View Full Version : Sega Genesis Retrogen Handheld Game
thegamezmaster
01-11-2011, 01:14 PM
Greetings Programs! Does anyone know of a retail store that sells the Sega Genesis Retrogen Handheld Game system? I live in Central Il and would like to be able just to go to a store and buy one. Does anyone have one? Are they good or bad or curious about an owner's thoughts on them. I have a Sega nomad and would like to get rid of that and get one of these if they're any good please let me know and thanks for any input.
jb143
01-11-2011, 01:46 PM
I can't speak for anywhere that far North in Illinois but if you were ever in the St. Louis Area I could tell you several places that carry those. Since you already have a Nomad you might look into this mod (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=138147).
I also think it's funny that everyone south of Bloomington would consider you in Northern IL and everyone in Chicago would consider you in Southern IL.
thegamezmaster
01-11-2011, 02:43 PM
I can't speak for anywhere that far North in Illinois but if you were ever in the St. Louis Area I could tell you several places that carry those. Since you already have a Nomad you might look into this mod (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=138147).
I also think it's funny that everyone south of Bloomington would consider you in Northern IL and everyone in Chicago would consider you in Southern IL.
Are any of the store major retail stores? I might have some of them around here. Please let me know,thanks.
StoneAgeGamer
01-11-2011, 03:02 PM
Are any of the store major retail stores? I might have some of them around here. Please let me know,thanks.
I would suggest keeping the Nomad. If you a a avid classic gamer the positives of these systems will not outweigh the negatives.
This is just my opinion of course, I am sure there are plenty of people who enjoy the GenMobile/RetroGen.
If you are looking for something really portable that can play Genesis games for around the same price I would suggest checking out the Gopher. There are quite a few YouTube videos comparing the Gopher to the GenMobile or RetroGen.
The 2 big downsides of the Gopher is that it doesn't play original carts (only ROMs off a SD card). Some would consider this an upside though because it makes it much more portable. The second is game saves do not work with the Gopher. Other than that is feels much better built and its much more portable than the GenMobile/RetroGen/Nomad.
thegamezmaster
03-25-2012, 11:11 AM
Forgot about this but thanks for all the input, thanks!
Frankie_Says_Relax
03-25-2012, 11:51 AM
Just a quick thought on the matter.
The audio/video on the Ghoper is pretty much identical to the Gen Mobile (imperfections included) except that you can easily put a full set of roms on the on-board SD card.
I'm highly tolerant of the improperly modulated audio on Genesis clones. That said, I really like the Gopher.
I'm highly tolerant of the improperly modulated audio on Genesis clones. That said, I really like the Gopher.
Even when the sound pitch is about 4 times lower than it should be? I don't know about you, but I can't stand differences in sound pitch, especially not when they're that drastic, and neither can I stand bad volume balance between the SN76489 (PSG) and YM2612/YM3438 (OPN2 FM Synthesis). What I am tolerant of, though, is differences in filtering and slightly less so for distortion. I could take distorted sound (provided it's not as bad as the Gen-X or GN Twin - I think you know how those sound like), but when it comes to filtering, although I have a certain preference for very heavy filtering like the RetroN3 (heavy low-pass filtering), even if the sound is filtered to make the bass weaker (high-pass filtering here), I'll take it anyways. I just prefer heavy low-pass filtering as I'm not a big fan of the YM2612/YM3438's raw output.
With that being said, Thegamezmaster, you really shouldn't get any of the AtGames portable Geniclones. Not the RetroGEN, not the GENMobile and not the Gopher, either. The sound is absolute crap and the compatibility seems worse than GOAC-based clones (AtGames' clones are NOT pure hardware clones, but run on a Titan ARM core with a very poorly-designed emulator tacked onto it. Nasty!). Stick to your Nomad. It may be a giant battery-eating brick, but in the long run, you'll get a much better experience playing Genesis games on the go on that thing rather than some shoddy software-emulation based portable because the Nomad is original Sega hardware.
Frankie_Says_Relax
03-26-2012, 09:38 AM
Even when the sound pitch is about 4 times lower than it should be?
Even when.
Really doesn't matter that much to me. I'm aware of the presence of inaccurate audio, but it doesn't take me out of the experience of enjoying a Genesis game on the go.
I know I'm in the minority, but for me, what these things lack in audio accuracy they make up for in convenience.
kedawa
03-26-2012, 05:44 PM
You may as well just go for pure emulation, then.
I'll take a Dingoo or Gemei handheld over half-assed hardware clones any day.
Even when.
Really doesn't matter that much to me. I'm aware of the presence of inaccurate audio, but it doesn't take me out of the experience of enjoying a Genesis game on the go.
I know I'm in the minority, but for me, what these things lack in audio accuracy they make up for in convenience.
Wow, man, I just cringe every time I read this. There's no way in hell I can stand major audio inaccuracies like on AtGames' garbage clones.
You may as well just go for pure emulation, then.
I'll take a Dingoo or Gemei handheld over half-assed hardware clones any day.
I'll pass on software emulation-based solutions, honestly. I'll tell you something: if I had a specialty retro game shop, I'd sell modified hardware clones rather than some software emulation-based system. And if I decide to sell x-in-1 clones with crap NOACs, I'd get the NOAC out of a new-revision FC Game Console, adapt it to work in the clone in question and add in a Castlevania III compatibility fix (yes, it exists).
I'll tell you one thing: when it comes to the Genesis, software emulation doesn't cut it. GOAC-based hardware clones have an actual Yamaha YM3438 integrated within them much like in the main ASICs and the GOACs produced by Sega post-1992. Not a single software emulator is able to replicate the YM3438 or even the YM2612 to perfection (they're cross-compatible, by the way). A hardware clone with a good audio amp will always sound better than any software emulation.
Frankie_Says_Relax
03-26-2012, 10:20 PM
Wow, man, I just cringe every time I read this. There's no way in hell I can stand major audio inaccuracies like on AtGames' garbage clones.
That's cool. Your prerogative.
I understand the desire to have accurate audio, it just doesn't bug me.
Things like slowdown/frame rate/speed inaccuracies are much more of a deal-breaker for me and there's not much of that I can find in the clones.