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View Full Version : Retro-Bit strike back !!! Super Retro Trio + Super Retro Adapter !!!



Cryog
05-03-2013, 08:31 PM
The RetroN5 has a challenger

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Innex's Super Retro Trio plays old-school NES, SNES, GENESIS, and GBA games.

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Fans of retro video games will soon have a new multi-format gaming console on which to play them thanks to video game hardware company Innex. Just announced, the Super Retro Console and Adapter by Retro-bit provide brand-new hardware with which gamers can play old-school games for NES, SNES, GENESIS, and GBA.

"Old-school is new-school when it comes to playing nostalgia games," states Innex President, Titi Ngoy. "Our exclusive line of Retro-bit game consoles are awesome for any gamer, no matter what their age."

Ngoy cites what he calls "a huge appetite" for 8- and 16-bit video games and anticipates a large demand for the console thanks to the large library of already-available games for the Super Retro Trio.

The Super Retro Trio is equipped with three cartridge slots, six ontroller ports compatible with original or third party controllers, two 16-bit game controllers, an S-video connection, an AC adapter, and an AV cable. Innex will be listing the console at $69.99 USD.

An adapter will be released along with the console to allow for the playing of original GBA game cartridges directly on the SNES or any third party 16-bit console. The Super Retro Adapter comes equipped with a GBA link cable port for connecting of as many as three Game Boy Advance systems to allow for 4-way gaming. The link cable itself is not included. Innex is listing this item for $39.99 USD.

Retro gamers wanting both will be able to purchase both the console and the adapter together as the Super Retro Bundle for $89.99 USD.

Innex will be showing the Super Retro Trio at this year's E3 in Los Angeles, which takes place June 11 through 13.

http://www.news10.net/entertainment/gameguys/article/243408/245/Old-school-becomes-new-school-with-Innexs-Super-Retro-Trio

buzz_n64
05-03-2013, 09:00 PM
Seems to be inferior to the Retron5. Only 3 slots built in as opposed to 5 on the Retron5. No HDMI, and some extra adapter needed in order to play GBA games. If it is more compatible and accurate than the Retron5, then it might be worth it

bb_hood
05-03-2013, 09:34 PM
Unless it has 100% compatibility with every game, what is the point to owning any of these 3rd party retro systems?
I just don't see why any are even needed. You can easily get a nes for 50$, snes for 50$, and genesis for 15$, so why would you spend almost that for one 3rd party system that is probably made of really cheap plastic and wont play every game.
I also think alot of the fun of playing older games is using original hardware.

Why havent we seen a 3rd party system that plays turbo grafx cards and cds? That would be something alot of people could use.

PreZZ
05-03-2013, 09:54 PM
I agree turbo cards would be cool, but the market is too small compared to nintendo and sega so probably not worth investing an additional slot for the makers since nobody would use them (except us from dp!!) and finding turbografx games is very hard compared to nes snes gba and genesis. Hyperkin retron 5 looks better overall, with the save states, filters, and hdmi for playing retro games on hdtv. S video is not good enough if your playing on a modern tv, but ok for a crt. It should at least have component outputs. I agree nothing beats the original hardware, but the new retron5 seems perfect for a modern tv, MAYBE i will buy it if its good so I can put it on my home theater setup. Ill keep the original hardware on my small sony pvm!

Satoshi_Matrix
05-03-2013, 11:43 PM
Well damn, I think I'll probably have to buy this now so I can review it and see how it stacks up to the ReotrN5, which I'll also be buying.

Some thoughts:

I like the design. Black and red is nice looking. Not sure how I feel about the controller port dust cover. I feel like if I bought it I'd just break that off. seems useless, but who knows, maybe it wont be a problem in the final version.

99% sure this will be reverse engineered hardware like other clones. So yay the compatibility problems that could arise! I'm interested in particular how good the NOAC is. If it's decent, this might end up being a better replacement than the RetroDuo - the current NOAC king multi console. (Super 8 doesn't count as a standalone clone).

