RetroDuo NES/SNES Clone Official Thread. Castlevania III, StarFox WORK, SMRPG WARNING

[NayusDante]

For NES side audio issues I highly recommend trying an RCA cable like this http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/9346/rcacombbj5.th.jpg (http://img49.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rcacombbj5.jpg) to combine the two audio channels back into one. Some games sound really odd with the artificial stereo split.


Huh... I used one of those on my real NES so I could get the sound to come out of both speakers on my setup. With mono output, I had to pick either left or right. Isn't that basically what the RD does, output the same thing on both channels?

[remowilliams]

Isn't that basically what the RD does, output the same thing on both channels?
No, as far as I can tell the RD has the two NES CPU audio outputs brought out to the jacks. In a real NES the two outputs are combined into a mono jack.

On a regular NES CPU, one line is the two square wave channels and the other is the triangle wave channel, the noise channel and the sample channel. NES audio isn't meant to be listened to as discrete stereo in this manner. It makes some things sound really awful.

That cable above if plugged into the RD itself, recombines the audio channels. If plugged into a TV, it would do what you were doing with your NES. ;)

[NayusDante]

Hmmm, I'll try that later. I have two of those splitters, so I'll combine the signal then clone it, if it will work that way...

[remowilliams]

so I'll combine the signal then clone it, if it will work that way...
Yup, combining and then duplicating that would be the best way to do it. Gives you true 'stereo' mono. :)

[funkyblue]

Hello All,

I recently imported a RetroDuo from the USA to Australia and have found it pretty much useless.

I cannot play Donkey Kong 1 and 2 and Mario All-Stars (Get the non-compatable with your SNES/Famicon message), NES Mario 1 and 2 are working.

Is there anything I can do to get the SNES Games to work? I thought this system was suppose to play everything! Only other games I have are SNES Zelda and Super Mario World which work fine. I brought the thing instead of a second hand SNES
because they were a good price.

[ooXxXoo]

Yup, combining and then duplicating that would be the best way to do it. Gives you true 'stereo' mono. :)


If you are going to attempt a connection like this:

http://usera.imagecave.com/capcom2000/hpim6272.jpg

Before hand,I'm letting you know that is not going to work great or make a better audio sound.....
Since,The RetroDuo SNES side actually produces true Mono/Stereo sound for each channel of its connectors...
First of all, you will have to split them in order to still use the SNES and NES audio at the same time, and then attempting to combine the NES Audio into a single jack and later again trying to split it into two outputs doesn't make any improvement at all.
Infact, it may actually make it worst if the "Y-Splitter" cables are not properly shielded...

[remowilliams]

Yeah, I just use the single adapter I showed and swap the one connector on/off on the RD side.

[remowilliams]

Hello All,I cannot play Donkey Kong 1 and 2 and Mario All-Stars (Get the non-compatable with your SNES/Famicon message), NES Mario 1 and 2 are working.
Donkey Kong Country 1/2 ? I don't have the actual carts but those and Mario All-Stars plays fine on my flash cart on the RD.

[funkyblue]

What's a flash cart?

It's the first game console I have purchased. A friend gave me a bunch of free games. All I wanted to play was DK 1 and 2 and 3, and Super Mario World and All-Stars....

Thanks :)

[fog]

The RetroDuo is primarily aimed at the American market - some PAL games don't work - If you can get hold of the USA carts from ebay you will be able to play them.

Other PAL carts that don't work include:

Batman Returns
The Smurfs
any Super FX game like Starwing / Starfox.


CAN ANYONE HELP WITH THE FOLLOWING:

I'm trying to decide whether to get a modded SNES or another RD after damaging my orginal RD (by not using a step down converter here in the UK).

The one thing that is annoying me though is the sound on the NES - most games the sound is OK although too loud sometimes suffering clicks and mild distortion and on some carts the sound is REALLY badly distorted - The worst case of this is KIRBY which is pretty much unlistenable and really effects the game enjoyment. Second worse is JOURNEY TO SILIUS which again is really distorted and overdriven - a pity cos the music is ace on this one.

So can anyone give me more of a rundown on how to get an RD with good sound for the NES?

I intentionally went for a red and black one because an earlier reviewer said these ones have better sound than the white ones - maybe it is really just pot luck!

[NayusDante]

My white one seems near perfect (with my US games...), aside from the light vertical barring with NES, and that's bearable. It's only noticeable on solid color areas.

