I recapped and restored an old CRT TV and use it to play my original NES and other classic games systems on. Startropics is like Zelda and a great fun game!
FYI, the native output resolution of NES game is 256*240 (ratio 1.06 which correspond to the almost square picture from the "pixel perfect mode" on the NES Mini). 4:3 is indeed a stretched mode (ratio 1.33 which looks more rectangular) but that is the way the game looked back in the days on a standard CRT TV set which would stretch the 256*240 picture to fill up the full 4:3 space of the TV display. No doubt the "pixel perfect mode" looks a tiny bit sharper on an LCD screen as far as there is no deformation applied to the original format (1:1) which might sound super cool but it's not the way we remember the game and feels weird :=) Btw, many games (especially in the arcade world) were developped using a resolution different from the 4:3 format of the monitor it was eventually played on. Take the capcom CPS1/2/3 games for exemple, their native resolution is 384x224 (ratio 1.71 very close to 16/9 from nowadays tv set), but if you play them in this native format it looks all wrong compared to what we remember from the arcades as all characters on screen looks stretched (that is what you get when you play those games in retropie for example... try it !). Those games were developped keeping in mind that the final result would have to be displayed on a 4/3 arcade monitor. So everything was designed anamorphically (circles looking like ellipses, characters being wider than normal...) so that once displayed (squashed) on a 4/3 monitor everything looks fine :=)
In short, the NES video output itself was not pixel perfect. Which is why the pixel perfect mode looks wrong. Aspect ratio is the biggest irritant when you're upscaling a game because it inevitably gives you black borders which people hate. So they stretch it to fill the screen, but it drives me nuts when the aspect ratio is wrong.
That it doesn't have Tetris is pretty much a deal breaker for me. Especially since none of the older arcade versions has seperate buttons for clockwise and counter clockwise rotation of the pieces. The NES version was also easier to play than the Game Boy version, that played just a little less smooth. The NES version fights your intetion less.
Excellent vid John as always, I asked the missus to get one for me for Christmas, I hope she managed to get one when there were limited stock over here in the UK. It's a nice touch to compliment the games room.
It's definitely entry level retro fun for anyone into the NES. It's right up there with the Flashback series of Atari, Genesis, ColecoVision & IntelliVision, but with MUCH more polish hardware and software wise. That save system is awesome. For those who want a pro version of the NES experience, you naturally have the original via eBay or the new AVS from RetroUSB. Then if you just want everything, literally, at your fingertips, and have a spare weekend, you can go RetroPie. BTW, I have one & It's not that hard if you Google the step-by-steps and utilize message boards. My personal retro console setup is a RetroPie slightly tricked out w/ my own logo and intro video, running 2600, 7800, NES, SNES, SMS & Genesis. Then an S-Video modded original 2600 w/ about 20-30 carts & a Harmony cart, plus an IntelliVision Flashback. The only thing I need now, is more time to play it all :) The more options we have for retro gaming, the better.
I'll play CRT's advocate. The games were designed to be displayed on a television, with all the imperfections and color bleeding that come with being on a CRT tube, so for the most 'authentic' display experience the CRT filter is the way to go. Modern HDTVs are too precise, too sharp... and the 4:3 stretch results in some wobbly pixel scaling, with some low-resolution upscaled pixels not quite the right size. CRT mode smooths over those imperfections by better representing the innate imperfections of the original display hardware. But, it is 2016, and I can see the desire to imagine what the world would be like if you could see the precise pixels rather than a blurry NTSC signal. So hey, go with what you enjoy. :)
Looking really sharp. Wireless controllers, you say? Yes! Definitely so. I wouldn't even mind an NES Satellite Classic, as that's the way I preferred to play the NES. Fingers crossed, I'm going after some new shoes in the neighboring town after finishing your awesome video. Maybe...they'll somehow have one of these.
This was a really fun video. When I first heard about the NES Classic Edition I thought it would be a dedicated Virtual Console machine and internet enabled to download other VC classics but with it just having those 30 games and only those games it's a very niche product that'll lose it's luster quickly, short cords aside. But it is a fun way to introduce ones kids to the games but I'd really go for the RetroUSB AVS with some original carts and a power pack for more obscure titles slightly pricier but a better retro experience. That menu system for the NES Classic is very nice though especially the save state feature.
hey John, my brother and me became a atari 400 on our 2nd USA Trip in salt lake, with DK 😀😀. it was the best because it has all 4 screens. but on a KOA you had no TV at rental RV'S so we had to wait 3 weeks until we're back in germany... 😂😂😂
You can power it from the usb ports on the tv, and the back of sky boxes so you dont use up extra sockets apparently, makes sence though. Only a matter of time before someone hacks it to play roms from sd card. Need to get yourself a game capture device so we can see what you see dude, What a cool device, FPGA is what impesses me lately, like chameleon code man. If your into your shmoooops lol then i recommend Sol Feace on the Mega CD and Axelay on SNES. Also as you are a vetran 800XL guy like myself do you remember Mirax Force? great shooter John, it took ages to load because it said Mirax Force at the begining. First time I ever heard my computer talk i was blown away back then. Best channel on you tube as far as im concerned dude and i dont watch normal TV just you tube. Your the equivelent of my weekly soap opera lol. Big Love John.