The GBA adapter looks interesting. It looks like it'll fit into the SNES cartridge port, which likely means it'll work like the RetroGen and get power from the SNES 5v pin for Super FX games. That will likely mean it will also work on a real SNES or other clones. I wonder if it's video output is controlled by the SNES though? I doubt it, but that would be sweet.

I wonder what "16 bit controller" they'll show off? Moot since you can use original controllers, but weird they didn't show their controllers in the announcement.

If Hyperkin sticks to their word of the retron5 being "Under $100" then this one that does far less and without HDMI is pricy and certainly not the better buy on paper. Still, with no word on how good either clone's performance actually is, there's no point in comparing them just yet.

dgdgagdae
05-04-2013, 02:29 AM
I actually prefer no HDMI, because I have an older TV that has an HDMI port, but which doesn't handshake properly with anything. If the Retron5 is HDMI only, that's pretty limiting. Nice for people trying to play old games on new TVs, though.

I'm especially interested in that GBA adaptor, which I would buy in a heartbeat to use on my SNES.

Az
05-04-2013, 04:29 AM
What are the two switches next to the controller ports? I'd assume the top one is the Sega region selector since it only has two settings, but what about the one under it?

Cryog
05-04-2013, 12:39 PM
Sega Genesis/Megadrive region switch:
NTSC corresponds to NTSC USA, PE to PAL Europe, NJ to NTSC Japan and PA to PAL America (Brasil).

Satoshi_Matrix
05-04-2013, 01:40 PM
I actually prefer no HDMI, because I have an older TV that has an HDMI port, but which doesn't handshake properly with anything. If the Retron5 is HDMI only, that's pretty limiting. Nice for people trying to play old games on new TVs, though.

I'm especially interested in that GBA adaptor, which I would buy in a heartbeat to use on my SNES.

Retorn5 won't be HDMI only - it will also have composite (and possibly S-Video).



What are the two switches next to the controller ports? I'd assume the top one is the Sega region selector since it only has two settings, but what about the one under it?

I was wondering the same thing. The image is too low in resolution to be able to tell, but if I had to guess, one of them would be the multi region switch like found on the RetroGen. The other I have no idea. Maybe a controller switch to let you use whatever controllers they come with or original NES/SNES/Genesis controllers? Or maybe console/GBA switch.

Speaking of that, the GBA adapter of course opens up a lot of questions:

Will it be GBA only, or will it also play GB and GBC?

How much of a tv screen will it fill?

How will it output video/audio? Will it do with the RetroGen and RetroPort didn't and feed the signals through the SNES itself and have the video quality dictacted by the SNES GPU and cable you're using?

How will GBA games control? The SNES controller seems the best choice, but who knows what they'll actually end up doing.

How well will the GBA emulation be? I mean as cool as this concept is, will this be a viable replacement for a GameCube GameBoy Player?

Old_Skool_Fool
06-09-2013, 11:08 PM
Why would anyone want to have HDMI on a classic console? It's not like it's going to do anything for the visuals of the games, if anything, it would make them worse unless the hardware was engineered with visual buffering in place which I can't see as Hyperkin remotely investing in.

So I got some close up first hands on photos before the E3 show http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?168131-Official-Super-Retro-Trio-Review-amp-Preorder-Thread


Overall it's a nice design, as I really like the Matte finish (still wouldn't do it to my car still) but I'm eager to try it out at the show.

Akito01
06-09-2013, 11:37 PM
Why would anyone want to have HDMI on a classic console?

Because it's 2013, and those are the inputs that modern televisions have.

Old_Skool_Fool
06-10-2013, 12:08 AM
Because it's 2013, and those are the inputs that modern televisions have.

Umm, yeah BUT these units don't utilize it for Anything honestly. And all modern TVs include a slew of connections. From standard AV, VGA, Svideo, Component because TV manufacturers want to cater to all devices in 2013.

So why would you want to put in your classic 80's/90's game console a HDMI output hence raising production costs and offering little to no value whatsoever in it's main purpose of outputting an image that would only be artifacted heavily via such a method?