[remowilliams]

What's a flash cart?

http://www.tototek.com/pio/main1/SUBMENU/PARTS/LINKS/OS/superflash.htm

[fog]

Can any one else chime in on any differences between the white and black versions of the console or is it pretty much pot luck regardless of the colour - I do like the red and black design better from an aesthetic point of view.

[Gato]

Hello all.
I'm a new owner of a white retroduo, and I've tried to make an RGB mod.
Using the KA2198BD pdf, I plugged the R, G B lines, with 3 capacitors & resistors, to a snes multiAV connector (with +5V and GND), according to this (http://gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=av:nintendomultiav) pinout. But, I don't get any output in SNES mode (neither in NES mode, but I know why). Anyone has been able to perform such mode?

[Terpor]

I got mine Retro Duo and yeah Super Mario World PAL version works fine with Retro Duo, but there are few glitches around

Super Mario World PAL on Retro Duo
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RMLD1XUJbR0

TESTED
Killer Instinct USA - Works fine
Super Mario All-Stars - USA - Works fine
Final Fantasy VI - Works fine
Final Fantasy III USA - Works fine
Final Fantasy II USA - Works fine
Super Mario World PAL - O.K

Yeah NES side of Retro Duo doesnt work so only SNES games works sp far on my Retro Duo (i want my money back)

[Arthur-Otaku]

Nice looking but crap

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Nice looking but crap

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion.

Yes. Even you.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Apollo and I were about a minute away from completing a speed-run on River City Ransom on the Retro Duo at NAVA on Saturday ...

... admittedly in 2 player mode the game seemed to run a BIT on the slow side, but absolutely nothing that took away from the overall experience of that game ... in fact I hadn't done a 2 player run through in YEARS and everything worked pretty flawlessly from start to finish ... in fact neither of us had died more than once, and we were right about the fight the Double Dragon Twins when the NES World Championship started and Joe had to shut down the Duo.

:(

[Harkunan]

It would be funny if I had one of those Super Mario RPG 1.0 mexcani carts-_-\
yet I have no need for a RD.


I'm trying to decide whether to get a modded SNES or another RD

you don't have to Mod your Euro Super Famicom. Just get a converter that allows import play of NTSC games. Also a RD is not for people who want a real SNES but people who want to be able to play a SNES but is not willing to go to that extreme of finding one.


1.) It's old-school Famiclone tech, so, no Castlevania III or any other incompatible games.


That is not old-school in anyway at all. If your good at soildering and reading pin-outs you can make your NES able to perform feats of loops like a famicom.

There is other NES players prior to this that can play all NES games. Also I can see you are playing a NES game. This is not the same as a regular famiclone.



2.) Backwards NES button syndrome!

I for one prefer the buttons the other way around.



3.) No AC output. Modern portable devices can usually get by for a good long while on batteries, but I'd like an option.



You got what you paid for.



Retro Duo

The colors of the red one looks like Digital Press which would be kinda funny if it was a product of DP. Other then that there is nothing Retro About that aside for the name.

[NayusDante]

On the subject of Mario RPG...

I recently "acquired" my friend's massive SNES collection. He's off to Washington State for college, and I'm stuck here in Florida, so I'm keeping it all safe from his mom's garage sale.

At any rate, his Mario RPG is Mexican. We tested nearly everything, but Mario RPG was the only thing that didn't boot. This may mean that there are no rules to what we thought, but I need to boot it on my real hardware to be sure.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

It would be funny if I had one of those Super Mario RPG 1.0 mexcani carts-_-\
yet I have no need for a RD.



you don't have to Mod your Euro Super Famicom. Just get a converter that allows import play of NTSC games. Also a RD is not for people who want a real SNES but people who want to be able to play a SNES but is not willing to go to that extreme of finding one.



That is not old-school in anyway at all. If your good at soildering and reading pin-outs you can make your NES able to perform feats of loops like a famicom.

There is other NES players prior to this that can play all NES games. Also I can see you are playing a NES game. This is not the same as a regular famiclone.



I for one prefer the buttons the other way around.



You got what you paid for.



The colors of the red one looks like Digital Press which would be kinda funny if it was a product of DP. Other then that there is nothing Retro About that aside for the name.

It appears that you're VERY confused ... or cross-multi-quoting my review of the FC Mobile out of context to make it seem like I'm saying negative/incorrect things about the Retro Duo.

Please be aware that everything that you've quoted other than "Retro Duo" is NOT about the Retro Duo, regardless of whether or not it resides in this thread.

Also, I'm no Herbert expert, but isn't the correct spelling H-A-R-K-O-N-E-N?

