Palmer Luckey , a military contractor who makes killer drones, military gear , and surveillance equipment for the U.S. government, would like to sell you a Nintendo 64 . I finally had the chance to try out the ModRetro M64, and it left me with a terrible emotional cocktail of love and loathing.

I had no place to direct these anxieties. Luckey, the CEO of weapons manufacturer Anduril , wasn’t in the room. But the M64 uses off-the-shelf silicon. So who could I shake my fist at? Myself? I was the one playing the thing, after all. I was the one considering writing this piece. You cannot talk about something without promoting it, without promoting the people who make it. There is no “ death of the author ” for console makers and war profiteers alike.

Before I get into all that, the basics: The ModRetro M64 will launch on July 28 with several exclusive titles.…