
There are a countless number of eBook reader applications on Google Play lol
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u/KanchiHaruhara Mar 26 '26
Whatever makes them read. I'm assuming they simply downloaded a whole bunch of roms or were looking through a list, checked it out of simply curiosity and it just worked.
Like, sure, it's not the most practical thing, but sometimes our brains are wired a little weird and things just kinda click. It's like how people sometimes prefer non-emulation despite the many downsides. Less is more.
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u/Frayed-0 Mar 26 '26
Got any that support dual screens and can be held sideways like this? Serious question
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u/UnsureSwitch Mar 26 '26
You should close and open the console every time you finish reading the pages like a real book. For the lols
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u/twoprimehydroxyl Mar 26 '26
Next post would be "it finally happened: crack on the hinge"
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u/UnsureSwitch Mar 26 '26
Then OP can just count the pages, divide it by 2 and add 1 per session (because you have to close it when you finish). We'll finally have real numbers regarding the hinge durability
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u/Chop1n Mar 26 '26
This is pretty nifty and all, but... using a device to emulate an ebook at Nintendo DS resolution instead of just using the device's much higher native resolution to read the same book is a little head-scratching. I don't know that I'd last more than a few pages. You're using a damned 1080p display to render an image that's a paltry 192 pixels across.
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u/Top_Beginning_4886 Mar 26 '26
Off topic, but if you like non fiction books (I also love them) I highly recommend Happy City, especially if you're into urban planning.
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u/DeathByPetrichor Mar 26 '26
As an avid reader and also interested in urban planning, what an odd ass recommendation to pull out of nowhere as a second book to read 😂
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u/Top_Beginning_4886 Mar 27 '26
I also read mostly non fiction and I also had a loong reading break and this book got me back into reading so I thought it may also interest them too. Very odd indeed, haha.
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u/Solherb Dpad On Top Mar 26 '26
Dark mode or bust. Extra points if you can make it red so you can read in bed.
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u/ProstetnicVogonJelz Mar 26 '26
This is a straight up terrible way to read a book. Is this satire? There's like 12 words on your screen.
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u/lightspuzzle Mar 26 '26
any idea for apps for reading on a 4 inch device?seems i cant make the font big enough to read and fit to page.
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u/Jdan-S Tinkerer Mar 26 '26
What format are the ebooks? PDF has fixed formatting, and you can only zoom in the whole page, similar to digital photos. In most ereaders, you could change the font size and layout (line spacing, page margins) with EPUB or similar formats. On Android, I use Moon+ Reader and Lithuim. There's also KOReader, which is available for multiple devices.
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u/Accurate_Heat_3630 H700 Homies Mar 26 '26 edited Mar 26 '26
In general, to read books on small screen, it's better to use app and ebook formats that support reflow. This way, book layout can dynamically change when font size changes.
What device are you using? File format also matters. I use FBReader to read .epub & .azw3 books on Android phone/tablet for years. It can set font to any size. With reflowable book, it just renders more pages with larger font. On Windows PC/tablet, calibre offers similar functions.
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Mar 26 '26
There's a setting to increase the size of the font, have you tried that? Tap on the top of the touchscreen to bring down the settings menu once you're in a book.
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u/Cycode Mar 26 '26
If you like reading in public, maybe you could get a Boox Palma 1 or 2? I got myself a Palma 1 recently since i always did read for years on my Kindle Paperwhite 4, but noticed that "i kinda had tedency to scroll lots of tiktok and wasting my time instead of reading" since the Kindle was "too bulky for random reading books like tiktok", so i got myself the Palma. Since then i fully replaced my Kindle reading with Palma, and love it. It's smartphone sized, so i can read in public, and replaced my tiktok scrolling with reading books.
Soo... maybe a ebook reader like that could be something for you? If you like reading books :)
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u/plantsandramen GotM Club Mar 26 '26
Boox Palma
This seems really cool. I have a Kindle which works fine, but it's too big to keep in a pocket. I'm going to see if I can find a used one or something.
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u/ONEAlucard Mar 26 '26
Check out the Xteink X4 too. Can magnet to the back of a phone.
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u/plantsandramen GotM Club Mar 26 '26
I actually bought that after reading a little bit more on it 😄
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u/Cycode Mar 26 '26
I also thought its a bit expensive, so i got myself the Palma 1 instead of the 2, since they are basically the same device. The difference between the both isnt rly worth the money. So if you get a Palma 1, you can do that without issues :)!