[Harkunan]

Please be aware that everything that you've quoted other than "Retro Duo" is NOT about the Retro Duo

IN translation you want me to put your name under the quote which I am not going to do since you already know that I am responding to your commet. If I was directly commenting you it needs not your name but your words.

The so called RD dispite it's name is that of the device you are showing?

I was not replying that you are being negative towards the subject at matter but your post in terms of "your post". About your pocket-NES product it has been known there is varioations in variations of that same product. Some I start to see in malls now and agian.


Also, I'm no Herbert expert, but isn't the correct spelling H-A-R-K-O-N-E-N?

That is how we do things on Giedion Prime.

[lovablechevy]

IN translation you want me to put your name under the quote which I am not going to do since you already know that I am responding to your commet. If I was directly commenting you it needs not your name but your words.

The so called RD dispite it's name is that of the device you are showing?

I was not replying that you are being negative towards the subject at matter but your post in terms of "your post". About your pocket-NES product it has been known there is varioations in variations of that same product. Some I start to see in malls now and agian.

what he meant is that you were confusing two different entries. this is the retro duo thread, but all of those quotes were taken from a post he made about the fc mobile. completely different than the retro duo. the retro duo is a console for nes and snes games. the fc mobile is a portable nes system. two entirely different things. and you made it sound like they were one in the same thing.

[OMF2097]

Apollo and I were about a minute away from completing a speed-run on River City Ransom on the Retro Duo at NAVA on Saturday ...

... admittedly in 2 player mode the game seemed to run a BIT on the slow side, but absolutely nothing that took away from the overall experience of that game ... in fact I hadn't done a 2 player run through in YEARS and everything worked pretty flawlessly from start to finish ... in fact neither of us had died more than once, and we were right about the fight the Double Dragon Twins when the NES World Championship started and Joe had to shut down the Duo.

:(

I remember the 2 player lag on the RD at the event. The game was still playable but man it's a race to get the first Dragon Kick book! I forgot all the time I spent on getting the cash for all the moves.

[Battlehork]

Hello all.
I'm a new owner of a white retroduo, and I've tried to make an RGB mod.
Using the KA2198BD pdf, I plugged the R, G B lines, with 3 capacitors & resistors, to a snes multiAV connector (with +5V and GND), according to this (http://gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=av:nintendomultiav) pinout. But, I don't get any output in SNES mode (neither in NES mode, but I know why). Anyone has been able to perform such mode?

I haven't done the mod (don't have an RGB monitor at the moment), but you do also have to have composite sync in there. It looks like the chip doesn't have a dedicated composite sync out, but some monitors will accept sync from a composite video signal. Otherwise try a sync separator such as an LM1881 (composite video ->LM1881->composite sync output to connector)

[16bitter]

I've had my Duo for about three weeks and I've found problems with Lagoon for the SNES and Legend of the Mystical Ninja for the SNES. Neither game will boot for me. I haven't tried these games on original hardware so I can't say for certain that they're not compatible.

Can anyone confirm these games as working on the Duo?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I've had my Duo for about three weeks and I've found problems with Lagoon for the SNES and Legend of the Mystical Ninja for the SNES. Neither game will boot for me. I haven't tried these games on original hardware so I can't say for certain that they're not compatible.

Can anyone confirm these games as working on the Duo?

You're not the first to report Legend of the Mystical Ninja ... I'll add it to the list.

Anybody else have Lagoon to test?

[RetroGamer625]

OK, I've had my Duo for a few weeks and have been having a great time buying all of my favorite old games. I've run into two game that haven't worked. Super Castlevania 4 for SNES and F-Zero for SNES. Anyone else have problems with these or are the games I bought just bad games? I really love these games and want to be able to play them. Please let me know. Thank you.

[NayusDante]

OK, I've had my Duo for a few weeks and have been having a great time buying all of my favorite old games. I've run into two game that haven't worked. Super Castlevania 4 for SNES and F-Zero for SNES. Anyone else have problems with these or are the games I bought just bad games? I really love these games and want to be able to play them. Please let me know. Thank you.

Castlevania seemed to work for me, but I've never played it on real hardware. I don't THINK I have F-Zero.

[RetroGamer625]

Castlevania seemed to work for me, but I've never played it on real hardware. I don't THINK I have F-Zero.

Both games, Castlevania 4 and F-Zero just give me a black screen. I heard that when a game doesn't work on the system, that's what happens, just a black screen. Anyone else try Castlevania 4 and F-Zero. Some more feedback is appreciated.

