+tightlypackedcoil It seems like more hacked and repro games seem to work on the Retro Freak. But I haven't encountered many games that didn't work on either console.
+Joe Goes Retro you're probably right about repro carts, etc, but I thought he meant in terms of replicating the visuals and audio of the supported games.
I own a few retro consoles and I love them to death. I enjoy the games that I own for them which is quite a few, but it's expensive to get clear picture on an HDTV and they all take up A LOT OF SPACE! *I would purchase a console like the retron & retrofreak to save space*, so if I can keep a library on an SD card and can program one controller to work with it, I will save space. I just feel like the Retron is somewhat inferior in what it offers for these reasons. I'd like to get this straight, so: Retron: - No reproduction carts - It's emulated but can't take from SD cards - Deathgrip on cartridges + NES cartridges + Easier access to classic controllers + Cheaper price Retrofreak: - Classic controllers require an adapter - Fairly steep price - No NES, but can use famicom->NES adapter for it + ..But PC Engine + SD card support
You've pretty much nailed the big points. Both have stock controllers which leave a bit to be desired, and a few other points, but you got the major ones.
Joe Goes Retro Oh one thing I'm dying to know is the input lag issues.. I browsed the internet but couldn't find a very good answer! I might buy one of these ;)
+Sarah Saurus you're welcome. I totally understand why one would be concerned about it. It seems like these emulation based consoles that have HDMI connection try very hard to make input lag a non issue.
we have both and the 'Freak is the clear winner. It also won't eat your carts like the R5, and works flawlessly with a Dualshock 3/4 or Saturn style USB controller.
I've been looking at buying one of these types of emulation consoles for a while but haven't decided which to get. Great comparison video, thanks for the info!
To me, the RetroFreak wins for the following reasons -- *You can use the SD card without inserting the specific cartridge for each console. *USB controller ports.
I couldn't use the Retron 5 for the first year I had it because the input lag was so bad on my 2007 Sony Bravia. After getting a new TV with a proper "Game Mode," it works great. I am curious whether the Retro Freak has the same issues with older TVs. Anybody?
Technically its the TV's problem, TV's these days do a lot of pre-processing before displaying the picture so unless there is a game mode the retro Console would need a Time travel chip. To my knowledge such a chip does not exist. In other words, its totally impossible to solve this problem on PS4 Xbox.. anything
i use it on my monitor (vg248qe) and my mitsubishi dlp 84inch tv with no percevable lag ...even with the included wireless controller i don't notice it on these....the tv and monitor have great inputs that dont ad a bunch of crap before the frame is displayed ....its looks plays and feels great on these.....i have a 32inch lg hdtv (lcd) and playing on it is absolutly terrible.... near unplayable ......game mode on it helps but even then still not as good as the mitsubishi tv or my asus monitor
***** That's not true, but certainly the latest firmware is much better than the very early version. Similar to how mobile phones work, new features are added and bugs are fixed over time. Mobile phones. Versions leaving the factory have the latest Firmware on now of course and upgrades are free.
+Wayne Beckett I just mention that because there was a comment on how someone who owns a Retro Freak had to deal with input lag issues, but once this person installed the latest firmware update, the input lag was gone. I know that TV's are usually the source that causes the input lag, but I was just stating what I've heard.
At first I was not a fan of the Retro Freak mainly on the price point. But that TG16/Super Grafx might just lean me that way should I get an emulation system! Awesome match up bro!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this.
I bought a retrofreak based on your review and I love it! I was worried it would take an age to load my sd card but after a few issues its working brilliant!. make sure you get the latest firmware (mines 1.6 at time of comment) the older firmware had issues that lead to overheating and bricking of the unit in some cases. I have 1700 games on my sd card which is a class 10 speed and it takes less than 3 mins to load the contents. so very happy with this console!!!!
Fantastic breakdown sir appreciated clear and consise. New sub. I like the idea of plugging the original carts in to play, without the fuss of connecting up all my separate machines. Leaning to the Retron 5 right now.
Hi there, I have some questions about the Retro Freak: 1- How is the lag with the Retro Freak compared to the RetroN5? I've noticed a lot of lagging with the RetroN5 compared to my original systems either hooked directly on my TV or via my XRGB-Mini. 2- Can I use an NES or SNES Multitap on the Retro Freak? If not, can I use a USB Hub? 3- Can the Retro Freak have an option to boot carts automatically when inserted without asking you questions? 4- How does VSync handle on the Retro Freak (for all the emulators)? Thank you
I want to point out two things, one that's an amazing feature of the Retron 5 (But maybe the Retro Freak has it too?). Loading IPS patches from the SD card. That means that you can get a perfectly legal translation patch, and load it with the cartridge to have your favorite non-English game in English. Continuing from that, you can load roms on the Retron 5 too, but it's a little more complicated (just a little): You make an IPS patch of a complete other game, so instead of just changing the text, you change the whole game.
I'm here in Japan and i'm kinda leaning on getting a retro freak premium. But the retron 5 seems to be a good deal as well and i hear it can apply translation patches to original japanese super famicom games cart via sd card.
Well back from Japan and after a good consensus of opinions i've gathered i ended up buying a Retro Freak premium. Thanks guys, majority of you said i made a wise choice.
I'm pretty happy with mine as well. The plastic case feels really cheap, but it does the job by letting me read and dump Asian carts, and load up roms from SD. Sure I could use a PC to emulate, but when playing with my wife or kids, it's so much easier to have a dedicated appliance that you just turn on and go.
Prolly will get the RF then, the controller looks good enough for me and if i dont like it i will use my ps4. The only thing that concerns me is i see reviews saying it gets hot because it has no fans...
thanks man didnt even know there was a retro freak i really like the plain look to the retro freak... it would be a awesome canvas for ur own personal system
..saw retro freak yesterday up close and personal and it's been in my head up to this morning..i have 2 supergrafx game that's in storage for over a year now and getting an actual PCE-SG console is a pain..retrofreak is the best solution imo..need to get one asap!..you just earned a new subscriber Joe!
+Axcel RaVe Thanks! It's definitely a more cost effective solution. Super Grafx consoles are very hard to come by. Then add in all the other games that it can play.
How do the cart ports compare on the Retro Freak to the Retron 5? I've had my 5 since launch (The controller died just after a year but I preferred to use original controllers anyway) now the Genesis port has failed and my Famicom port is struggling to read carts. I tend to use my original hardware over the Retron 5 so it's not had a ton of use. Tempted by Retro Freak since it was announced but don't want to buy another clone which will last just past the warranty.
+GauBan2501 The cartridge ports are not as snug on the Retro Freak. The overall build quality is slightly better on the Freak to me. I have mainly used my Retron 5 for game play capture, so I rarely use it more than a few times per month. I use the Retro Freak a few times per week.
