Super Nintendo SNES Model 3 that plays NES games too!

[50TBRD]

I was looking on Video Game Central and found that they are going to sell a new model of the Super Nintendo which will play both SNES and NES games. I'm pretty sure that it's exclusive to VGC and they state that its Limited Edition. I don't know how limited edition it is, but they're taking pre-orders now which deliver on November 7 of this year. It says that it works with SNES contollers and accessories but I don't know what they're going to do, if anything, about making it compatible with NES controllers like Gyromite, Zapper, and Track Pad. Maybe they'll make an adapter, I don't know. I also don't know if it will be compatible with FC and SFC games but at least you will be able to use your converters to play them. At least one benift will be the fact that its a brand new system and should play cleaned/new games without any problem.

SNES Model 3 (http://store.videogamecentral.com/supernintendomodel3.html)

[Matt-El]

I don't get it. One slot for games? Any better pics?

[poloplayr]

Sounds cool but it'll be a cheap Chinese/Taiwanese fami/superfamiclone.

[joedog86]

Hmm, it's totally possible - the SNES controllers and the NES controllers operate in exactly the same way. All you would have to do is slap in an NES-on-a-chip and rig up some fancy case and there you have it.

Well, assuming they do a good job with the finished project: cool!

[Vectorman0]

It is just going to be a bootleg SNES with a NES on a chip inside of it. I would imagine there would have to be two cart slots, similar to the NEX.

My opinion on the subject is that there is no reason to not use real Nintendo systems, especially since the costs would be similar.

[fishsandwich]

My opinion on the subject is that there is no reason to not use real Nintendo systems, especially since the costs would be similar.

Plus those NES-on-a-chip systems have compatibility issues with a fair number of games. I wonder if this has some sort of SNES-on-a-chip inside? I'm curious to know how they are doing this...

[MegaDrive20XX]

Wow wild...I was just asking about this the other day...Small world..

[c0ldb33r]

Thats a great idea, but I'd be afraid of it being cheap-o quality. :(

Any word on the video-out options? i.e. what connection(s) it will support? Hopefully at least composite.

[madman77]

Looks interesting, but that store seems pretty overpriced. I'm sure those will pop up in EBay when they are released.

[MarioMania]

look's like the Model 2 SNES..Nothing new, I'll pass on it..

[CYRiX]

*Final look of product may differ

[qbertandernie]

looking elsewhere on the site:

http://store.videogamecentral.com/sneswgnhlpaa.html

just $7.99!!

id expect this 'snes 3' will be cheaper elsewhere...great concept and i might buy one, but id look around before placing a preorder for $65.

[MichaeltheGreat]

I paid a lot less than $65 for both my snes 2 and my nes... :)

[Steven]

for me this is perfect for

a. collectors

b. gamers who don't own an NES/SNES but am leaning towards getting both

[50TBRD]

looking elsewhere on the site:

http://store.videogamecentral.com/sneswgnhlpaa.html

just $7.99!!

id expect this 'snes 3' will be cheaper elsewhere...great concept and i might buy one, but id look around before placing a preorder for $65.

It states that the publisher is VGC, so nobody will be offering this particular version but VGC. I can't say that it wouldn't be available else where in another form though.

[cyberfluxor]

My opinion on the subject is that there is no reason to not use real Nintendo systems, especially since the costs would be similar.

Plus those NES-on-a-chip systems have compatibility issues with a fair number of games. I wonder if this has some sort of SNES-on-a-chip inside? I'm curious to know how they are doing this...
Exactly what I was thinking. I'd prefer to keep my NES and SNES seperate with their unique controllers and the complete package that I know works. I'm not criticising their quality or doubting it, just I haven't been satisifed with the clones floating around that I've seen and played a few. Just can't stand them with their wierd controllers and small consule that looks funny.

[Jorpho]

I wasn't aware that anyone had made a bootleg SNES. Surely the custom Sony SPC700 sound chip isn't an off-the-shelf part? And besides, won't it be a while yet before the patents expire, making such a bootleg illegal to sell?

[Quickclaw]

"This Limited Edition Classic Game Players Multi-Player System can play a ton of your Super Nintendo 16-Bit Carts & Original Nintendo 8-Bit Carts."

Why not all of them?

[poloplayr]

Is that a metric ton?

[Cmosfm]

My opinion on the subject is that there is no reason to not use real Nintendo systems, especially since the costs would be similar.

Plus those NES-on-a-chip systems have compatibility issues with a fair number of games. I wonder if this has some sort of SNES-on-a-chip inside? I'm curious to know how they are doing this...

I once sold a game on ebay to some asshole who owned a pirated NES console and the game didn't work. Despite the fact that the game looked fresh from the box, convincing him that his console was a piece of trash was pretty hard to do.