[ooXxXoo]

Yes, they are compatible.....I have both (SNES) "F-zero" and "Lagoon" games.....And they work fine in my Retro Duo's systems....But I think,that if you have the changed internal crystal issue like I decribed before, some games may not boot......

[NayusDante]

Yes, they are compatible.....I have both (SNES) "F-zero" and "Lagoon" games.....And they work fine in my Retro Duo's systems....But I think,that if you have the changed internal crystal issue like I decribed before, some games may not boot......

Glad I didn't...

[RetroGamer625]

I think it may be the Carts. Late last night I got F-Zero to boot, but it only worked once. When I took it out and re-inserted it, it wouldn't boot again. Seems like a problem with the connectors. Also with Castlevania 4, i shook the Cart a bit while inserted and a scrambled game screen appeared. So it seems they are able to boot, but aren't getting proper contact. I tried cleaning the pins of the Carts but it didn't work. Does anyone think that it could just be the Carts? If so, I will simply exchange them for different ones. Again, thank you for your time and help.

[SnowKitty]

I can't wait to buy one, I just need to find out if MegaMan X2 or X3 works on it. Impressive that Stunt Race FX works however

just got mine today, megaman x-2 works fine... cant seem to get my NES game genie to work on it though >:/ i think its an issue with the PCB thickness or some crap like that cause i got it to show up for like half a second when i was fiddling around with it (all my other NES carts work so i doubt its the slot)

[ooXxXoo]

The NES "Game Genie" does work with the Retro Duo system, although it requires a good inserting push to get in there.....

BTW, for those that were wondering, the SNES game "THE LEGEND OF THE MYSTICAL NINJA" does work with the RDuo.....But it takes a couple of seconds for the "KONAMI" screen game logo to appear.....Many KONAMI games among others, do the same thing in the Original Super nintendo system....This is normal......keep this in mind!...

[ooXxXoo]

Has anybody else noticed the other few minor-no big deal flaws that the Retro Duo has?.....For example, the manual states that the 8-bit indicator lights up red when playing an 8-bit NES game and the 16-bit lights up green when playing an SNES 16-bit game, while this is to totally the opposite way...

And if you turn on the NES side with a game and without a controller plugged in.....The RDuo goes ballistic on its own....

[Don Skippy]

I almost returned my copy of Super Castlevania IV, because I was getting the black screen. But when I took it back, the store owner put it in his FC Twin, and it worked. So, I took it back home. Turns out, the game just takes a long time to boot. It's Konami, like someone else said before. Try waiting a little longer for it to boot before you turn it off. Hope this helps.

PS. Any new experiences with SA lockout games? Anyone?

[Franky]

I wired a NES connector to the RetroDuo and it works just fine. So now I can use the Messiah pad while playing the NES side. :) NES lightgun is next on my experiment list, but I need another SNES pad for the extra pins/wiring, as a regular SNES pad leaves two signals unconnected.

I'd love to see a schematic for this, as well as some more info on how compatible it is. Specifically, I'd like to know is the Four Score/NES Satellite can be made to work on the RD.

[Franky]

So, my RD just arrived, and I've started to blog about it over here:
http://rdpal.blogspot.com/
Keep your eyes on that page for more news and compatibility reports in the coming days!

[remowilliams]

I'd love to see a schematic for this, as well as some more info on how compatible it is. Specifically, I'd like to know is the Four Score/NES Satellite can be made to work on the RD.

Here's the controller wiring for the NES/SNES connectors looking from the controller end of the cables. Note that wire colors may vary in different controllers/extension cables, etc. You need to use a meter to verify. Once you have verified the wires, you just need to connect GND/Data/Latch/Clock/+5 lines between the SNES and NES ends respectively. The two unused connections on both connectors are used by special peripherals such as the super scope and zapper. The NES zapper does not work on the RD, as the lines are not brought out on the unit. I have not tried a superscope or the Four Score/NES Satellite.

SNES (controller view)

| 1 2 3 4 | 5 6 7 )

7 Brown GND
6 NC
5 NC
4 Red Data
3 Orange Latch
2 Yellow Clock
1 White +5

NES (controller view)

1
2 3
4 5
6 7

1 Yellow GND
2 Orange Clock
3 White +5
4 Red Latch
5 Blue
6 Brown Data
7 Green

[Franky]

Thanks for the info! According to this page (http://www.csc.tntech.edu/~jbyork/manual/#Connecting%20NES%20Four%20Score%20Adapters), the Four Score doesn't use the two extra connections, so I guess that it should work. We'll see when I get some extension cords to cut up and frankenstein together.