Cheers, Does the Freak work fine for transferring saves back to the original carts? My main reason for getting the Retron was to have a backup of my saves so when the batteries dry out I could then just replace the battery and restore them. It saved me once as my Link's Awakening ran flat and was able to replace the battery and then restore the save.
+DcsOrCity I bought mine from playasia.com, amazon.com had them as well, not sure if they still do. A few sellers have them for sale on eBay as well. Japan uses the same kind of power outlets we do, just US house voltage is a little higher (120v vs 100v) so the supplied adapter works fine.
just picked up the Retro Freak and i am very happy with it. i wanted to get into pc engine games/turbografx 16 and i did not want to have to buy 2 systems or one and get it modded or buy a flash card to try out games before i buy them. the $200 price was worth it for me as i have all my older controllers and i love being able to rip my games to the system as well as moving the saves back and forth. only thing that would have made the retro freak better for me is having bluetooth
I'm going to be putting my Genesis, Turbo Grafx and SNES in storage...and since I have a Wii set up (and either console playing GBA games), I can probably put my GameCube away as well now!
Hello Joe, I was wondering if the retro freak will load Sega 32X games ? I mean not physically inserting the 32X Cart but, bypassing and copying the 32X Rom directly into to the MicroSd Card? If you haven't tried yet will you give a shot ? Many Thanks!
+Joe Goes Retro Cool Thanks Joe - I have a feeling that we are gonna get more in the future from the Retro Freak over the Retron 5. Your video was great and you've helped me made a decision. It's Retro Freak for me!!!! :-)
I think my wife and I are going to get the Retro Freak due to it's ability to play games off of an SD card. Does it need the power adapter to play master system games from an SD Card?
+Dustin Gibbons if you're going to just install the ROMs right to the SD card, you don't need any extra adapter. You will want to update your firmware, though
+Dustin Gibbons if you're going to just install the ROMs right to the SD card, you don't need any extra adapter. You will want to update your firmware, though
Yeah, if you do a google search, you should be able to find detailed instructions, I believe someone on the AtariAge forums posted them there. But if you use Chrome as your web browser, it can translate cybergadget.co.jp for you, and it's not too terribly hard to navigate.
KoushiroIzumi85 Ooh it was at an event? Darn! TwT I'm starting to get interested in getting a Retro Freak, but I wanted to see if I can find one at a deal.
+Professor5180 if you pay a little extra and buy the deluxe version, it comes with an adapter, but I don't know if TG16 and PC Engine controllers have the same plug.
I forgot to comment when I initially liked this. I would definitely go with the retro freak if I had to choose one. The whole not having to keep inserting your games in the console again and again is a huge plus, plus ya know , dubious means and what not. Great comparison man.
+PK's Retro Reviews I'm in the process of installing the ROMs I put on my hacked Wii on the Retro Freak. It's will be nice to have more reliable means of emulating certain consoles.
+Joe Goes Retro Niiiice. I just played my hacked Wii the other day after a long hiatus. The whole region free thing is a huge plus. I recently ordered an Everdrive for my genesis from aliexpress which also plays master system roms which is very cool. My main reason for getting it ( besides that I am totally burned out of collecting genesis games) is that it has a CD Bios loading function . I've always been curious to play other Sega CD game from other regions. I think my Sega CD is the reason I can never abandon the genesis for a clone console.
I'd love to get one of those bad boys. I wish I had between $200- 400 to spend on such an item. Another thing I thought was cool is the everdrive has 32X support if you have a 32X. I really wish I had bought one of those when they were less expensive.
+Dustin Gibbons I don't think they'll ever do something like that via an add-on. There's a company making a CD-ROM based emulation console that runs off a Raspberry Pi called the IndieGO! which plays PC Engine CD, Sega CD, and PS1 games that just had a successful Kickstarter. I'm sure others companies will follow with their own soon.
Great review Joe! I've had my eyes on the Retro Freak for a while and it looks like I'll probably pick one up before this summer. I'm also very excited that RF is putting out an adapter that let us play our Game Gear games on our TVs! I feel like that and the TG16 slots are huge selling points for me. But anyways, great channel you have and cool instagram account.
I've not had anywhere the issues with my Retron5 that others have. Never had a crash or anything, and I've had it since launch. But the Freak seems a bit better built overall.
I’m not sure, but knowing how these machines work, I highly doubt that the controller ports on the cartridge will work. I never owned either game, so I don’t know for sure.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the patch support on the Retron 5? Does the retro freak allow you to patch your games the same way as the Retron does? If it doesn't then it's of no use to me at all. I like that the freak can play TG/PC-E games, and I also like the included controller much better, however I would never use it since I use the snes controller for everything except for fighting games, which I use the Genesis 6 button for. I would say the Retron has some mandatory features that the freak is missing: NES Support (I understand that it's not made for our market, and this wont be an issue in Asia) IPS Patching Support (Maybe it's not missing? you didn't mention it and I don't have a unit to test) Original Controller Support (I would perfer to not use a USB hub, even if one exists) Forcing the original cart to be used I know that not everyone has all the carts in the world, and for that person roms are easier and cheaper, but I do have a huge library of carts, and this arbitrary mandate of having the cart forces to be pick from my personal library rather then the libraries as a whole. My take away from this video is that while the Retron is the right device for me, it can be better. GG support and TG-16 support would be awesome, and if N64 support is doable in the next year or two depending on the age of the IP then that would be cool too! Thanks for the video!
+OAIHY both consoles support patches, that's why I didn't mention it. I am not sure, but I believe that they are based on similar software running in the background.
great video. so, is it possible to save the roms on memory card and play them on retro freak without getting thise roma from original cartridge? I mean getting the roms Dowlanded from the internet.
good video mate. I recently bought the Retron 5 (and the Retro trio) and i'm very happy with it, would have liked the PC Engine slot but the NES slot is more important to me (before we get into further adaptors). I do own all the original consoles but its great to be able to just plug and play on the main front room TV. Had some great games of EA Hockey and NBA Jam last week when a friend dropped by. You just gained a new subscriber my friend
+Gamer Si I too have all the original consoles, but being able to save shelf space with either of these consoles is a big plus. I feel the NES slot is probably more important to many people.
My only problems with the Retro Freak is the lack of an NES slot and the lack of OG controller ports, but it's forgiven cus it's a Japanese console and the USB ports allow for some good gamepads. I'd say the Retro Freak is the superior console, and it looks better tbh. I'd love to save some space with the Retro Freak.
+LovelyProductions I don't know if he went over it but you can use the PlayStation 3 and 4's controllers if you use a USB cable with the retro freak so that is a pretty good plus. though I really like using my Super Nintendo Turbo Controller (AsciiPad) on the retron 5 for all my games.
therealdeadpen Huge plus, they're pretty awesome gamepads! The R5's original ports is it's best feature IMO, just because you can use what you're used to or may already own
+LovelyProductions Yea I miss having ports built in, I bought a third party SNES to USB device and I've not got it to work right on the freak yet (had for 2 days).
