RetroN5: Hands on first look

[stardust4ever]

I think people fail to realise the Retron5 was meant to complement, not replace, an entire collection of retro hardware. I wrote a long post on the last page about the benefits of owning a Retron, including reduced clutter, wear and tear on aging consoles, pristine HD resolution, additional features such as cheats (no need for Google to look up codes), save states, SRAM backup, and other goodies. Fact is, with all this talk of Ouya, you can't load carts on it, not even with Retrode since the mass storage driver broke compatability. Ouya is good for lots of things, but not physical media. Retron5 is primarily for two classes of retro gamers: those who have it all but want more, better picture, sound, features, and reliability from their consoles, and those casual gamers who are just starting out retrogaming. They are getting an all-in-one console with better display and compatability than the clones, much cheaper and more reliable than buying 5+ consoles. Also, I know people don't care, but the Retron5 plays retro games without the illegal act of downloading ROMs online, whether you own the actual game carts or not.

[Eternal Champion]

I think people fail to realise the Retron5 was meant to complement, not replace, an entire collection of retro hardware. I wrote a long post on the last page about the benefits of owning a Retron, including reduced clutter, wear and tear on aging consoles, pristine HD resolution, additional features such as cheats (no need for Google to look up codes), save states, SRAM backup, and other goodies. Fact is, with all this talk of Ouya, you can't load carts on it, not even with Retrode since the mass storage driver broke compatability. Ouya is good for lots of things, but not physical media. Retron5 is primarily for two classes of retro gamers: those who have it all but want more, better picture, sound, features, and reliability from their consoles, and those casual gamers who are just starting out retrogaming. They are getting an all-in-one console with better display and compatability than the clones, much cheaper and more reliable than buying 5+ consoles. Also, I know people don't care, but the Retron5 plays retro games without the illegal act of downloading ROMs online, whether you own the actual game carts or not.

I see. Good points (sorry if I've overlooked your previous post). The legality of ROMs is actually important to me. The ability to play all these systems on a modern TV is very enticing, I must say.

[Zap!]

Ah OK. Well, I like the idea of this more than straight emulation, frankly. Dunno exactly why. I like having the original carts.
Anyway, both of my Samsung TVs have only one HDMI and I have no A/V receivers. As I have the games and hardware themselves and an old CRT, I'll just hang on to the systems. Sure, there's the added visual benefit of full-on HDMI, but I can do s-video for SNES and I paid for a YPbPr mod for Genesis. So outside of doing mods I can see the benefit.
So it seems that the RetroN5 is for people who...don't have a CRT but have all their old games? Sold off the systems but kept the games? Would people really do this?

Or people like me, who have kept all their games and systems, but don't want to hook up several different systems at once (clutter, too much work) and like the idea of hooking them up to their modern TV's.

[chiptraxxx]

HDMI only

im going to get one just for the hdmi slot

some consoles look good on a newer tv but most dont so hdmi is welcomed!

[Tanooki]

I keep going back and forward on this whole thing. Personally I have no decision until I can make one after the fact.

I got out of ROMS as they're a slippery slope of illegality and a horrible case of gamer-ADHD. As such I have around 300 games, of which about 55% of them are just NES and SNES carts. I have this list of IFs on this thing, and met I'd probably put my minty sweet SNES back in the DK box I have and I'd probably just sell the RCA/led/stereo wheel modded top loader of mine as well. The whole concept of taking the old stuff that doesn't like to run so hot on the newest tech intrigues me as does the saving space and portability to other TVs in the house that will give the same quality response time over HDMI.

If...
...it can run my pirate multi-carts
...it can run my modern bootlegs from retrousb and the Starfox 2 I have
...it will run all my legit period era stuff accurately...including screwy chipped Famicom games I may want
...it won't have emulation hiccups and glitches (speed issues, graphics/audio garbage that's obvious)

I can see owning it and doing what I said above. I know the first two are possibly unlikely out of box but I'm not adverse to someone massaging the android within and hacking those goodies to work.

[stardust4ever]

Or people like me, who have kept all their games and systems, but don't want to hook up several different systems at once (clutter, too much work) and like the idea of hooking them up to their modern TV's.