[Franky]

I just found some more interesting info on Mario RPG, which might apply to other SA-1 carts as well... http://www.rllmukforum.com/index.php?showtopic=147550&st=0&p=3673165&#entry3673165

Anyone here brave enough to try this out?

[venturousviking]

So is Ebay pretty much the standard place to purchase the RD or can someone recommend another reliable online retailer for it?

[NayusDante]

Amazon sellers.

[SurfKahuna]

I picked up mine at Plan 'N Trade. It's a new store opening up around the US. Mine is located in Avondale, AZ. $50. GREAT buy.

[Franky]

Sorry for the bump, I just wanted to mention that my compatibility list (located here: http://rdpal.blogspot.com/2008/07/compatibility-list.html) has just passed 100 games!

[Tupin]

Legend of Mystical Ninja works just fine for me.

Oh, and any news if Innex is going to make that adapter for NES controllers?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Legend of Mystical Ninja works just fine for me.

Oh, and any news if Innex is going to make that adapter for NES controllers?

Removed Mystical Ninja from the list.

As far as adapters go, no word from Innex, but they were reported as saying that they would make them.

[NayusDante]

I picked up mine at Plan 'N Trade. It's a new store opening up around the US. Mine is located in Avondale, AZ. $50. GREAT buy.

My local PnT still doesn't have them. Neither does the one about 2 hours from me. (Oldsmar and Sarasota, respectively.

I was playing Mario All-Stars earlier today, and I seriously love this thing. I still can't get NES output to look right on my TV, but my RD has found a home as a SNES replacement. I might do another RD compatibility video soon, as I've acquired a lot more games since my last ones.

I'm curious, does anyone have a decent solution for getting a composite signal through any other kind of input? As perfect as the SNES side is for modern TVs, composite NES just isn't a viable option for me.

[Dave1982]

I recently picked up a white RD, and I'd like to report a couple things that I haven't seen posted elsewhere.

NES Burgertime simply refuses to boot on it. I just get random blotches of color. It does work just fine on an original toaster NES, so I know the cart is good. Anyone else having a problem with this game?

Although it's listed as compatible, I have yet to successfully make Super Mario All-Stars work. I keep getting an error telling me that "Copying video games is serious crime." Sometimes this waits until I select a game on the menu, other times it loads direct to that message. It seemed to work OK on an actual SNES, but I need to retest it on one. Does anyone have any insight into this error? I've been unable to find any significant info on it, except that apparently Mario All-Stars contains some sort of check that can detect if it's being used on a cart duplicator or ROM dumper or some such thing.

Also, I tried hooking the system up through a Radio Shack RF modulator. It works just fine for SNES games that way, but makes the NES side sound downright awful. Unplayable awful. I've had to connect the sound to an external surround sound amplifier just to get decent sound (I need to get a new TV with RCA inputs......)

[NayusDante]

Is your Maro All-Stars the one with SMW included? I know that version was released later on, so it might have the copy-protection chip active.

[Franky]

Have you tried thoroughly cleaning the Burgertime cart? Those random blotches sound like connection problems, I have the same problem with my Duck Tales cart, it usually takes a lot of tries before it starts up.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Burgertime works fine for me.

That's a game that has color issues in general on most clone systems, but gameplay-wise, works perfectly for me on all my clones, as well as my Duo.

[Dave1982]

Is your Maro All-Stars the one with SMW included? I know that version was released later on, so it might have the copy-protection chip active.

No. It's the regular SMB 1-3 and Lost Levels version.


Have you tried thoroughly cleaning the Burgertime cart? Those random blotches sound like connection problems, I have the same problem with my Duck Tales cart, it usually takes a lot of tries before it starts up.

I did. Just a few minutes ago a cleaned it again. I got a little more dirt out, but it still won't behave. Then I remembered that I had a Game Genie lying around, so I tried running it through that.

Oddly, it does work connected through a Game Genie. I hadn't thought to try that previously. So I guess that's one problem solved. It makes me wonder if perhaps All-Stars would work when connected to a Super Game Genie, but I don't have one of those.

[Tupin]

Sorry to bump this, but I cannot get my copy of 720 to work.

I'm not sure if it's a problem with the cartridge or the system.

Can someone test theirs?

[Franky]

Although it's listed as compatible, I have yet to successfully make Super Mario All-Stars work. I keep getting an error telling me that "Copying video games is serious crime." Sometimes this waits until I select a game on the menu, other times it loads direct to that message. It seemed to work OK on an actual SNES, but I need to retest it on one. Does anyone have any insight into this error? I've been unable to find any significant info on it, except that apparently Mario All-Stars contains some sort of check that can detect if it's being used on a cart duplicator or ROM dumper or some such thing.

