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

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

OVERVIEW

The RetroDuo is a NOAC / SNESOAC “clone” system developed by INNEX in response to the minor incompatibilities that years of Famicom and Super Famicom clones have proven to produce.

Generally speaking, due to current, ongoing research by myself and others, while some minor incompatibilities have been discovered, the system has proven so far to be compatible to a greater degree than most other clone systems on the market.

HARDWARE / AESTHETICS / VIDEO / AUDIO

The RetroDuo is about 6 inches by 6 inches, and stands approximately 2 inches high. It currently is available in two finishes : black and red, and blue and white, both being mirror finish plastic similar to a Playstation 3.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroBlack.jpghttp://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroWhite.jpg

The NES cartridge slot is in the rear of the unit, and the SNES/Super Famicom cartridge slot is in the front. The unit has a power switch which rests in the OFF position by sitting centered, and powers on the 8-Bit NES games by being pushed up and 16-Bit SNES/Super Famicom by being pushed down. There is also a reset button which has a spring loaded “click” when pressed.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuo14-1.jpg

The RetroDuo can run Super Famicom games (which have a different cartridge size/shape than US SNES games) from all regions with NO modifications to the systems hardware. It does not contain any plastic preventing this.

The unit comes with two SNES style controllers (also mirror plastic, which I find to be potentially slippery), and uses standard SNES controller inputs. Compatibility reports from owners show that the unit allows for standard official SNES controllers to be used in place of the included controllers. On SNES games, all buttons are mapped to their correct buttons, and on NES games the B button is mapped to the top-left Y button and the A is mapped to the bottom-left B.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuo2-1.jpg

Video output on the unit is standard composite A/V including stereo channels, as well as S-Video. Tests run by myself and other owners have provided the following results:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuo3-1.jpg

When using the composite A/V cables for both NES and SNES games, the NES games display with a superior, more “solid” resolution, while SNES games have a slightly lower-than normal resolution, and have been reported to have minor “crawling” artifacts on screen.

When using the S-Video cable for both NES and SNES games, the SNES games display with a much “crisper” resolution, however, the NES games display with minor “resolution tearing” (interspersed pixel color variations).

Neither setup has been proven to be distracting to the point of not being able to play NES or SNES games in their “lower fidelity” resolutions, however, OPTIMAL resolution choices are NES with Composite A/V and SNES with S-Video. Due to the fact that the unit will default to S-Video display if the S-Video is plugged into the unit itself, you will need to unplug the S-Video from the unit when selecting NES games on the RetroDuo.

SEE NES VIDEO COMPARISON PICTURES BELOW

Audio for both NES and SNES appears to have the correct hardware and sound emulation, and while some instrumentation on the NES (notably the MIDI-style percussion) sounds a bit flatter/tinnier than an actual NES, it does not appear to be missing any sound channels.

DP forum Satoshi Matrix has a great tutorial for improving the NES side's audio, check it out here: http://satoshimatrix.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/retro-duo-nes-audio-correction-tutorial/

The unit is light, as most NES / Famicom clones tend to be.

The pin-sets on both the NES and SNES also appear to be much looser-gripping than most NES and SNES clones typically are, though this has not appeared to cause any issues with gameplay in any of my tests, providing games are clean.

SOFTWARE / HARDWARE COMPATIBILITY

Again, as far as other popular NES / SNES clones on the market go, the list of games that are 100% incompatible is generally small when compared to the complete software library for both systems. However, some of those titles happen to be popular, and highly revered milestones in both systems’ respective library. The Retro Duo does an amicable job of providing higher, near-complete compatibility of the list of titles that are non-compatible on other clones.

The RetroDuo also has proven to be compatible with devices that have given other clone systems trouble, most noteably : The Super Gameboy, as well as the NES Game Genie, and SNES Super Game Genie.

I have successfully run import Famicom games in the NES portion of the unit using a “HoneyBee” style cartridge adapter.

Recent tests run by DP Forum Member RemoWilliams have shown that the RetroDuo is compatible with both the Tototek SNES flash cart AND the www.RetroUSB.com "PowerPak" NES re-writable Flash Rom Multi Cartridge. Due to the unique nature of these products, this is a major mark in the favor of the Retro Duo console.

http://www.retrousb.com/products_pictures/powerpakbig.jpg


Through active testing by myself and others, here are a list of noteable games that have been reported “compatible” and/or "incompatible" on RetroDuo systems. (PM me with any updates to the list you have found!)

SPECIAL COMPATIBILITY NOTES/WARNINGS:

SNES "slowdown" reported on certain games : DP forum member and RetroDuo owner Nero99 reports that the SNES game "Demon's Crest" had noticable slow-down in areas containing a large amount of on-screen action while being used on a RetroDuo. This phenomenon was reported to severely impact the quality of gameplay, and was verified by Nero99 as specific to using the cartridge on a RetroDuo console, the same section of the game had no slow-down when used on an actual SNES. I'm awaiting further reports of games that have speed issues on the Duo vs. an actual SNES, and I will test the games in my collection when I have an opportunity.