TheRedEye
06-10-2013, 12:15 AM
Why would anyone want to have HDMI on a classic console? It's not like it's going to do anything for the visuals of the games, if anything, it would make them worse unless the hardware was engineered with visual buffering in place which I can't see as Hyperkin remotely investing in.

Given that these are cheap Android devices running emulators, HDMI output will keep the picture clean, just like your computer.

EDIT: Also, as far as raising price, I'd imagine there are off-the-shelf parts being used here that already have HDMI built in. It's probably MORE expensive to add other outputs.

Frankie_Says_Relax
06-10-2013, 12:34 AM
Umm, yeah BUT these units don't utilize it for Anything honestly. And all modern TVs include a slew of connections. From standard AV, VGA, Svideo, Component because TV manufacturers want to cater to all devices in 2013.

So why would you want to put in your classic 80's/90's game console a HDMI output hence raising production costs and offering little to no value whatsoever in it's main purpose of outputting an image that would only be artifacted heavily via such a method?

While there's not much value in taking a standard video feed of a classic console and running it through HDMI, if you're talking about something like Hyperkin's upcoming Retron 5 which utilizes emulation in tandem with upscaling designed with HD video resolution in mind, you'll wind up with a visually pleasing display.

I've used classic console emulators on a jailbroken PS3 and they output the most gorgeous, crisp, clean images on a modern TV.

Even a Wii outputting 8 and 16 bit games via a 480p RGB cable image looks better than any clone that I have.

Satoshi_Matrix
06-10-2013, 02:26 AM
I think it's just fine to use S-Video. S-Video is close to RGB anyway, and that's what these systems were designed for in the first place.

Tanooki
06-10-2013, 05:13 PM
Why would anyone want to have HDMI on a classic console? It's not like it's going to do anything for the visuals of the games, if anything, it would make them worse unless the hardware was engineered with visual buffering in place which I can't see as Hyperkin remotely investing in.

So I got some close up first hands on photos before the E3 show http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?168131-Official-Super-Retro-Trio-Review-amp-Preorder-Thread


Overall it's a nice design, as I really like the Matte finish (still wouldn't do it to my car still) but I'm eager to try it out at the show.

Considering there's evidence of what HDMI does both due to the Hyperkin device but also the HDMI upgrade to existing toploaders from retrousb coming my first idea I have seeing your signature is that you're a shill for the hardware because your website DasReview is selling it. You're trying to talk down something that can do some stunningly sharp audio and video over HDMI on a modern TV that also isn't yet another set of Systems on a Chip in a new shell that Retrobit is offering again. You're comparing two very different types of systems and entirely unfairly.

Jorpho
11-10-2013, 11:38 PM
I recently saw one of these Super Retro Adapters (or Super Retro Advance Adapters, as they seem to be named) and was kind of surprised I hadn't heard of it before. This seems to be the thread where it last came up.

Did anyone here end up buying one of these?

Leo_A
11-11-2013, 01:42 AM
So you actually found something for sale? I've seen no evidence of it and it seems largely forgotten at this point.

Does it to do more than just get its power from the Super Nintendo? If it interfaces with a SuperNes controller and routes its AV output through the SuperNes like the Super Game Boy, I was considering giving it a try. It's not everyday a favorite classic console suddenly gains the ability to play two new libraries of games.

But I'm assuming at the very least that it has seperate AV output which destroys any interest I have in it.

Flam
11-11-2013, 06:54 AM
Unless it has 100% compatibility with every game, what is the point to owning any of these 3rd party retro systems?
I just don't see why any are even needed. You can easily get a nes for 50$, snes for 50$, and genesis for 15$, so why would you spend almost that for one 3rd party system that is probably made of really cheap plastic and wont play every game.
I also think alot of the fun of playing older games is using original hardware.

^^ This

Satoshi_Matrix
11-11-2013, 08:44 PM
[QUOTE=Leo_A;1987399]So you actually found something for sale? I've seen no evidence of it and it seems largely forgotten at this point.