+1 I've got ten consoles and a diagonal corner desk I'm using as a gaming center. I've got a CRT in the monitor stand for SD consoles (modern flat panels are too wide to fit) and an ultra low latency 23" 1080p ASUS monitor on the top shelf for the HD systems. My PS3, Wii-U, and Ouya sit on the shelves and are connected to the monitor via a Monoprice HDMI switch with analog audio bypassed to a 3-piece stereo system with old Jenson speakers I picked up at a pawn shop. I've also got an analog RCA switchbox for the audio that I have hooked up to the HD switchbox, Nintendo A/V cable, Audio Technica 120 record turntable, and auxillary conector for whatever. I'm an audiophile so good sounding speakers are a must. Anyway while I've made accommodations for the HD game consoles, I simply do not have the space for 10 retro consoles on my desk, and daisy-chaining vintage auto-switches will quickly degrade signal quality. The cartridges and game discs are stored on bookcases in back of my bedroom, while consoles, controllers, and accessories are stowed in storage crates arranged by system and stacked on top of each other. I also sleep in this room and have a Queen sized bed, chest, dresser, closet, etc, so the room is cramped as it is. I don't currently own my own place, so until I move out a dedicated game room is not an option. Pulling out game consoles and putting up is a pain, so stuff piles up, cords gets tangled, and then I can't find stuff. If Retron5 helps me to better keep my retro crap organized so my fiance isn't tripping over crates and boxes when she visits, it will be well worth the money. Extra features such as HD, clean sound, cheats, savestates, SRAM backup, and the convenience of having 5 systems in 1 import friendly console is just icing on the cake.

And if you're just getting in to retro gaming, the Retron5 has great value too. To play all the systems the Retron5 supports, you'll need:

CRT TV = $30
NES = $55
SNES = $55
Genesis = $35
GBA = $25
AV Famicom = $150

Total $350, plus extra for controllers, accessories, and hookups. Also 2nd hand consoles and battery-backed games often need to be cleaned/refurbished in order to work. Add another $50 ($400 total) for a Game Cube with complete GB player if you absolutely need to play GB/GBC/GBA games on the big screen. Add hella lot of storage space to stow all the stuff, and to the cadual retro gamer who just wants a box to play their childhood Mario and Sonic games, the $100 Retron5 begins to look really tempting...

[Satoshi_Matrix]

if you want to use original controllers, $15 USB adapters start to add up if you wanted to add a NES, SuperNes, and a Genesis solution to the Ouya. And if you want to set it up for multiplayer and wanted to stay faithful to original controllers for some bizarre reason, we're talking essentially the cost of the Ouya in controller adapters if one wanted a pair of each [Edit: Or is that not even possible due to only having a single USB port?]

These built in controller ports are definitely a major difference between the two (Although to me at least, going the Ouya route to a HDTV, you might as well go all the way and tie a nice wireless gamepad to it and leave the cord behind). I suspect for a few out there, it's a definite plus in favor of Hyperkin.

That's one of the things I like about the RetroN5 over the Ouya for sure. Built in controller ports is a nice option. You're completely right - if for some reason you wanted to have independent USB adapters for NES, SNES, Genesis, even at reasonable prices like $15 that does add up, especially when multiplayer gets involved. The Ouya does only have a single USB port (which is so stupid, Ouya y u s0 stew-ped?) which is why I suggest the first thing you do when you buy an Ouya is buy a powered USB hub. The one I use has seven ports and I got it from a chinese seller on ebay for less than $5. I say buy a powered USB hub so you won't run into voltage dips if you plug in many USB devices all at once across that single 5v USB lead connecting to the console.

As far as multiplayer, if that's your thing then look for adapters that are suited for that. Mayflash makes adapters that offer two player support from one usb adapter, plus you can get USB enabled multitaps like the NES Four Score. Or, if you're friends are less picky, ANY USB and many Blutooth controllers can also be used, including but not limited to the PS3 Dual Shock 3, wired Xbox 360 controllers and basically anything made for PC.

