RetroN 5 is officially a thing, apparently [Archive] - Page 4

Akito01

05-15-2013, 09:51 PM

True, but the list of games that don't work is pretty much a known issue. Also, I always double check ones that don't work on another system whether I am testing on original hardware or the Retron3.

And to add to that, at least in my case, my original NES has become increasingly cranky, despite having cleaned the contacts and installed a new pin connector from the Nintendo Repair Shop. While my RetroN3 v2 may not play back NES sound 100% correctly, it does at least play all my NES carts on the first try. If I were going by my NES entirely, I'd be convinced that my recently acquired copy of Contra was a dud, but it works perfectly fine on both my FC Mobile 2 and RetroN3.

I guess this is another argument in favor of clones; stuff breaks down over time. My NES is the same unit I've had since the end of high school, and I like to think I've taken care of it well, but stuff just happens over time no matter what you do or what steps you take. I'd bum me out not to have a player for the collection of NES carts I have kicking around.

TheRetroVideoGameAddict

05-17-2013, 10:29 AM

Hmmmm,

I'm a fan of original hardware and will continue to use my original NES hardware, but this is kind of a neat idea since it offers save states and GBA support. I guess I'll be checking this thing out when it hits shelves, I really like the idea of clone consoles and how they're combining things, sure they are never 100% compatible with the games but at least someone is out there trying to keep the medium going from a hardware perspective. So yeah, take my money.

Satoshi_Matrix

05-17-2013, 03:29 PM

Now, if only the Retron5 had a way to de-Jap the games so we could play them with American (or even someone American) lettering than that would be a massive reason to buy the system. I've always wanted to play Japanese games but I didn't like the idea of doing so in Japanese, maybe a console will come out with the technology to do this someday.......?

You're talking pure fantasy. The "technology" to do something like this is fan translators and skilled programmers. When it comes to retro games, translation projects are massive undertakings. It's not a simple matter of translating raw text. Often icons are written with kanji.

For example, a icon for a text box might be two characters long and read 女子. In english, that means Little girl. How do you reduce little girl to two characters? Beyond physical space, you also have run into the issue of space in RAM. Because Japanese is based on sounds and not letters, you can express entire ideas in far fewer characters, and the strings that make up lines of dialogue are therefore far shorter. This is why RPGs especially are a nightmare. The famous Final Fantasy III (SNES) had to have its script reduced by a third so it could fit. The Japanese Final Fantasy VI contains far more dialogue.

Depending on compression, a great many of the classic 8 and 16 bit Japanese games out there just do not have the capacity for the lengthy English script without being rewritten as basically new games.

And then even if you do end up with a translation, you need to adapt it to work in English. Most Japanese games use Japanese cultural references and names, and have phrases seldom used in English. For example, the Japanese way of saying "let's go to the park" would be more akin to "won't we go to the park" or "shall we not go to the park". how you translate this makes a difference in capturing the reader's attention. Do you translate something as is, add your own cultural jokes, [Working Designs and the Lunar games] or do you just add whatever you want like DeJap did with their Tales of Phantasia translation:

http://stevethefish.net/superfamicom/phantasia/phantasia04.png

Sorry to burst your bubble, but "auto translations" are absolutely impossible.

Cryog

05-25-2013, 04:28 PM

Hyperkin RetroN5 Demo at Giant Robot Game Night - Outdoor Projector Gameplay

http://digthatbox.com/ - This evening we got a sneak peak at the new Hyperkin Retro N5 game console. This exciting new device supports cartridges from five different game consoles! Wow! It also has a robust, feature packed GUI that goes well beyond anything we've seen on previous retro consoles. Of course since the device is set for debut at the E3 Expo in June, the console itself was concealed inside a mysterious black box. However, gamers from across LA got their chance to sample a number of games, the most popular being Street Fighter II, which drew quite a crowd of onlookers. We're very excited about the final release of the Hyperkin Retro N5 and we look forward to bringing you more news on this console in the coming weeks.

Thanks to Hyperkin and everyone at Giant Robot for hosting this great event!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdB1sOe4iz0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS_OOVWy-3A

For more videos: https://www.youtube.com/DigThatBoxRETRO

Ed Oscuro

05-25-2013, 04:53 PM

You're talking pure fantasy. The "technology" to do something like this is fan translators and skilled programmers.
Have you seen the way AGTH works (https://sites.google.com/site/agthook/)?

NES games are far more primitive than Windows games which generally have reliable methods of hooking into text-related Windows calls. However, there's also not a lot of data in a NES game. With another screen set up to the side, or maybe windowing, it might be possible to intercept characters, maybe even have the user pick out areas of memory if they are reused often for text-related functions.

However there would be another problem - many games using hirigana, which I don't know how a translator would handle, and of course the fact that many characters use graphics instead of some kind of accepted codes for Japanese characters. Using the code the game internally uses to represent a character might be worthless, and of course the graphic would need to be OCR'd or otherwise matched up against a reference.