Does it to do more than just get its power from the Super Nintendo? If it interfaces with a SuperNes controller and routes its AV output through the SuperNes like the Super Game Boy, I was considering giving it a try. It's not everyday a favorite classic console suddenly gains the ability to play two new libraries of games./QUOTE]

I'm in contact with RetroBit, and according to their senior marketing vp, the device won't ship until the end of the month.

Based on what I've been told in regards to the GBA adapter, it will route its video output via the internal workings of the Super Retro Trio, but not a OEM Super Nintendo/SuFami.

In other words, if you choose to use the original hardware, it will behave exactly like the existing NES RetroPort and Genesis RetroGen adapter, providing composite video and stereo sound via it's own connector, and not via the SNES's PPU and Multivideo output. The SNES hardware itself will only provide power and control input.

This is to be expected of course, as unlike the Super GameBoy, RetroBit's line of adapters do not run Super Nintendo software as a framework for the other platform.

It is the difference between an SNES WideBoy and the Super GameBoy.

Yes, they both play GameBoy games on the SNES, but one does so through direct hardware interface while the other is a SNES program that boots a BIOS and UI and [i]then[i] boots the GameBoy game.

RetroBit is a maker of hardware. They are not going to create an SNES program complete with a GBA bios and UI like the Super GameBoy or GameBoy Player. If that's what you're hoping for, you need a reality check.

The fact that they are making a GBA interface for the SNES at all is astounding in the first place.

Leo_A
11-11-2013, 09:01 PM
Thanks

It's for the best I suppose since I was only interested in it for the novelty value. With the Super Game Boy and Game Boy Player connected to my Trinitron and the Retron 5 coming for my HDTV one of these days, there was no practical need for this adapter.

But it still would've been neat playing GBA games via my Super Nintendo.


RetroBit is a maker of hardware. They are not going to create an SNES program complete with a GBA bios and UI like the Super GameBoy or GameBoy Player. If that's what you're hoping for, you need a reality check.

I hardly think it's outlandish like you're portraying. They need to program a bios anyways since they just can't utilize any Nintendo code since it's all protected by copyrights, it's meant to plug into a Super Nintendo cartridge port be it a clone or the real deal, and it's actual clone hardware contained inside just like how the Super Game Boy and Game Boy Player had the actual hardware inside.

Taking it one step forward beyond just receiving power in order for it to be seamless just makes sense to tap into the Super Nintendo hardware to route the AV out and interact with the controller plugged into port 1. They don't even need things like borders or even a UI. So it was a very reasonable question even though I was obviously skeptical that it would work out that way.

Jorpho
11-11-2013, 11:01 PM
So the other questions were, does it play GB and GBC carts as well?

Is GBA clone-hardware especially commonplace in general these days? Do the clones tend to be accurate? Do they work with flash carts? How about the Gamecube link cable?

Satoshi_Matrix
11-12-2013, 12:13 AM
I hardly think it's outlandish like you're portraying. They need to program a bios anyways since they just can't utilize any Nintendo code since it's all protected by
copyrights

No, this is not correct. What they are doing with the GBA Adapter is reverse engineering the GameBoy Advance hardware with a custom video amplifier to a tv instead of a LCD. There have been Chinese clones that do this for several years now. They aren't generating a bios from scratch.



it's meant to plug into a Super Nintendo cartridge port be it a clone or the real deal, and it's actual clone hardware contained inside just like how the Super Game Boy and Game Boy Player had the actual hardware inside.

This would be exactly correct EXCEPT that the fact that the Super GameBoy and GameBoy Player are not dummy interfaces for the GameBoy line. They have software specifically written for them to behave as an SNES and GameCube game titles. The reason for this is to control the borders, configure controls, change colors, etc. Again, as far as the consoles are concerned, the Super GameBoy and GameBoy Player are GAME software, not platforms in which to run foreign games.