You might have missed it, but a little while ago I did an updated look at the Ouya. Two videos, one looking at the hardware and talking about what you need to get the most out of it, plus another on software.

check out part one. part 2 is right there as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUcC90tkN0o

IIRC they posted pics/vids of Mario RPG and Kirby running. And I know they also tested NWC. Some game store that they went to or something...the owner had a grey cart and let them test it, and it worked. They posted about it on their facebook page a while back.

I wouldn't be too worried. SA-1 and Super FX games have been running on Android emulators for years. There's no reason to expect the RetroN5 will be any different from other Android emulation devices. I predict there will be no obvous difference between the Retron5 emulation vs the way the Ouya emulates the same consoles. The only real difference will be in the UI, as it looks like Hyperkin has developed something wholly from scratch.

I think people fail to realize the Retron5 was meant to complement, not replace, an entire collection of retro hardware.

...What. are. you. talking. about.

That's the entire point of the RetroN5. It's to replace and consolidate multiple obsolete consoles of yesteryear while still clinging onto the games themselves for the collectors among us. I'm sure that some people will still hold onto their old hardware, just as some people hold on to their ginormous CRTs, but once the Retron5 hits the market, it will instantly replace an entire collection of retro hardware and also the "need" to still own a giant and oh so, so heavy CRT.

Personally I cannot wait until this comes out, because once it does, I'll be getting rid of all four of my CRTs and replacing them with HDTVs now that I'll be able to play my retro games on them without them looking awful. SD on HD no more.
(that is, if the Retron5 does not turn out to be a giant piece of shit, because if that happens, then we're back at square one and stuck with old hardware and CRTs)

I wrote a long post on the last page about the benefits of owning a Retron, including reduced clutter, wear and tear on aging consoles, pristine HD resolution, additional features such as cheats (no need for Google to look up codes), save states, SRAM backup, and other goodies. Fact is, with all this talk of Ouya, you can't load carts on it, not even with Retrode since the mass storage driver broke compatability. Ouya is good for lots of things, but not physical media.

Yeah, I read all that. But I don't understand why you think that's even remotely a problem. Complaining that the Ouya isn't able to run physical cartridges is like complaining an ipod is not able to play CDs. That's kinda the entire point of the device - the Ouya is compact and without hassle and without being bogged down by physical media. The Retron5 is the other side of the coin for people who do want to be bogged down with physical media. I don't think that you can fairly argue that the Ouya doesn't play physical carts is a disadvantage anymore than you could argue the opposite about the Retron5, and say "oh man, it's too bad the Retron5 has to play physical carts! I'd rather just digitally run my roms on it and ignore the whole point of the device!"

To me, I think the RetroN5 and Ouya are like heads and tails of the same coin. Whichever side the coin lands on, it's still the same coin. Emulation is emulation no matter if physical carts are involved or not.

If...
...it can run my pirate multi-carts
...it can run my modern bootlegs from retrousb and the Starfox 2 I have
...it will run all my legit period era stuff accurately...including screwy chipped Famicom games I may want
...it won't have emulation hiccups and glitches (speed issues, graphics/audio garbage that's obvious)

These are the same kinds of things I'm concerned about too. Rest assured, these are what I'm going to be looking into the moment I get my Retron5. The moment I get it, should I do an unboxing video?! I mean, people LOVE those, right?

...Right? *crickets*

Hmm, I might do one just to be that jerk. haha I hate unboxing videos.

[Leo_A]

That's the entire point of the RetroN5.

I imagine he's talking about people like you and me. Dedicated classic gamers with no intentions of leaving original hardware behind but are interested in devices like this for what they're able to do that the originals can't.

Retron 5 would definitely complement my original systems, not replace them. Ideally, it would allow me to easily and economically enjoy my game library on my HDTV (At least until I someday invest in something like the XRGB Mini and RGB cables). But my originals and my CRT still aren't going anywhere even if Hyperkin manages to impress everyone with an amazing product.