[MarioMania]

My opinion on the subject is that there is no reason to not use real Nintendo systems, especially since the costs would be similar.

Plus those NES-on-a-chip systems have compatibility issues with a fair number of games. I wonder if this has some sort of SNES-on-a-chip inside? I'm curious to know how they are doing this...

I once sold a game on ebay to some asshole who owned a pirated NES console and the game didn't work. Despite the fact that the game looked fresh from the box, convincing him that his console was a piece of trash was pretty hard to do.

What game was that

[InsaneDavid]

I wasn't aware that anyone had made a bootleg SNES. Surely the custom Sony SPC700 sound chip isn't an off-the-shelf part? And besides, won't it be a while yet before the patents expire, making such a bootleg illegal to sell?

Think about that for a moment - the words "bootleg" and "legal" will NEVER go together. All this is going to be is the start of the mass produced generation of SNES clones. (sure there are a few out there, but not at the rate of Famiclones) Since NoaC stuff can be so small now days, why not toss one in an SNES clone with a seperate cartridge connector? That's all this is going to be. A SNES clone with a Famiclone stuffed inside with it.

The controller ports will most likely be dual wired SNES style ports although it has already been mentioned that SNES and NES controllers use the same connection interface - just differently shaped.

[Jorpho]

Think about that for a moment - the words "bootleg" and "legal" will NEVER go together.

Perhaps, but Messiah would not have been able to market the Generation NEX a few years ago without incurring the legal wrath of Nintendo, no?

[omnedon]

OSG will have these 'exclusive' clones as well.

I have no inside info about quality, compatibility, or even look of the damned thing.

I expect a Yobo'esque quality clone that is more or less on par with Yobo quality.

Here's hoping SNES on a chip is at least as good as NES on a chip is. If it's not as good, :/

[omnedon]

OSG will have these 'exclusive' clones as well.

I have no inside info about quality, compatibility, or even look of the damned thing.

I expect a Yobo'esque quality clone that is more or less on par with Yobo quality.

Here's hoping SNES on a chip is at least as good as NES on a chip is. If it's not as good, :/ .

[omnedon]

OSG will have these so called 'exclusive' clones as well.

I have no inside info about quality, compatibility, or even the look of the damned thing. Those pics are Meh.

I expect a Yobo'esque quality clone that is more or less on par with Yobo quality. Which means it'll be ok, not great.

Here's hoping SNES on a chip is at least as good as NES on a chip is. If it's not as good, :/ .

[omnedon]

OSG will have these so called 'exclusive' clones as well.

I have no inside info about quality, compatibility, or even the look of the damned thing. Those pics are Meh.

I expect a Yobo'esque quality clone that is more or less on par with Yobo quality. Which means it'll be ok, not great.

Here's hoping SNES on a chip is at least as good as NES on a chip is. If it's not as good, well whoop de doo.

[MarioMania]

Can Nintendo do anything about these Knock-off's

[Cmosfm]

My opinion on the subject is that there is no reason to not use real Nintendo systems, especially since the costs would be similar.

Plus those NES-on-a-chip systems have compatibility issues with a fair number of games. I wonder if this has some sort of SNES-on-a-chip inside? I'm curious to know how they are doing this...

I once sold a game on ebay to some asshole who owned a pirated NES console and the game didn't work. Despite the fact that the game looked fresh from the box, convincing him that his console was a piece of trash was pretty hard to do.

What game was that

Taito version of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

I wasn't aware that anyone had made a bootleg SNES. Surely the custom Sony SPC700 sound chip isn't an off-the-shelf part? And besides, won't it be a while yet before the patents expire, making such a bootleg illegal to sell?
There's been a few pirate SNES systems. One that loaded games off CD, one that looks like a SNES 2 (there's a thread discussing that system somewhere on this board) and also the Tristar 64, which in fact plays SNES as fell as 8-bit Famicom games. The Tristar is the only one of those I've used and I can say that its implementation of the SNES architecture is incredibly poor. Compatibility is shit and even games that work often have very bad sound or problematic graphics. I can't say if the other two or this new one (assuming it uses a bootleg architecture rather than just combining an original SNES board along with an NES-on-a-chip board) suffer from the same problems.

As for whether bootlegs are illegal. Sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't. If--as in the case of Atari 2600 bootleg systems--they architecture patented or--as in the case of NES-on-a-chip systems--the architecture is no longer under patent, then they can be perfectly legal if they don't include any copyrighted games or BIOS. The SNES is still under patent, though, so bootlegging it would still be illegal unless the architecture used to simulate the system is different enough form Nintendo's design that it could be considered an original system--that just happens to play SNES games! From what I've read, this may actually be the case with the NES-on-a-chip architecture, meaning that it never actually was illegal in itself even when the Famicom was still under patent.