Taking it one step forward beyond just receiving power in order for it to be seamless just makes sense to tap into the Super Nintendo hardware to route the AV out and interact with the controller plugged into port 1. They don't even need things like borders or even a UI. So it was a very reasonable question even though I was obviously skeptical that it would work out that way.

I acknowledge that your conclusion is likely reached without any programming knowledge, but as a programmer, I can tell you what you just said is impossible. You can't just "route" the AV through the SNES' video output jack without involving the PPU, which of course receives its instructional information from the CPU, which means it would need to have instructional set from the cartridge to do so.

SNES games were written in low level 65C816 assembly, a language so prone to errors it was abandoned in the mid 90s and isn't taught in programming classes anymore. There also aren't any C or C++ compilers for the highly custom 5A22 cpu Nintendo choose for the SNES.

This effectively means for RetroBit to do what you're suggesting they would need to write extremely difficult code in an essentially dead language, at no financial benefit to them. In fact, most of the code would need to be executed directly from the cartridge ROM, not copied to RAM, which would further drive up the cost of the device, resulting in less profits. Do you see the flaw in your thinking?

Sure, I agree that it would be great if RetroBit could someone justify the costs and difficulties and "route" the GBA's video output directly to the multi-video out port for potentially anything up to 240p via RGB, but that's fantasy talking.





does it play GB and GBC carts as well?

I can't confirm until my review copy arrives, but I'm almost certain it will not. Z80 clones are no longer common, making this a non-economical choice to include given the small percentage of end users who would truly care about this to begin with.

Not to mention this wouldn't be the first time GB/GBC support was dropped from the GameBoy line - Datel's GBA Adapter for GameCube did not support it, the official Nintendo produced GameBoy Micro did not support it, and the DS line didn't either. Then when you look at other GBA clones out there, none of them support GB/GBC either. There's a slim chance this one could break the mold, but don't get your hopes up.



Is GBA clone-hardware especially commonplace in general these days? Do the clones tend to be accurate? Do they work with flash carts? How about the Gamecube link cable?

They aren't as common as Famiclones, but yes, there are a fair number of GBA clones. Accuracy varies, but generally speaking they are 1:1 with the real hardware given how straightforward the GameBoy Advance hardware was. Flashcarts aren't a usual concern as most GBA clones do not have a cartridge port, but instead play GBA games from a micro SD card. There are a few with real GBA cart slots, but they're in the minority.

As for the GBA-GC link connection, to my knowledge there aren't any GBA clones that even have the port. It would be considered a useless option and removed to reduce costs.

Leo_A
11-12-2013, 01:56 AM
No, this is not correct. What they are doing with the GBA Adapter is reverse engineering the GameBoy Advance hardware with a custom video amplifier to a tv instead of a LCD. There have been Chinese clones that do this for several years now. They aren't generating a bios from scratch.

Then what are we talking about? A bios just for the SuperNes component in order for it to work in that way?

I thought the GBA itself had a bios and that's what I'm talking about with what you quoted. If that's the case they have to create something proprietary that works similarly since Nintendo isn't just allowing these guys to use copyrighted software and you're the one letting your ignorance show through if you think they're just "borrowing" copyrighted Nintendo code to get this out the door. And if they're doing some programming, it's hardly the idiotic leap you've portrayed it to be to inquire if they've gone all the way with this and its interaction with the Super Nintendo.

Over optimistic at best is what I would say you could call my question since it's not like I'm expecting them to devote programming resources of the level needed to program a game like Link to the Past over a decade after the last commercial work on this platform or the few around here that genuinely thought Capcom was pulling NES development systems out to create Mega Man 9 a few years ago.


This would be exactly correct EXCEPT that the fact that the Super GameBoy and GameBoy Player are not dummy interfaces for the GameBoy line. They have software specifically written for them to behave as an SNES and GameCube game titles. The reason for this is to control the borders, configure controls, change colors, etc. Again, as far as the consoles are concerned, the Super GameBoy and GameBoy Player are GAME software, not platforms in which to run foreign games.