Doesn't seem impossible, but still more difficult than even translating regular games. However, given that there's not a lot going on with the NES in terms of data, it should be a reasonable place to start.

Ed Oscuro

05-25-2013, 05:23 PM

Expanding on the above a bit -

Japanese is based on sounds and not letters,
This is contradicting what you mention earlier - kanji. Meanings are conveyed in text in a relatively precise form with the use of kanji. Understanding spoken Japanese requires analyzing and understanding context, but the bare sounds are still understood to represent a definite thing - the sounds are just the way of saying them. Aside from cases where words are only written using the syllabary (kana), and ignoring the importance of context for a moment, conveying a specific meaning requires kanji. So saying the "sounds" are what Japanese is based off is as incomplete a description as saying that English is based on sounds, or that math is based on integers. This description is helpful as a component of what Japanese is about; the same sounds can represent different meanings.

It's preferable to write Japanese using kanji characters, and today all computing devices (absent perhaps some really primitive embedded systems) have enough capability to do it this way. However, in the past there were three main methods:

1.) Using standard codes to represent phonetic characters (and even so there are many types, and many systems are incomplete, i.e. half-width kana, which only gives a phonetic system, and no characters with precise meanings); with luck this can be translated, but the tendency of Japanese written phonetically to be very context-based makes translation a bit more difficult - of course, online translation should be getting better at this kind of thing.
2.) Using a code to represent phonetic characters and some of the most common kanji (some older computers), to be displayed from ROM - an expensive solution; kanji ROMs in MSX2 machines vary from 128KB to at least 256KB like in my Sony HB-F1XDJ or the XV; supplying even 16KB of ROM in the Famicom would have been absolutely prohibitive in cost, and would have required a motherboard size closer to a workstation, if not larger. (Look at the size of ROM boards on old games like NARC.) Again, though, there is at least a standard to work from.
3.) Using a code chosen by the programmers to represent a graphics character which looks like a character - again, the size limitations make kana the most obvious choice; depending on the graphics space available on the game ROM, a few kanji might be supplied, mapped in the same way. The programmer might use a standard code which can be picked out with ease with a translator, but then again they might not. They might also use a hybrid of a standard code, and something non-standard to map in the few kanji used. It would be best in this case to work from the characters in ROM or even pull them directly off the screen.

#3 is the option most console games use.

you can express entire ideas in far fewer characters, and the strings that make up lines of dialogue are therefore far shorter. This is why RPGs especially are a nightmare.
Again, see AGTH above. If you limit yourself to on-screen text replacement, at the same resolution, and even in the same amount of RAM or ROM, well, it could be a problem. However, a window to the side, or tricks with hiding layers and a toggled high-resolution overlay generated by the computer could do well. As soon as you forget about the in-ROM translation method - which is unavoidable when running on the original hardware - more options become available.

Depending on compression, a great many of the classic 8 and 16 bit Japanese games out there just do not have the capacity for the lengthy English script without being rewritten as basically new games.
Agreed, which is all the more reason not to think about this in artificially limited terms.

It will be a great long while before we have computers smart enough to translate and present old game ROMs "in real time." I don't think it requires AI and it might even be possible to run a short tool over a ROM to spit out a translated script - and in some cases maybe a really clever program might even be able to fit translation into the ROM itself, as the traditional ROM translations have tried to do. But this is really asking too much.

It should be mentioned that a lot of Japanese game text is less dense than assumed, because early games typically do not have kanji at all, or use it very sparingly. Although this means that words must be figured out by context, it also means that words are written out in a way closer to English - character-by-character, rather than just having a kanji which takes the place of multiple syllables.

ApolloBoy

05-26-2013, 01:11 AM

http://digthatbox.com/ - This evening we got a sneak peak at the new Hyperkin Retro N5 game console. This exciting new device supports cartridges from five different game consoles! Wow! It also has a robust, feature packed GUI that goes well beyond anything we've seen on previous retro consoles. Of course since the device is set for debut at the E3 Expo in June, the console itself was concealed inside a mysterious black box. However, gamers from across LA got their chance to sample a number of games, the most popular being Street Fighter II, which drew quite a crowd of onlookers. We're very excited about the final release of the Hyperkin Retro N5 and we look forward to bringing you more news on this console in the coming weeks.
You're posting a forum, no need to sound like a press release.

Cryog

05-26-2013, 08:34 AM

I only copy/paste the info of this videos.

Satoshi_Matrix

05-26-2013, 11:51 AM

Have you seen the way AGTH works (https://sites.google.com/site/agthook/)? etc.

Well that's an interesting starting point for sure, but far from flawless and complete. It would still take dozens of hours of translation work plus programming time. My point was there is no auto-solution. I'm well aware of the problems when hiragana, katakana and sometimes kanji get mixed up. Most Famicom and even Super Famicom games use only hiragana and katakana without any kanji, and while that does help, spacing and such for English characters is still a major issue.