SUPER MARIO RPG COMPATABILITY WARNING/EXPLANATION : One particular game with a legacy of difficulty in terms of use on not only SNES clone systems, but also in ROM DUMPING, as well as use on OFFICIAL SNES and SUPER FAMICOMS in regions other than the one native to the cartridge is SUPER MARIO RPG. Reports on various internet sites have detailed that this game not only is dependant on a Nintento SA-1 processor chip (resident on the cartridge board) but in the alleged SECOND and THIRD software REVISION contains code that checks for the region-coded “lockout” chip on the SNES/SUPER FAMICOM SYSTEM on which it is playing. Since RetroDuos (as well as other SNES Clone systems) do not contain these region-coded-chips, the ONLY version of Super Mario RPG that is reported (and has been verified via video) as “working” is SOFTWARE V1.0 (which does not contain the region lockout check). I currently do not know any way of verifying which version of Super Mario RPG a cartridge contains.

CURRENT RETRODUO COMPATIBILITY CHART - UPDATED 8/26/2008

FAMICOM (OFFICIAL & PIRATE)

Compatible

Famicom 100-in-1 multicart (HK Pirate Cart) – (Game menu displayed on NTSC display with rolling effect as if it were in PAL, but once any game was selected, it reverted to correct display, did not interfere with cartridge being “compatible”.)
Famicom Super Mario Brothers 2 (Famicom Disk Dump to HK Pirate Cart)
Famicom F1-Race (HK Pirate Cart)
Famicom Super Baby (HK Pirate Cart)


Incompatible

Famicom Disk System Hardware (Opening "Disk Set" screen scrambled, games do not communicate with the RAM adapter properly.)



NES OFFICIAL

Compatible

Castlevania III Dracula’s Curse (Verified working on video)
Gauntlet - Black Tengen Version (Verified working on video)
Chiller (Verified working on video)
Pacmania (Verified working on video)
Klax (Verified working on video)
Batman 1 (Verified working on video)
Startropics 1 & 2 (Verified working on video)
Adv. of Bayou Billy (Verified working on video)
Bible Adventures (Verified working on video)
Sunday Funday (Verified working on video)
Quattro Adventure - all games (Verified working on video)
Journey to Silius (Verified working on video)
Gilligan's Island (Verified working on video)
Tecmo World Cup Soccer (Verified working on video)


Incompatible

Rolling Thunder (Verified incompatibile on video)
720 (Reported)
Battletoads (Verified, hangs after level 2)
Paperboy (Verified)


NES REPRO/PIRATE

Compatible

PowerPak FLASH ROM CART FROM RETROUSB.COM
Vs. The Gonies REPRO CART FROM VIDEO GAME KINGDOM
NWC 1990 REPRO CART FROM RETROUSB.COM
California Rasins REPRO CART
Earthbound Zero REPRO CART
Drac’s Night Out REPRO CART


SNES OFFICIAL

Compatible

Star Fox
Stunt Race FX
Super Mario RPG (Software Version 1.0)
Chrono Trigger
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Earthbound
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Mega Man Soccer
Mega Man X
Super Mario Kart
Super Mario World (MINOR audio issues reported)
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Super Metroid
Super R-Type
Killer Instinct
Super Mario All-Stars
Final Fantasy III USA
Final Fantasy II USA



Incompatible

Kirby Superstars (Reported incompatible)
Super Mario RPG (Softwave Revisions 1.2, 1.3)
Demon's Crest (Plays, but noticable slow-down in areas containing a lot of on-screen activity.)
Batman Returns (PAL VERSION)


SNES REPRO/PIRATE

Compatible

Dragon Quest V REPRO CART
SNES 7-in-1 Multicart (HK Pirate Cart)


SUPER FAMICOM OFFICIAL

Compatible

Super Mario World Famicom PAL (some graphical glitches reported)
Final Fantasy VI


Incompatible

Terranigma (Reported incompatible, not yet verified, suspected due to region lockout checks, similar to Super Mario RPG.)

Here are some video reviews I made, if you are interested in seeing the unit in action.

RetroDuo Review Part 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZBN5c7V2G4)

RetroDuo Review Part 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYmjEsbo578)

RetroDuo NES Stress Test Part 1 (LIVE at the Digital Press Store March 2008!) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHZ3AMhzi6o)

RetroDuo NES Stress Test Part 2 (LIVE at the Digital Press Store March 2008!) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV0JT3sOxeQ)

Here are the NES MODE S-VIDEO/AV comparison shots. Low light used to avoid the camera flash washing out the screen.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuoAV_SVIDEO9.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuoAV_SVIDEO13.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuoAV_SVIDEO11.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuoAV_SVIDEO10.jpg

[Ed Oscuro]

Aside from the terrible "RetroDuo" logo, the unit is actually pretty...PRETTY!

Let me say that again: I've finally seen a good-looking Famiclone.

It's a shame it doesn't seem to accept regular Genesis controllers - sure, you'd go with SNES if you had to make that choice (as they did), but the SNES controller just ain't a Genesis controller, shoulder buttons or not.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Not only is it pretty, it has the official "Digital Press" colors!

[The Old School Gamer]

Looks great, I'll have to pick one up. I've been waiting for a clone that could play Castlevania 3.

[Leo_A]

Bet those trails you were seeing were a result of your LCD screen and not the system. Hard to say though, I know every LCD screen I've ever used anywhere has some slight blurring.