I didn't say otherwise.

It still doesn't change the fact that this is meant to interface with a Super Nintendo or equivalent clone and that what runs GBA code is self contained in the unit. That's what I said with what you quoted with this portion of your reply. Inquiring if it went one additional step past just grabbing its power was hardly naive especially with the amount of skepticism that I expressed.

I was very sure it didn't work that way. I was inquiring to confirm it just for perhaps the 1% chance that they went all in on this.


I acknowledge that your conclusion is likely reached without any programming knowledge, but as a programmer, I can tell you what you just said is impossible. You can't just "route" the AV through the SNES' video output jack without involving the PPU, which of course receives its instructional information from the CPU, which means it would need to have instructional set from the cartridge to do so.

I didn't say otherwise. It was you that said I did.

All I said was they didn't need fancy borders or a user interface for such a thing and they don't. They don't need a menu that provides filter options, border options, screen size options, button configuration options, and so on. So if you're going to school me, I wish you'd at least stick to what I actually wrote. I'm not a programmer and perhaps I was a bit naive to think there was even a hint of a chance of this and I'm fine with you explaining why that was unrealistic even if your attitude crept in at points, but at least don't put words in my mouth while you do it since I'm well aware that what I asked requires some code running on the SuperNes side to handle the video output and control inputs.


This effectively means for RetroBit to do what you're suggesting they would need to write extremely difficult code in an essentially dead language, at no financial benefit to them. In fact, most of the code would need to be executed directly from the cartridge ROM, not copied to RAM, which would further drive up the cost of the device, resulting in less profits. Do you see the flaw in your thinking?

Nope

I'm sure they could wrangle programming what probably is a simple enough of a program for the SuperNes hardware. If they're reverse engineering the GBA bios to create a non infringing counterpart, I'm sure they could manage to program a basic program that runs on the SuperNes side. They could even take a look into the Super Game Boy code too and probably get a good idea of what they'd have to do while they're reverse engineering a GBA bios.

And I bet the rom chip and extra hardware that would go along with it probably are reasonably competitive with the cost of installing controller ports and the AV circuitry and jacks into this adapter. Nintendo did it that way for a reason 20 years ago. So I'll buy it being technically challenging that discouraged them from going that route. But I won't buy that it was obviously too expensive where the hardware was concerned.

Gatucaman
11-12-2013, 02:47 PM
Unless it has 100% compatibility with every game, what is the point to owning any of these 3rd party retro systems?
I just don't see why any are even needed. You can easily get a nes for 50$, snes for 50$, and genesis for 15$, so why would you spend almost that for one 3rd party system that is probably made of really cheap plastic and wont play every game.
I also think alot of the fun of playing older games is using original hardware.

Why havent we seen a 3rd party system that plays turbo grafx cards and cds? That would be something alot of people could use.

Maybe no one wants to pay $50 for an used NES or SNES, specially a SNES with a broken AC plug jack, in fact no one should :P.

wiggyx
11-12-2013, 04:43 PM
Why havent we seen a 3rd party system that plays turbo grafx cards and cds? That would be something alot of people could use.

Because there are far fewer fans of the TG-16 stuff than there are people who want NES/SNES/Genny compatibility.

Satoshi_Matrix
11-12-2013, 10:56 PM
Unless the GBA adapter is totally different from the Genesis and NES adapters RetroBit currently has on the market, the GBA adapter only interfaces wight he SNES cartridge port to draw power and route controls to the player 1 controller port. The SNES motherboard is otherwise not involved.

The GBA has a boot bios, which is either circumvented or copied. How they Retrobit is doing GBA compatibility precisely is unknown until I get a look at it, but it is clear they are doing something. The issue of legality may not be so black and white, given that Datel produced a GBA Adapter for the GameCube that ran GBA games and directly completed against the GameBoy Player, and it did so using emulation.