+Joe Goes Retro Ahman this thing sounds like a win win to me. Like Gamester81 showed, u can actually use original message, sneakers, Sega, and tg16 game controllers. I just wonder too if it's possible to play Sega games and Mrs games with the sneakers controller, cause I have the super nes advantage controller with rapid fire. Oh Yeah! lol
The first retron 5 that I got ended up ruined within a day because it kept a death grip on the cartridges and simply trying to remove the games ruined the pins on the console. Hyperkin did replace my console and the one i got works drastically better but still, pretty glaring design flaw.
Have a Retron 5 not impressed, lots of problems with megadrive carts freezing resetting. Famicom games run some don't, Starfox pal doesn't run properly. But the snes and gba besides starfox run really well. Intend on buying a retro freak hopefully with better results.
I’ve never had any problems like that myself, might be a thing with PAL versions, also the QC of Hyperkin is really hit or miss. So I’m not surprised that you are having issues.
The best killer feature of the retro freak is that it can save the cartridges to ROM files on a SD flash card. Even better is that you can copy ROM files to the SD card, and play them on the retro freak...
Retro Freak having TG16 compatibility is awesome, but that price.. I'm going to have to look into this a little bit more, as I was considering getting a Retron 5 soon. Good reviews!
I've had growing interest in getting a TG16, so I'd probably get the Retron 5 and a TG16 for about the same cost as the Retro Freak. Maybe.. the most attractive aspect of both is the built in upscaling.
Great comparison. I have both but I lean towards the Retro Freak due to it's overall versatility. Also for those who do buy one make sure you grab the most recent update. It fixes many of the bugs the console had early on. It's damn near perfect now. The update link is here. www.cybergadget.co.jp/support/retrofreak/update/
Can the Gadget Retro Freak save directly into the cartridge or you need to save in the sd card and them replace the cartridge save file with the sd save file?
+Anthony Durant No to both questions. Light guns are not compatible with HD TVs. Flash carts are kind of redundant with the Retro Freak, as you can load your ROMs to the console from the micro SD slot. It's just not designed to work with Everdrives or Multi carts like regular carts.
Nothing in this vid about the audio.. I want to know which one sounds like the original consoles. And especially with Nes/famicom games with the extra audiochips inside the cartridges (like Gimmick -famicom- , Batman return of the Joker and other Sunsoft titles, castlevania 3 Japanese version etc). And what about the music from Streets of Rage 2 or Midnight resistance etc?
Nothing about the audio because they both do it spot on. There's no system on a chip hardware going on here to foul up the audio. It's all emulation based.
The Retro Freak Mark III adapter wouldn’t accommodate Master System Games due to the cart being shaped differently. There is a Retron 5 adapter that’s basically the same device as the Mark III adapter but re-shaped accordingly. That’s not even mentioning the Power Base Mini that Stone Age Gamer sells, which is a Game Genie sized Power Base device which will works on real Sega hardware as well as these emulation based consoles. Lastly, you can just download the ROMs and install them to your SD card if you’re playing on a Retro Freak
Awesome review, really appreciate the opinion coming from a player as opposed to just from a technical standpoint. Emulation will always be a sore subject, but for i'd be 95% of people I'd bet they wouldn't be able to tell the difference between something like this and something that is cycle accurate. Much more interested in the Retro Freak, shame it is so much more expensive. Guess I'll end up sticking with native hardware for now for most.
To me, for the versatility, it's worth the extra money. Since this video, I've opted to put my NES, Genesis, SNES, TurboGrafx-16 and even my GameCube (I can play GC discs on my Wii) into storage and keep the Retro Freak in my main setup permanently. For someone who does TH-cam videos (like myself), it's an awesome solution for being able to play and capture footage for these consoles with the quality that both the Retro Freak and Retron 5 put out. Since it wasn't available when I did the video originally, it's worth noting that the awesome 8BitDo NES30 or FC30 wireless controllers are compatible with the Retron 5. Which is a huge plus as that controller kicks ass.
+Jacob Scarberry CYBER Gadget is producing a cartridge adapter which will plug into the Genesis/Mega Drive slot and accept Sega MyCard, Sega SG-1000, Sega Mark III and Game Gear carts. It should be out in Japan later this month. Also you can just install Game Gear ROMs on the SD card if you want to go that route.
Hola tengo un problema con retrofreak los archivos rom con extensión bin de sega mega drive no me lo detecta la consola alguna forma de que los detecte la consola?
+Dustin Gibbons yes, but after acknowledging what emulators they borrowed code from, everything seemed to calm down. I think you can still find a list of what emulators they copied code from on Hyperkin's website.
but have they fixed the pin issue on the retron 5? I'm always less skeptical of a product made in Japan vs China, where I would assume the retron is made. retron price is much better but not if it lasts 6 months.
+The Fresh Peddler - Beats For People Who Hate Radio I believe they did fix the pin issue, but I hear really mixed things still. I've had my Retron 5 since launch and I've not had any issues with the pin connectors, but that could be just me.
+Joe Goes Retro they def should have used the r & d from the original hardware when it comes to the pins. very few things are made to last nowadays, cheap capacitors ect.
+ian comer Same here. I'm eventually going to put my Genesis, SNES, NES, TG-16 and even my GameCube (I can play GC games on my Wii and GB/GBA games on this), and free up some space for other consoles... which ones, I'm not exactly sure, yet.
I don't know if the Retro Freak has a similar feature, but the Retron 5 also allows for firmware updates, and built in cheats. The biggest advantage being that the Retron 5 allows you to play games with translation patches, or some rom hacks through the SD card.
hi, does anyone know the NTSC/PAL picture issue? pal has 25 fps, while ntsc has 30 fps... so we raised in europe on Pegasus (nintendo like contra super mario etc) are used to slower motion of games than in USA or Japan maybe - is it possible to adjust it in Retro Freak? the pitch/tempo of the game (sound and picture)? thanks
It plays SNES, and Genesis games right from the box. It plays Master System and NES games with an adapter. It will accept original controllers with an adapter. You can install the game ROMs for all of those consoles directly to the console as well.
I don't have any experience with the Retro Freak but I had been very excited to get my Retron 5. When I did get it it was totally broken out of the box. Only one of the cartridge slots even recognized carts being inserted into it at all. When I started looking into it I learned that this is nowhere close to being an isolated incident and the store I got it from said 7 out of the 12 units they sold this holiday season were returned due to being broken out of the box. They also said the Retron 3 was junk. Thankfully I was able to return it but if this is the kind of quality control Hyperkin has than they can fuck themselves. I will never buy one of their products again and anytime it comes up I will strongly advise anyone to not risk doing business with them.