[Niku-Sama]

And if you're just getting in to retro gaming, the Retron5 has great value too. To play all the systems the Retron5 supports, you'll need:

CRT TV = $30
NES = $55
SNES = $55
Genesis = $35
GBA = $25
AV Famicom = $150

Total $350, plus extra for controllers, accessories, and hookups. Also 2nd hand consoles and battery-backed games often need to be cleaned/refurbished in order to work. Add another $50 ($400 total) for a Game Cube with complete GB player if you absolutely need to play GB/GBC/GBA games on the big screen. Add hella lot of storage space to stow all the stuff, and to the cadual retro gamer who just wants a box to play their childhood Mario and Sonic games, the $100 Retron5 begins to look really tempting...

where are you getting those prices?

I find NES systems all the time $5 to $15 with hook ups, same with genesis, SNES. GBA is about right for an AGS-101, Famicom seems a bit high aswell because in all honesty your buying games to play them, you don't just go straight for the hard to get on something like that.
I mean I may be spoiled when it comes to imports but I didn't even spend $150 on my twin famicom

side thought, it would have been so cool if the new retron had FDS support

[thegamezmaster]

HDMI only

Sorry if this is a dumb question but does this mean there is not composite video output or any other or just hdmi as the only signal output? Thanks!

[Tanooki]

Satoshi sounds good.

And as for your idea of an unboxing video. Unless it includes a female and her panties, you're right, lots of crickets.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

I imagine he's talking about people like you and me. Dedicated classic gamers with no intentions of leaving original hardware behind but are interested in devices like this for what they're able to do that the originals can't.

Yeah, okay, a small group of the most hardcore will retain their original consoles and CRTs, but I'm talking about the masses. This will pretty much be like when mp3 players became widely affordable and CD/tapes were forever replaced and became obsolete technology. stardust4ever's claim that the RetroN5 is meant to "compliment, not replace" original hardware is like someone saying their ipod is meant to 'compliment, not replace' their vinyl records. That kind of thing might be true for a tiny fraction of people, but make no doubt about it, most people will buy a Retron5 with the exact purpose of completely replacing their old hardware.

There might even be a mini crash in the prices of the hardware the RetroN5 runs on account that nobody will want it anymore, if the RetroN5 sales are high enough. That will be interesting to see.

Sorry if this is a dumb question but does this mean there is not composite video output or any other or just hdmi as the only signal output? Thanks!

That's exactly what it means. The RetroN5 will not work through component, VGA, RGB, S-Video, Composite or any other video connection. It's HDMI only @ 720p. This means it will only work on HDTVs and a tiny number of CRTs that have HDMI output. This is just like the Ouya.

And as for your idea of an unboxing video. Unless it includes a female and her panties, you're right, lots of crickets.

*devises plan of making such a video, and making the video thumbnail a girl in her panties*

[stardust4ever]

Satoshi, for the final time, you of all people with your extensive retro reviews and collections of rare and obscure systems, I would expect to be concerned about the preservation of old hardware.

Downloading ROMs on the cheap and loading them into a flash drive and sticking it in the back of the Ouya is the way to go for some people. However, with the exception of certain homebrew ROMs like those found at PDROMS.de which all the reputable Ouya emulators link to, the vast majority of ROMs being downloaded and played online are illegal. Nintendo and a few other companies have rereleased various games for people to purchase and enjoy legally, but the bulk of emulation use is blatantly illegal. It's just like the Napster heyday when everyone was downloading MP3s for free and downloading ROMs is just as illegal. Whether the various host sites or people sharing the files are getting prosecuted for their actions or getting away with it is moot. It's like jaywalking: illegal but everybody does it and nobody cares.

Legal backup devices such as Retrode are mostly a niche product for "Geeks and Otakus", and setting one up is certainly more involved than downloading ROMs online. Technically Retrode and modern flash carts for retro systems, while they do the exact opposite function, are legally gray area since they have the capacity to be used for piracy and may not be allowed in certain markets. The guys are generally left alone because the patents are mostly expired and hardware is no longer supported.

Retron5 however allows the use of original cartridges without creating backups. Not only will the audio/video be cleaner than original hardware, but it will have other advanced features. If the Retron5 is a big enough runaway hit, it may cause a small drop in price due to decreased demand for original hardware. This will only make said hardware more accessible on the used market, not less.