As for this system from videogamecentral (who I've never even heard of), I certainly wouldn't spend any money on it until there's a picture of the actual unit and more info on how it's done. Seems hard to believe that the thing is supposed to ship in under a month, but they don't have anything put a photoshopped picture of a SNES 2 to show.


...word is bondage...

[CosmicMonkey]

I still can't understand why Nintendo never made a NES/SNES hybrid.

There's a huge amount of people in Japan that still play Famicom and Super Fami. Plus, the Japanese like to save space; one console is better than two. And indeed, the SFami was originally going to have Fami compatability, but it would have added too much to the cost of the unit back then. But in the years since, when it could have been done, why didn't Nintendo take the opportunity to make the SFami Jr/SNES 2 backward compatible, instead of releasing the AV Fami/NES 2?

[boatofcar]

I still can't understand why Nintendo never made a NES/SNES hybrid.



In case you haven't noticed, the Wii will be the first Nintendo console that is backwards compatible. It's just never been on their list of priorities.

[Scream And Fly]

I wasn't aware that anyone had made a bootleg SNES. Surely the custom Sony SPC700 sound chip isn't an off-the-shelf part? And besides, won't it be a while yet before the patents expire, making such a bootleg illegal to sell?


I actually have a bootleg SNES - looks almost like the real thing, packaging and all.

Greg

[playmessiah]

I still can't understand why Nintendo never made a NES/SNES hybrid.

There's a huge amount of people in Japan that still play Famicom and Super Fami. Plus, the Japanese like to save space; one console is better than two. And indeed, the SFami was originally going to have Fami compatability, but it would have added too much to the cost of the unit back then. But in the years since, when it could have been done, why didn't Nintendo take the opportunity to make the SFami Jr/SNES 2 backward compatible, instead of releasing the AV Fami/NES 2?

Actually, Nintendo's IC for the Super Nintendo had the ability to emulate the original NES games. I assume Nintendo just decide they did not want to have to hassle with an adapter or second cartridge slot.

Brad

[shadowkn55]

When this thing comes out, you might want to test games that use special chips. SA-1, C4, SDD-1, SuperFx.

Concering the NES on a chip architecture. Of the games that are incompatible, do they use out of the ordinary memory mappers?

[Jorpho]

Actually, Nintendo's IC for the Super Nintendo had the ability to emulate the original NES games. I assume Nintendo just decide they did not want to have to hassle with an adapter or second cartridge slot.

It's not that simple... While the SNES's 65c816 CPU had a compatibility mode in which it could function like the NES's 6502, that doesn't mean that all the SNES needed was another cartridge slot. At the very least, there was no equivalent of the NES's custom PPU.

But now I'm babbling about stuff that someone else probably knows a lot more about.

[GizmoGC]

So when is this 'so awesome we don't show pictures of' system coming out?

[50TBRD]

It's supposed to ship on Tuesday.

[GizmoGC]

...so people are blindly throwing money at something they can't even see a picture of? C'mon. There is really NO picures of this thing anywhere?

[boatofcar]

...so people are blindly throwing money at something they can't even see a picture of? C'mon. There is really NO picures of this thing anywhere?

Seriously. Was anyone actually dumb enough to order one of these?

[MarioKartMonk]

If you guys thought that NES-on-a-Chip unofficial clones were bad, wait until you play an unofficial SNES clone. The sound is terrible. While unofficial clones can't even run a handful of games, it is the fact that they play just about every other game with off tune sounds and incorrect colors and with little bugs that crop up here and there... that is maddening to a classic game fan.

For example, the world map in the original Zelda will start to get glitchy and buggy after a while when walking around... only when played on a NES-on-a-Chip. On a (working) real NES, that does not happen. It is all due to the slight flaws in the design of the NES-on-a-Chip.

[ganondorf]

Sounds cool but it'll be a cheap Chinese/Taiwanese fami/superfamiclone.

It probably is

[rbudrick]

I still can't understand why Nintendo never made a NES/SNES hybrid.

There's a huge amount of people in Japan that still play Famicom and Super Fami. Plus, the Japanese like to save space; one console is better than two. And indeed, the SFami was originally going to have Fami compatability, but it would have added too much to the cost of the unit back then. But in the years since, when it could have been done, why didn't Nintendo take the opportunity to make the SFami Jr/SNES 2 backward compatible, instead of releasing the AV Fami/NES 2?

Actually, Nintendo's IC for the Super Nintendo had the ability to emulate the original NES games. I assume Nintendo just decide they did not want to have to hassle with an adapter or second cartridge slot.