How come everything looks sort of distorted on the videos, are you stretching stuff to fill a widescreen display?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Bet those trails you were seeing were a result of your LCD screen and not the system. Hard to say though, I know every LCD screen I've ever used anywhere has some slight blurring.

How come everything looks sort of distorted on the videos, are you stretching stuff to fill a widescreen display?

Yeah, I play my 4:3 systems on my 16:9 screen in "full" mode.

I'm used to it ... the side "black bars" are more distracting to me than the minor stretching (that I don't even notice anymore).

[Nero 99]

Most of you know that I'm a Famiclone junkie ... no matter how many I have, I always want the next size, shape, and/or style variation.

Super tiny Yobo unit? I want it.
NOAC in a Dreamcast Controller shell? I want it.
Shaped like a PS1? I want it.
Shaped like a Penguin? I want it.
Half NES half Genesis? You get the picture.

Just got my RetroDuo in the mail today ... and hot damn am I impressed.

I know that Yobo FINALLY updated their NOAC/SNES hardware sometime last year with the NES/SNES "FC Dual" (not the FC Twin) system to correctly play games like Castlevania III and Star Fox ... and as excited as I was at the prospect of a dual clone that could play Castlevania III (and likely a lot of other games more accurately) they never seemed to make their way onto eBay.

http://www.superufo.com/item_photo/item/MISC-0141-L.jpg

(THOUGH some web reviews claim that the FC dual has sub-par controllers and very short controller cords.)

So, now then, ENTER THE RETRO DUO!

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-14142561261418_1989_33253111

Developer/importer INNEX is behind the Retro Duo, and I'm pleased to say that it's pretty damned nice for a dual clone system. (I've read reports online that it's got identical guts to the FC Dual ... and some that say that it doesn't...either way, it seems to be making it's way into the US faster and easier than the Dual, so it was the one I got.)

Here's some pertinent things that I've noticed about the system so far.


It's well boxed, includes 2 SNES style controllers, an AC adapter (which has a VERY short cord, about 3 feet) and a set of AV/S-Video cables.

It has both AV and S-Video output (though only the SNES software outputs correctly in S-Video).

It's slightly smaller than the Yobo FC Twin, and rests completely flat on a table.

It's as light (almost "flimsy" feeling) as most Famiclones tend to be.

It's mirror-finish plastic ... and while I ORDERED the WHITE one, the eBay seller sent me the BLACK one. Yuck. Fingerprints and dust.

The controllers are the same shiny plastic, so if your hands tend to sweat when you play an intense game of Super Mario 2 or Street Fighter 2 Turbo ... be careful that they don't slip right out of your hands. (Thankfully it accepts standard SNES controller inputs ... including the Messiah wireless set!)


COMPATIBILITY : Literally every single thing I threw in the thing worked.



Castlevania III and Starfox work perfectly. (Along with every other game I tried.)

NES games have visually solid graphics output (I played it on a 50 inch LCD) ... I noticed some strange "trails" in games like Arkanoid but no " pixel scrambling" or incorrect color palettes in anything.

The audio on NES games seems pretty good ... I'm betting that they managed to emulate all of the sound channels and midi instrumentation properly ... or MUCH better than the older NOACs.

It had a bit of trouble with a Famicom HK Multicart with Honey Bee adapter on the "menu" screen ... it rolled around like it had PAL output ... it didn't crash the system and I could see the menu okay, and once I selected a game off the menu and it booted the ROM it was fine.

SNES games all look and sound great, runs Star Fox like a freaking charm!

It even accepted the Super Gameboy AND my 64MB Gameboy Bung Flash Cartridge!


Seriously, everything I had and tried - WORKED!

If you don't already own a dual NES/SNES clone, this is the one to get IMO.

Nice product, nice aesthetic design ... and VERY good compatibility.

I'll bring it down to the next NAVA and we can all mess around with it.

Here are some video reviews I made (sorry for the Cloverfield camera action in the first minute, my tripod couldn't get a good shot of the box from the table).

RetroDuo Review Part 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZBN5c7V2G4)

RetroDuo Review Part 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYmjEsbo578)

And here are some pictures!

Thanks for caring!

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuo5.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuo6.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuo7.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuo8.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuo10.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuo15.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/RetroDuo12.jpg

You son of a *censored*! You stole my spot light. I myself was just about to put up my revew of the Retro Duo! I even stated it in the thread i started! god dangit!! pyche!!!! I dont care its not like you were all like " Oh that guys doin a review for Retro Duo . Im gonna do one first!" pretty good review of it any ways. Im still gonna put my review of it up. Good work Frankie!!

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

LOL, sorry Nero!

I searched the forums this afternoon but didn't see any full reviews, and I didn't catch your post in your thread that you were about to do one yourself ... didn't mean to steal your thunder.

Was there anything you noticed about yours that I didn't elaborate on in my review?

[sharkbates]

Do you have the messiah wireless SNES controllers? If so, did you try them out with the RetroDuo? How did they work?

thanks

[sharkbates]

Also, this was in another thread:

To make a long story short, it works decently as long as I run NES carts through composite and SNES ones through S-video. Kind of a pain.

Has this been an issue? Is it necessary to swap input cables or can I play both NES/SNES carts hooked up composite??

thanks again

[Wraith Storm]

Thanks a lot Frankie!!! I have been curious about this clone for some time and didn't know if the rumors were true about it playing Castlevania III. I'm happy to see that it does.