To be clear, if you use the sega mastersystem player attachment in the retro freak, it will play master system . I found it played master system almost perfectly. Better than it plays nes games with virtually no lag.
+edumspeed The Retron 5 is definitely a good system, I agree about the controller. It seemed like a good idea, but we're all so used to the traditional-style d-pads of most consoles.
+Joe Goes Retro I actually got used to and mostly enjoy the stock controller now. Not more so than any original controller, but enough that I can get through SF2 on medium-high difficulty (SNES or Genesis) without much difficulty
+Console Kev being able to play TG-16 games is a HUGE selling point for the Retro Freak. I didn't even know that you could rip the game ROMs from the carts or load ROMs to the console until after I got it. Huge bonus!
The retro freak seems easier to buy here in UK. The retron 5 isn't readily sold and given that the work out about the the same price after shipping , then I prefer the retro freak.
Ah thought I mixed up the two... how can yu play super grafx on the freak then? The hue cards? would be cool if you can play the super cd games on these...
+Joseph Gray original Famicom controllers were hard wired into the console. The later AV Famicom's controllers were the same as the NES as far as I know. The other peripherals that use the 12 pin accessory port on the Famicom are not compatible with the Retron5.
Just gonna throw this out there, the emulation on the retro-freak is pretty spot on.
+David Garcia -Hey man small comments like this goes a long way. Always good to know!
I've noticed no deficiency in the Retron 5 in that regard.
+tightlypackedcoil It seems like more hacked and repro games seem to work on the Retro Freak. But I haven't encountered many games that didn't work on either console.
+Joe Goes Retro you're probably right about repro carts, etc, but I thought he meant in terms of replicating the visuals and audio of the supported games.
I would reckon that they use the same software emulators.
I own a few retro consoles and I love them to death. I enjoy the games that I own for them which is quite a few, but it's expensive to get clear picture on an HDTV and they all take up A LOT OF SPACE! *I would purchase a console like the retron & retrofreak to save space*, so if I can keep a library on an SD card and can program one controller to work with it, I will save space. I just feel like the Retron is somewhat inferior in what it offers for these reasons. I'd like to get this straight, so:
Retron:
- No reproduction carts
- It's emulated but can't take from SD cards
- Deathgrip on cartridges
+ NES cartridges
+ Easier access to classic controllers
+ Cheaper price
Retrofreak:
- Classic controllers require an adapter
- Fairly steep price
- No NES, but can use famicom->NES adapter for it
+ ..But PC Engine
+ SD card support
You've pretty much nailed the big points. Both have stock controllers which leave a bit to be desired, and a few other points, but you got the major ones.
Joe Goes Retro
Oh one thing I'm dying to know is the input lag issues.. I browsed the internet but couldn't find a very good answer! I might buy one of these ;)
+Sarah Saurus in my opinion, the lag is minimal. It's there, but it seems to be barely noticible.
Joe Goes Retro
Thanks very much :D It didn't seem like it would be an issue but it's good to ask!
+Sarah Saurus you're welcome. I totally understand why one would be concerned about it. It seems like these emulation based consoles that have HDMI connection try very hard to make input lag a non issue.
Retro Freak plays TG-16/PC-E and Super Grafx. There is no comparison.
we have both and the 'Freak is the clear winner. It also won't eat your carts like the R5, and works flawlessly with a Dualshock 3/4 or Saturn style USB controller.
+Steve Thompson I've been thinking about getting a USB Saturn style controller since I bought the freak. Good to know it works.
+Joe Goes Retro cool channel by the way. just subscribed
+Steve Thompson Thank you!
Will it work with Sega Genesis, SNES, and NES USB controllers?
Joe, Love the intro music! That's what I call "Brown Tone"! Love it!
I’ve been meaning to re-record the song at a higher bit rate, the track was okay for home recording circa 2007, but it’s showing its age now.
I like the ability to save to SD card instead of the cartridge of the freak. I think I will go with that. Thanks for the review
Also if you search about there is a hack to dump the rom and able to use it on other systems. So bascily turning your RF into a cart dumper
I've been looking at buying one of these types of emulation consoles for a while but haven't decided which to get. Great comparison video, thanks for the info!
+SUPERATOMIC hopefully the video helps you decide which is right for you!
To me, the RetroFreak wins for the following reasons --
*You can use the SD card without inserting the specific cartridge for each console.
*USB controller ports.
I couldn't use the Retron 5 for the first year I had it because the input lag was so bad on my 2007 Sony Bravia. After getting a new TV with a proper "Game Mode," it works great. I am curious whether the Retro Freak has the same issues with older TVs. Anybody?
Technically its the TV's problem, TV's these days do a lot of pre-processing before displaying the picture so unless there is a game mode the retro Console would need a Time travel chip. To my knowledge such a chip does not exist. In other words, its totally impossible to solve this problem on PS4 Xbox.. anything
i use it on my monitor (vg248qe) and my mitsubishi dlp 84inch tv with no percevable lag ...even with the included wireless controller i don't notice it on these....the tv and monitor have great inputs that dont ad a bunch of crap before the frame is displayed ....its looks plays and feels great on these.....i have a 32inch lg hdtv (lcd) and playing on it is absolutly terrible.... near unplayable ......game mode on it helps but even then still not as good as the mitsubishi tv or my asus monitor
I hear that this console will suffer from input lag if you don't update the firmware, otherwise there's no input lag to my knowledge.
***** That's not true, but certainly the latest firmware is much better than the very early version. Similar to how mobile phones work, new features are added and bugs are fixed over time. Mobile phones. Versions leaving the factory have the latest Firmware on now of course and upgrades are free.
+Wayne Beckett I just mention that because there was a comment on how someone who owns a Retro Freak had to deal with input lag issues, but once this person installed the latest firmware update, the input lag was gone. I know that TV's are usually the source that causes the input lag, but I was just stating what I've heard.
Great review. I've had my eye on the retron 5 for a while and will probably pick one up at some point.
+Retro Nonsense it's a great console.
Well done, Joe. This video answered a lotta my questions.
Thanks for cutting to the chase! Great review. Too many reviewers want to do schtik and never review. I'm looking at you, lord karnage.
I love that stick/bass thing on the back, that was more interesting to me than the ending comparison of the video.
I love it too, it's a lot more interesting than your comment.
Great Video, I'm still undecided between which console to get between the Retron 5 and Retro Freak.
It’s been 2 years. What did you go with?
my retron 5 lasted 4 months... as of last week- Dead.
mind of it's own.
no technical support.. nothing...might as well emailed my cat.
At first I was not a fan of the Retro Freak mainly on the price point. But that TG16/Super Grafx might just lean me that way should I get an emulation system! Awesome match up bro!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this.
+The Atari Creep Yeah, the biggest negative about the Retro Freak is the price point. Especially if you want the add-ons too.
