Is the FC Twin NES/SNES any good?
Thinking of picking one up. Don't have an NES and don't want to have an NES and SNES both set up, especially with spotty reliability with NES's. Would love to know if this machine is reliable in playing both types of cartriges and if there's any compromise in graphics, controls, ets.
Thanks!
Zach
They are decent systems but do feel a little cheap. Be aware there are some confirmed games that won't play on the system. Make sure you clean your games before using them in the new system for the first time. I would recommend the retro duo instead
Originally Posted by VideoGameRescue
Thanks! I'll probably get that one then.
I highly recommend you DO NOT get a RetroDuo unless you can solder because yes, the NES compatibility is superior to the FC Twin, but as I say: what good is improved compatibility when you can't even bear playing the game due to a major screw-up somewhere? In this case, it's the audio amp. Most NES games will sound like ABSOLUTE CRAP on the RetroDuo with major distortion ruining the audio to the point where you'll only hear a few jumbled notes here and there (Jackal, anyone?). Now mind you, the FC Twin has audio distortion issues, too, but the sound is a hell of a lot more listenable than the RetroDuo out of the box.
As for the Super NES side, they're pretty much neck-and-neck, but the FC Twin's sound is a bit more crunchy than on the RetroDuo. It also lacks S-Video.
Still, I say overall, the FC Twin is the better 2-in-1 NES/Super NES clone if you're unable to solder, but if you can solder, RetroDuo all the way.
Do yourself a favor and just buy the original systems. I've owned a bunch of different clones and they are all cheap. Color doesn't look right, sounds weird, and certain games aren't compatible. The original nes only has one issue, the pin connector. The pin connector costs like 6 bucks on ebay. Swap that out and you got yourself a brand new nes. The coolest nes clone system I ever owned was the generation nex. I bought it because it trys to mimic the toaster style nes, but its super small. Still doesn't compare to the original nes though.
Yeah I haven't even listed my CIB FC Twin in my sales threads because I figure nobody will even buy it. Even though you can just cut up the plastic any which way to play Super Famicom carts and not feel guilty about your deed. Cheaper than importing a real Super Famicom.
[quote name='Shidou Mariya' date='Nov 17 2010, 10:05 PM' post='4889940']
I'm a collector, but only to a certain extent.
Not as extreme as Rickstilwell though.[/quote]
If your just playing your game you loved as a kid every once in a while, the system is fine. But i can Also say It's not for the hardcore retro gamer. This is a novelty item for the average person.
Are there any standalone NES clones that are any good? As in, not Retro Duo or Twin but just NES. I can imagine the distorted audio would bug me but not little graphical glitches or slight distortions of video. I've read a few guides but I imagine things have changed since then.
I just picked up a couple Retro NES clones. Buy 1 get one free deal so go them both for $15. I have played many games on it and it works great. The controller it comes with is terrible but thankfully you can use the original NES controllers with it. Genius! The system is not much wider than a NES cart and if you lay a NES cart on top of it, that is about how big it is. Never seen one like this but happy I got it. I have a couple different FC Twins but have not tried the SNES compatibility. I don't need them as I have a few original NES systems as well as NIB SNES systems. But I guess I just get them to have them type of thing.
The SNES part of the FC Twin is a bit better as far as accuracy goes, with the games it actually works with. All I liked about the NES compatibility with the FC Twin was being able to use the SNES controller to play those games. And with the included controllers you get rapid fire buttons which backfire on you when you play games in SNES mode... design flaw.
[quote name='Shidou Mariya' date='Nov 17 2010, 10:05 PM' post='4889940']
I'm a collector, but only to a certain extent.
Not as extreme as Rickstilwell though.[/quote]
I picked up a FC Twin awhile back along with a bunch of other games. Initially, it worked- except for the games that are reported not to work (i.e. Castlevania III, Mario RPG, etc.). Well, eventually NES games stopped working, and just today I checked and the NES part is still broke and now the SNES part is broke too. The inability to use NES controllers was a huge minus for the system, but now that nothing plays on it, I don't have to worry about that issue any longer.
I'd be open to buying a good clone- especially if had something "new" to bring to the table in some way (saving game states comes to mind).
I have a RetroBit Retro Entertainment System which I think is the best value for your money when it comes to NES-only clones. It's cheap, but damn, does it work well. Sound is 90% accurate (and quite loud, too), though the white noise is a touch crunchy (even with no audio amp! The audio out of the NOAC is just passed straight into the audio output), some of the square waves don't come out right (play Rad Racer and you'll know what I mean - we're not talking about reversed duty cycles here, but rather a different problem) and the DPCM is both too quiet and almost completely wrong. The compatibility, though, is pretty damn high, but as usual, it doesn't run the same 3 games I own which typically fail to work correctly or at all on clones: Castlevania III (but you can fix this with a 7400 NAND gate or 7404 inverter), Rad Racer II and After Burner (not fixable due to a non-existent signal that's impossible to fake). And the video, dare I say it, is even better than a Front-Loader NES. Colors are accurate, no glitches (unless it's Rad Racer II or After Burner, in which case you do have graphical glitches due to missing signals on the cartridge slot), VERY sharp and very bright (and I'll tell you one thing: the RES is the best system to use on an LCD TV due to how good the Composite video is with the sole exception being the colors, which tend to smear a little more than an AV Famicom, Front-Loader NES and A/V modded Top-Loader NES).
Yobo also has a revised FC Game Console with the same NOAC as the RES. I can't say if the A/V circuitry is any different, though.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
