DF Retro: Analogue Super Nt Review - a 21st Century SNES!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.พ. 2025
- This week, DF Retro tackles Analogue's Super Nt - an FPGA based console designed to play Super NES games via HDMI. Analogue boasts perfect accuracy but is that really the case? We put the system to the test using challenging games known to cause problems with most software emulators. How does it stack up? The answers and more in this week's episode of DF Retro
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I just want to throw this out here - yes, the intro stuff is intentionally flashy. Why? I got a new camera and I'm trying to work on improving my editing skills. That's it. That's is THE reason why I made it this way. I need to have fun with editing these videos and I DID have fun making it. I hope to do the same for my next hardware focused episodes (which includes...the Jaguar, of all things). I really did put a lot of work into the intro stuff. I'm sure it'll sink away and nobody will care but I enjoyed doing it.
John Linneman Guess not everyone appreciates the effort.
I like the intro alot
It was a wicked cool intro John, I love all of the extra effort and passion you put into DF Retro.
The camera shots look great! Kind of like the Game Sack console episodes, and that's a huge compliment :)
Good video John
This guy's DF Retro series is one of the best things on TH-cam and probably 'THEE' best when it comes to factual gaming content.
No BS to be found, no gimmicks, jokes, cringy shit. Content that won't seem dated in 10-20 years time unlike many other channels.
Just extremely professional.
My Life In Gaming do better retro console videos. If you are buying the Super Analogue NT then you care about getting the most out of the console and that's where My Life In Gaming shine, much more than Digital Foundary do.
I have to second the nod to My Life In Gaming. I've always felt DF Retro is at its best when it's doing a deep dive into a single game. When it comes to hardware, DF Retro is still doing a good job, but My Life In Gaming does it better.
Both are excellent and will stand the test of time well to be sure.
My life in gaming focus on retro gaming while DF does EVERYTHING, they both amazing
THIS!
You and My Life in Gaming did an amazing job covering this, keep at it dude
dude i missed your videos ! why dont you upload new videos ? maybe you are busy living your life and taking a break but i hope you come back because you are the best and i like your content !!
yes! both are the best reviews!
Adam Koralik
hey alpha , could u try to make serious and more mature videos like this? doesnt have to be on this same scale but you got potential. ur channel could do so much more in promoting true gaming culture and community
Thanks man! Love your work too! Hope to see more soon!
It’s always a good Sunday when Digital Foundry posts a DFRetro video.
Don't let the comment section get to you, you are doing a great, GREAT job all at DF and there is no channel that matches you in your field. This video is no exception! The problem is that the big majority that enjoys your videos is silent, maybe throws in a like here and there. That way the loud and nasty get more attention, unfortunately. Trying to change that starting with this comment :)
It's crazy how much effort as to go into recreating this experience and keeping these games alive for later generations.
Truly an excellent review. For the record, I didn't mind the opening, certainly a nice way to put things in context. Really, really appreciated the detail you went into with regard to comparisons against the original kit, as well as Higan and the Mini.
Really interesting details.
And yes, I'd love to see a Turrican episode ;)
You gotta love the setup and lighting of this video, everything looks so gorgeous.
Also the text graphics and transitions. Major step up.
Yep, visually very pleasing - I just don’t understand why the sound is so horrible :/ I wonder if that’s TH-cam‘s compression artifacts because I can’t believe DF would do this, but even for TH-cam this is awful...
I'm having a difficult time with audio. I need to replace my Samson mic but, basically, there's issues with certain sounds in the recording. It sounds pretty good in Premiere but gets worse with each encoding step. Once it hits YT, it's awful. Also, the on-camera stuff with the lapel mic is slightly echo-y and I'm not sure how I can fix that since I really don't have a way to deaden the sound.