And let's be perfectly honest here: while I try to take care of my game consoles, they are not getting younger. Hardware preservationists may accept the Retron5 with open arms if it means less likelihood of wearing out the original hardware. Anyone concerned about preserving the longevity of their hardware will welcome other options for playing games, provided it provides a better experience that modern clones or even original systems.

At any rate, Retron5 will yield more options for gamers, not less, and that can never be a bad thing. With the extensive options boasted by the Retron5, it is sure to satisfy both the hardcore market and the casuals. I have the Retron5 currently on preorder and am planning on getting the upcoming RetroUSB HDMI NES as well, which boasts 100% compatibility with the minor exception of lightgun games. Even if light gun games boot up properly (which they will boot fine) they won't be playable: there is no better way to play Duckhunt than on original hardware with a Zapper and CRT.

Finally, Satoshi, as a gag, you should do a faux unboxing video where you put some lacey panties on the Retron5 and rebox, prior to turning on the camera. That would be funny as hell...

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Before I respond, please, in the future, please break up your posts into paragraphs. a wall of text is a mental block that causes people not to even bother reading your post. That's the real tl:dr thing.

Just separate your thoughts into paragraphs so it's easier to read.

To me, what's important is the games themselves, not the hardware, not the format. If something like the OUya existed that could replace all my consoles - everything - I'd gladly switch over to use only that and then sell/trade off everything else I have. I'm at a point in my life when I see 15 consoles lined up and think "why" rather than "man, I'm so awesome to have such a collection".

I know most roms are illegal. I know that those same roms are available in some cases through the various official online stores. But I just honestly don't care. It's almost always a victimless 'crime' if you can call it that.

These games made their money back when they were new. Many of the developers don't exist anymore, rights holders are different, and unlike pirating a modern game, you aren't taking money away from people who are actively making their living through retro game roms. If I buy a copy of Super Mario Bros. through the Virtual Console, the only place that money goes to is to Nintendo directly, not to anyone who worked on the game. And even if that were the case, they don't need that money, and I feel well justified in downloading the rom because over the years I've bought at least five official copies of the game through various means, the last time on the GameBoy Advance.

I take a very different stance against piracy of anything that is current, but once something is ~10 years old? Piracy doesn't hurt anyone because you aren't taking money away from anyone but third party sellers such as guys on ebay who aren't affiliated with the original developers/publishers in the first place. I've built up a massive retro game collection not because I set out to do so, but because I bought games when they were new, and over time kept them until they could be considered retro. Nearly my entire N64, PS1, GBC, GBA, GameCube, PS2 and Xbox libraries are made up of games that I bought brand new. Hundreds of games. I feel fully justified to pirate whatever I want on any of those platforms. Maybe it is wrong, but it ultimately doesn't impact anyone.

All that said, I'm not against buying games if they come out digitally, and I would even argue that piracy has the benefit of game purchases I wouldn't have made blindly if I hadn't first pirated the game. For example, this occurred with Akumajou Dracula Chi no Rondo when it came out on the Wii VC. I wasn't sure I would want to play it, so I pirated it first, and then bought it.

My problem with emulation isnt that it usually means you can't play your physicals, its emulation inaccuracies and with newer consoles, DRM. It might sound strange coming from a guy who owns around 2500 unique physical game carts/discs, but I'd be totally willing to go all digital if it meant 100% accuracy and lack of DRM. The RetroN5 for me is sort of a babystep. Find out how well it runs games, and if perfect or even good enough, get rid of the original hardware because its redundant. [also continue to acquire new Famiclones because irony].

Video:
1. Open up RetroN5 box
2. find panties.
3. ?????
4. profit

[Tupin]

You've got to invest some serious cash if you want to do an unboxing prank, man. Make it something memorable, or go with the usual one (look it up, not mentioning it here.)

Apparently there was some show in Oklahoma where they had the RetroN5, but still no date.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Yeah, I don't think I'm going to do an unboxing video like that for real lol

Probably more so post something quick so I can let people know the review is on its way and to submit questions they want addressed in the full review. That's much more my style.

[stardust4ever]

Before I respond, please, in the future, please break up your posts into paragraphs. a wall of text is a mental block that causes people not to even bother reading your post. That's the real tl:dr thing.