Is the cart european? It might use the hertz check copy protection system in that case. You can get around that by modding a 50 hz switch on your RD, but you will only get black and white video in 50 hz mode, and if the game makes the check often it can get quite annoying.

[Tupin]

Okay, I tested my copy of 720 on my NES, and it works.

So there's another game for the incompatibility list.

[Dave1982]

Is the cart european? It might use the hertz check copy protection system in that case. You can get around that by modding a 50 hz switch on your RD, but you will only get black and white video in 50 hz mode, and if the game makes the check often it can get quite annoying.

Nope. It's a US game. It works fine on an actual SNES. I've been waiting and waiting for a friend of mine to locate his copy to see if it works better. If it does, we're going to trade carts.

[deeyay]

Hi all. I just got my retro duo a couple of days ago and I am liking it very much. I am a PAL user and have mostly PAL games at the moment. I will probably buy NTSC games from now on since the console has better compatibility with those games. It did take most of my games though, thought I should post a list here.

SNES (PAL) - games that work

Actraiser
Axelay
Darius Twin
Street fighter II
Super Castlevania IV
Super Mario World
Super Probotector - Alien Rebels
Super R-Type
Super Smash T.V.
Super Swiv
Super Tennis
Top Gear
Zelda III- A Link To The Past


SNES (PAL) - games that do not work

Illusion of Time (European version of Illusion of Gaia)
Starwing (works, but serious graphic glitch)
Super Metroid
Terranigma (works with pro action replay mk 2.p, 2.t or 3)


SNES (NTSC) - games that work

Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy III (USA version)
Illusion of Gaia


NES NTSC - games that work

Mega Man 2

Maybe I can get Illusion of Time and Super Metroid to work since it has to do with region lockouts, because Terranigma will work with specific converters and it has the strongest lockout of all games. I have not recieved the mentioned converter yet though so I am not able to try it out yet. But it is confirmed that Terranigma works with three versions of the pro action replay converter.

[NayusDante]

My recent compatibility list:

Working

SNES:
Earthworm Jim 1-2
Vortex
Drakhen

NES:
I haven't found anything that doesn't work. Everything listed on my RF Generation collection works.

[Suzaku]

Hello, all! I stumbled onto this machine at a local Play N Trade (those buggers seem to be popping up everywhere). They offered me a deal on the console and Castlevania 1 through 4, so I really had no choice. I really like the thing so far. The composite video looks pretty slick on the NES end (the s-video sucks for me, just like everyone else), and is decent for the SNES. I prefer s-video for the SNES half, but I haven't rigged up the ability to have both hooked up at once (and have them WORK) yet.

I figured I'd also include the compatibility list I've worked up from my own (quickly expanding) collection of games. Some I know are already mentioned, but since some people seem to have issues that others don't have, I'm including them, too. The following games all work, and all games are NTSC-US.

NES
Castlevania
Castlevania II
Castlevania III
Crystalis
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Legend of Zelda
Legend of Zelda II
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Magic of Scheherazade
Mega Man 4
Metroid
Ninja Gaiden II
River City Ransom
Rygar
Stryder


SNES
Illusion of Gaia
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City
Super Castlevania IV
Super Mario All-Stars
Super Mario World
Super Metroid
Super Return of the Jedi
Super The Empire Strikes Back

I could not get Mega Man 2 working without garbage, but I suspect that's the cart. I had the same issue with Punch-Out, but I cleaned the contacts with a q tip and rubbing alcohol and the game now works fine. I did the same thing with Mega Man 2, and the game simply went from non-booting to booting with garbage for graphics. I'm going to take it back into the store tomorrow and see if it works on either of their machines (Retro Duo or GenX). Either way, I'm probably going to return it. Maybe pick up Double Dragon or some such.

I did have the store toss Castlequest in their machines because I wanted to poke it before buying, and it booted to garbage on both the GenX and Retro Duo there. I suspect that it's a cart issue, but I didn't buy it to clean it and find out for sure.

I have more games I'm looking out for, so I'll try to post again when I get them and try them out.

[NayusDante]

You're not the only one to have trouble with Mega Man 2. I had a hell of a time getting mine to boot. Then again, my cart is in crappy condition compared to my other games (ex-rental, and it's friggin MM2, so it's well worn).