Brad

I remember reading that it would have added about $70 more to the SNES system if they were to have added NES capability. Original protos (or mockups of them I don't know) had the slot added for Famicom games and a switch or something labelled "Famicom" or something like that. I think there was a thread or two about this once, with pics of the system from a magazine...probably EGM.

-Rob

[77punk]

I wont cry if this never gets produced. Now a system that plays Master system, genesis, and 32x games i would pay my left nut for

[77punk]

I wont cry if this never gets produced. Now a system that plays Master system, genesis, and 32x games i would pay my left nut for

[jonjandran]

I've got one and did a breakdown of it here:
http://benheck.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=15332

My pic host is down but should be back up shortly.

[Gentlegamer]

I wont cry if this never gets produced. Now a system that plays Master system, genesis, and 32x games i would pay my left nut forSega Genesis (with Power Base Converter and 32x add on)?

[50TBRD]

I checked a ton of stuff on it last week and everything I checked worked. SMRPG, Super Noah's Ark, StarFox, SFA2, Lethal Enforcer w/Justifier, and Metal Combat w/Super Scope. I've only got one NES game, Bill and Ted, it worked. I tried half a dozen different controllers without problems including my QJ Programmable Arcade Pad. Tiny Toons did have a little bit of glitting on the title screen but none during the game.

There was absolutely nothing exclusive or limited edition about the one from VGC.

Power is a standard DC converter and video is component, with absolutely no option to use you old SNES ones.

Controllers were fine but a little on the cheap side (but you can use any controller you want, so who cares), and the system is very lightweight and compact. Much lighter than the regular SNES or NES. Take that as you want, but it doesn't bother me.

Not bad overall, but I'd recommend that you hold on to your money until the price drops.

[Gentlegamer]

I checked a ton of stuff on it last week and everything I checked worked. SMRPG, Super Noah's Ark, StarFox, SFA2, Lethal Enforcer w/Justifier, and Metal Combat w/Super Scope. I've only got one NES game, Bill and Ted, it worked. I tried half a dozen different controllers without problems including my QJ Programmable Arcade Pad. Tiny Toons did have a little bit of glitting on the title screen but none during the game.

There was absolutely nothing exclusive or limited edition about the one from VGC.

Power is a standard DC converter and video is component, with absolutely no option to use you old SNES ones.

Controllers were fine but a little on the cheap side (but you can use any controller you want, so who cares), and the system is very lightweight and compact. Much lighter than the regular SNES or NES. Take that as you want, but it doesn't bother me.

Not bad overall, but I'd recommend that you hold on to your money until the price drops.How was the video and audio quality?

[50TBRD]

Video was alright, not awesome, audio was a little lackluster, but tolerable. Take into accoun that I'm feeding it through my VCR then through coaxial and then into my TV rather than straight into the TV.

[Gentlegamer]

Video was alright, not awesome, audio was a little lackluster, but tolerable. Take into accoun that I'm feeding it through my VCR then through coaxial and then into my TV rather than straight into the TV.Could you perhaps make a trial of a direct imput to your TV with the AV cables? I'm really curious about the quality.

[jonjandran]

Could you perhaps make a trial of a direct imput to your TV with the AV cables? I'm really curious about the quality.

Read my second post about the video quality here:

http://benheck.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=15332

[Gentlegamer]

Read my second post about the video quality here:

http://benheck.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=15332I just wonder how it will look on a non-HD TV set.

[jonjandran]

I just wonder how it will look on a non-HD TV set.

Looks the same on my kids 27". Sligtly blurry and muted colors compared to the original Snes.

[alec]

Looks interesting. A doubleclone console shouldn't be worth that price though. I just picked up a Yobo clone not too long ago. Its pretty cool IMO. Its small and nice looking and it doesn't flash like my old NES does. It doesn't play quite a few games though. Sky Shark, Double Dragon, ect. Not as good as the real thing, but still pretty cool IMO.

[MrRoboto19XX]

Looks like an intresting piece of machinery, but I have two questions of the same nature:

1) I take it its a famicom, meaning it needs an adaptor to play NES games?
2) Does it play both SNES and SFC games?

[MarioMania]

Can you fit Super Famicom Carts in or you need to break the 2 tabs off like the SNES

[50TBRD]

Its got the tabs like the SNES.

[Teknik_SE-R]

a local franchise, carries those and some messiah stuff
I love that place, they'll hunt down anything for you... like chrono trigger for $25!!!
THey had it set up playing street fighter 2, it played pretty well except the colors were a bit off and sound was brassy. this was on a 20" LCD. Pretty cool, but I'll stick to my tendy brand consoles