I'm guessing here but I remember Samson doing a lot of condenser mics (often with built-in ADC), if that is the case, it may be the overpronounced highs that are typical for that kind of mic. Highs are often what really stands out when badly compressed, so what might help is a low-pass filter and maybe some de-esser. For the lavalier situation, there's a nice plugin by SPL called De-Verb and does exactly what the name says, maybe there's a demo version you can try out? Also, I'd experiment with a different mic placement, rather to the center of the neck. Many lav's have a spherical recording pattern, but cardioids are not uncommon, so direction may or may not be a factor. Generally speaking, beneath the throat, on the chest, you'd get more low-end resonance (also dependent on the person, of course). As for deadening the room, yeah that's always tricky, not knowing what else is there and how big the room is, it's hard to make suggestions. (Apart from general advice, like a carpet on the floor, foam panels /carpet on the walls if possible, or hanging blankets from mic stands or something.) That ultra-dry sound some studio productions achieve are often recorded with shotgun mics/ directional mics - they can be fixed if the presenter doesn't move all that much, but a dedicated sound-guy with a boom is still the better option. I really hope to see some improvement there in the future, but really, the whole production is on such a high level and recently made a big jump again, I'm just happy to get this kind of quality content at all! So, a big thanks to you John, and the whole DF team :)
Enjoyed the fun touches throughout this, especially the intro and filmed console shots. Push past the few negative comments here, they're just confusing "production flair" for "promotional faff". Your efforts here were absolutely worth it, keep it up!
Also, I think it's important to state, it's so nice to see a reviewer like yourself who appears to have a personal investment in emulation (or at least, keep up to speed with it). Even some of my favorite publications make some common missteps, and they just don't seem to be aware of high-accuracy efforts like Higan and Mednafen. The edge case tests are very much appreciated, and this kind of deep review was exactly what I was hoping to see from DF. Thank you!
it wasn't until the end of the video I realized that wasn't a Murrica shirt, but a Turrican shirt
Loving your work John.
Editing and cinematography were fantastic John. Please continue this style of editing it looks amazing. Bravo digital foundry, always releasing such high quality videos for us for free. Thank you and never stop
Whoa... epic intro.
MrJimbo1qaz it's for retro enthusiasts
The production quality of these DFRetro videos is always so impressive, a step higher than the normal DF videos, unfortunately.
It’s crazy people would pay money for something you can emulate for free… wild.
That was truly excellent! I think that FPGA retro consoles is the way to go. The intro was brilliant, I knew I was in for a treat :D
Please keep up this high-quality content - most of us do appreciate it! I look forward to watching these DF Retro videos you make.
The effort to sit through and actually play multiple games just to find obscure (and not-so-obscure) glitches is insane. Great work as always, John!
I can see the effort you‘ve put into this - don‘t listen to all the fools in the comments...
funnyclipsde - what fools? Everyone loves DF Retro.
Don Bon read some of the other comments...
funnyclipsde They really went down the pecking order after a while. Just a bunch of fools that think because the intro was shot well, the video is now an advertisement....
As a retro gaming enthusiast who loves just looking at these beautiful pieces of equipment I truly enjoyed that intro. Not to mention the rest of the video. It exudes passion and professionalism. One of the best videos I've seen in a while.
Firmware 4.0 fixed the Meglo Mania bug. Kevtris is quick on his updates lol.
sadly not anymore.
his taken his sweet time.
Ok, so this is my favorite DF Retro now.
Turrican t-shirt + teasing a Turrican DF Retro ? It made my day !
Great stuff. Loved the in-depth comparison, which really sets it apart from the other reviews/content out there on this system.
Rest in peace Near, without you the SNES scene wouldn't be close to where it is today.
Excellent video. I love the detail you go into. To be honest I'm living my gaming life through this channel. Reminiscing on the 90s and 2000s when I played SNES through to PS2/Xbox.
Quite simply the very best retro channel on TH-cam or any other media. Thank you for the all the work you put into this.
That intro made me wanna play SNES
Y'all did an amazing job! Absolutely fair review covering all angles including comparisons with Higan and going into the technicalities of how these FPGA based systems work. Kudos
Have seen multiple reviews from some of the major Retro youtube sites and this is, by far, is the most thorough, thanks very much!
I had an original model 1 SNES for Christmas or my Dad bought it and had it at our house on launch day back when it first came out. I remember seeing the system for the first time in its box and didn't know what it was lol. Upon playing Super Mario World i fell in love with the system and games, to this day the SNES is one of my favorite retro consoles of all time. In 1996 my dad sold the SNES to fund a launch day Nintendo 64 and a game. Fast forward to about 2009 i got back into retro gaming and bought a model 1 Sega Genesis and some boxed games at a garage sale. At that point for some crazy reason i had no intention of picking up a replacement SNES for myself. In 2011 i did buy a model 1 SNES and many great games. A few months ago i ordered a Super NT and wow what a great system. I was totally blown away with how good the games looked and holy crap the sound is better than ever. Great video by the way. Looks like you put a good amount of effort and time into this video.
