Good review! But, man, that D-Pad with the center press contact issue seems troublesome. I hope they revise that.
Last edited by Frankie_Says_Relax; 02-15-2012 at 06:39 PM.
"And the book says: 'We may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us.'"
Nice review! Up to 8 hours of battery life is awesome. Sounds like the better SNES portable so far compared to the other two. Still not totally sold on any one of these since they all seem to have different pros & cons.
I'm a little concerned with the RDP's dpad and it seems like a potential problem with a lot of games. I'm usually 'thumb heavy' on dpads when playing certain games. So the Pokefami DX is the same where the center of the dpad can be pressed, basically hitting all directions at once? Is the Supaboy's dpad similar too?
Sounds like the included Retrobit controllers are great but I can't see myself using them much with the RDP. I wonder if the dpad from the Retrobit controllers could possibly be swapped to the RDP?
Maybe there's a way to epoxy a ball bearing or something to the dead center of the underside of the D-Pad.
"And the book says: 'We may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us.'"
according to nusilver, the PFDX has the exact same dpad flaws as the RDP. The Supaboy does as well. Only the FC-16 Go avoids this issue, but the FC-16 GO also has the worst screen of the four.
Honestly, the two controllers the RDP comes with are so damn excellent they more than make up for the flaws of the built in controls. In fact, anytime I play it now, I sit it on its stand and play it with the controllers. The controllers are small and its really no trouble to carry one with me. Its a shame the built in controls weren't of the same quality as the stock controllers, but its clear they built-in controls weren't designed by the same people who made the external controllers.
Based on all the findings with Nusilver, it's pretty clear that the RDP and the PFDX are completely identical in every respect except for the external shape of the shell.
That makes me wonder. Nusilver, do you know who made the PokeFami DX? does the box have any company information or come with a manual of some sort?
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I have not used the Supaboy or the RDP, but sounds like FC 16 Go is the best right now. The biggest thing about these machines, to me, are the units themselves. Video out, controllers in the box, and the ability to use original SNES controllers are all great, but if the portable aspect isn't up to par, then what's the point? I already have two SNES systems in the house and more than one portable that will emulate the games. I want portable SNES perfection. Honestly, I don't think any of these accomplish that feat. The SupaBoy has sound issues, RDP has D-Pad issues, and FC 16 Go has screen blurriness to go along with D-Pad issues. The second revision of FC 16 Go fixes the D-pad to a certain degree, but it still needs work.
Sounds like RDP is the closest to perfection, but it appears they need a second revision to fix the D-Pad issues and the space between the buttons. I have the FC 16 Go and plan on keeping it until one of these units hit phase 2...or lands on the clearance rack.
I absolutely love the wireless controllers included with the FC 16 Go, and if I were to play any of these without the on board controls, I'd want them to be wireless. Huge plus, imo.
Great review.
I'm relieved to hear that the dpad issues are mechanical and not electrical, although that doesn't mean they'll be easy to fix.
Adding a hard pivot point to the dpad would introduce problems of its own, such as pressure on the mainboard, or particles of worn plastic that could bugger up the screen.
It's kind of a moot point for me, since I actually like the original RD controllers, and have never had a problem with the dpad on them.
If you like the stock RetroDuo Controllers, then you really owe it to yourself to try out the RDP's controllers. They're LIGHTYEARS better.
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