Just separate your thoughts into paragraphs so it's easier to read.

Adult ADHD: that shit is real, man. I'll try to break it up for you.

To me, what's important is the games themselves, not the hardware, not the format. If something like the OUya existed that could replace all my consoles - everything - I'd gladly switch over to use only that and then sell/trade off everything else I have. I'm at a point in my life when I see 15 consoles lined up and think "why" rather than "man, I'm so awesome to have such a collection".

I totally need to get my own place for this exact reason.

I know most roms are illegal. I know that those same roms are available in some cases through the various official online stores. But I just honestly don't care. It's almost always a victimless 'crime' if you can call it that.

These games made their money back when they were new. Many of the developers don't exist anymore, rights holders are different, and unlike pirating a modern game, you aren't taking money away from people who are actively making their living through retro game roms. If I buy a copy of Super Mario Bros. through the Virtual Console, the only place that money goes to is to Nintendo directly, not to anyone who worked on the game. And even if that were the case, they don't need that money, and I feel well justified in downloading the rom because over the years I've bought at least five official copies of the game through various means, the last time on the GameBoy Advance.

I take a very different stance against piracy of anything that is current, but once something is ~10 years old? Piracy doesn't hurt anyone because you aren't taking money away from anyone but third party sellers such as guys on ebay who aren't affiliated with the original developers/publishers in the first place. I've built up a massive retro game collection not because I set out to do so, but because I bought games when they were new, and over time kept them until they could be considered retro. Nearly my entire N64, PS1, GBC, GBA, GameCube, PS2 and Xbox libraries are made up of games that I bought brand new. Hundreds of games. I feel fully justified to pirate whatever I want on any of those platforms. Maybe it is wrong, but it ultimately doesn't impact anyone.

Rationalize it any way you want. What you're doing is still illegal, and you totally miss out on that warm fuzzy feeling of playing the authentic cart, whether the hardware is authentic or not.

All that said, I'm not against buying games if they come out digitally, and I would even argue that piracy has the benefit of game purchases I wouldn't have made blindly if I hadn't first pirated the game. For example, this occurred with Akumajou Dracula Chi no Rondo when it came out on the Wii VC. I wasn't sure I would want to play it, so I pirated it first, and then bought it.

Try before you buy. I'll be the first to admit I have bought many homebrews only because a ROM was released. For example, Drag00n of NintendoAge recently released his Fix-It-Felix Genesis homebrew. I downloaded it, played the first level, and immediately requested a physical copy from him. I may not have nibbled if I hadn't tested the gameplay first. Also oftentimes I'll see an interesting looking game cart at a used game store, I'll drive home, download ROM and/or watch youtube review, and if it's good, drive back to game shop and pray the game is still there.

My problem with emulation isnt that it usually means you can't play your physicals, its emulation inaccuracies and with newer consoles, DRM. It might sound strange coming from a guy who owns around 2500 unique physical game carts/discs, but I'd be totally willing to go all digital if it meant 100% accuracy and lack of DRM. The RetroN5 for me is sort of a babystep. Find out how well it runs games, and if perfect or even good enough, get rid of the original hardware because its redundant. [also continue to acquire new Famiclones because irony].

If you're picky enough, even original hardware can be inaccurate. HD Graphics, late release model 1 Genesis/MD, and a variety of Model 2s/3s don't even sound alike, and certain late models (Mejesco Model 2s for instance) have incompatabilities with 32x, CD, GG, Power Base converter, etc... So if official hardware at times can't get it correct, do you really expect clones/emu to do so? I'll admit modern emulators oftentimes get it better than clones, but nothing is absolutely perfect, not even original hardware. For instance, you get crashes or blinky screens or corrupted graphics on NES. You get distorted audio on certain Genesis revisions. Atari looks like vomit on modern HDTV. Do you really expect emulators to duplicate this and other inconsistensies?

Video:
1. Open up RetroN5 box
2. find panties.
3. ?????
4. profit

Do it!