Star Tropics is so much fun! But there was a code in the instructions booklet you needed to get past a part. I had a copy a friend gave me and could not beat the game until I was in my 20s and looked up the code online. Because my friend did not have the booklet.
Hmm, love that interface. It's a matter of time though when someone builds a "clone" front end for the Raspberry Pi. Then you can put whichever games you want. :-)
Am I the only one who's noticed a good portion of the box art scans on the NES Classic's menu are sourced from the European art? You can tell because the Nintendo seal is a regular circle vs. a horizontal oval like it's always been in the American markets.
Given how firmly (and rightly) you are committed to real CRT monitors for your arcade cabs, I'm kind of surprised you don't use a CRT TV for playing 80s-90s console games. Around here, healthy late 90s/early 2000s CRT TVs (with a full complement of gaming friendly AV inputs) still show up in thrift stores for $5-$20. I find that I get into these games much more when I play them with original hardware on a real TV. However, you did mention not wanting to get into a rabbit hole with consoles, so I'll forgive you for being a filthy casual. :)
No doubt, the HDMI connection makes the game look better. I noticed it right away. I spend plenty of time on my PC comparing graphics so I will say the HDMI port is a bonus when used with older style console games. I see some people complaining about the game selection (NOT ENOUGH GAMES) when you break it down, you're paying less than a couple dollars per game and you get all the hardware and HDMI cables included. Well worth the 60$. The controller cable length is garbage though. The cable length is just stupid. Now I'll have to go out and get an extender. I'm happy with my purchase though. I got mine hooked up to my 1080p Tv. Games look better on a 1080p tv with the HDMI port used. Your 720p tv should be upgraded to a better 1080p for better results. After all HDMI has always looked better on a 1080p Tv. I don't have a 720p to compare results though with this console. I think I'll go find a cheap Wii controller instead of buying an extender cable. The games probably work better using the Wii controller to be honest.
It would be cool if they made a second revision in which the cartridge flap opens to reveal an SD slot to load your own ROMs and perhaps include an adapter so you can use real NES controllers, although I doubt the SD card slot will ever happen since Nintendo seems pretty against emulation and downloading ROMs
Great Video John! You Should Do A Video On The PAC-MAN 256 Connect & Play And Compare It's Gameplay To The PAC-MAN Cabaret, You Find Them On Amazon All The Time For Around $20!
hey John, I have a sanyo tv and the remote actually has a button to adjust pixel shape that might fill the screen if your remote has one. Thanks for the video and I think I might get the mini now that I've seen it.
John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech, I had several questions if you could answer. 1) Did you install heatsinks for your Rasberry Pi 3? If so, which one did you get? 2) Did you use the NES30 wireless controller on the NES Mini Classic?
I still like my original console the most that I have back at my parents house but I plan on getting one of these eventually once the hype dies down and they're easy to find.
John, connect the NES classic controller + Wiimote to your raspberry pi using Bluetooth...it is the best option. Hopefully someone will post a tutorial on installing a raspberry pi into the NES classic shell.
Hey could you review the Pandoras Box Chinese home arcade system. People seem to be going crazy over it. Around $200, I guess better quality than raspberry pi, 800+ game, 2 "arcade sticks" and hdmi out. Would love to get your take on it.
I thought Tecmo had already settled the Gaiden thing with the release of the XBOX version. :P (I remember they say it in the ads) On that missing level in the NES conversion of DK -- I heard there was an LE version of the original Wii that was Mario Red and actually came with 'Donkey Kong: Original Edition' preinstalled on it, and that was an updated version of the NES port that resurrects the Cement Factory level from the arcade!! (which would've been cool to have on here as a bonus, but yeah) And Mario Bros. actually had a European re-release called Mario Bros. Classic which even more closely emulates the arcade original (even has all the enemy intros!) and the FDS versions of the games on the Japanese MIni... since it has some extra sound hardware the music/sfx so it sounds a lot better in some aspects! Overall it sounds like a cool system! I definitely want one even though I already have half of the games they offered in cart form on the original NES! Also looking forward to the Famicom Mini video there's a few good different games on there! (Like how they got River City Ransom and we didn't)
I just bought a gaming device off ebay for 30 euro John and it said 3000 games at 64bit power. It's the same size as an iPhone. plays all nes snes mega drive and arcade games. screen is a bit small but some games like that galaga one plays great.
I read somewhere that the mini nes has hardware that is more powerfull than the original wii. not sure if it's true, but if it is...kinda nuts. Also, play startropics, it's an absolute blast.
darkinertia2 The thing is they already have a NES Mini theme for it. Giving it an NES Classic style GUI. AND you can get wireless NES Controllers. AND you can get a 3D printed NES Classic case for it. AND you can also play Genesis, N64, PSP, PS1, SNES, Arcade, Game Gear, GB, GBC, And GBA games. NES Classic, eat your heart out
darkinertia2 Oh and 1080p HDMI output with shaders and save states. And you can add your own music in the menu. and finally...It's about 30-40$. Thank you and Good Night.
