Super 8 Questions

[jaybird]

I finally broke down and bought a Super 8 and hooked it up today. Very cool piece of machinery, but seems to be cheaply made. I had a hard time getting the RF cable to stay in the back of it.

But, it's a cheaper alternative to a top loader (I paid $34.99 for mine), and it lets you play imports.

Just had a couple of questions for those of you who already have one.

I'm pretty sure S-Video isn't supported since it would cost more to include that in the Super 8 circuitry, but wanted to make sure before I tried.

Are your game slots unnaturally tight? I have to really push and pull to get games in and out of it. Maybe I just need to break it in?

Is there anyway to configure the buttons for the SNES controller when playing NES games? I'm not really keen on the defaults the Super 8 assigns.

With the Super 8 out of the way, I gotta chase down that Super-Tristar thing for the N64 that plays NES, SNES & N64 games :)

[digitalpress]

OK coupla notes. I've been using a Super 8 for years and also own a Tristar 64.

1. I've never tried S-Video. I don't own a SNES video cable that goes to S-Video.

2. The ports are TIGHT and they'll never loosen up unless you file them down. I didn't do that, so they're still really tight for me. Especially the SNES slot.

3. Not all games are compatible with it, most notably, the Super FX titles like StarFox.

4. It's awesome. The Tristar 64, however, is not awesome. The picture is just terrible, and I had to dig around to find that it wasn't just me:
http://gear.ign.com/articles/59273p1.html

Anyway, enjoy it!

[jaybird]

Thanks for the info! I don't think I'll be taking a file to mine either. I guess the death grip is part of its charm :)

That's a really cool link. Just what I needed to let me know that I won't be paying top dollar for a Super Tristar. Maybe I'll get one cheap one day, but I'm not paying that much money for something that washes out colors so bad.

Thanks again!

[jaybird]

At the end of the article it says this:

Note: The Tristar 64 is currently only available in import stores. However, Canada-based Ultimate Video Game Accessories is planning to release a US version sometime this year (which means the Famicom slot will be changed to an NES slot). Hopefully UVGA will be able to fix the video calibration problems and sell the Tristar at a cheaper price. We will review the US unit as soon as it's ready.

Did they ever make one? And if so, is it any better?

[Raedon]

1) S-Video is not supported, only AV (not to big a deal) only the original Snes can use S-video. the Snes Jr. can only do A/V.

2) The NES and Fami ports are really tight. Getting a nes cart out requires me to hold the super 8 down :)

3)You can't config the Snes controllers..

4) DO NOT buy a Tristar for the N64.. these are terrible.. The Super 8 is your only good bet.. you have the best solution for playing NES carts without problems.

[BenT]

You can re-map SNES buttons with a handy little device from Tyco called the Power Plug. It also lets you assign user-made macros, set any buttons to turbo or auto-fire, and simulate slow motion. In short, it's an awesome, underrated little accessory. Luckily, they're cheap and easy to find.

http://www.gamersgraveyard.com/repository/snes/peripherals/powerplug.html

It was also available for the Genesis. I have one of both and use 'em when I need rapid fire.

[BenT]

Here's a Super 8 question of my own. Maybe some of the more technically-minded here could take a stab at it.

Would it be conceivable for someone skilled with electronics to hack RGB output into the Super-8? Assume any extra parts / chips that would be necessary would be obtainable. Would they be expensive?

(I ask because I'm on a quest to play NES games in RGB. I've found it's not a simple matter.)