I almost bought an FC Twin a whileback. Thankfully the place I went to buy it had had one on display. While the SNES looked and sounded good the NES sounded terrible. They had the first Super Mario Bros. setup to play and the music sounded completely different.

So I wanted to ask... When playing SMB 1 is the NES sound on the Retro Duo better than the NES sound on the FC Twin? If so... then that seals the deal and i'm buying one.

All in all that was an excellent review. Answered everything els I needed to know.

[Leo_A]

Composite should be able to do both.

And I haven't tried it, but I think you should be able to have composite and s-video hooked up simultaneousily, and you can just select which input you desire on your television, depending on the system. I don't see why it wouldn't work.

[Nero 99]

LOL, sorry Nero!

I searched the forums this afternoon but didn't see any full reviews, and I didn't catch your post in your thread that you were about to do one yourself ... didn't mean to steal your thunder.

Was there anything you noticed about yours that I didn't elaborate on in my review?

naw you said everything I woudof said. i was waiting for my freind to fix his camera before I did it. oh well when i do mine ill have to go all angry video game nerdhahahaha!

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

ANSWERS MOVED TO 1st POST! :D

[debian4life]

Where did you get yours? Do you have a reliable vendor for these?

Regards,

Brian

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I got mine off eBay. The seller shipped it quickly and inexpensively and packed it well (though they sent me the wrong color).

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230227857755

Last time I checked they appeared to have a few left...and they don't seem to be in shortage if you do an eBay search for "RetroDuo".

[boatofcar]

Thanks for the review Frankie! This looks like a winner to me!

[GrandAmChandler]

Does the Retro Duo play Famicom & Super Famicom games as well? If not, have you tried a Honey Bee Converter for Famicom?

[OldSchoolGamer]

Wow! I think that re/black scheme is nice! Good way to combine systems.
Strangely for some weird reason I like the idea of playing original games on real hardware but anything other than the original hardware, of course I just like to be different as it's a good conversation starter!

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Does the Retro Duo play Famicom & Super Famicom games as well? If not, have you tried a Honey Bee Converter for Famicom?

It plays them with a Honeybee converter.

As I stated in my review and showed in the video, the multicart I have gave me a bit of trouble on the menu screen (it looked like it was displaying in PAL on an NTSC set) but once I got to the actual ROMS it was fine.

I also tested Famicom copies (all HK pirates I think) of single game carts - F1 Race, Super Baby (?), and Super Mario 2 JAP with the adapter and they worked fine.

[MrRoboto19XX]

Hey Frankie, solid review man. Does the SNES slot have the american "tabs" that prevent you from playing Super Famicom/Euro SNES games?

I'm not sure how else to word it, and if you're not sure what I mean, taking pictures of the open SNES slot would answer well enough, whichever is easier.

Thanks, and congrats on a good purchase!

[rurouni318]

Reporting from the frontlines of the DP Store, Frankie says that you are able to play any import SNES no problem. You do not need to file down any tabs, it works perfectly.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Hey Frankie, solid review man. Does the SNES slot have the american "tabs" that prevent you from playing Super Famicom/Euro SNES games?

I'm not sure how else to word it, and if you're not sure what I mean, taking pictures of the open SNES slot would answer well enough, whichever is easier.

Thanks, and congrats on a good purchase!

http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/01/07/img_0042.jpg

There's some nice evidence of non-US SFC game in one. I see no tabs in mine that would otherwise block that type of action.

[MrRoboto19XX]

There's some nice evidence of non-US SFC game in one. I see no tabs in mine that would otherwise block that type of action.

I've got no excuse now, I must buy this.:cheers:

[zektor]

Hey Frankie, that is fantastic! Great review, and from the looks of it, this is the ultimate NES/SNES clone....at least it is the nicest one I have seen thus far. Very cool!

[Cloud121]

After seeing the controller, I got my hopes up, only for them to be dashed while watching the video review. I was really hoping that the NES buttons would be mapped to the A and B buttons as they should, but I guess not. Oh well.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

After seeing the controller, I got my hopes up, only for them to be dashed while watching the video review. I was really hoping that the NES buttons would be mapped to the A and B buttons as they should, but I guess not. Oh well.

At least the "B" button is to the LEFT of the "A" button for NES games.

That seems to be an issue with some of the famiclones coming out of HK recently mapping the buttons A-B instead of B-A left-to-right ... they seem to have forgotten the game-breaking importance form-factor of that in games like Super Mario Brothers.

[Leo_A]

If the NES A and B buttons had been mapped to the SNES A and B, you'd have the same troubles you do playing something like one of the Mario Advance titles on the DS.

I'm glad they didn't, this is the superior layout. Even if the letters don't match.

[Cloud121]

I'm probably most likely going to get this. However, do repros work okay? I plan on getting FFII, Mother, Just Breed, and maybe a couple others fairly soon.

Also, speaking of which, I'd assume battery backed games work fine too? Zelda, Dragon Quest, etc?

Oh and, the controllers look a little thicker than first-party Super Famicom controllers. Are they? I hope so.

[98redM6]

I'm wondering if a multi-tap will work on both SNES and NES games? I have some multiplayer games for my SNES but I'm not sure if there are any for the NES (bomberman?).