With me I bounce between both worlds of both legit and bootleg NES/Famiclones. I have both a legit NES classic and a Cool Baby 600 in 1 console as well and I love both systems equally and have them side by side but I guess I've always been into more the bootleg stuff because I owned a SPICA Nes-clone which to me was more superior than the original NES at the time which blew me away back in 1988 because it can play both NES/Famicom cartridges which was a major plus to me at the time?! Now I all I have is my Micro Genius famiclone which still works after 30+ years and all I collect are Famiclones because they're all so weird and crazy designs and stuff...
Personally I think the Pi and NES Classic look better. Running at 720p gives you a better scaling ratio. The original NES is being scaled by the TV and it's not doing that great a job. If you want to go completely crazy on that topic My Life In Gaming has an entire series on it. For $60 it's not too bad though.
Even though I love the cute case, the emulation it self isn't very good. But better what Nintendo offered before. The noise emulation seems very off to me, also some graphics glitches are there in the emulation if you look at the details. Do some comparisons yourself. But expect this device to be hacked and modified in no time. But the case and the UI are cute.
as cute as it is i still prefer a/ a famicom clone with long cables, hundreds of games AND a cart slot for original games or b/ or an rpi with 100% of the game + patched /translated games/homebrews and nes/snes long cable USB controllers. both cases are a better bang for your buck and under 60 usd!
yeah, cool, but i already made a retropie with arcade controls and gamepads so i wouldn't get it one thing i heard about it was that some of the sounds aren't correct in the games, very specific ..i'd have to look it up to tell you
5:08 Wiimote would work with Wii-U, so in all probability it'll work just fine. vis-a-vis controller extension cable... I think the mini-console is supposed to sit near the player, because of the power and reset buttons, which is why the cable is short. Well, that and it'd be a really terrible thing to use on a Wiimote with a 6ft cable.
dang... Nintendo tried TOO hard with the CRT filter to the point of applying the NTSC distortions to the four shades of B&W and grey. Not even the original hardware did that... ...Mighta rainbowed said shades a little but not outright distortion...
Something is off with the RetroPie,, colors are off and it's over bright (washed out), but possibly things that can be adjusted. I'd say the NES Classic is worth it for $60, I'm getting one once they're available again.
The latest version of retropie gives you a sharp crystal clear image with no filters up-scaled to 1080p that looks exactly like the NES mini in 4:3 mode. The retropie can also disable the sprite limit in the retroarch emulator menu, (by holding select button and pushing the X button) to eliminate sprite flickering. You can also save sate in retropie by holding select button and pushing either R button to save or L button to load, and change save slots by holding the select button and using the D-pad. The Nes mini is nice but Nintendo is way too late into the retro console market, this is something they should of done years ago and that lead length is ridiculous.
Yup, Cortex A7 ARM processor with 256Mb DDR3 ram and 512 Mb flash drive, a sort of Raspberry Pi platform except with less RAM. Emulator is homebrewed by Nintendo European R & D team and has nothing in common with the one embedded in Retropie. Though, the emulation is on par with what retropie has to offer that means kind of okay but far from perfection : sound is a bit off at times, graphical glitches are present on certain games and the colours are way too blunt...Look at the browns or greens in Super Mario for example, they really lack the "pop" from the original console. An A/B side by side comparison makes it obvious. So far the best NES "clone" because it's FPGA-based (replicating exactly the original hardware and adding a 720p HDMI video output to it) is the AVS made by RetroUSB and allowing to play original NES (US 60Hz as well as European 50Hz) and Japanese Famicom cartridges (2 slots are present under the trap door). It also supports save states and highscores on-line. Multi-games bootleg carts for the original NES are working on it as well. It has 4 original NES controller ports and even looks good and reminds of the original NES design under many aspect (buttons on the front-end are genuine NOS NES parts). The only problem is that being not produced at a huge scale, production costs are awfully high and the console retail price is 3 times the one of the legitimate NES Mini :=(
It's commodity hardware. That's where the pricing is at. Getting something less powerful would probably cost them more money. In addition, they'll probably reuse the same board in the -lets face it inevitable - SNES version.
@@TheTurnipKing probably yeah, and turns out they did! What I was surprised by was the specs of the 2020 Game & Watch - 280MHz STM32 and just 1MB of RAM or something.
@@RWL2012 it's just where modern Microcontrollers are at in terms of price,/performance. At a certain point there's literally no point in manufacturing lower spec ones, and the target spec for these kinds of devices now are IoT devices.
Glad you were able to get one. Nintendo definitely screwed the gamers again like they always do when a console launches. Enjoy it john i think watching this video will be the closest i get to one for a few months.
I can't believe they added a composite filter on top of the crt filter... They just ruined it for me...WHY?! I know that's what most of us played the NES, but I can no longer play in "composhit" since I migrated to SCART RGB a few years ago... They should've let us choose pixel perfect with scanlines and sharp pixel ( no composhit filter on top)!