Also, compression - apparently, the reason the great Famicom RPG Lagrange Point hasn't been fully translated yet is because the translator has simply run out of space to add the English text because of how the game is compressed. I'm really hoping something will be figured out as it is one of the better RPGs on the Famicom, but it just goes to further emphasis my point on the difficulty of translation and how absurd it is that Hyperkin could add in something to automatically translate Japanese games. Maybe someday, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

MarioMania

05-28-2013, 02:42 AM

Can the Retron5 play

Castlevania 3 - NES
Virtua Racing - Genesis
Power Base Converter - Genesis
NES EverDrive ..PowerPak??

treismac

05-28-2013, 09:37 AM

Can the Retron5 play

Castlevania 3 - NES
Akumajō Densetsu - Famicom
Virtua Racing - Genesis
Power Base Converter - Genesis
NES EverDrive ..PowerPak??

There. Fixed your list for you.

Tanooki

05-28-2013, 09:43 AM

Fixed list or not it's a valid concern but I think the Famicom Konami VRC4/6 games like Gradius II and Castlevania 3 with their added audio would be nice to know if that picks up as well.

I'm holding out to see the compatibility as I have no issue with sub $100 price if it all runs great.

Satoshi_Matrix

05-28-2013, 03:11 PM

Hyperkin has already said the Retron5 will be firmware upgradeable, so even if there ARE compatibility issues at launch, this is the only clone in existence that has the possibility of those issues being resolved without you having to go buy another one when they do a motherboard revision. If I had to hazard a guess, I think they'll probably get MMC5 games like Castlevania 3 working, but Akumajou Densetsu and other Famicom support will have less R&D.

MarioMania

05-28-2013, 10:20 PM

Can a firmware fix compatibility issues on the RetroN 5??

If the NOAC won't work with Castlevania 3 a Firmware won't do anything

buzz_n64

05-28-2013, 10:56 PM

Can a firmware fix compatibility issues on the RetroN 5??

If the NOAC won't work with Castlevania 3 a Firmware won't do anything

The Retron 5 is not a NOAC. It is emulation based, it may work with that game in theory.

Rev. Link

05-29-2013, 04:35 PM

Castlevania 3 works on the Retron 3, doesn't it? So why wouldn't it work on the Retron 5?

Tanooki

05-29-2013, 09:15 PM

Retron 3 is a modified NOAC if they got it going on there, and the other is an ARM chipped system if I remember right running software emulation so it's likely to work but assume nothing.

Satoshi_Matrix

05-30-2013, 12:33 AM

What everyone needs to understand first and foremost about the Retorn5 is that it is emulation based, unlike all existing Hyperkin clones (and really all clones in general) which are based on reverse engineered clones of the original hardware.

This means you cannot make any guesses as to compatibility based on what the Retron3 or any other clone can do.

Hyperkin has said they aim for 100% compatibility across all supported platforms with the Retron5, and with emulation coupled with firmware, this is a clone that can actually achieve that goal!

THIS is why The Retron5 is more exciting than any clone ever announced before it, and also why RetroBit's reversed engineered clone that will complete with it seems so outmatched, at least on paper.

Ace

06-01-2013, 12:21 AM

Castlevania 3 works on the Retron 3, doesn't it?

Be careful with this, only one hardware revision of the RetroN3 works with Castlevania III, and that is the RetroN3 Version 2. Neither the RetroN3 Version 1 nor the still-unknown RetroN3 Version 3, which is practically indistinguishable from the RetroN3 Version 2, will NOT work with Castlevania III without modifications. The RetroN3 Version 1 will not boot the game at all (green screen) and the RetroN3 Version 3 will play the game until the Name Entry screen with lots of graphical errors, then crash.

By the way, Satoshi, I found this article which has a quote from a Hyperkin representative which looks to make things even less clear about the hardware in the RetroN5: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/04/hyperkin_nintendo_hasnt_contacted_us_about_the_ret ron_5

This is the quote in question:

The new way of producing these retro consoles is what the RetroN 5 will have. Although I hesitate to use the word for fear of misinterpretation - we are using hardware emulation, not software emulation.

When I see this, I think of an FPGA. Do remember D4 Enterprises used to have the 1ChipMSX, which was an upgradable FPGA clone of the MSX2, and people have expanded the functionality of the 1ChipMSX to make it simulate an MSX2+. Given a big enough FPGA and going by that quote, it may be possible the RetroN5 actually uses an FPGA to simulate the various hardware.