[ApolloBoy]

Personally I cannot wait until this comes out, because once it does, I'll be getting rid of all four of my CRTs and replacing them with HDTVs now that I'll be able to play my retro games on them without them looking awful. SD on HD no more.

I take it you've never looked into the Framemeister? Why compromise with an emulation box when you can use a Framemeister and still have the old systems look fantastic?

[Gatucaman]

Adult ADHD: that shit is real, man. I'll try to break it up for you.


I totally need to get my own place for this exact reason.

Rationalize it any way you want. What you're doing is still illegal, and you totally miss out on that warm fuzzy feeling of playing the authentic cart, whether the hardware is authentic or not.

Try before you buy. I'll be the first to admit I have bought many homebrews only because a ROM was released. For example, Drag00n of NintendoAge recently released his Fix-It-Felix Genesis homebrew. I downloaded it, played the first level, and immediately requested a physical copy from him. I may not have nibbled if I hadn't tested the gameplay first. Also oftentimes I'll see an interesting looking game cart at a used game store, I'll drive home, download ROM and/or watch youtube review, and if it's good, drive back to game shop and pray the game is still there.

If you're picky enough, even original hardware can be inaccurate. HD Graphics, late release model 1 Genesis/MD, and a variety of Model 2s/3s don't even sound alike, and certain late models (Mejesco Model 2s for instance) have incompatabilities with 32x, CD, GG, Power Base converter, etc... So if official hardware at times can't get it correct, do you really expect clones/emu to do so? I'll admit modern emulators oftentimes get it better than clones, but nothing is absolutely perfect, not even original hardware. For instance, you get crashes or blinky screens or corrupted graphics on NES. You get distorted audio on certain Genesis revisions. Atari looks like vomit on modern HDTV. Do you really expect emulators to duplicate this and other inconsistensies?

Do it!

Mr Stardust4Ever, do you realize that most of the games available on VC are just the same common posterboys, (do you see games like Time Zone, Parrallel World (NOT THE ZELDA LttP HACK), Sweet Home, Clock Tower, Little Nemo, Kickmaster, Vice project of Doom, Cursaders of Centy, and a gigantic etc?) and thera a shitloads of obscure good titles that might not have been ever heard of if it wasnt for emulation and ROMS, and THAT GOES ALSO, for games that got legal releases but faded into obscurity due to poor sales like Shantae?

just look at the current library of Wii U eShop, is piss poor.

They dont step out of the comfort zone bubble of lazyness.

EMulation and Roms are the only way to go, and for people who want to obtain these games legally, guess what? there's a problem now, The speculator epidemic over flea markets, resellers and fricking Ebay (Ebay is just good now to get a few select japanese games on bids nowadays, thanks to the morons who turn the VINTAGE RARE tricks into a frickin fetish).

Downloading a ROM of an obscure game from a company that might not even exist anymore and the game data might have as well been lost forever in limbo like Parralle World is Illegal?

but doing crap like this is OK to you?


























(look particulary at this one, see something odd here?)

All am i saying is, chillax on the black and white mentality dude.

[stardust4ever]

Hell, at least with those ripped lables, you know it's bound to be legit (ie not have a bunch of wires bunched up and an EPROM inside)! BTW, your argument is moot since Shantea and Earthbound are both available on Virtual Console as of summer 2013. Plus, there's plenty of retro games to enjoy for around $5-$10 bucks or so.

I know I argued that downloading ROMs is illegal; that doesn't mean i don't brake the law from time to time. I also have a few repros of unreleased, translation, hacks, bootleg multicarts, etc, and I do occasionally use flash carts to play "unobtainable" games.

Can people just accept the fact that I prefer to game on actual carts if/when I have the option and my space/budget allows it?

Carts are a special part of history meant to be enjoyed but also preserved. I once lovingly restored a roach feces covered Panic Restaurant that I picked up at game-X-Change for $5. See here:
http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/mes...hreadid=100979

The game required a donor PCB to work in the end so I sacrificed a Home Alone 2. Was happy to get it working in the end and it's a great charming game. Eventually I sold it along with a Bucky-O-Hare for $230. Had I not picked up this dirty cart despite being only $5, it would have likely ended up in a landfill. Instead it went to a good home in Canada.