For the record, it's pronounced Ninja 'GUY den'. That is the correct Japanese pronunciation. Also, similarly, the game company 'Taito' is pronounced 'TIE toe', and 'Raiden' is pronounced 'RYE den'.
for 60 bucks its totally worth it. But for me the nes is a bit to old, it is not the quality of arcade games, see eg donkey kong. Hopefully they'll make a snes mini version,
I would agree with this. I dunno, it seems like they thought putting Pac-Man and Galaga on the front of the box would have some cache with older gamers.
Does...Not...Compute. Seriously, what advantage does this thing offer vs someone merely downloading a ROM package, with every single game Nintendo has ever made (EVER!!!), and playing them through their laptop or PC? Out of curiosity, I found a sight that offers such a package and checked the size. It's about 240 MB. A PC/MAC compatible controller will set you back $10, so, why the hype over this thing?
Not if they did it simply by adding a slot say on the top like a SNES/Genesis, no need to recreate the original cartridge slot assembly. It would look a bit awkward having most of the cart being stuck on top of the it, but it would work.
Artificial shortages? If so, Nintendo is just stupid. They announced this thing over three months ago. They should have pallets of these things in every bigbox store. Not geared towards retro game collectors, yet those were the people that were in long lines. If they want to get sales from average consumers (who would likely buy this on impulse - and not because they are seeking it out), then they need to have these things out there in front of those people. Nintendo totally dropped the ball, and literally LOST money by not having tons of these for sale on launch day. The people making money?? SCALPERS ON EBAY. So dumb. We WANT to love you Nintendo, but you just keep messing things up.
Now you can go on ebay John and sell yours for $1,500. Lol! No seriously, I did a search for completed listings of these on ebay and there was one actually sold for $1,500! If it was a legite auction, that was ridiculous! But it seems like a lot of them are going for around the $200 range on there.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 78 | คู่เอก "ปกรณ์ vs ฟาบิโอ"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LSOmgl0Th2c/mqdefault.jpg)
I recapped and restored an old CRT TV and use it to play my original NES and other classic games systems on.
Startropics is like Zelda and a great fun game!
FYI, the native output resolution of NES game is 256*240 (ratio 1.06 which correspond to the almost square picture from the "pixel perfect mode" on the NES Mini).
4:3 is indeed a stretched mode (ratio 1.33 which looks more rectangular) but that is the way the game looked back in the days on a standard CRT TV set which would stretch the 256*240 picture to fill up the full 4:3 space of the TV display.
No doubt the "pixel perfect mode" looks a tiny bit sharper on an LCD screen as far as there is no deformation applied to the original format (1:1) which might sound super cool but it's not the way we remember the game and feels weird :=)
Btw, many games (especially in the arcade world) were developped using a resolution different from the 4:3 format of the monitor it was eventually played on. Take the capcom CPS1/2/3 games for exemple, their native resolution is 384x224 (ratio 1.71 very close to 16/9 from nowadays tv set), but if you play them in this native format it looks all wrong compared to what we remember from the arcades as all characters on screen looks stretched (that is what you get when you play those games in retropie for example... try it !). Those games were developped keeping in mind that the final result would have to be displayed on a 4/3 arcade monitor. So everything was designed anamorphically (circles looking like ellipses, characters being wider than normal...) so that once displayed (squashed) on a 4/3 monitor everything looks fine :=)
In short, the NES video output itself was not pixel perfect. Which is why the pixel perfect mode looks wrong.
Aspect ratio is the biggest irritant when you're upscaling a game because it inevitably gives you black borders which people hate. So they stretch it to fill the screen, but it drives me nuts when the aspect ratio is wrong.
Sure the nes classic is great for nostalgia, I like how it saves as well. But the Raspberry Pi 3 is the way to go!
Lycanthropic Paranoia I use my nes classic as a raspberry pi now with adding a bunch of games from different systems on it
That it doesn't have Tetris is pretty much a deal breaker for me. Especially since none of the older arcade versions has seperate buttons for clockwise and counter clockwise rotation of the pieces. The NES version was also easier to play than the Game Boy version, that played just a little less smooth. The NES version fights your intetion less.
Excellent vid John as always, I asked the missus to get one for me for Christmas, I hope she managed to get one when there were limited stock over here in the UK. It's a nice touch to compliment the games room.
It's definitely entry level retro fun for anyone into the NES. It's right up there with the Flashback series of Atari, Genesis, ColecoVision & IntelliVision, but with MUCH more polish hardware and software wise. That save system is awesome.
For those who want a pro version of the NES experience, you naturally have the original via eBay or the new AVS from RetroUSB.
Then if you just want everything, literally, at your fingertips, and have a spare weekend, you can go RetroPie. BTW, I have one & It's not that hard if you Google the step-by-steps and utilize message boards.
My personal retro console setup is a RetroPie slightly tricked out w/ my own logo and intro video, running 2600, 7800, NES, SNES, SMS & Genesis. Then an S-Video modded original 2600 w/ about 20-30 carts & a Harmony cart, plus an IntelliVision Flashback. The only thing I need now, is more time to play it all :)
The more options we have for retro gaming, the better.