Regardless, I think that quote makes things even more unclear about what exactly runs everything inside the RetroN5. All we know for sure is that the RetroN5 does not use reverse-engineered hardware. When is the RetroN5 supposed to be released? I sure would like to see the exact hardware inside this thing.

dementia_

06-11-2013, 04:25 PM

New preview from E3. Apparently it's running Android.
http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/11/hands-on-with-hyperkins-retron-5-emulating-nine-classic-consol/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

Frankie_Says_Relax

06-11-2013, 04:30 PM

TheRetroVideoGameAddict

06-11-2013, 05:05 PM

Nice! Running Android is a huge plus for me as I am a hardcore Android supporter, so this is welcoming news for me. :)

I seriously cannot wait for this thing to be released, they'e saying by "end of summer" but I'm guessing it will be early 2014.

Dr. BaconStein

06-11-2013, 05:24 PM

As someone who uses Android to emulate, this makes me very excited. Being able to link my physical game data to my devices would be fantastic!

I think this also confirms much better accuracy. Emulation on Android is very high quality.

wiggyx

06-11-2013, 08:16 PM

This thing has officially become my first clone system purchase.

Cryog

06-11-2013, 11:34 PM

Hyperkin Retron 5 - Retroware at E3 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFsf0hmaeXs

treismac

06-12-2013, 02:12 AM

So, Pat's calling it a hit? Interesting. Never really gave it much thought [why would I?], but I would have pegged him as a purist who wouldn't endorse clones or emulation. Wait... Nevermind. I definitely recall him endorsing emulation for Dino's Peak in his last video in order to undermine resellers who stocked up on multiple copies the supposedly Blockbuster exclusive game.

TheRetroVideoGameAddict

06-12-2013, 08:38 AM

Saw the video this morning from Retroware and it's got me more excited than ever to pick up this console when it's finally released. Since the Engadget article said that the motherboard was still in beta stages I have a hard time believing that this system will be ready by the end of the summer, but I'm hoping that it is available by October at the very least.

Satoshi_Matrix

06-12-2013, 04:19 PM

My prediction is around December or January. Hyperkin hasn't said anything but extremely vague release dates for it of "summer" so I honestly don't expect to see it finished and released anywhere near as quickly as I'd like. late July sounds awesome, but I dont think that's reasonable given the current situation and lack of info.

TheRetroVideoGameAddict

06-13-2013, 07:56 AM

http://operationrainfall.com/e3-2013-retron-5-retro-gaming-console/

More info!

Satoshi_Matrix

06-14-2013, 04:44 PM

So there'll be an SD card slot only for savestates? That seems silly. Why wouldn't Hyperkin include a small amount of NAND Flash, maybe 512MB worth? That cost would be miniscule, and almost certainly never fill up given that the average save state is around 30K. Do they expect gamers to back up their savestates to their pcs or email them to friends or something? Don't get me wrong, I don't mind them offering the SD card savestate option, but I think it should be optional, not required if you want to use savestates.

StoneAgeGamer

06-14-2013, 05:31 PM

offthechartsvideogames

06-14-2013, 07:28 PM

I saw a lot of hate on Hyperkin, so I'm gonna back them up by saying the Supaboy is cool and pretty solid and I definitely think the Retron 5 looked cooler than you guys are giving it credit for.

kainemaxwell

06-14-2013, 07:34 PM

Very nice! Wish we could load roms to it as well as play carts. Be nice to finally play more those translated snes rpgs I have about like Terranigma.

treismac

06-14-2013, 10:07 PM

Very nice! Wish we could load roms to it as well as play carts.

If we can, this purchase will be an absolute no-brainer. Being that the Retron 5 apparently has an Android os, I wouldn't count out the possibility of playing roms even if Hyperkin doesn't make it an out of the box feature. It seems a reasonable hope, anyway.

Satoshi_Matrix

06-15-2013, 02:28 AM

SD cards are dirt cheap. I would rather have SD cards than built in memory personally.

Yeah, it won't be a big deal to have to go out and buy a small SD card for this purpose, but I'm just saying that there's little reason why Hyperkin couldn't include a small amount of NAND flash storage onboard the Retron5. Even if they included something ridiculously small like 32MB that would still be plenty of 30K save files.

I saw a lot of hate on Hyperkin, so I'm gonna back them up by saying the Supaboy is cool and pretty solid and I definitely think the Retron 5 looked cooler than you guys are giving it credit for.

What're you talking about? The only person complaining about the Retorn5 throughout this entire thread has been the troll/liar MyTurnToPlay. Also, The Supaboy and all of Hyperkin's other products have nothing to do with the Retron5 since it's emulation based where everything else has been reverse engineered hardware.

Very nice! Wish we could load roms to it as well as play carts. Be nice to finally play more those translated snes rpgs I have about like Terranigma.

*sigh/facepalm*

There was a discussion about this on one of the first few pages of this thread. Please go read that.

What separates the Retorn5 from every other emulator device out there is that it emulates the hardware, not the software. It requires the physical media of cartridge based software. If you can start loading up roms, the Retron5 loses it's unique place in gaming consoles and becomes just another emulator device the same as a modded Xbox or the brand new Ouya.