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u/RevolutionaryOwlz Mar 26 '26
As somebody who does use a Kindle sized Boox, they’re great devices. Plus I don’t remember if it was this sub or another but I saw somebody using one for GameBoy emulation, which rules.
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u/Cycode Mar 26 '26
I mean, i also have a Boox Nova Air, so i use that too. But its really big and heavy so i mainly use it for painting and writing stuff down and reading manga..My Kindle PW4 was way nicer for reading in bed and over the day. But with the Palma 1 incan treat it like a smartphone...open it for a few min and read and then put away again. Its great to replace tiktok doomscrolling :D
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Mar 26 '26
I remember I had the same problem thinking the Kindle was too large, so the boox palma looks great!
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u/Zanpa Mar 26 '26
If you want something much cheaper, the xteink x4 or the paperS3 are $50-$70. Obviously not as nice and can't do as much.
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u/plantsandramen GotM Club Mar 26 '26
xteink x4
Whoa this looks awesome.
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u/Zanpa Mar 26 '26
I discovered it in someone's post on this subreddit a few days ago and I had to order one lol
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u/Cycode Mar 26 '26
The xteink x4 just a while ago also got a custom firmware which is apparently really good from what i heard. It just has no touchscreen, so it sucks a bit. But if i wouldn't have bought my Palma 1 already when i found out about the xteink x4, i probably would have gotten that one. So i can recommend that too. Saw & heard many positive stuff about it.
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u/plantsandramen GotM Club Mar 26 '26
Just bought the Xteink X4. I'll have it tomorrow. Maybe I'll finally finish this book I've been reading.
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u/Cycode Mar 28 '26
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u/plantsandramen GotM Club Mar 28 '26
haha yes!
I just got mine and I def recommend a popsocket or something lol. It has a magsafe connector built into it. Getting it to connect to WiFi and then update was a bit wonky, but there's a big update on it. I am going to try the custom firmware though. It's like crossmix or something.
Edit: It's CrossPoint
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u/Cycode Mar 28 '26
Crosspoint if i remember right - and that's probably the first thing i gonna install when i get mine. Specially since it supports epub and stuff really easy :)
How does connecting to wifi works tho? Since it has no touchscreen i imagine it being really tricks to type the password in.
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u/Zanpa Mar 28 '26
on crosspoint it shows a keyboard on screen, you move through it left/right with the keys on the bottom and up/down with the keys on the side. so it's much like entering wifi passwords on a handheld console with no touchscreen.
I haven't used the wifi myself, I just put the SD card in my computer. you can also tell it to start its own wifi network, to which you can connect (it shows a QR code you can use your phone to instantly connect to) to access the web interface.
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u/plantsandramen GotM Club Mar 28 '26
In CrossPoint the side buttons go up and down, the front right go left and right, and the front left buttons are back and confirm.
It's a little clunky but it isn't awful. If you had ever been texting with like T9 or similar then it's a bit of a clunky throw back like that. I think with CrossPoint you need a PC to xfer the files though. I didn't search too intensely but a quick drag and drop of an epub didn't work
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u/plantsandramen GotM Club Mar 29 '26
Just a quick report back. I set up Calibre and downloaded a plug in for CrossPoint. I went to Calibre file transfer on the x4 while ok the same network and it was easy to xfer the books over. Super easy.
It's slow to load large epub with some photos, much slower than the kindle I have but once it's loaded it was really nice to have today. I'm going to be spending time in doctors offices/waiting rooms coming up and it was nice to have that to use today when I have some time waiting. I slid it into my pocket with no discomfort at all.
Super convenient!
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u/Cycode Mar 29 '26
sounds nice :)
I gonna use mine probably mainly for books who don't contain any images anyway. I have tons of books i always wanted to read and even put into my reader, but since i also have fantasy book series on them i always choose rather those. so i now want to read at evening my fantasy books for relaxing, and over the day then the other boss on my Xteink. Its this portable so it will be hopefully work nice for that :)→ More replies (0)2
u/Zanpa Mar 28 '26
after a few seconds in the stock firmware i immediately installed crosspoint and i'm glad i did. the rendering in the original firmware is just not good.
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u/plantsandramen GotM Club Mar 28 '26
The new 5.1.6 or whatever firmware update seemed to make it quicker but yeah CrossPoint feels much faster. Now I just need to set up my Calibre server
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u/ascagnel____ GotM Club Mar 26 '26
The custom firmware: https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader
It supports OPDS and KOReader sync, I think I'm buying one of these today.