I'll play CRT's advocate. The games were designed to be displayed on a television, with all the imperfections and color bleeding that come with being on a CRT tube, so for the most 'authentic' display experience the CRT filter is the way to go. Modern HDTVs are too precise, too sharp... and the 4:3 stretch results in some wobbly pixel scaling, with some low-resolution upscaled pixels not quite the right size. CRT mode smooths over those imperfections by better representing the innate imperfections of the original display hardware.
But, it is 2016, and I can see the desire to imagine what the world would be like if you could see the precise pixels rather than a blurry NTSC signal. So hey, go with what you enjoy. :)
In RetroPie you can smooth the pixels out and use shaders etc.
Your videos are so great. Your personality puts me at ease after a hard day of work.
Thanks, Dave!
Looking really sharp.
Wireless controllers, you say? Yes! Definitely so. I wouldn't even mind an NES Satellite Classic, as that's the way I preferred to play the NES.
Fingers crossed, I'm going after some new shoes in the neighboring town after finishing your awesome video. Maybe...they'll somehow have one of these.
This was a really fun video. When I first heard about the NES Classic Edition I thought it would be a dedicated Virtual Console machine and internet enabled to download other VC classics but with it just having those 30 games and only those games it's a very niche product that'll lose it's luster quickly, short cords aside. But it is a fun way to introduce ones kids to the games but I'd really go for the RetroUSB AVS with some original carts and a power pack for more obscure titles slightly pricier but a better retro experience. That menu system for the NES Classic is very nice though especially the save state feature.
I have that exact TV built in 2010
perfect gaming monitor because it has ALL types of inputs
hey John, my brother and me became a atari 400 on our 2nd USA Trip in salt lake, with DK 😀😀. it was the best because it has all 4 screens. but on a KOA you had no TV at rental RV'S so we had to wait 3 weeks until we're back in germany... 😂😂😂
You can power it from the usb ports on the tv, and the back of sky boxes so you dont use up extra sockets apparently, makes sence though. Only a matter of time before someone hacks it to play roms from sd card. Need to get yourself a game capture device so we can see what you see dude, What a cool device, FPGA is what impesses me lately, like chameleon code man. If your into your shmoooops lol then i recommend Sol Feace on the Mega CD and Axelay on SNES. Also as you are a vetran 800XL guy like myself do you remember Mirax Force? great shooter John, it took ages to load because it said Mirax Force at the begining. First time I ever heard my computer talk i was blown away back then. Best channel on you tube as far as im concerned dude and i dont watch normal TV just you tube. Your the equivelent of my weekly soap opera lol. Big Love John.
That's so cool that you have an original NES John. I have one too! :D
Star Tropics is so much fun! But there was a code in the instructions booklet you needed to get past a part. I had a copy a friend gave me and could not beat the game until I was in my 20s and looked up the code online. Because my friend did not have the booklet.
Glad you picked this up John it's GREAT! but no donkey kong 3 😞
with the wii controller if you hold the home button on while in game you can go back to the main menu without pressing the reset button
The home button on the wii control works as a reset button
+Ampedup2006 oh. Cool.
I loved me some Kid Nikki back in the day!!
Hmm, love that interface. It's a matter of time though when someone builds a "clone" front end for the Raspberry Pi. Then you can put whichever games you want. :-)
Am I the only one who's noticed a good portion of the box art scans on the NES Classic's menu are sourced from the European art? You can tell because the Nintendo seal is a regular circle vs. a horizontal oval like it's always been in the American markets.
Startropics is a great NES game. I love it and it has alot of Zelda elements. Last time played it I got stuck on chapter 5. You should give it a shot
High John thanks for sharing yours is the first review unbox I watched
Thanks, buddy! Hope you liked it. :)
John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech great review full of info thanks
Oh quick tip. If your TV has a USB port, that's enough to power the NES Classic.
It's also enough to power a retropie.
Given how firmly (and rightly) you are committed to real CRT monitors for your arcade cabs, I'm kind of surprised you don't use a CRT TV for playing 80s-90s console games. Around here, healthy late 90s/early 2000s CRT TVs (with a full complement of gaming friendly AV inputs) still show up in thrift stores for $5-$20.
I find that I get into these games much more when I play them with original hardware on a real TV.
However, you did mention not wanting to get into a rabbit hole with consoles, so I'll forgive you for being a filthy casual. :)
Wow I cant believe you found 10 in one store, Its normally 2 , 1 , 3 or 5 but not 10
No doubt, the HDMI connection makes the game look better. I noticed it right away. I spend plenty of time on my PC comparing graphics so I will say the HDMI port is a bonus when used with older style console games.
I see some people complaining about the game selection (NOT ENOUGH GAMES) when you break it down, you're paying less than a couple dollars per game and you get all the hardware and HDMI cables included. Well worth the 60$. The controller cable length is garbage though. The cable length is just stupid. Now I'll have to go out and get an extender. I'm happy with my purchase though. I got mine hooked up to my 1080p Tv. Games look better on a 1080p tv with the HDMI port used. Your 720p tv should be upgraded to a better 1080p for better results. After all HDMI has always looked better on a 1080p Tv. I don't have a 720p to compare results though with this console.