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I'm wondering if a multi-tap will work on both SNES and NES games? I have some multiplayer games for my SNES but I'm not sure if there are any for the NES (bomberman?).

I doubt that the SNES mutltap will work for NES multitap games. In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb and say - no.

On the other hand, I see no reason why the SNES multitap won't work as it's supposed to on SNES games.

Plus, if you want to play multiplayer Bomberman - as cool as Bomberman 2 is on NES - Super Bomberman on SNES is the way to go for multiplayer.

I have heard rumblings that INNEX is going to release a NES controller to SNES controller port adapter in the near future ... I guess we'll have to wait and see to do NES accessory tests. (Zapper, Advantage, Four-Score, etc.)

As far as repros go - I have a SNES TEXT-LOCALIZED REPRO of Dragon Quest V that I tested and worked great, and the Famicom games I tested were all pirate carts. I'm pretty sure that US repros would work fine, but I don't have any modern US NES repros to actually test.

Battery save NES and SNES games work and boot correctly.

[GrandAmChandler]

I doubt that the SNES mutltap will work for NES multitap games. In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb and say - no.

On the other hand, I see no reason why the SNES multitap won't work as it's supposed to on SNES games.

Plus, if you want to play multiplayer Bomberman - as cool as Bomberman 2 is on NES - Super Bomberman on SNES is the way to go for multiplayer.

I have heard rumblings that INNEX is going to release a NES controller to SNES controller port adapter in the near future ... I guess we'll have to wait and see to do NES accessory tests. (Zapper, Advantage, Four-Score, etc.)

As far as repros go - I have a SNES TEXT-LOCALIZED REPRO of Dragon Quest V that I tested and worked great, and the Famicom games I tested were all pirate carts. I'm pretty sure that US repros would work fine, but I don't have any modern US NES repros to actually test.

Battery save NES and SNES games work and boot correctly.

Frankie,

Do you happen to have Super Mario RPG, MegaMan X2, X3, or Stunt Race FX? I am curious if these play.

-GAC-

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Frankie,

Do you happen to have Super Mario RPG, MegaMan X2, X3, or Stunt Race FX? I am curious if these play.

-GAC-

I don't own it Super Mario RPG is confirmed working by multiple sources.

I only have Mega Max X, which does work fine.

Can't give a confirmation on X2 or X3 ... did those use anything above and beyond standard SNES game chips (even in that case, I'm assuming they would work).

I'd be interested to see if Stunt Race works, and I'd again assume it would since Star Fox runs perfect from what I can see.

I'll be bringing my RetroDuo down to the next NAVA. If anybody has anything they'd like to test in-person, bring it down and we'll give it a whirl.

[GrandAmChandler]

I don't own it Super Mario RPG is confirmed working by multiple sources.

I only have Mega Max X, which does work fine.

Can't give a confirmation on X2 or X3 ... did those use anything above and beyond standard SNES game chips (even in that case, I'm assuming they would work).

I'd be interested to see if Stunt Race works, and I'd again assume it would since Star Fox runs perfect from what I can see.

I'll be bringing my RetroDuo down to the next NAVA. If anybody has anything they'd like to test in-person, bring it down and we'll give it a whirl.

Megaman X2 & X3 have a special C4 chip installed on the cartridge. I believe they were incompatible with previous SNES Clones.

EDIT: Link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cx4_chip

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Megaman X2 & X3 have a special C4 chip installed on the cartridge. I believe they were incompatible with previous SNES Clones.

EDIT: Link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cx4_chip

Ah, interesting ... we need to put out an open call to other RetroDuo owners to give either of those a try!

Here's a list of NES game that have given other NOAC systems a hard time - I'll do what I can to make a reference list for the Duo.

http://www.triforcegamez.com/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=1&chapter=1

[GrandAmChandler]

Ah, interesting ... we need to put out an open call to other RetroDuo owners to give either of those a try!

Here's a list of NES game that have given other NOAC systems a hard time - I'll do what I can to make a reference list for the Duo.

http://www.triforcegamez.com/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=1&chapter=1

Someone needs to play River City Ransom extensively, maybe entering a password to a later level, as you progress the NEX doesn't like RCR too much. Graphics get screwy later on throughout the game.

[Leo_A]

I'd be curious if Top Gear 3000 plays correctly, I can't find my cart right now.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I put an open call with a list of specific games on the March NAVA thread.

If you're going to be there, check the list, check what you own, bring it down and we'll test it out.

[Cloud121]

Hey Frankie, was wondering if you could take a picture of the AC Adaptor for me? I'd really appreciate it.

Oh and, I'm really looking forward to seeing your compatibility list (Gauntlet?).

[Wirestone]

"When ONLY the S-VIDEO cable is plugged in NES games DO NOT DISPLAY ON SCREEN, so you need to either have both in and deal with the strange NES resolution, or unplug the S-VIDEO on both ends when using the NES side of the system. (SEE VIDEO OUTPUT COMPARISON BELOW)"

Frankie, it's interesting you say that. I also have a Retro Duo (I contributed to the earlier thread) and I tried this just this evening. Used only the S-video cables on each side. The NES games still displayed on the screen.