Awesome analysis, fantastic work as usual Jon, now if we can get a Sega Genesis/Megadrive counterpart bringing Model 1 audio/video quality to HD displays that would be wonderful and very well deserved. If anyone disagrees, I will gladly refute you respectfully.
Great video, OMG full episode of DFRetro dedicated to Turrican that would be absolutely fantastic.
I know people are giving you some flak John but I really love what you do here - I always feel like I learn something watching these videos, and your level of production quality is outstanding. Thank you so much for all that you do.
We need an updated video, 3 years later on firmware maturity
Great video! DF retro are the best videos on TH-cam! Very well made and captures the magic of the old retro titans!
Lovely video. I got mine today and haphazardly realized it stores settings for each of the resolutions independently... so one batch of settings for 1080p (no scanlines) and another for 720p (scanlines!). This thing really is a labor of love and I am so, so, so glad I took the risk. Now if only they'd make a Genesis/Megadrive one!
Picked this up based on this video - not regretting it for a second, and even ended up collecting a few more old carts from retro stores to pad my collection! Really well done comparison video that even introduced me to Higan for the first time as well! :D
Fantastic video, you show an attention to detail and thoroughness that is unparalleled in the media coverage of devices like this.
Outstanding video. FPGA / hardware based emulation ftw. What a fantastic piece of hardware for enthusiasts of the 16-bit generation. *Analogue do what Nintendon't*.
Kevtris is the modern day Carmack.
use an original snes in hdmi sherlock?
Daaang, this is a nicely produced video, John. Great job.
Awesome video!!!!!!!!!!!! Love all the collaboration going on here. You +MLIG ... KEVTRIS+BYUU+MARSHALL .. so cool
This was an excellent video, thank you so much for posting it! I do have some constructive criticism:
- For the shots of you talking at the camera, I would advise raising the camera up a bit and tilting it downward a touch. The angle at which you're looking at us through your glasses is not optimal, I think mostly because of your glasses, but the adjusted angle should solve this completely.
- For these same shots you didn't always know what to do with your hands? Which was not necessarily negative, actually quite endearing, but worth thinking about. I might suggest cropping the shot tighter so your hands are entirely out of the equation, but you do lose your background if you go that route. You could also just talk over more footage without being on camera at all, but that's not a fun option so I wouldn't choose it. :)
That's it, I think! Like I said, the video was great, and I love how much work you put into it. This is the first thing I've seen of yours, and I'm subscribing. Looking forward to seeing more!
Great episode John, I especially liked that Tengai Makyou Zero Music.
DF and MLiG are all the reviews you need.
You’ve had fun making this I can tell
So glad you did a rundown on this. I'm more than happy with my HD Retrovision cables, but I'm very tempted by this little machine.
What a great video, I didn't quite expect this. You should do Emulator guides with all your knowledge and testing skills.
The best way I've found of explaining an FPGA is with an analogy of a roller coaster, or making one
A processor must first define the blueprints and then, in an orderly manner, see the steps of the coaster running one by one and carefully control timing while also making sure everything's in order
An FPGA is a roller coaster
And that seems to get the point across of why an FPGA excels in these sorts of areas.
This is fantastic. You guys always go above and beyond with your videos. The passion and care is all there! Thank you for all the exceptional content! keep it up :D
Love what you do John, don't stop.
Yeah! MOAR retro!!!
DF Retro is my favourite youtube channel. great work guys!
a great video! as i stated somewhere else : the SNES Mini is for those who want to experience SNES nostalgia from time to time and the NT is for those who are deadly serious about SNES gaming
i really appreciate your content, well-made, informative and absolutely not boring (actually very entertaining). Thank you.
This is a cool video. I've seen a lot of Super NT coverage, but this is the most comprehensive video that I've found.
always impressed by the production values and level of research provided in this series, some of the best content on youtube!
Fantastic video! Really nicely presented and you covered a LOT there lol. This is quite possibly the first FPGA based system I want to purchase! Original SNES hardware isn't as hardy as some of the other systems of that era, this is a good investment for anyone wanting to play SNES games - you can then put your original hardware away somewhere safe.