I think I'll go find a cheap Wii controller instead of buying an extender cable. The games probably work better using the Wii controller to be honest.
It would be cool if they made a second revision in which the cartridge flap opens to reveal an SD slot to load your own ROMs and perhaps include an adapter so you can use real NES controllers, although I doubt the SD card slot will ever happen since Nintendo seems pretty against emulation and downloading ROMs
Might be nice to strip out the insides and replace it with a Retropie with wireless controller.
cant wait to put my raspberry pi inside of a clasic nes case !
that could cause some discomfort
No way, it would fit. Especially a Raspberry Pie Zero. You can probably make or purchase a 3d printed knock off case soon.
Great Video John! You Should Do A Video On The PAC-MAN 256 Connect & Play And Compare It's Gameplay To The PAC-MAN Cabaret, You Find Them On Amazon All The Time For Around $20!
hey John,
I have a sanyo tv and the remote actually has a button to adjust pixel shape that might fill the screen if your remote has one. Thanks for the video and I think I might get the mini now that I've seen it.
John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech,
I had several questions if you could answer.
1) Did you install heatsinks for your Rasberry Pi 3? If so, which one did you get?
2) Did you use the NES30 wireless controller on the NES Mini Classic?
I still like my original console the most that I have back at my parents house but I plan on getting one of these eventually once the hype dies down and they're easy to find.
Yeah, wait until after Christmas. These things will be everywhere and worthless!
I love your videos! Keep it up!
looking so forward to hearing how well save states work
John, connect the NES classic controller + Wiimote to your raspberry pi using Bluetooth...it is the best option. Hopefully someone will post a tutorial on installing a raspberry pi into the NES classic shell.
Hey could you review the Pandoras Box Chinese home arcade system. People seem to be going crazy over it. Around $200, I guess better quality than raspberry pi, 800+ game, 2 "arcade sticks" and hdmi out.
Would love to get your take on it.
I thought Tecmo had already settled the Gaiden thing with the release of the XBOX version. :P (I remember they say it in the ads)
On that missing level in the NES conversion of DK -- I heard there was an LE version of the original Wii that was Mario Red and actually came with 'Donkey Kong: Original Edition' preinstalled on it, and that was an updated version of the NES port that resurrects the Cement Factory level from the arcade!! (which would've been cool to have on here as a bonus, but yeah)
And Mario Bros. actually had a European re-release called Mario Bros. Classic which even more closely emulates the arcade original (even has all the enemy intros!)
and the FDS versions of the games on the Japanese MIni... since it has some extra sound hardware the music/sfx so it sounds a lot better in some aspects!
Overall it sounds like a cool system! I definitely want one even though I already have half of the games they offered in cart form on the original NES!
Also looking forward to the Famicom Mini video there's a few good different games on there! (Like how they got River City Ransom and we didn't)
I just bought a gaming device off ebay for 30 euro John and it said 3000 games at 64bit power. It's the same size as an iPhone. plays all nes snes mega drive and arcade games. screen is a bit small but some games like that galaga one plays great.
flanneryshaneedward neat! what's it called?
On first glance that RetroPi one has a fat squished picture and the wrong colours. The Nes Mini looks correct.
I read somewhere that the mini nes has hardware that is more powerfull than the original wii. not sure if it's true, but if it is...kinda nuts. Also, play startropics, it's an absolute blast.
you can now hack the NES Mini to hold all NES roms, over 800 games
There’s no way that’s true
just watch, an nes min skin will come out for the retropie lol
Already been done you can get 3d printed ones on Ebay
The TNT Mancave yeah that too, but i meant more a retropie GUI skin to make it look like the interface of nes minis
Ah - yeah - I'm sure someone may already be working on it
darkinertia2 The thing is they already have a NES Mini theme for it. Giving it an NES Classic style GUI. AND you can get wireless NES Controllers. AND you can get a 3D printed NES Classic case for it. AND you can also play Genesis, N64, PSP, PS1, SNES, Arcade, Game Gear, GB, GBC, And GBA games.
NES Classic, eat your heart out
darkinertia2 Oh and 1080p HDMI output with shaders and save states. And you can add your own music in the menu. and finally...It's about 30-40$. Thank you and Good Night.
People are close at cracking it as we sepak, so that 30 games limit wont be for long.
Why pay $60 and crack this POS when you can just spend $30 on a PI.
Jjjj H Because people like official products
More like people like to be robbed in my eyes.
Since you have to use the buttons on the mini NES to get back to the menu, you would be better off with the longer HDMI cable.
You can use it on Wii U with a Wii remote... you can even play Shovel Knight with it!
That laugh, man...