I bought a retrofreak based on your review and I love it! I was worried it would take an age to load my sd card but after a few issues its working brilliant!. make sure you get the latest firmware (mines 1.6 at time of comment) the older firmware had issues that lead to overheating and bricking of the unit in some cases. I have 1700 games on my sd card which is a class 10 speed and it takes less than 3 mins to load the contents. so very happy with this console!!!!
glad to hear you like it so much. Glad my videos were helpful! I'll have to look into that firmware update, I think I'm on 1.4 or 1.5 still.
yeah I think they released firmware 1.6 in april of this year. that's always a good thing being able to iron out the kinks with a console.
Fantastic breakdown sir appreciated clear and consise. New sub. I like the idea of plugging the original carts in to play, without the fuss of connecting up all my separate machines. Leaning to the Retron 5 right now.
Hi there,
I have some questions about the Retro Freak:
1- How is the lag with the Retro Freak compared to the RetroN5? I've noticed a lot of lagging with the RetroN5 compared to my original systems either hooked directly on my TV or via my XRGB-Mini.
2- Can I use an NES or SNES Multitap on the Retro Freak? If not, can I use a USB Hub?
3- Can the Retro Freak have an option to boot carts automatically when inserted without asking you questions?
4- How does VSync handle on the Retro Freak (for all the emulators)?
Thank you
Oh, and thanks for the comparison!
I want to point out two things, one that's an amazing feature of the Retron 5 (But maybe the Retro Freak has it too?).
Loading IPS patches from the SD card. That means that you can get a perfectly legal translation patch, and load it with the cartridge to have your favorite non-English game in English.
Continuing from that, you can load roms on the Retron 5 too, but it's a little more complicated (just a little): You make an IPS patch of a complete other game, so instead of just changing the text, you change the whole game.
+Tim Larsson The Retro Freak can do it too.
I'm here in Japan and i'm kinda leaning on getting a retro freak premium. But the retron 5 seems to be a good deal as well and i hear it can apply translation patches to original japanese super famicom games cart via sd card.
Both systems can. I've not tried it, but with my ever-growing Famicom cart collection, I really should.
Well back from Japan and after a good consensus of opinions i've gathered i ended up buying a Retro Freak premium. Thanks guys, majority of you said i made a wise choice.
I'm pretty happy with mine as well. The plastic case feels really cheap, but it does the job by letting me read and dump Asian carts, and load up roms from SD. Sure I could use a PC to emulate, but when playing with my wife or kids, it's so much easier to have a dedicated appliance that you just turn on and go.
So the RF is better for playing roms? I basically want one of these just for roms, playing physical carts and extra controllers would be a bonus.
Pretty much, and you get it all in a smaller package than the Retron 5, which I also like.
Prolly will get the RF then, the controller looks good enough for me and if i dont like it i will use my ps4. The only thing that concerns me is i see reviews saying it gets hot because it has no fans...
+HashBandicoot I personally haven't had any problems with mine overheating. I actually like the bundled controller.
thanks man didnt even know there was a retro freak i really like the plain look to the retro freak... it would be a awesome canvas for ur own personal system
+zachary stidham I really like it too. No-nonsense, small form factor. Very clean.
..saw retro freak yesterday up close and personal and it's been in my head up to this morning..i have 2 supergrafx game that's in storage for over a year now and getting an actual PCE-SG console is a pain..retrofreak is the best solution imo..need to get one asap!..you just earned a new subscriber Joe!
+Axcel RaVe Thanks! It's definitely a more cost effective solution. Super Grafx consoles are very hard to come by. Then add in all the other games that it can play.
How do the cart ports compare on the Retro Freak to the Retron 5? I've had my 5 since launch (The controller died just after a year but I preferred to use original controllers anyway) now the Genesis port has failed and my Famicom port is struggling to read carts.
I tend to use my original hardware over the Retron 5 so it's not had a ton of use.
Tempted by Retro Freak since it was announced but don't want to buy another clone which will last just past the warranty.
+GauBan2501 The cartridge ports are not as snug on the Retro Freak. The overall build quality is slightly better on the Freak to me. I have mainly used my Retron 5 for game play capture, so I rarely use it more than a few times per month. I use the Retro Freak a few times per week.
Cheers, Does the Freak work fine for transferring saves back to the original carts? My main reason for getting the Retron was to have a backup of my saves so when the batteries dry out I could then just replace the battery and restore them.
It saved me once as my Link's Awakening ran flat and was able to replace the battery and then restore the save.
I've never tried it, but I'm pretty sure it does. Most of the same features the Retron 5 has, the freak does too.
+Joe Goes Retro cool. if Hyperkin are not willing to play or it is a hardware fault I'll pick one up
Good luck. I've heard Hyperkin's customer service is absolutely terrible!
Now that the polymega is a thing...what do you think about it?
Where can you buy the Retro Freak? Does it work out of the box with USA power outlets?
+DcsOrCity I bought mine from playasia.com, amazon.com had them as well, not sure if they still do. A few sellers have them for sale on eBay as well. Japan uses the same kind of power outlets we do, just US house voltage is a little higher (120v vs 100v) so the supplied adapter works fine.
+Joe Goes Retro Thanks! Did you get the premium console from Play Asia? What's included in the premium version vs. standard?
Do any of these multi consoles play Atari games my mum really would like to play Defender
1981 . In time for Christmas 🎄
just picked up the Retro Freak and i am very happy with it. i wanted to get into pc engine games/turbografx 16 and i did not want to have to buy 2 systems or one and get it modded or buy a flash card to try out games before i buy them. the $200 price was worth it for me as i have all my older controllers and i love being able to rip my games to the system as well as moving the saves back and forth. only thing that would have made the retro freak better for me is having bluetooth
+Raziel Leonhart I agree completely. I regret not buying the premium version, but I probably will just buy the controller adapter eventually.
I'd be happy with either or, but seeing g as I'd like to put my turbo grafx in storage, I think I'm gonna go with the freak.
I'm going to be putting my Genesis, Turbo Grafx and SNES in storage...and since I have a Wii set up (and either console playing GBA games), I can probably put my GameCube away as well now!
My friend went through three Retron 5's. Of course, he's kind of careless. great video, Joe.
+The Side Quest Gamer Dang. I know that there were some lemons in the early batches, but I've not heard about any recently.
Hello Joe,
I was wondering if the retro freak will load Sega 32X games ?
I mean not physically inserting the 32X Cart but, bypassing and copying the 32X Rom directly into to the MicroSd Card?
If you haven't tried yet will you give a shot ? Many Thanks!
+Strider 1978 I have tried it. The seems to load data from the cartridge, but it can't do anything with it.
+Joe Goes Retro Cool Thanks Joe - I have a feeling that we are gonna get more in the future from the Retro Freak over the Retron 5.
Your video was great and you've helped me made a decision.
It's Retro Freak for me!!!! :-)
+Strider 1978 That would be awesome if we did!