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I could not get Mega Man 2 working without garbage, but I suspect that's the cart. I had the same issue with Punch-Out, but I cleaned the contacts with a q tip and rubbing alcohol and the game now works fine. I did the same thing with Mega Man 2, and the game simply went from non-booting to booting with garbage for graphics. I'm going to take it back into the store tomorrow and see if it works on either of their machines (Retro Duo or GenX). Either way, I'm probably going to return it. Maybe pick up Double Dragon or some such.

I did have the store toss Castlequest in their machines because I wanted to poke it before buying, and it booted to garbage on both the GenX and Retro Duo there. I suspect that it's a cart issue, but I didn't buy it to clean it and find out for sure.

I have more games I'm looking out for, so I'll try to post again when I get them and try them out.

If you can't get it to boot with a q-tip and alcohol ... I'd give it a once-over with something a bit stronger, my go-to is a buff on both sides of the contacts with a folded scotch-brite pad and then a coat of non-conductive metal polish.

[Suzaku]

If you can't get it to boot with a q-tip and alcohol ... I'd give it a once-over with something a bit stronger, my go-to is a buff on both sides of the contacts with a folded scotch-brite pad and then a coat of non-conductive metal polish.

When it gets past the qtip/alcohol stage, I'd rather just give it up. Unless it's something really rare that I think I'd have issues finding again. As amusing as rubbing a cart with Brasso sounds..... LOL

In other news, I did get more SNES and NES games today. I tested them, and they all at least boot up and play into the first stage. As with the previous list, I didn't get too far in each one, so if there's something in here that acts like Battletoads I would have missed it. Except Kirby's Adventure. I played a bit farther into that one just fine.

NES
Adventures of Bayou Billy
Batman
Blaster Master
Contra
Gradius
Kabuki: Quantum Fighter
Karnov
Kirby's Adventure
Mega Man
Metal Gear
Shadowgate


SNES
Contra III: The Alien Wars
Darius Twin
Donkey Kong Country 2
King of Dragons
Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts
Super R-Type

I definitely need to give everything I've bought in the last week or so a thorough cleaning. Some of the games took a couple tries to get them to boot, and given the state of some of the carts, I'll bet I've got loads of dirty contacts.

Also, does anybody know if Karnov's sound effects are generally ass on a real console? Either there's something weird about that game and my Retro Duo, or it's just got some garish sounds. I've no complaints about how any of my other games sound.

P.S. I LOVE how this forum's quote function works. I don't have to manually prune out previously replies to kill a huge reply tree taking up most of my post!

[Suzaku]

More functional NES/SNES games.....

NES
Goonies II
Mega Man 2
Mega Man 3**
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II

Super NES
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest

**Mega Man 3 has some massive slowdown. Top Man's stage is a great example--there are times that, when there are more than a couple of enemies on the screen (or an enemy firing off lots of stuff, or a couple of really big enemes...) that the game slows to a crawl. I can't imagine that it does this on real hardware. I wouldn't say the game is unplayable, but it's getting there.

And yes, I did get a fully-functional copy of Mega Man 2. MM5 and MM6 should be here sometime this week from eBay.

Also, I took RC Pro Am for a spin on the store's RD, and that one worked wonderfully.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

More functional NES/SNES games.....

NES
Goonies II
Mega Man 2
Mega Man 3**
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II

Super NES
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest

**Mega Man 3 has some massive slowdown. Top Man's stage is a great example--there are times that, when there are more than a couple of enemies on the screen (or an enemy firing off lots of stuff, or a couple of really big enemes...) that the game slows to a crawl. I can't imagine that it does this on real hardware. I wouldn't say the game is unplayable, but it's getting there.

And yes, I did get a fully-functional copy of Mega Man 2. MM5 and MM6 should be here sometime this week from eBay.

Also, I took RC Pro Am for a spin on the store's RD, and that one worked wonderfully.

Nice, I'll edit the front page soon with those additions.

River City Ransom slows down in a few parts ... also right on the border of being a problem ... thankfully it remains on the good side of that border.

[NayusDante]

**Mega Man 3 has some massive slowdown. Top Man's stage is a great example--there are times that, when there are more than a couple of enemies on the screen (or an enemy firing off lots of stuff, or a couple of really big enemes...) that the game slows to a crawl. I can't imagine that it does this on real hardware. I wouldn't say the game is unplayable, but it's getting there

Yes, Top Man's stage has slowdown on a real NES. I grew up playing it that way. How much, however, I'll need to compare. Maybe I'll do that tonight.