If Hyperkin does add rom support through the SD card slot (they could, but again they haven't said anything about that), I'm not going to hold it against the Retorn5, but I think that they really don't need to do that. As I said, there are dozens of other devices that emulator both hardware and software already. What the world needs is something that emulates the hardware but lets you play the original software, and the Retorn5 is the only console outside of the RetroGate to do that.

If we can, this purchase will be an absolute no-brainer. Being that the Retron 5 apparently has an Android os, I wouldn't count out the possibility of playing roms even if Hyperkin doesn't make it an out of the box feature. It seems a reasonable hope, anyway.

Why is that a deciding factor for you? Do you have a small library of games or no desire for physical media? If that's the case, then why don't you instead buy an Ouya or mod and Xbox or something? There are many other emulation devices out there that support roms already. If the Retron5 didn't play the physical media, there would be no point to it. I'd like to hear your reasoning.

JakeM

06-15-2013, 02:49 AM

oh nevermind.....

06-15-2013, 04:39 AM

N64 N64 N64

Umm.... have I been asleep? When has anyone anywhere said anything about N64 support?

kainemaxwell

06-15-2013, 07:45 AM

Umm.... have I been asleep? When has anyone anywhere said anything about N64 support?

That was mentioned on the article about this on the bootleg wiki (yes there is one). They're waiting for the patents to expire on it to give it a shot.

treismac

06-15-2013, 01:37 PM

Why is that a deciding factor for you?

I have a NES + Famicom adapter, SNES, Genesis, and a Gameboy Advance. There is nothing functional that the Retorn, uh... I mean the Retron 5 (your browser has an "Add to dictionary" feature, right? ;) ) offers me other than save states. I really am not that arsed about having my systems consolidated, and, even though I'm not a purist about it, I really enjoy playing retro video games on CRTs, so the prospect of playing on a HDTV isn't causing me to cut backflips of joy. I need something more than save states to easily justify allocating funds to the Retron 5 that could be put to better use. If I pay $99 or so for a Retron 5, it will be for what it provides beyond simply playing carts of multiple systems.

I get that the appeal of this multiclone is that it is a cool piece of hardware, and for those who love clones it is shaping up to be the king of clones. Cool. I can dig it and I understand it. I just personally have more highly desired items to acquire in my retro gaming hobby than a multi-system clone. Combine that clone with rom play and the Retron 5 soars to the top of the list. Simple as that.

Do you have a small library of games or no desire for physical media?

No to both (kinda).

In regards to my library, while there are a smattering of games that I would still like to add to my collection, I believe I have a more than respectable collection of video games- particularly the NES, which is my favorite system. However, I don't have Panic Restaurant, Crisis Force, or bucketloads of repros of Super Mario Bros. hacks (especially Super Mario Bros. Special X1 and Giabbit Hunting) or a translated Adventure Island IV. Likewise, there are games for the other systems I'd like to yet add (not so much for the Gameboy Advance, though).

While I really have lost almost all fondness for disc games, CDs, or DVDs as physical media, the same could definitely NOT be said for video game cartridges. Dude, I've loved the sight, feel, and sound of them ever since I was a child. For the NES I love variants like 5-screw vs. 3-screw Black Box games, NOA authorized vs. sexy, rebellious unlicensed Tengen carts, and the different Mario outfit colors in the SMB/DH/WCTM cart labels. The different 2600 cartridge designs and the rainbow of Famicom cart colors are still other great examples of why I love physically owning cartridges. I might emulate from time to time, but my heart will never forsake actual physical systems, cartridges, and controllers.

If the Retron5 didn't play the physical media, there would be no point to it. I'd like to hear your reasoning.

First, I can't ever recall intimating let alone flat out stating that Retron 5 shouldn't play actual physical cartridges. If the clone is emulation based, however, I see no reason to limit it only to physical media to placate some strangely misplaced purism that believes that a multi-system clone should only play physical cartridges because that is "the point" of the thing. As I've reasoned earlier, the overriding point, the purpose, or the end of a video game system is to play video games. Emulation or physical media are just the means to achieving that end. As an owner of the original hardware of all of the systems that the Retron 5 emulates, a clone has to offer me more than simply the end of playing video games.

To take your argument rigidly and unthinkingly to its unintended conclusion, all a Retron 5 has to do to achieve its "point" is to have cartridges slide into and out of its slots, regardless of it actually plays them or not. After all, if playing video games is not the point, this is what you are left with when you mistake the means for the end.

What kind of baffles me is how you inconsistently apply your desire for protecting the purity of video games, Satoshi. First, if purity is of the utmost concern, do not emulate or use clones. Period. Second in the levels of video game purity sins, wouldn't flashcarts and repros also be taboo if the sanctity of video games is a concern? Modding original video game systems for AV output is also perhaps arguably in defiance of some unwritten video game purity law. But adding rom play to a multisystem clone??? Come on. This is a considerably lesser "sin" than even something like donating a super common game to be used as a repro.