And I'm still getting a drop in the quality of the composite signal on the SNES. NES looks great on composite, crappy on S-video. The opposite for SNES. I'm heartened to see that someone else has duplicated my experience with the NES signal -- now what about the SNES one?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

"When ONLY the S-VIDEO cable is plugged in NES games DO NOT DISPLAY ON SCREEN, so you need to either have both in and deal with the strange NES resolution, or unplug the S-VIDEO on both ends when using the NES side of the system. (SEE VIDEO OUTPUT COMPARISON BELOW)"

Frankie, it's interesting you say that. I also have a Retro Duo (I contributed to the earlier thread) and I tried this just this evening. Used only the S-video cables on each side. The NES games still displayed on the screen.

And I'm still getting a drop in the quality of the composite signal on the SNES. NES looks great on composite, crappy on S-video. The opposite for SNES. I'm heartened to see that someone else has duplicated my experience with the NES signal -- now what about the SNES one?

Interesting. I'll have to do some further tests on the S-Video display.

Perhaps it was because I had a game in the SNES slot at the time I tried it.

Though, if it turns out that it doesn't display any differently than my S-Video tests above...I guess it's moot.

Looks like I'll also have to do a photo comparison between SNES AV and S-Video. Though, while the SNES did look BETTER with S-Video in terms of crisp-ness, I didn't think that the games looked "crappy" with the AV cables - there was no "static resolution tearing" (or whatever you want to call that effect) issues like on the NES. What you see in the video is SNES on AV if that's any indication of the quality of AV inputs for now.

Give me a bit of time and I'll do a photo comparison, however, I won't be able to add it to to first post, as it's exceeded it's photo limitations.

[Gamingking]

I've always seen them on Ebay, And wondered if they actually worked.

Do you own a original NES?, I just bought a New 72 pin.

[Wirestone]

Well, this is what I can tell you. The NES through S-video is definitely the worst. But with SNES through regular AV, I get some "crawling" effects onscreen. That is, you can make out all the pixels and colors, but there's almost a shifting, moving screen underneath them. Definitely odd, but still more playable than the NES/S-video.

That said, the SNES S-video and NES composite both look terrific. And everything I have has played well.

[nickerous]

I've had mine for a few weeks and love it.......however...

I can't get past the 2nd stage in Battletoads. I've tried 5 times and every time, the game hangs up at different points. Anyone else having this problem?

[MarioMania]

How much is it..I might get one down the road

[Volcanon]

The machine is saving you for hours of frustration with Battletoads. Its a new extra feature.

[MarioMania]

I just found the price on ebay duh

Can it work with Street Fighter Alpha 2 (SNES) & Akumajo Densetsu (Famicom)

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I've always seen them on Ebay, And wondered if they actually worked.

Do you own a original NES?, I just bought a New 72 pin.

Of course.

I have an official US top-loader, with two "dogbone" controllers. The unit is un-modified and in great working condition.

I'd also like to pick up a nice condition toaster unit with a new 72 pin at some point in the future.

And while sometimes I get the question "Why do you buy those things if you have a real NES?" - I can't really give a "logical" explanation why. I'm just fascinated with famiclones.

Nickerous - that sucks about Battletoads ... I saw a report that the game hangs after level 2, but I don't own it, so I can't verify whether or not it does that on mine.

We'll definitely add that to the list of games on the software test run at NAVA.

[JLukas]

I can't get past the 2nd stage in Battletoads. I've tried 5 times and every time, the game hangs up at different points. Anyone else having this problem?

Yes, this also happens on a SNES Super 8 adapter. I think this is one of those games that gets listed as compatible on Famiclones simply because it boots up, but was not thoroughly tested.

[Nero 99]

holy crap!!!! I got my retro duo yesterday and every game i tried on it worked except one. the one game that every one was making a big deal about the retro duo for! the one game that didnt work was super mario rpg. i am so stunned that it works on every retro duo exept mine. im at a loss for words.....

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

holy crap!!!! I got my retro duo yesterday and every game i tried on it worked except one. the one game that every one was making a big deal about the retro duo for! the one game that didnt work was super mario rpg. i am so stunned that it works on every retro duo exept mine. im at a loss for words.....

Wow!

That's really strange considering that there's video confirmation of that game working.

I'm assuming that you made sure that the game was totally clean before attempting it, as the pinsets on my RetroDuo grip VERY soft, so, if the pins aren't clean - you might have an issue with it not booting.

Were there any software, or cartridge hardware revisions made to Super Mairo RPG during it's production that could be causing this specific instance of non-compatibility?

Interestingly, there are several reports of instances of Mario RPG working fine on FC Twins, and others claiming that it doesn't work on those ... perhaps the problem lies in a production run of Mario RPG and not either of the game units.

*EDIT* I did a quick bit of Google-research, and it looks like some people claim that Super Mario RPG has 3 software versions in the USA V1.0, V1.2 and V1.3 (found through SNES ROM dumping) ... 2 and 3 apparently have some type of verification code within the SA-1 chip that checks for authentic SNES lockout hardware. SO, it looks like SMRPG V1.0 is the one that runs on all SNES Clones (in the case of reports that it works on the FC Twin) That sucks! Sorry man, maybe there will be a work-around in the future.

[Nero 99]

Wow!

That's really strange considering that there's video confirmation of that game working.