+Joe Goes Retro - I agree and I think its possible because it's emulation. I'm sure the "guys" are already working on it.
Does the Retro Freak chew up the cartridge connectors like the Retron 5? It's the one reason I stopped using my Retron console.
I've never had either console damage my games, and I've had both for a long time. The pins on the Retro Freak are snug, but not as snug as the R5.
I think my wife and I are going to get the Retro Freak due to it's ability to play games off of an SD card. Does it need the power adapter to play master system games from an SD Card?
+Dustin Gibbons if you're going to just install the ROMs right to the SD card, you don't need any extra adapter. You will want to update your firmware, though
+Dustin Gibbons if you're going to just install the ROMs right to the SD card, you don't need any extra adapter. You will want to update your firmware, though
ok is firmware updates easy?
Yeah, if you do a google search, you should be able to find detailed instructions, I believe someone on the AtariAge forums posted them there. But if you use Chrome as your web browser, it can translate cybergadget.co.jp for you, and it's not too terribly hard to navigate.
Very informative I think you sir have earned new subscriber...
+lamont8855 Thank you very much!
I was fortunate enough to get a Retro Freak for an equivalent of less than $100 earlier today, outside of TGS.
+KoushiroIzumi85 That's awesome. Enjoy it. Mine has become my most used console!
Thanks. It sounds like a neat little system from the sound of things.
Where did you get that deal?
CYBER Gadget had a stand set up between the Kaihin-Makuhari Station and Makuhari Messe, where the Tokyo Game Show was being held.
KoushiroIzumi85 Ooh it was at an event? Darn! TwT I'm starting to get interested in getting a Retro Freak, but I wanted to see if I can find one at a deal.
So if I want to play Turbografx 16 games I have to choose the Retro Freak and buy an adaptor to use it with a turbo game pad?
+Professor5180 if you pay a little extra and buy the deluxe version, it comes with an adapter, but I don't know if TG16 and PC Engine controllers have the same plug.
The plug for the pc engine is a different diameter than for the tg16. But you can buy a adapter cable off eBay.
I forgot to comment when I initially liked this. I would definitely go with the retro freak if I had to choose one. The whole not having to keep inserting your games in the console again and again is a huge plus, plus ya know , dubious means and what not. Great comparison man.
+PK's Retro Reviews I'm in the process of installing the ROMs I put on my hacked Wii on the Retro Freak. It's will be nice to have more reliable means of emulating certain consoles.
+Joe Goes Retro Niiiice. I just played my hacked Wii the other day after a long hiatus. The whole region free thing is a huge plus. I recently ordered an Everdrive for my genesis from aliexpress which also plays master system roms which is very cool. My main reason for getting it ( besides that I am totally burned out of collecting genesis games) is that it has a CD Bios loading function . I've always been curious to play other Sega CD game from other regions. I think my Sega CD is the reason I can never abandon the genesis for a clone console.
+PK's Retro Reviews One day I'll be picking up a Sega CDX one of these days. I really want to play some of those games again.
I'd love to get one of those bad boys. I wish I had between $200- 400 to spend on such an item. Another thing I thought was cool is the everdrive has 32X support if you have a 32X. I really wish I had bought one of those when they were less expensive.
+PK's Retro Reviews I've been on the fence about getting an everdrive too, 32x support is a HUGE selling factor there.
Sorry two comments on one video, does the Retro Freak ever plan on allowing PC Engine CD games to work via an adapter ?
+Dustin Gibbons I don't think they'll ever do something like that via an add-on. There's a company making a CD-ROM based emulation console that runs off a Raspberry Pi called the IndieGO! which plays PC Engine CD, Sega CD, and PS1 games that just had a successful Kickstarter. I'm sure others companies will follow with their own soon.
Great review Joe! I've had my eyes on the Retro Freak for a while and it looks like I'll probably pick one up before this summer. I'm also very excited that RF is putting out an adapter that let us play our Game Gear games on our TVs! I feel like that and the TG16 slots are huge selling points for me. But anyways, great channel you have and cool instagram account.
Does the Gadget Retro Freak allow you to use translation patches for Japanese games like the Retron5?
Yes, it does.
Joe Goes Retro And is it more reliable than the Retron 5? About half the reviews I've read complain about the games crashing on the retron 5.
I've not had anywhere the issues with my Retron5 that others have. Never had a crash or anything, and I've had it since launch. But the Freak seems a bit better built overall.
Do you know if both the MEGADRIVE Micro Machines games work?
I’m not sure, but knowing how these machines work, I highly doubt that the controller ports on the cartridge will work. I never owned either game, so I don’t know for sure.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the patch support on the Retron 5?
Does the retro freak allow you to patch your games the same way as the Retron does?
If it doesn't then it's of no use to me at all.
I like that the freak can play TG/PC-E games, and I also like the included controller much better, however I would never use it since I use the snes controller for everything except for fighting games, which I use the Genesis 6 button for.
I would say the Retron has some mandatory features that the freak is missing:
NES Support (I understand that it's not made for our market, and this wont be an issue in Asia)
IPS Patching Support (Maybe it's not missing? you didn't mention it and I don't have a unit to test)
Original Controller Support (I would perfer to not use a USB hub, even if one exists)
Forcing the original cart to be used
I know that not everyone has all the carts in the world, and for that person roms are easier and cheaper, but I do have a huge library of carts, and this arbitrary mandate of having the cart forces to be pick from my personal library rather then the libraries as a whole.
My take away from this video is that while the Retron is the right device for me, it can be better.
GG support and TG-16 support would be awesome, and if N64 support is doable in the next year or two depending on the age of the IP then that would be cool too!
Thanks for the video!
+OAIHY both consoles support patches, that's why I didn't mention it. I am not sure, but I believe that they are based on similar software running in the background.
Good to hear, that feature is critical for a emulation box.
+OAIHY they also both run cheats as well. That's something they both prominently feature.
One thing I'm curious is which one is better for patching Japanese SF games with English Patches?
great video. so, is it possible to save the roms on memory card and play them on retro freak without getting thise roma from original cartridge? I mean getting the roms Dowlanded from the internet.
+majed6368 That is exactly right. You can copy the ROMs from a computer to your SD card and play them on the console.
+Joe Goes Retro thank you very much. I believe the same is not possible with retron 5, right?
+majed6368 I think it IS possible if you were to hack the Retron 5 console. But the Retro Freak can do it out of the box.
A year or so later I picked up the RF EU premium version for £99.00 it was discounted but now it's gone back upto £199 approx
with the turbografx games do you have trouble playing them on the retro freak?
+lu low I haven't experienced any trouble at all.
ok cause i just can not get any turbo games to play even after i cleaned them with a q tip
+lu low that sounds like there's something wrong with that cartridge slot.
i got one game to play but that is it
Did you put it in upside down?
good video mate. I recently bought the Retron 5 (and the Retro trio) and i'm very happy with it, would have liked the PC Engine slot but the NES slot is more important to me (before we get into further adaptors).