Not to be a bastard, but do you have a Hyperkin benefactor who is instilling in you this peculiar belief in the purity of clones? Otherwise I just don't get the rhyme and reason of why you are so concerned over "the point" of the Retron 5 (i.e. playing cartridges and only cartridges) being guarded. Why? What is your reasoning?

Ed Oscuro

06-15-2013, 02:42 PM

You know, an improved N64 design would be pretty cool. Better controller + HDMI output + faster speed = sounds good! Although I'd rather it was Nintendo making such a thing, I doubt they would actually bother.

kainemaxwell

06-15-2013, 04:24 PM

My mistake, wasn't the bootleg wiki (which doesn't have an article on the 5 yet), was one the slashdot articles where the N64 and PSX were mentioned:
http://slashdot.org/topic/cloud/retron-5-plays-cartridges-from-five-classic-consoles/

And I'm liking this, be nice to play my old carts once again too. Add rom support for those of us with translated games (especially rpgs) and I'm def sold.

buzz_n64

06-15-2013, 06:08 PM

Einzelherz

06-15-2013, 11:19 PM

Ugh, that thing looks like a broken vaccuum cleaner.

Satoshi_Matrix

06-16-2013, 08:45 AM

treismac, it doesn't sound like the Reton5 will really be for you given all you said. That's fine, there's nothing wrong with sticking with the original hardware. Even though I'm championing the Retron5, I don't think it'll ever replace any of the original systems I have - it will just sit next to my HDTV and all my real hardware will sit with my CRT. Best of both worlds.

You know, an improved N64 design would be pretty cool. Better controller + HDMI output + faster speed = sounds good! Although I'd rather it was Nintendo making such a thing, I doubt they would actually bother.

You know, the N64 is capable of very clean S-Video and launch models can be easily modded to run pure 240p RGB. I dunno what you mean about faster speed though. Overclocking? What N64 game needs to be overclocked?

As for a better controller,
check out this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rft8c7nW3A

or this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mibd_7C-p6Q

Ugh, that thing looks like a broken vaccuum cleaner.

I don't see the criticisms I read about the visual design of the prototype system. i think it looks good, although I suspect that the case isn't going to be nearly that tall. If they're reducing the motherboard to an android based motherboard, it doesn't need to be any thicker than a tablet. A it is it looks as thick as if it had a harddrive and DVD tray in there as well.

Cryog

06-17-2013, 01:15 AM

Two new videos !!!

Super Mario All-Stars (SNES)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4KcQO4uCYA

Mario Kart (Gameboy Advance)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpvOclkTxX8

TheRetroVideoGameAddict

06-17-2013, 08:15 AM

This thing is still looking fantastic, and even if I need an SD card to save games or a USB flash drive or something than that's no issue seeing as how I've probably got a dozen or so of each hanging around the office. Can't wait to own this console and I can't wait to dive back into SNES and Genesis games that I haven't played in years (they're yelling at me from their shelves). :)

Satoshi_Matrix

06-17-2013, 05:12 PM

full screen GBA! GB Player eat your heart out.

JakeM

06-17-2013, 05:26 PM

This thing is still looking fantastic, and even if I need an SD card to save games or a USB flash drive or something than that's no issue seeing as how I've probably got a dozen or so of each hanging around the office.

Thats actually an insanely great idea since those batteries in games are getting really old. And you could maybe even transfer saves from emulators/websites over to them and play the games on actual hardware from wherever you want to start the game.

Einzelherz

06-17-2013, 09:58 PM

full screen GBA! GB Player eat your heart out.

I forgot about the Retron 5 coming out so I picked up a GCN + GB Player the other week for $30. I'm comfortable with it :)

Satoshi_Matrix

06-18-2013, 04:20 PM

Thats actually an insanely great idea since those batteries in games are getting really old. And you could maybe even transfer saves from emulators/websites over to them and play the games on actual hardware from wherever you want to start the game.

Well, since the Retrode does that already, it's possible Hyperkin will allow that.

Either way, they've said that the Retron5 will support savestates, so even if your carts have dead batteries it won't matter since you don't need battery backed sram when you have flash loadable save states.

loop006

06-19-2013, 06:47 PM

If you guys did not get a chance to play the RetroN5 at E3, it will be fully playable at the Hyperkin booth this year at Seattle Retro Gaming Expo! The show will be held on July 13-14 at the Seattle Center. More info here: seattleretro.org see you there!

Gerald

MetalFRO

06-20-2013, 11:54 AM

I'm quite excited about the Retron5, and have been since I read the initial announcement on Engadget several months ago. The big draw for me is the HDMI output, so I can have NES & SNES games on that TV (my NES & SNES are connected to my CRT in another room), the full-screen GB/GBC/GBA, and the save states. As a working professional, I obviously don't have the kind of time I had as a kid, so save states help a lot, especially for difficult action games that take a lot of patience and practice. I might actually be able to complete Jackal if I could spend all my time playing level 4 on, instead of always having to slog through 1-3, as an example. Being able to play one console's games with another's controller. I'd be curious to know if I can play Sonic the Hedgehog with an NES pad, for example. Emulation would be a nice side benefit, so I wouldn't have to shell out $100+ to play Gleylancer or Eliminate Down, but I'm not counting on that as being an available feature.