+MantaRayGun ha ha
John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech Nintendo like two
damn i want that butterscotch tele lol
With me I bounce between both worlds of both legit and bootleg NES/Famiclones. I have both a legit NES classic and a Cool Baby 600 in 1 console as well and I love both systems equally and have them side by side but I guess I've always been into more the bootleg stuff because I owned a SPICA Nes-clone which to me was more superior than the original NES at the time which blew me away back in 1988 because it can play both NES/Famicom cartridges which was a major plus to me at the time?! Now I all I have is my Micro Genius famiclone which still works after 30+ years and all I collect are Famiclones because they're all so weird and crazy designs and stuff...
Thx for the vids John ..What i like in this is the popcorn machine not there tbh vid looks better without it ....
+Harney how dare you.
I noticed there is a quite a bit if tearing of sprites on the NES original and the Retropie which aren't apparent in the NES Mini
Really cool. Great games wroth the money!
Personally I think the Pi and NES Classic look better. Running at 720p gives you a better scaling ratio. The original NES is being scaled by the TV and it's not doing that great a job. If you want to go completely crazy on that topic My Life In Gaming has an entire series on it.
For $60 it's not too bad though.
Even though I love the cute case, the emulation it self isn't very good. But better what Nintendo offered before. The noise emulation seems very off to me, also some graphics glitches are there in the emulation if you look at the details. Do some comparisons yourself. But expect this device to be hacked and modified in no time. But the case and the UI are cute.
as cute as it is i still prefer
a/ a famicom clone with long cables, hundreds of games AND a cart slot for original games or
b/ or an rpi with 100% of the game + patched /translated games/homebrews and nes/snes long cable USB controllers.
both cases are a better bang for your buck and under 60 usd!
Double Dragon 2 Rules !
yeah, cool, but i already made a retropie with arcade controls and gamepads so i wouldn't get it
one thing i heard about it was that some of the sounds aren't correct in the games, very specific ..i'd have to look it up to tell you
I'd love a NES mini but due to availability.... I've invested elsewhere for a Retropie instead. (Pi3 of course)
5:08 Wiimote would work with Wii-U, so in all probability it'll work just fine.
vis-a-vis controller extension cable... I think the mini-console is supposed to sit near the player, because of the power and reset buttons, which is why the cable is short.
Well, that and it'd be a really terrible thing to use on a Wiimote with a 6ft cable.
So get a 20' HDMI cable?!
long cable wii controller has a home button (top center) that send you back to the menu of the nes mini
dang... Nintendo tried TOO hard with the CRT filter to the point of applying the NTSC distortions to the four shades of B&W and grey.
Not even the original hardware did that...
...Mighta rainbowed said shades a little but not outright distortion...
A > B. You're too funny.
My child loves nes games
Would be interested to see if the controller can be easily modded for original NES/USB use.
They are going crazy over her ein the uk for these,m printing a Nes pii case for mine
Can see alot of these gathering dust after a month or so.
It just the new Pokemon or Beanie baby . BRAIN-DEAD Zombie Sheeple fall for this shit. Sorry Johnny:)
eshop games are $7.99 each and the classic Wii controllers go for used $17.99 and up.
Something is off with the RetroPie,, colors are off and it's over bright (washed out), but possibly things that can be adjusted. I'd say the NES Classic is worth it for $60, I'm getting one once they're available again.
+73mathesar I think the Retropie had color profiles you can load. My install is 100% default, so not sure.
The latest version of retropie gives you a sharp crystal clear image with no filters up-scaled to 1080p that looks exactly like the NES mini in 4:3 mode. The retropie can also disable the sprite limit in the retroarch emulator menu, (by holding select button and pushing the X button) to eliminate sprite flickering. You can also save sate in retropie by holding select button and pushing either R button to save or L button to load, and change save slots by holding the select button and using the D-pad. The Nes mini is nice but Nintendo is way too late into the retro console market, this is something they should of done years ago and that lead length is ridiculous.
cmon Johnny boy pixel perfect is just your old school games in HDMI. it's awesome! punch out is glorious!
I dunno, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense! :) The picture looks smooshed.
Kirby's Adventure was really good.
After watching a teardown video of this, it has a quad core processor inside it! A quad core and all it has to do is emulate the NES, lol...
Yup, Cortex A7 ARM processor with 256Mb DDR3 ram and 512 Mb flash drive, a sort of Raspberry Pi platform except with less RAM. Emulator is homebrewed by Nintendo European R & D team and has nothing in common with the one embedded in Retropie. Though, the emulation is on par with what retropie has to offer that means kind of okay but far from perfection : sound is a bit off at times, graphical glitches are present on certain games and the colours are way too blunt...Look at the browns or greens in Super Mario for example, they really lack the "pop" from the original console. An A/B side by side comparison makes it obvious.
So far the best NES "clone" because it's FPGA-based (replicating exactly the original hardware and adding a 720p HDMI video output to it) is the AVS made by RetroUSB and allowing to play original NES (US 60Hz as well as European 50Hz) and Japanese Famicom cartridges (2 slots are present under the trap door). It also supports save states and highscores on-line. Multi-games bootleg carts for the original NES are working on it as well. It has 4 original NES controller ports and even looks good and reminds of the original NES design under many aspect (buttons on the front-end are genuine NOS NES parts). The only problem is that being not produced at a huge scale, production costs are awfully high and the console retail price is 3 times the one of the legitimate NES Mini :=(
It's commodity hardware. That's where the pricing is at. Getting something less powerful would probably cost them more money.