Received mine yesterday,playing it today,have checked out Street Fighter 2,Axelay,Super Ghouls n Ghosts and F-Zero so far and it is worth every cent.
I loved Mega Lo Mania on the Amiga 500. The voice samples are crystal clear. But what i liked the most, no other game could create such a tension.
Another fantastic addition to the best series on TH-cam!!
Great video! I ordered a Super NT myself and just got it today. Can't wait to check it out.
Amazing DF Retri cap as always... my favourites videos in DF alone with the new games coming out. Please make the Turrican video... I would love to see that video and hear the amazing Turrican music. Turrican music defines generations in gaming since the Amiga time.
I'm doing it 'oldskool' style... an original SNES (bought new by myself in 1992). Connected to a 21" 4:3 CRT via an official RGB scart cable with stereo sound. Still got the original controllers as well!
Nice! I recently found a 27" Trinitron on the sidewalk: at first I was all like "eh, I really wanted one with curved glass..." but I think it's actually quite a nice TV I got my hands on. Heavy as fuck. Also has some color convergence and geometry issues I haven't sorted out yet, but I've been having a lot of fun with it.
I never click on a video as fast as I do when I see a DF retro upload.
This video and channel is my favorite.
Subbed!!!
All SNES content is loved
Very informative overview of the Super NT; thank you for making this! Also, I would so be up for a DF Retro video on the Turrican series :D
Amazing video, such an in-depth review of the system that delivers what you need to know about it with a fair and accurate comparison with software emulators and original hardware. Great work!
This is such a well-made video. Just top quality all the way through.
John linneman you are a great professional, an excelent game journalist, you do great videos and your love for the videogames are expressed in the beautiful Work you do for this Channel. Congratulations. Excelent work indeed!
Great review as always John! I ordered my Super NT last night :D Very excited!!
I've been swimming blissfully in a world of software emulation for decades now, and with all the buzz about these FPGA systems coming around it's nice to have someone break it down into laymen (sp?) terms.
Accuracy has admittedly never been a huge complaint of mine. I mean, a few pixels out of place wasn't gonna get me up in arms. However, I can seriously appreciate the goal of 100% accuracy, the work that goes into it, and the reverence it shows for the original hardware/software interactions.
None of this is enough to make me focus on FPGA instead of my PC based Software Emulation through a frontend like HyperSpin - but damn it is nice to see it all in action. I'm thrilled for people who are more in-the-know than the casual SNES Classic users. This seems like the ideal solution.
Plus - if the rumors are true - I'm really looking forward to seeing them setup a Sega Genesis version. I was a Sonic junkie back in the 90's, and I may just pick that up for the hell of it.
I wonder if/when we'll see 32/64 bit consoles like this...
Great video once again John. Thank you for all your hard work - and yes Turrican DF Retro, please!
Nicely done. Best review of the Super NT yet. An actual comparison to Higan and mimics Byuu's sentiments that the emulation accuracy will basically be equivalent and not superior.
God I love DF Retro, another amazing video. Very in-depth. I didn't know the Analogue NT guys made a SNES ! This is great! Definitely to me seems the best way to go around playing SNES accurately on a HDMI flat panel.
John really are the best! Love these DF Retro videos!
This is the review I was most looking forward to and it did not disappoint. Thank you John!
*Track used in intro please...!* Or just track list throughout pls. :)
Very enjoyable video. Obviously took you a ton of time to try all those games and different settings etc, much appreciated!
More DF Retro please ! Maybe an episode on the TurboGrafx 16 ?
Heck yes, I'd love to do that.
That'd be sweet. I've only just discovered this system. What a hidden gem (in the Western market)
Yes do a DF Retro Turrican episode please. Chris Huelsbeck's Turrican 2 soundtrack on the Amiga might be the greatest piece of European synth music ever scored.
Fantastic stuff as always John ! Looking forward to a potential Turrican episode as well as a look at the toilet of game consoles (in the most literal physical sense insofar as the CD add on is concerned) with the Atari Jaguar.
Awesome stuff. Impossible to determine which one is the better video - this or the MLIG one.
Great work on the video. Sincerely appreciate all the effort you put into this.
Man I can’t wait to get mine in the mail! Along with those 8bitdo controllers! This a retro gamers dream come true!! Excellent video! My Life In Gaming is also a wicked channel!