Satoshi_Matrix

06-21-2013, 03:15 PM

The Retron5 certainly seems like it has everything in the world going for it, but it won't mean a hill of beans if Hyperkin doesn't manage to actually deliver extremely accurate emulators.

I recently picked up an android tablet and based on what's on the google play store, emulators for android are all over the place in terms of quality. Some are excellent while others are embarrassingly awful.

I wonder if Hyperkin are designing their own emulators or are basing them on publicly released ones?

dementia_

07-16-2013, 06:25 PM

Anyone try this out at the Seattle convention this past weekend? I'm curious to hear impressions from classic gaming enthusiasts.

hellraiser

08-18-2013, 11:12 PM

Any one heard anything new about the retron 5? Seems like news stoped for awhile now...

StoneAgeGamer

08-19-2013, 09:48 AM

Any one heard anything new about the retron 5? Seems like news stoped for awhile now...

David from Hyperkin was on the Video Game Rescue podcast last week. A few things of note from the podcast. They will NOT be supporting anyway to play ROMs on the R5, the current images of the R5 are no longer accurate they have changed the design a bit, and it sounds like they will be partnering with wholesalers in Brazil and Europe to allow people from those regions the ability to get the R5 and other Hyperkin products cheaper and quicker, they are shooting for $99.99 MSRP, and finally its been pushed back until October release at this time. You can video the podcast here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdYVCxvguSw&feature=share&list=PL9jVb-GwYGl6EcrQQeFci-eiOAVA4Ufa0

To people who are antsy for this to get released, I would say be patient. I would rather release a polished product released than another junk clone.

treismac

08-19-2013, 07:54 PM

.A few things of note from the podcast. They will NOT be supporting anyway to play ROMs on the R5...

No surprise. They have been toting this line for a minute now. Still it's a shame that Hyperkin hasn't grown a pair, but whatever.

To people who are antsy for this to get released, I would say be patient. I would rather release a polished product released than another junk clone.

Here, here. All the games it will be able to play aren't going anywhere, so what's the hurry?

hellraiser

08-20-2013, 12:08 AM

Thanks for the update... i must admit im a excited for this thing. A few more months for a quality machine is nothing...

PizzaKat

08-20-2013, 01:15 AM

Ah, I was looking forward to have it by the end of the summer. Oh well, I rather have it done right. While everyones anticipating the Xbox One and PS4 I can't wait to get this.

Panzerfuzion

08-21-2013, 03:33 PM

Having a maxed out game room and not a whole lot of stuff I'm looking for, this is the most excited I've been for a peice retro gaming gear in a long time. I just hope it's put toghter well, I own a Generation Nex and it has many issues and it might be the best clone I've owned. So lets hope this thing is quality and not a peice of hardware to cash in on the retro gaming trend.

TheRetroVideoGameAddict

08-21-2013, 03:58 PM

Lot's of talk about the Retron 5 on their FB page lately, I have the feeling we're close to getting a release date! Unfortunately I'm thinking the release date probably isn't going to be until sometime in October or November, their summer prediction is obviously not going to happen.

I wan't this thing badly.

JohnHall

08-21-2013, 04:25 PM

I still have an affinity for physical products, it's ok if you don't though.

Akito01

08-21-2013, 04:28 PM

I know this isn't something that's been talked about, but its an idea that's been lurking for me since the initial news that this was an emulation based console. What I'm wondering is if it isn't impossible for Hyperkin to produce adaptors for games for other systems, Retrode style. At this point is clear we may never get a clone for the Atari, TurboGrafx or other fringe systems, but a cartridge adaptor with a firmware update might be a low cost solution?

MetalFRO

08-21-2013, 06:27 PM

treismac

08-21-2013, 09:44 PM

Satoshi_Matrix

09-02-2013, 09:28 AM

isn't impossible for Hyperkin to produce adapters for games for other systems, Retrode style. At this point is clear we may never get a clone for the Atari, TurboGrafx or other fringe systems, but a cartridge adapter with a firmware update might be a low cost solution?

Yes it's possible, but mark my words: it won't happen.

Hyperkin would need to devote considerable resources into R&D to even develop concept adapters, and then the potential market who would be interested in Atari, PC Engine, Master System, Jaguar, Neo-Geo or Neo-Geo Pocket Color carts would be so small it wouldn't make sense from a business standpoint. The five systems that they are including all have popular followings worldwide, which is why they were chosen.

