RetroGEN

Well this would have been fan-freakin-tastic ten to fifteen years ago.  Course it also would have cost a small fortune and been a legal suit.  The RetroGEN Genesis to SNES adapter by Retro-Bit is a neat self explanatory idea.  Play your Sega Genesis games on your Super Nintendo.  Cool concept right?  Users report minor sound quality issues and compatibility issues like Virtua Racing and Comix Zone. Honestly that kind of stuff can be excepted.  There are also a few reports of video quality issues, mostly scrolling.  In fact according to the reports only a handful of games work flawlessly. Amazon has marked this unit down from $25.00 to $21.00 so take this product for what it really is....neat, fun and cheap!
-kaokensho

Retrotized Launches Local NES Repair Service

It's an exciting time here at the Retrotized blog.  Locally we are now reconditioning the classic NES systems.  If all goes well then we'll move on to nationwide.  Stay close for updates! -kaokensho

SupaBoy

Okay.  So I have been watching this one for a while waiting to see how this lemon would blow up.  Truthfully, it's actually pretty good.  However, like most hardware of this kind it is not without design flaws.  Now I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let's properly introduce Hyperkin's SupaBoy.
The SupaBoy will play original SNES cartridges on a built-in 3.5” LCD screen and is designed to look like an original SNES controller including a D-pad, face buttons, as well as right and left shoulder buttons. The SupaBoy also includes two front loading ports that are compatible with full-size SNES controllers and video/audio out, allowing up to two players to play the SupaBoy on a regular TV screen.

So what's not to love?  The A/V outputs and controller ports are enough to make a retro enthusiast drool. Now onto the drawbacks. Most consumers agree that the control buttons feel stiff, which alone can make or break any system (3DO *cough*).  Also the majority all state that the speaker is squeaky.  That is to say when the unit is on the speaker unleashes a high pitched noise forcing most to use the headphone jack.  One last consistent complaint is that the last generation of SupaBoys' have a back-light built in.  Well that would be awesome if only the installation was done in a clean room.  There seems to be dust trapped behind the screen as a result of this back-light add on.  Beyond that are the usual oddities such as a controller port just stops working.  Sometimes it will play a game other times not.  Currently it sells on Hyperkin's site for $79.99 so really it's not a bad deal.  Also worth mentioning is the Sega side relived in Hyperkin's Gopher. Most consumers are pleased except for the sound quality.  Sega, which is known for it's catchy music, doesn't translate well at all. While it does have an SD expansion slot (won't support HDSD, anything greater than 2GB) to add more games, it doesn't support save states.  That's a huge drawback for anyone wanting to play Phantasy Star. I do love that companies are attempting to meet the demand of retro gamers everywhere you just can't beat a Nintendo DS with a backup cart.-kaokensho

Gamepak 32

Way before the introduction of the Nintendo DS and all the homebrew and emulation that came along with it was the Korean made Gamepak 32.  Below is an excerpt from the Retrotized recomended book "Game Console Hacking" by Joe Grand. Gamepark was founded in 1996, and the GP32 has been available in Korea since 2000. It has since made its way into other countries through such online retailers as Lik Sang (www.lik-sang.com)
and GBAX.com.The GP32 orginally retailed for approximately US$169, and it is estimated that
150,000 units have been sold. A number of commercial games exist for the system, though the quality
and game play have had mixed reviews. Outside Korea, the GP32 has more of a cult following, which
is part of the appeal for hacking it.  The system is arguably more powerful than the Nintendo Game Boy Advance and is loved by a niche community for its capabilities in emulating other video game systems.The handheld GP32 features a 3.5-inch, 320-by-240 pixel reflective Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) color LCD screen that can display up to 65,536 synchronous colors.The system is built around a 133 MHz, 32-bit ARM CPU, 512 KB of ROM, and 8 MB of RAM.The GP32 has decent audio capabilities for a portable platform, consisting of 16-bit PCM, four-channel stereo sound, and native support of MP3 decoding. For its input interface, the GP32 sports an eight-direction joystick  plus six buttons.  Games, applications, and data are stored on removable SmartMedia (SMC) memory cards. Two AA batteries provide approximately 12 hours of operating time, and a DC adapter can be used to power the unit from a wall outlet, removing the need for batteries. Through its external expansion port (labeled EXT on the side of the device), an optional 900 MHz RF adapter provides wireless, multiplayer, head-to-head support for certain games.The link cable to interface the GP32 to the PC connects via a mini-USB port.