17:04 John suffers for our entertainment. Respect.
DF edges closer and closer to being a show a bit like Top Gear. Excellent production and info.
Awesome video from start to finish. Great job John.
I just got my Super Nt today, and the first thing I did was to test Mega Man X2's attract mode on the no lag buffering mode. It worked as it should, so apparently the Cx4 chip's speed is tied to the CPU speed. Good stuff.
Awesome video and production quality as always!
I'm kind of surprised that the HD Retrovision component cables weren't mentioned, aside from the TV compatibility issues, it's probably the best alternative for people who are looking for a more inexpensive option for a high quality image.
Amazing work, as always! And amazing machine! Hope I can get my hands on one here in Brazil!
Awesome music the whole way through! You got a tracklist? Where can I find that awesome Dracula GB genesis remaster track?
Always excited when theres a new DF Retro video
The shadow cast by your plane in Air Strike Patrol doesn't come in dark enough on a 1-chip SNES. I have a 1-chip SNES and while the shadow is visible, it's kinda hard to see. This goes for the 1-chip SNES and the smaller revision of the SNES . On a lower serial original SNES which has the lesser picture quality displays the shadow much darker as it does on Higan and the Super NT.
Yeah, it seems like he wasn't aware that this is one of the games that is said to work a little differently on the 1-chip, but it's not a major goof on his part or anything.
Nah I'm not coming down at all on John for not knowing that about the 1-chip. It's superior picture quality over the original SNES design is far more common knowledge than this one drawback that I mentioned. I didn't even know about it until someone told me in the comment section of my video because I noted that the shadow was really light an almost just as useless as not having a shadow at all in my description. It's certainly nothing to choose an original over a 1-chip for. I just thought I would let everyone know so they don't think that the Super NT and more importantly Higan weren't doing anything wrong. In this case the REAL hardware got it wrong lol.
That Turrican shirt is awesome!
I love that they worked with 8Bitdo for the controllers
Yes! A new episode, i love so much the SNES, and the Analogue Super NT is a great way to play cartridges. Great video!
Great video, really well done.
Best way to play SNES on a modern flat screen is with shaders mimicking CRTs for me though.
Love the t-shirt! 😃
Loved Turrican on the Amiga back in the day❤️. Also had it on the ZX Spectrum 😝
So not only did they release a product which is great value for money, operates exactly the way you would want it to and functions perfectly, they're also incredibly responsive when it comes to fixing whatever tiny flaws are found by the community of enthusiasts? How often does this sort of thing happen with modern consumer electronics? This is awesome. Thanks for bringing it to my attention because I'm seriously considering purchasing one and going on the hunt for SNES cartridges.
The Air Strike Patrol shadow discrepancy is not due to anything wrong with the NT *or* Higan. Rather it’s an issue with the design of Nintendo’s own 1CHIP revision of the system. Both Higan and the NT reproduce the shadow like an original SNES would, it’s the single-chip model that is bugged (albeit very slightly).
interesintg
EXTREMELY informative and well edited and shot video! Well done broham...got a new sub out of it. On the subject the Super Nt is very very cool! I wish the creators would do something like this for the N64 (Yeah I know the patent was renewed for the possible N64 mini) but having an N64 in a compact shell design...more expansion memory meaning some how re routing all that buss code even tho games that where made to only handle 8 MB of ram would then be getting tricking via an algorithm that recycles the memory meaning games would be able to utilize more than just 8 even if they are only programed to expand to 4MB or 8MB....essentially making games have ZERO LAG. Running at full 30FPS and having options to enhance games via the software on the Nt64 haha thus making texture packages look better within games and further more enhancing the N64 experience....of course if they did the Nt64 it would also out put games in 1080p something that is very expensive and hard to do on the original hardware.
Please we need an Nt64! Smaller shell (in translucent colors as well), HDMI output meaning hi res gaming, and if it can be pulled off a tricked memory expansion to help games run in true 30FPS with zero lag. Start a kickstarter guys I will donate a hefty amount to start out. hahah you can see how fan boy I am for N64
Just to set the record straight, this is hardware emulation, essentially, and that it's not more accurate than Higan. I'd say it's 1:1 equal and extremely accurate. Not a bad thing at all, it's good, very very good. This is one of the best reviews I've ever seen on the Super NT :D