I do own all the original consoles but its great to be able to just plug and play on the main front room TV. Had some great games of EA Hockey and NBA Jam last week when a friend dropped by.
You just gained a new subscriber my friend
+Gamer Si I too have all the original consoles, but being able to save shelf space with either of these consoles is a big plus. I feel the NES slot is probably more important to many people.
agreed. I'll probably pick a Retro Freak when I get a chance. I'm a sucker for these things
My only problems with the Retro Freak is the lack of an NES slot and the lack of OG controller ports, but it's forgiven cus it's a Japanese console and the USB ports allow for some good gamepads. I'd say the Retro Freak is the superior console, and it looks better tbh.
I'd love to save some space with the Retro Freak.
+LovelyProductions I don't know if he went over it but you can use the PlayStation 3 and 4's controllers if you use a USB cable with the retro freak so that is a pretty good plus. though I really like using my Super Nintendo Turbo Controller (AsciiPad) on the retron 5 for all my games.
therealdeadpen
Huge plus, they're pretty awesome gamepads! The R5's original ports is it's best feature IMO, just because you can use what you're used to or may already own
+LovelyProductions Yea I miss having ports built in, I bought a third party SNES to USB device and I've not got it to work right on the freak yet (had for 2 days).
therealdeadpen
Hope it works eventually. I'd love to try a Saturn controller adapter to see if it works
Simply use a 72 pin to 60 pin adapter if you wanna play 'Murican games on the Japanese console.
Quick question. Seems as if I could download games off the internet slap'm onto the SD Card and go with it. Does it work that way?
Yes, it does. That's what I mean when I said the console "isn't too picky where it gets its game ROMs from."
+Joe Goes Retro Ahman this thing sounds like a win win to me. Like Gamester81 showed, u can actually use original message, sneakers, Sega, and tg16 game controllers. I just wonder too if it's possible to play Sega games and Mrs games with the sneakers controller, cause I have the super nes advantage controller with rapid fire. Oh Yeah! lol
+Joe Goes Retro sorry about comment above. Message meaning nes and sneakers meaning snes.
+Bobby8451 If you have a controller to USB adapter, you can probably use whatever controller you like regardless of the game.
JGR - Joe Goes Retro does that go for the retron 5(aswell as the retro freak)? You can load roms from sd card on both systems?
The first retron 5 that I got ended up ruined within a day because it kept a death grip on the cartridges and simply trying to remove the games ruined the pins on the console. Hyperkin did replace my console and the one i got works drastically better but still, pretty glaring design flaw.
Have a Retron 5 not impressed, lots of problems with megadrive carts freezing resetting. Famicom games run some don't, Starfox pal doesn't run properly. But the snes and gba besides starfox run really well. Intend on buying a retro freak hopefully with better results.
I’ve never had any problems like that myself, might be a thing with PAL versions, also the QC of Hyperkin is really hit or miss. So I’m not surprised that you are having issues.
Have you had a change of heart on either??
very informative vid, great work as always!
+ShyGuyShawn82 Thanks a lot. I worked really hard on this video.
why didn't you mention how hard the retron5 holds the carts in place,I had retron5 I pulled out the metal tabs holding the carts in a few plays
+Michael Smith I don't have that problem with my console. The carts are snug, but I never had any issue removing them from the console.
Great review man. Subed!
Way u started seemed like u were trying to keep your voice lol good video thanks
The best killer feature of the retro freak is that it can save the cartridges to ROM files on a SD flash card. Even better is that you can copy ROM files to the SD card, and play them on the retro freak...
Yes! Also instead of patching a ROM, you can find one hacked for translation, which saves a step!
Retro Freak having TG16 compatibility is awesome, but that price.. I'm going to have to look into this a little bit more, as I was considering getting a Retron 5 soon. Good reviews!
+The Game Grinder Both are great consoles. I don't regret buying either!
I've had growing interest in getting a TG16, so I'd probably get the Retron 5 and a TG16 for about the same cost as the Retro Freak. Maybe.. the most attractive aspect of both is the built in upscaling.
+The Game Grinder With the TG -16 only having RF output, it's definitely more convenient to record gameplay from one of these.
+The Game Grinder With the TG -16 only having RF output, it's definitely more convenient to record gameplay from one of these.
Hm, yeah that's a good point.
hello, I'm thinking of buying one of these I just have one question. which has the smoother gameplay? I heard retron 5 is 60fps is that true?
Great comparison. I have both but I lean towards the Retro Freak due to it's overall versatility. Also for those who do buy one make sure you grab the most recent update. It fixes many of the bugs the console had early on. It's damn near perfect now. The update link is here. www.cybergadget.co.jp/support/retrofreak/update/
+74Vidgamer I too lean towards the Retro Freak. I still have to get the newest update.
Can the Gadget Retro Freak save directly into the cartridge or you need to save in the sd card and them replace the cartridge save file with the sd save file?
quick question, i assume this both output HDMI without HDCP?
Does the retro freak play flash carts? And does it let you use light guns?
+Anthony Durant No to both questions. Light guns are not compatible with HD TVs. Flash carts are kind of redundant with the Retro Freak, as you can load your ROMs to the console from the micro SD slot. It's just not designed to work with Everdrives or Multi carts like regular carts.
Nothing in this vid about the audio.. I want to know which one sounds like the original consoles. And especially with Nes/famicom games with the extra audiochips inside the cartridges (like Gimmick -famicom- , Batman return of the Joker and other Sunsoft titles, castlevania 3 Japanese version etc). And what about the music from Streets of Rage 2 or Midnight resistance etc?
Nothing about the audio because they both do it spot on. There's no system on a chip hardware going on here to foul up the audio. It's all emulation based.
Is the only way to play master system games is by using the power base or will the adapter from them work with US master system games ?
The Retro Freak Mark III adapter wouldn’t accommodate Master System Games due to the cart being shaped differently. There is a Retron 5 adapter that’s basically the same device as the Mark III adapter but re-shaped accordingly. That’s not even mentioning the Power Base Mini that Stone Age Gamer sells, which is a Game Genie sized Power Base device which will works on real Sega hardware as well as these emulation based consoles. Lastly, you can just download the ROMs and install them to your SD card if you’re playing on a Retro Freak
so do either of these play multicarts
can you play with a ps3 controller on the retrofreak with USB cord
+Steven Bryant yes, I haven't tried it, but others have informed me that it works
Awesome review, really appreciate the opinion coming from a player as opposed to just from a technical standpoint. Emulation will always be a sore subject, but for i'd be 95% of people I'd bet they wouldn't be able to tell the difference between something like this and something that is cycle accurate. Much more interested in the Retro Freak, shame it is so much more expensive. Guess I'll end up sticking with native hardware for now for most.