In late 2003 and again in March 2004, the European release of the GP32 was cancelled, supposedly
related to Gamepark’s unstable financial situation.A U.S. release of the system was also planned,
but as this book goes to press, the current status is unknown. On a positive note, the Gamepark GP32
BLU (Backlight Unit) has recently been released and has sold unexpectedly well in Korea, giving the
GP32 a new lease on life.The BLU version of the GP32 has a slightly different physical design and comes with a factory-installed backlit LCD, as opposed to the nonbacklit or modified Frontlight Unit (FLU).The FLU version seems to have problems with dust building up underneath the plastic protective LCD cover.This is most likely due to the fact that the FLU was added to the GP32 after the fact by a third-party and the modification was performed in an unclean environment. Most of the GP32’s homebrew development community seems to be focused on creating emulators for the system, so if you’re a gamer hoping to have a portable emulation console, you’re in luck. videogame emulators exist for arcade games (using MAME, the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) and just about every game system, including the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, NES, Super NES, Nintendo Game Boy and Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, NEC TurboGrafx-16, NEC PC Engine, Commodore C64, Atari ST, and Sinclair ZX Spectrum (to name a few). More information can be found in the “Homebrew Game Development” section at the end of this chapter.  All in all, the GP32 is a powerful and exciting system. Getting started might not be the easiest thing (see the following “Out of the Box: Configuring Your GP32” section), but once you’re up and running, the game console rivals the more popular handhelds and is much more flexible. Consider the GP32 a fledgling game system with decent hardware and a huge underground game development community, open to all. If you’re a tinkerer or ever wanted to make your own game, this is one
system that won’t let you down.
-kaokensho

Retro Remake Showcase Vol.1

     For many years now several companies have been manufacturing aftermarket or third party hardware that emulates the NES, SNES, Sega Genesis or even all three in on unit.  I haven't reviewed them in any way before because...well...they just don't feel old school.  However, in the past two years some units have gotten pretty neat.  So much so that I cannot ignore them. There are quite a few units so I'll break it all up if several posts. 

     So all this new third party hardware must mean the Nintendo copyrights are expired? Some of Nintendo's patents on the Famicom expired in 2003, followed in 2005 by NES-specific patents such as those covering the 10NES lockout chip. While Nintendo still holds various related trademarks, NES hardware clones are no longer necessarily illegal on the basis of patent infringement. This matter is complicated by the effect of different patents awarded in different countries, with different expiration dates. Nintendo sued Gametech in 2005 for selling the PocketFami, despite the patent expiration. Nintendo lost this suit. However, Famiclone manufacturers who incorporate copyrighted games into the unit may still be subject to legal liability on that basis, due to copyrights having much longer terms than patents (in most countries creative works such as games are automatically in copyright for many decades, sometimes up to 95 years after their creation).

      While the old-style Famiclones continue to be found, the newly legitimized market has seen several clones that openly advertise support for original Famicom or NES games (or sometimes both), a feature not usually publicized by previous clones, which were often marketed as cheap gifts rather than Famicom-compatible systems. Examples of these newer efforts include the Generation NEX, which resembles a flattened version of the original NES and supports both NES and Famicom games, Gametech's Neo-Fami(also released in both Famicom and NES compatible versions as the "FC Game Console" by Yobo Gameware), and the handheld PocketFami, a more ambitious, albeit still slightly flawed, successor to the older TopGuy, GameAxe, and Game Theory Admiral. However, these more legitimate clones are still based on the same NES-on-a-chip architecture as the older systems, and as such still suffer from many of the same compatibility problems.  On the note of compatibility problems lets start our review with two 3-in-1 units.

YOBO NES/SNES/Genesis FC3 Plus Gaming System

System comes with all necessary cords, A/V cables w/ improved picture and sound, A/C adapter, and a free Light Gun. Everything you need to start playing is included with this system.  Brand new system that plays all of your original USA NES , Super NES, Genesis,l and G Factor games.  Top loading design eliminates the need for moving parts, which means no more blinking lights, no more blowing into your games to try and make them work!The two included specially designed controllers imitate the original Sega Genesis controllers, except that you use these controllers to play your NES/SNES games as well! The X and Y buttons act as turbo buttons when playing NES games.  Fault: Can only use in box controllers, so no Mario Paint, Lethal Enforces, R.O.B., etc.  Most of them break in the first week.

Hyperkin Retron 3 Video Game System for NES/SNES/GENESIS

Two original control ports for each gaming platform.  S-video and composite AV inputs.  Compatible with original Nintendo, SEGA Genesis or Super Nintendo controllers.  Includes two wireless controllers (batteries not included)  Faults: An entire rainbow of issues.  Most of them revolve around the included controllers having poor range.  Also the unit's controller ports have signal issues.  Other faults include one or the other console "functions" simply not working.  All that said, this unit has fewer complaints and most gross sales than the YOBO unit above.

Next Time we'll take a look at the portable aftermarket units.  That's where there may be promise for the future of the past. -kaokensho