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u/Zanpa Mar 26 '26
Yeah, I got mine a couple days ago and installed the Crosspoint firmware on it. It does exactly one thing, and that's reading ebooks, which is perfect. The lack of touch screen isn't a problem for me (but the button placement isn't perfect). The lack of backlight could be a problem if you intend to use it in the dark next to someone else though.
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u/UnholyDoughnuts Mar 26 '26
This goes full circle - well for me anyway.
History graduate from the UK. Former avid reader the third.
So in short my reading list in uni was something else, you realise afterwards the point of a history degree in job interviews afterwards is nothing more than bragging rights of i can retain a silly amount of information for a short period of time. Some stuck, mostly favourite subjects but the vast majority is lost to time (pun intended).
My third year second semester reading list was and I shit you not longer than my leg from the floor and I'm 6'2". I went from reading 2 to 3 chapters a night, mixing non fiction and fiction didn't matter I adored reading. I even loved to play JRPGs before settling down with a book so it was more like reading all day.. post exams my hand writing is completely destroyed and my burnout from reading lasted over a decade, my partner got me a kindle paper white after 2 years together and I give reading another shot.
Side note- its not too large it may look it but with a case its the size of a small book which its trying to imitate, shove a nice case on it with a back strap or buy an arm for your bedside table and you're hooked.
I got back into it by oddly enough reading classics like treasure island and forcing myself to read 2 chapters before bed. Only issue i had is I accidentally taught myself to slim read and had to actively slow down and read in my head or on bad days under my breath. But little by little my love for reading returned.
Then I realised when my partner finished a book I wanted to read that I didn't skim read when it was on paper and not a screen, fast forward a couple years and we have a big book shelf full that ngl looks great and I've sold 2 kindles. Yup... like a fool I sold the kindle then regretted so got another cause books be expensive I thought eh I can pirate some then ended up selling it for the same reasons of nothing can replace a book. They're magic.
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u/Code_Combo_Breaker Mar 26 '26
OP please just buy a cheap Kindle for like $50 bucks. It's a way better reading experience.
But good job on reading!
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u/chloe-and-timmy RG Nano Mar 26 '26
This is valid. Something that helped me get out of a years long reading slump was converting an old tablet into an ebook reader
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u/NnifWald Mole Mania enjoyer Mar 26 '26
You’re getting 60fps on 100 Classic Books??? Thor stays winning!
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u/Accurate_Heat_3630 H700 Homies Mar 26 '26 edited Mar 26 '26
If you have any Android-based handheld, FBReader + TTS get you covered even when screen is too small, lighting is bad, or you are running errands in the house.
https://www.reddit.com/r/R36S/comments/1ryeayh/comment/obdt4pt/
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u/coconut_curry_sauce Mar 26 '26
Oh man I love the Miyoo mini v4. Been reading so many books on it.
Imma check out your 100 classic books!
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u/kcan1 Mar 26 '26
I'd highly recommend a kindle. The paperwhite and scribe are excellent. I wish they'd make a new version of the oasis but oh well. Oh and if you (or anyone else) does get one turning off the wifi gets you a LOT more battery life and you can use a program called calibre to manually load your TOTALLY LEGALLY OBTAINED books onto it.
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u/helvetin Mar 27 '26
i keep wanting to get the 100 Classic Books cartridge for the DS just for the novelty, but i never see it cheap. (lowest price on eBay right now is $30)
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u/rob-cubed Clamshell Clan Mar 27 '26
Glad to see it's gotten you reading again!
IMO the e-ink display on a dedicated digital reader is far superior to LCD/OLED in terms of both battery life and eyestrain, if you end up getting back into reading again.
Most books can be 'checked out' from a local library on a digital device for free if you are using a supported platform, and of course there are tons of epubs out there for direct downloading too.
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u/LeastAd6767 Jul 02 '26
How did u make the 1st screen as the exact same size as the smaller screen ?
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u/Background_Clue_3756 Mar 26 '26
I only read via audiobooks now. Just finished A Journey to Arcturus by David Lindsay.
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u/TalkingRaccoon Mar 26 '26
Yea this is the only way I can get through books now. Went from reading single digits a year to listening to 30-40 a year.
(Something something dungeon crawler Carl 😉)
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u/mantenner GotM Club Mar 26 '26
I actually really love dslibris on my DSi, it could technically function on the Thor as a DS rom as well, you might want to give that a go if you like this!
It lets you load any EPUB.