I'm assuming that you made sure that the game was totally clean before attempting it, as the pinsets on my RetroDuo grip VERY soft, so, if the pins aren't clean - you might have an issue with it not booting.

Were there any software, or cartridge hardware revisions made to Super Mairo RPG during it's production that could be causing this specific instance of non-compatibility?


Interestingly, there are several reports of instances of Mario RPG working fine on FC Twins, and others claiming that it doesn't work on those ... perhaps the problem lies in a production run of Mario RPG and not either of the game units.

*EDIT* I did a quick bit of Google-research, and it looks like some people claim that Super Mario RPG has 3 software versions in the USA V1.0, V1.2 and V1.3 (found through SNES ROM dumping) ... 2 and 3 apparently have some type of verification code within the SA-1 chip that checks for authentic SNES lockout hardware. SO, it looks like SMRPG V1.0 is the one that runs on all SNES Clones (in the case of reports that it works on the FC Twin) That sucks! Sorry man, maybe there will be a work-around in the future.

Yea the pins were clean and it worked on my SNES. Oh well the game was a freind of mines and the whole reason he got rid of his FC Twin was because it wouldnt play Super Mario RPG. As for there being different versions of the game, I figured thats what it was so I guess when I buy it myself Ill have to hope that its a version 1.0. Anyways thanks for the info frankie I really appreciate it.:D

:EDIT: oh yea the grips on mine are also really soft. The nes one is soft too and i was pretty surprised when it took a bit of force to pull it out.

[GrandAmChandler]

Quick update, I got my Black RetroDuo today. I can confirm the following work:

NES:

-NWC 1990 Repro cart from RetroUSB
-Super Mario Bros. 2 Japanese Repro cart
-California Raisins Repro Cart
-Earthbound Zero Repro Cart
-Drac's Night out Repro Cart

SNES:

-Stunt Race FX SNES cart

[Nick Goracke]

Wonder if it's possible to get RGB out of these units (with a mod, obviously). I'd love to do RGB on the NES without destroying a Nintendo-made arcade board...

Anybody seen this done/attempted before?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I don't suppose there is such a thing as an S-Video to RGB adapter? Is there?

Also, for anybody interested - I revised the CRAP out of the first post, which was getting rather messy and unwieldy.

I'll now be keeping a running tally of compatible/incompatible hardware and software there. Take a look-see!

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Updated the 1st page of the thread with a new compatibility issue regarding slow-down on an SNES game. (Thanks Nero99!)

I haven't experienced it on any games in my collection, but it's something to look out for in the future.

[Leo_A]

I don't suppose there is such a thing as an S-Video to RGB adapter? Is there?

Probably, but such a thing would not improve anything since the source is still the s-video output.

[Wirestone]

Well, gosh. I guess I'm going to have to post some pictures of my own here -- I have a white unit.

[lovablechevy]

Incompatible

Battletoads (Hangs after level 2.)
Gauntlet (Both NES and Tengen releases do not boot.)


i would have to disagree with this list. i have not personally tested battletoads yet, but it has been proven to play through to the third level. and i can personally attest to the fact that the tengen release of gauntlet works. i've played it for a few hours. however, paperboy definitely does not work.

if anyone is interested in another person's review and aspect of this system, along with a compatibility list, feel free to go here (http://forums.benheck.com/viewtopic.php?t=22958&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0).

pages 5, 6, and 7 discuses battletoads. apparently, people have gotten different results. pages 6 and 7 discuss the successful play of it. maybe this game has different versions like super mario rpg does...?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

i would have to disagree with this list. i have not personally tested battletoads yet, but it has been proven to play through to the third level. and i can personally attest to the fact that the tengen release of gauntlet works. i've played it for a few hours. however, paperboy definitely does not work.

if anyone is interested in another person's review and aspect of this system, along with a compatibility list, feel free to go here (http://forums.benheck.com/viewtopic.php?t=22958&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0).

pages 5, 6, and 7 discuses battletoads. apparently, people have gotten different results. pages 6 and 7 discuss the successful play of it. maybe this game has different versions like super mario rpg does...?

Okay ... In that case I'll change them to "varied instances of working/not in the wild".

Yeah, perhaps there are varied versions of both games (Battletoads and Gauntlet) with some versions being able to boot and others not. Paperboy comes as a surprise ... however the less played of that version of the game the better. ;)

Thanks for the link, I'll be sure to give that a good read and compare notes.

[lovablechevy]

Thanks for the link, I'll be sure to give that a good read and compare notes.

no problem! i did the review, and i unfortunately don't own an original nes. but, i do state that in my review. i like reading other people's review of the retro duo. thanks for posting one!

[ooXxXoo]

I have the Retro Duo White Model,Super Mario World 2 Yoshi's Island doesn't seem to work.Can anyone confirm this?..

UPDATE:It works,just tooked some time to load!..

[ooXxXoo]

Also,for some strange reason if only the s-video cable is connected and all of the RCA jacks are not(no audio or composite video),the S-video will display fine for the NES side as well,but as soon as you plug an audio cable it goes ballistic!

[ooXxXoo]

WoW!...I can't believe it!
This little beast has a Samsung KA2198BD RGB Encoder PAL/NTSC.Therefore it has RGB outputs.Modding Time!..Get Yours while they last!