I agree, RetroBit doesn't need to have a UI that has any of the features of the Super GameBoy or GameBoy Player. It doesn't matter how basic the UI is as long as it routes the signals through the internal multi video out port. What I am saying is that they won't do this because there's no benefit to them for doing so, when they could simply have its own port. It's cost saving, and efficient. It is not wholly desirable for retro gamers, but having no UI at all is easier and cheaper to do than even a very basic one.

Again, my point is that RetroBit could create a UI for the GBA adapter for the SNES, but they have no reason to when their previous Genesis and NES adapter solution does the same job for less.

It is also a very strong possibility the reverse engineered GBA boot bios or boot bios countermeasure is directly taken from an existing GBA clone, not something RetroBit developed themselves.

The GBA adapter will not have its own controller port. It will use the SNES controller port. The controller input can be controlled via cartridge pins without involving the SNES motherboard, unlike the PPU. The motherboard remains dormant, only the controller port is utilized like what happens if you plug a USB device to charge into a console that's off.

Again, the reason they are doing this is to make it as simplistic as possible to keep costs as low as possible. They could do a UI, they could do a lot more, but their market wouldn't be any larger if they did, and all they'd have on their hands is a more expensive clone to produce and which would then mean passing that cost onto the consumer.

Leo_A
11-12-2013, 11:30 PM
Thanks for the polite and informative response. :)


The issue of legality may not be so black and white

If they've copied Nintendo code, it's definitely black & white. GBA related patents possibly have expired now, but copyrights which software falls into is definitely still active. So if that's what they've done for the GBA bios, they must just be hoping it goes by unnoticed.

MarioMania
11-13-2013, 01:33 AM
Another thing playing NES, SNES, Genesis Emu's on a HDTV, input lag

About the GBA Adapter - Is there a Option to Screen Size ala Game Boy Player?

Satoshi_Matrix
11-13-2013, 04:56 AM
Thanks for the polite and informative response. :)

If they've copied Nintendo code, it's definitely black & white. GBA related patents possibly have expired now, but copyrights which software falls into is definitely still active. So if that's what they've done for the GBA bios, they must just be hoping it goes by unnoticed.

My gut feeling is the method of running GBA games is through circumvention of the required bios, not directly copying it. But you're right, assuming they are directly copying it, they're hoping Nintendo won't notice/care.


Another thing playing NES, SNES, Genesis Emu's on a HDTV, input lag

About the GBA Adapter - Is there a Option to Screen Size ala Game Boy Player?

No no, you're confused. Although this is directly competing against the RetoN5, it is not emulation based, nor will it have HDTV support. Composite and S-Video here for SD tvs. Also input lag is created by individual HDTVs; not consoles. If you're using an HDTV that has particularly awful input lag, then switch to an HDTV that does not.

As for the GBA adapter, it isn't out yet. End of the month. As was being discussed, it will almost certainly lack a UI, so I suspect the screen resolution will be fixed unlike the GB Player. Don't worry though - once it's out RetroBit are sending me one for review so I'll go into depth about all that you need to know regarding this.

Jorpho
11-13-2013, 10:02 AM
Z80 clones are no longer common, making this a non-economical choice to include given the small percentage of end users who would truly care about this to begin with.I thought the Z80 was left out of the DS and the Micro primarily due to the physical space it would take up. Aren't Z80s still being produced?

BlastProcessing402
11-13-2013, 06:13 PM
Why would anyone want to have HDMI on a classic console? It's not like it's going to do anything for the visuals of the games

It damn sure will look better on a modern TV than using the composite input will, even if it doesn't upscale or anything. Composite inputs on modern TV's are awful.

Satoshi_Matrix
11-21-2013, 02:11 PM
Retro-Bit sent me the Super Retro Adapter today. Full review will be forthcoming.

If anyone has any specific questions, please ask, so I can write up an FAQ.

The more questions the better, as I want to be through.

Metalwario64
11-22-2013, 03:08 AM
All I want to know is if it plays GB/C games or not. I looked through the thread and only saw speculation, so a confirmed yes or no would be nice.:)