In addition, they'll probably reuse the same board in the -lets face it inevitable - SNES version.
@@thierrydelage7438 only just seen this.
@@TheTurnipKing probably yeah, and turns out they did! What I was surprised by was the specs of the 2020 Game & Watch - 280MHz STM32 and just 1MB of RAM or something.
@@RWL2012 it's just where modern Microcontrollers are at in terms of price,/performance. At a certain point there's literally no point in manufacturing lower spec ones, and the target spec for these kinds of devices now are IoT devices.
Can't wait
Glad you were able to get one. Nintendo definitely screwed the gamers again like they always do when a console launches. Enjoy it john i think watching this video will be the closest i get to one for a few months.
there's more system platform's on a retro pie and more games on it
Obviously. :)
I bought one just to fit in my retro pie.
Alexander Smith
Alexander Smith Pirating is clearly going to be cheaper than the real thing.
I made a quick comparison, RetroPie seems over bright but not sure if it has its own brightness adjustments i.imgur.com/mjp1tCs.jpg
And I am a huge fan of the Final Fantasy series.
I never ever got into them. I hate that combat.
Did you pick some of the arcades in your basement because they are arcade only and not ported to a console or because they are your favs?
lmao, at least you don't have to blow it to get it to load! it's worth 60 bucks to me.
RetroPie is better
I can't believe they added a composite filter on top of the crt filter... They just ruined it for me...WHY?! I know that's what most of us played the NES, but I can no longer play in "composhit" since I migrated to SCART RGB a few years ago... They should've let us choose pixel perfect with scanlines and sharp pixel ( no composhit filter on top)!
Up-vote for Wall Wart!
Dude kinda looks a little like DK, kinda reminds me of him too
Cool!
no Mike tyson
CSIG1001 Ikr
So... About the market being flooded with these things 6 weeks after Christmas... :P
For the record, it's pronounced Ninja 'GUY den'. That is the correct Japanese pronunciation. Also, similarly, the game company 'Taito' is pronounced 'TIE toe', and 'Raiden' is pronounced 'RYE den'.
for 60 bucks its totally worth it. But for me the nes is a bit to old, it is not the quality of arcade games, see eg donkey kong. Hopefully they'll make a snes mini version,
I'd rather pay for all the games and make my own using retropie. I wish the old retro games are remastered and being sold like steam.
Won't happen, it would cost them too much money and the demand isn't big enough for them to make profit.
looks better than original nes.
How does input lag compare?
Is the cord on the new one shorter than the original?seems so
Yeah, for sure.
R.I.P Electric bill
I would of had golf, tennis, pinball or maybe another original Nintendo game instead of pac man and Galaga
I would agree with this. I dunno, it seems like they thought putting Pac-Man and Galaga on the front of the box would have some cache with older gamers.
Next time do a capture of the HDMI instead of filming your TV. Also Sansui. Probably generates some of its own issues.
I really didn't want to that. I wanted to show it on the TV as that's how it's gonna be viewed. And, yeah... cheap TV. :)
***** Well, I don't really use that TV THAT MUCH. :) Mostly to watch Shark Tank on Fridays. :)
Does...Not...Compute. Seriously, what advantage does this thing offer vs someone merely downloading a ROM package, with every single game Nintendo has ever made (EVER!!!), and playing them through their laptop or PC? Out of curiosity, I found a sight that offers such a package and checked the size. It's about 240 MB. A PC/MAC compatible controller will set you back $10, so, why the hype over this thing?
NES version of Donkey Kong is cool but I just can't play it - too many differences
Too bad they didn't put a cartridge slot on it for those that own NES carts.
electronicsnerd That would cost a lot more money to make.
Not if they did it simply by adding a slot say on the top like a SNES/Genesis, no need to recreate the original cartridge slot assembly. It would look a bit awkward having most of the cart being stuck on top of the it, but it would work.
just to add it's prity plastic and cheap feel which would probably be expected for so cheap. But plays every game you can think of.
Artificial shortages? If so, Nintendo is just stupid. They announced this thing over three months ago. They should have pallets of these things in every bigbox store. Not geared towards retro game collectors, yet those were the people that were in long lines. If they want to get sales from average consumers (who would likely buy this on impulse - and not because they are seeking it out), then they need to have these things out there in front of those people. Nintendo totally dropped the ball, and literally LOST money by not having tons of these for sale on launch day. The people making money?? SCALPERS ON EBAY. So dumb. We WANT to love you Nintendo, but you just keep messing things up.
Deral Fenderson 100% Agreed
100 % disagree
Now you can go on ebay John and sell yours for $1,500. Lol! No seriously, I did a search for completed listings of these on ebay and there was one actually sold for $1,500! If it was a legite auction, that was ridiculous! But it seems like a lot of them are going for around the $200 range on there.