Personally I agree that it would be awesome if the RetorN5 had optional adapters to enable additional systems to be played, but it doesn't make sense to do that from a business prescriptive because again, the potential market who would be interested (i.e you and me) are too small.

Maybe if Hyperkin came up with a plan and ran a kickstarter campaign. Otherwise......this won't happen.

goob47

09-02-2013, 10:08 AM

Just saw an article about this in Retro Gamer magazine. To tell you the truth, it sickens me that people are making money off of copying old systems.

Akito01

09-02-2013, 11:19 AM

Just saw an article about this in Retro Gamer magazine. To tell
you the truth, it sickens me that people are making money off of copying old systems.

I'm not sure I understand the objection. This isn't a ROM player, after all, and neither Nintendo nor Sega is making this hardware anymore. For someone like myself, who have stacks of old carts, this is simply a way to play our legally purchased games where the original console hardware has become scarce or unreliable. If Nintendo started putting out NES's again, I'd buy one instantly, but they aren't, and my original NES rarely plays games anymore. Not everything is available on virtual console, so a machine like this is more of a boon to retro game players than an exploitation, at least as I see it.

goob47

09-02-2013, 12:04 PM

I'm not sure I understand the objection. This isn't a ROM player, after all, and neither Nintendo nor Sega is making this hardware anymore. For someone like myself, who have stacks of old carts, this is simply a way to play our legally purchased games where the original console hardware has become scarce or unreliable. If Nintendo started putting out NES's again, I'd buy one instantly, but they aren't, and my original NES rarely plays games anymore. Not everything is available on virtual console, so a machine like this is more of a boon to retro game players than an exploitation, at least as I see it.

I guess the only nice thing about this is that since more people are bound to buy these things, the price of original consoles will most likely go down. As a collector, I have no desire whatsoever to own one. Be it the nostalgia of having to hook up each individual console before I could play the game, or just the different kinds of lights that would show when you powered it on, the convenience factor doesn't outweigh the awesomeness factor.

Mangar

09-02-2013, 01:58 PM

I guess the only nice thing about this is that since more people are bound to buy these things, the price of original consoles will most likely go down. As a collector, I have no desire whatsoever to own one. Be it the nostalgia of having to hook up each individual console before I could play the game, or just the different kinds of lights that would show when you powered it on, the convenience factor doesn't outweigh the awesomeness factor.

I understand this logic, however..

As a collector, who would like to have a lot of his systems hooked up, I can see the appeal of this. Assuming of course that is has 100% compatibility. (A rather large assumption I must admit) Being able to take 3 consoles out of the living room, and replace them with one, AND being able to hook them up to the main house HDTV - That could be awesome. This is a product that I'll look at, and wait for reviews from people after it's released. As it stands now, I generally turn toward my living room HTPC and emulation for most of my classic gaming, and kind of going back to some form of "original" hardware with controllers and cartridges could be kind of fun.

Not that I'll be buying this at launch. I think anyone who blindly buys any clone, regardless of claims made by the manufacturer, without first waiting for reviews from early adopters regarding it's compatibility issues is simply wasting money. After all the horrible clones released, we should all know better. There has never been a clone with 100% compatibility and accuracy, and until there is - I see little point in purchasing one.

JSoup

09-02-2013, 02:24 PM

There was a test model running at their booth at SanAnime this previous weekend. Seemed pretty neat.

Satoshi_Matrix

09-02-2013, 03:05 PM

since more people are bound to buy these things, the price of original consoles will most likely go down. As a collector, I have no desire whatsoever to own one. Be it the nostalgia of having to hook up each individual console before I could play the game, or just the different kinds of lights that would show when you powered it on, the convenience factor doesn't outweigh the awesomeness factor.

I wouldn't count on that. The clone market is isolated from the original hardware market that one does not effect the other. The prices for the original hardware will stay the same. You say as a "collector" you have no interest in the RetroN5, but how is that relevant? One doesn't buy a Retron5 to "collect" it, it's for playing retro games in their original format on an HDTV in 1080p with emulator functionality rolled together with those who love their physical carts. It's also far more convenient, takes less room, and assuming it works as intended, makes the original hardware moot.

Not that I'll be buying this at launch. I think anyone who blindly buys any clone, regardless of claims made by the manufacturer, without first waiting for reviews from early adopters regarding it's compatibility issues is simply wasting money. After all the horrible clones released, we should all know better. There has never been a clone with 100% compatibility and accuracy, and until there is - I see little point in purchasing one.

Haha, I'll most definitively be one of those early adopters you speak of. I can't wait for to tear into the RetroN5 and see what it can and cannot do.

I think the big difference this time is this one is built around Android emulation, which for the most part is excellent. The difference between emulation and reverse engineered hardware as was previously in other clones is that emulators are as good as the programmer instead of as a good as the random chinese team that put together the glob top logic chips and called it a day without fully testing. Also, if there ARE any problems, Hyperkin can simply release firmware updates to patch and fix any issue that may arise.