[Tupin]

Functional NES games
Crackout (European)
Snake Rattle N Roll (European)
Little Nemo: The Dream Master

Functional SNES games:
Bram Stoker's Dracula
FaceBall 2000

[Suzaku]

Someone traded in a bunch more games, so I picked through them on the shelves today.More functional games:

NES
Bubble Bobble**
Section Z
StarForce
Startropics II

SNES
Lost Vikings

**Bubble Bobble froze at the start of the first level on the store's machine when I moved or jumped. When I brought it home I cleaned the cart and I haven't had a problem with it in my machine, playing through a few levels. It might have been a dirty cart (it WAS pretty danged dirty) or it might have been the machine. I don't know.

[Lanf]

Cool video review man!.....Any chance that you have the SNES games: "SSF the new challengers" or "Super Mario All Stars"?...... Trying to find a sound issue in other white Retro Duo's models that I found in a crystal oscillator on mine.

I tried "SSF the new challengers": it works perfectly !

[Lanf]

Here is a list of games I tested with my brand new RetroDuo:

NES (US)

1943: Works (but sound issues)
Astyanax: Works
Batman: Works
Bayou Billy: Works
Bionic Commando: Works
Captain Skyhawk: Works
Castlevania 2: Works (but sound issues)
Commando: Works
Double Dragon: Works (but sound issues)
Double Dragon 3: Works (but sound issues)
Dr Mario: Works (with very slight sound unbalance)
Dragon Spirit: Works
Dragon Warrior: Works
Fast Break: Works
Gauntlet: Works
Gold Medal Challenge 92: Works
Golgo 13: Works
Kirby's Adventure: Works
Kung Fu: Works
Metroid: Works (but sound issues)
Mickey Mousecapade: Works
Ninja Gaiden: Works (but sound issues)
Ninja Gaiden 2: Works (but sound issues)
Pro Wrestling: Works
Rad Racer: Works
Rad Racer 2: Works
RC Pro-Am: Works
Shinobi (Tengen): Works
Spy Hunter: Works
Super C: Works (but sound issues)
Super Mario Bros 2: Works (but sound issues)
Super Mario Bros 3: Works (but sound issues)
Tag Team Wrestling: Works
Tecmo World Wrestling: Works
Tetris: Works
Tetris 2: Works
TMNT: Works (but sound issues)
TMNT 2 - Arcade Game: Works (but sound issues)
TMNT 3 - Manhattan Project : Works (but sound issues)
Track & Field 2: Works
Vice: Project Doom: Works
Willow: Works
Wizards & Warriors: Works (with minor sound issues)
Wizards & Warriors 2 - IronSword: Works (with minor sound issues)
World Class Track Meet: Works

SNES (US)

Super Tennis: Works
Super Street Fighter 2: Works
Capcom's Soccer Shoot Out: Works
Nigel Mansel: Works
Super Castlevania 4: Works
Street Fighter 2: Works
Axelay: Works
Pilot Wings: Works
F-Zero: Works
Drakkhen: Works
NBA Showdown: Works
Super Mario World: Works

Conclusion:

It appears that the NES side of the RetroDuo has a problem with the reproduction of sound. Indeed, the bass are much louder than the trebble and some audio is not played at all (i.e. Ninja Gaiden, Castlevania 2 ...).
This is very sad!

I hope that, somehow, there will be a fix of some kind...

Cheers

[16bitter]

Just got Super R-Type and it won't boot on my Duo. I have 3 games, so far, that I can't get to work no matter what I do: Super R-Type, Legend of the Mystical Ninja and Lagoon. I could have a bad system, because others have reported some of these games as working.

[kupomogli]

Super Famicom works too so if I buy a NES/SNES clone, definitely getting this one.

[kedawa]

I bought one of the white ones yesterday, and I'm pretty impressed with it so far.

I tested my RD with a 1084S monitor using both composite and s-video.
The s-video output is a bit dark with SNES games, and a bit washed out with NES games, but looks good when when the monitor is adjusted to compensate.
Composite video is decent, maybe even preferable for NES games.

The controllers feel cheap and flimsy, but are surprisingly usable. I was able to consistently pull off dragon punches and standing 360 piledrivers in Street Fighter II, which is more than I can say about most third party controllers. I'd still rather use an asciipad or a stock nintendo pad, but the RD pads are good enough.

I can't really add anything useful to the compatibilty list as I have very few games. In fact , I didn't own any NES games, so I picked up a copy of Golf at the store where I bought the RD.

NES (US)

Golf: Works

SFC (JP)

Area 88: Works
Street Fighter II Turbo: Works

[kedawa]

I forgot to add that my unit came in slightly different packaging than what's posted in the beginning of the thread, and the NES slot in my unit seems ridiculously tight.