[strassy]

WoW!...I can't believe it!
This little beast has a Samsung KA2198BD RGB Encoder PAL/NTSC.Therefore it has RGB outputs.Modding Time!..Get Yours while they last!

can you explain in plain english what this means?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

WoW!...I can't believe it!
This little beast has a Samsung KA2198BD RGB Encoder PAL/NTSC.Therefore it has RGB outputs.Modding Time!..Get Yours while they last!

Interesting info!

If you don't fubar your unit in the process of making it RGB - please be sure to make some modification diagrams and post them.

[Nick Goracke]

WoW!...I can't believe it!
This little beast has a Samsung KA2198BD RGB Encoder PAL/NTSC.Therefore it has RGB outputs.Modding Time!..Get Yours while they last!

I'm interested now :D

[ooXxXoo]

Its me again....I got another set of the Retro Duo today(Black model)...I did some comparison side by side between the 2 models(White/Black),and found just a few differences.It seems to be more than one revision made to the Retro Duo mother board.The only change that I noticed between them was just a chip...For some reason the controllers included with the white model are better responding than the ones found with the Black one,specially with fighting games such as Street Fighter II where you have to make all sorts of moves...The white system cartridge ports seem to hold in place the games better.The cartrige ports found in the Black model are a bit more loose when inserting a game...the s-video signals provided by the white model are just a notch cleaner than the black one,but the sound is much better within the black system.They both have the same Samsung RGB encoder!...If you are curious to see what the Retro Duo motherboard looks like,take a look!...

http://usera.imagecave.com/capcom2000/HPIM5847.JPG

There is a clock missing in both of the boards but I'm thinking that it may be for the PAL systems.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Its me again....I got another set of the Retro Duo today(Black model)...I did some comparison side by side between the 2 models(White/Black),and found just a few differences.It seems to be more than one revision made to the Retro Duo mother board.The only change that I noticed between them was just a chip...For some reason the controllers included with the white model are better responding than the ones found with the Black one,specially with fighting games such as Street Fighter II where you have to make all sorts of moves...The white system cartridge ports seem to hold in place the games better.The cartrige ports found in the Black model are a bit more loose when inserting a game...the s-video signals provided by the white model are just a notch cleaner than the black one,but the sound is much better within the black system.They both have the same Samsung RGB encoder!...If you are curious to see what the Retro Duo motherboard looks like,take a look!...

http://usera.imagecave.com/capcom2000/HPIM5847.JPG

There is a clock missing in both of the boards but I'm thinking that it may be for the PAL systems.

GREAT info!

Admittedly a bit of it is greek to me, but I understand the concept of A/V output mods.

Keep us posted if you attempt an RGB mod.

[lovablechevy]

Its me again....I got another set of the Retro Duo today(Black model)...I did some comparison side by side between the 2 models(White/Black),and found just a few differences.It seems to be more than one revision made to the Retro Duo mother board.The only change that I noticed between them was just a chip...For some reason the controllers included with the white model are better responding than the ones found with the Black one,specially with fighting games such as Street Fighter II where you have to make all sorts of moves...The white system cartridge ports seem to hold in place the games better.The cartrige ports found in the Black model are a bit more loose when inserting a game...the s-video signals provided by the white model are just a notch cleaner than the black one,but the sound is much better within the black system.They both have the same Samsung RGB encoder!

huh... that's really weird! thanks for this tid-bit! i only have a white one so i wouldn't know there was a difference. of course, i bought my brother a black one, but he hasn't even opened it yet.

[ooXxXoo]

If you are able to compare the 2 models whenever you get the chance,let us know if you find any differences...Believe it or not the cartridge connectors for the SNES and NES sides on the white model are better quality than the ones within the black.

For those wanting to get RGB..The RGB lines can be easily driven out with a 75ohm resistor and a 220uf capacitor for each output line from leg 21,leg 22 and leg 23 of the Samsung KA2198BD.There are plenty of data sheets for this particular encoder out there...Since the Retro Duo directly uses the s-video output lines from the encoder,leg 15 and leg 16 (C/Y) ,it would be wise to disconnect them from it,otherwise it may become corrupted and there will be no RGB mod for anybody!

[Cryomancer]

Hey GAC, where are your repros from you tested? I got an Earthbound Zero from Dave that he made, and I'm looking into gettting a "blinkless" NES device to play it on...

How do the PAL games work on this, anyway? No rolling screens?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

We did some testing (on video for posterity) of a bunch of games at the NAVA meeting, I need to cut the videos together to fit on one or two YouTube spots, but here's the rundown of what we found :

Gauntlet for NES (the black unlicensed Tengen version) works fine. MYTH BUSTED!

Rolling Thunder for NES (also black, unlicensed Tengen version) does not boot on the Duo.

A TON of other strange unlicensed stuff and random NES cartridges worked GREAT, including but not limited to : Quattro Adventure, Chiller, Sunday Funday, Bible Adventures, Star Tropics 1 & 2, Pacmania, Klax, The Adventures of Bayou Billy, Batman

[MegaDrive20XX]

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

[GrandAmChandler]

Hey GAC, where are your repros from you tested? I got an Earthbound Zero from Dave that he made, and I'm looking into gettting a "blinkless" NES device to play it on...

How do the PAL games work on this, anyway? No rolling screens?

I got mine from Dave as well, it should work.