To me, for the versatility, it's worth the extra money. Since this video, I've opted to put my NES, Genesis, SNES, TurboGrafx-16 and even my GameCube (I can play GC discs on my Wii) into storage and keep the Retro Freak in my main setup permanently. For someone who does TH-cam videos (like myself), it's an awesome solution for being able to play and capture footage for these consoles with the quality that both the Retro Freak and Retron 5 put out. Since it wasn't available when I did the video originally, it's worth noting that the awesome 8BitDo NES30 or FC30 wireless controllers are compatible with the Retron 5. Which is a huge plus as that controller kicks ass.
how can you play Game Gear on the Game Freak?
sry Cyber Retro Freak*
+Jacob Scarberry CYBER Gadget is producing a cartridge adapter which will plug into the Genesis/Mega Drive slot and accept Sega MyCard, Sega SG-1000, Sega Mark III and Game Gear carts. It should be out in Japan later this month. Also you can just install Game Gear ROMs on the SD card if you want to go that route.
how are the pins on the freak? tight as the Retron?
They're a bit tighter the original consoles in the case of the MegaDrive/Genesis and Super Famicom/SNES slots, but nothing like the Retron's.
Correction, Game Freak on PlayAsia is 363.99 as of March 19th 2021 vs Retron's 135$ locally for me.....Pardon the Retron 5 nails it on price in 2021
hi does anyone know the answer to my question below
If the Retro Freak doesn't brake down every five minutes like the Retron 5 I'm sold.
Hola tengo un problema con retrofreak los archivos rom con extensión bin de sega mega drive no me lo detecta la consola alguna forma de que los detecte la consola?
Good video Joe, thanks!
Wasn't Hyperkin getting in trouble for using SNES 9x code without permission or something?
+Dustin Gibbons yes, but after acknowledging what emulators they borrowed code from, everything seemed to calm down. I think you can still find a list of what emulators they copied code from on Hyperkin's website.
More like we don't like wasting money on court cases on a fraudulent garbage company and we took our losses and let it go.
Two great devices, but I liked the Freak the most.
Agreed! I have and use both, but the Freak gets a LOT more use.
so I could play game hacks on the reto freak I am so down for that
+Dick Grayson that's right
+Joe Goes Retro sweet
+Joe Goes Retro and by the way you just got one new subscriber
+Dick Grayson Awesome! Thank you very much!
but have they fixed the pin issue on the retron 5? I'm always less skeptical of a product made in Japan vs China, where I would assume the retron is made. retron price is much better but not if it lasts 6 months.
+The Fresh Peddler - Beats For People Who Hate Radio I believe they did fix the pin issue, but I hear really mixed things still. I've had my Retron 5 since launch and I've not had any issues with the pin connectors, but that could be just me.
+Joe Goes Retro they def should have used the r & d from the original hardware when it comes to the pins. very few things are made to last nowadays, cheap capacitors ect.
+The Fresh Peddler - Beats For People Who Hate Radio I agree, but that goes with everything, not just video games.
My big plus is the smaller size of the RF.... R5 is strange shape for a console needs way more cord room.
+ian comer Same here. I'm eventually going to put my Genesis, SNES, NES, TG-16 and even my GameCube (I can play GC games on my Wii and GB/GBA games on this), and free up some space for other consoles... which ones, I'm not exactly sure, yet.
I don't know if the Retro Freak has a similar feature, but the Retron 5 also allows for firmware updates, and built in cheats. The biggest advantage being that the Retron 5 allows you to play games with translation patches, or some rom hacks through the SD card.
+SaviorGabriel The Retro Freak is able to do all of those things.
Joe Goes Retro Okay. Good to know.
Retrofreak Can do a savegame dump from sd to the cartridge?
It's supposed to be able to yes, but in my own experiences, it doesn't always work.
Haven't seen a video from you in a while. Hope you are doing ok Joe.
hi, does anyone know the NTSC/PAL picture issue? pal has 25 fps, while ntsc has 30 fps... so we raised in europe on Pegasus (nintendo like contra super mario etc) are used to slower motion of games than in USA or Japan maybe - is it possible to adjust it in Retro Freak? the pitch/tempo of the game (sound and picture)?
thanks
the freak doesn't play nes genesis or snes or master system games? doesn't allow for original controllers?
It plays SNES, and Genesis games right from the box. It plays Master System and NES games with an adapter. It will accept original controllers with an adapter. You can install the game ROMs for all of those consoles directly to the console as well.
I don't have any experience with the Retro Freak but I had been very excited to get my Retron 5. When I did get it it was totally broken out of the box. Only one of the cartridge slots even recognized carts being inserted into it at all.
When I started looking into it I learned that this is nowhere close to being an isolated incident and the store I got it from said 7 out of the 12 units they sold this holiday season were returned due to being broken out of the box.
They also said the Retron 3 was junk. Thankfully I was able to return it but if this is the kind of quality control Hyperkin has than they can fuck themselves. I will never buy one of their products again and anytime it comes up I will strongly advise anyone to not risk doing business with them.
Jim O'Brien thank you for your honest review
So many bad reviews about retron 5 being broken
Your intros badass!
Ive got a Retron 5, no complaints here except the controller...
Really want a retro freak for playing gameboy advance games.
To be clear, if you use the sega mastersystem player attachment in the retro freak, it will play master system . I found it played master system almost perfectly. Better than it plays nes games with virtually no lag.
3:40 as i hear guile theme i start keep adiction to music
I have a retron five and I like it a lot. OEM controller is poop, but the original ports are there to male the experience as good as it was.
+edumspeed The Retron 5 is definitely a good system, I agree about the controller. It seemed like a good idea, but we're all so used to the traditional-style d-pads of most consoles.
+Joe Goes Retro I actually got used to and mostly enjoy the stock controller now. Not more so than any original controller, but enough that I can get through SF2 on medium-high difficulty (SNES or Genesis) without much difficulty
i love my retron but id get the retro freak for tg 16 alone
+Console Kev being able to play TG-16 games is a HUGE selling point for the Retro Freak. I didn't even know that you could rip the game ROMs from the carts or load ROMs to the console until after I got it. Huge bonus!
The retro freak seems easier to buy here in UK. The retron 5 isn't readily sold and given that the work out about the the same price after shipping , then I prefer the retro freak.
Its not "out of the box" if you have to purchace a seperate perepheral...
It is if you install the ROMS direct to the SD card.
when did u get the retron5?
+Michael Smith I preordered it and got it about a week after it launched.
does it take english patch like retro 5 does?
Yes, it does. A lot of the background stuff the two units can do are exactly the same.
how can you play super grafx on the 5?
+Matt Thomas on the Retron 5, no. But you can on the Retro Freak.
Ah thought I mixed up the two... how can yu play super grafx on the freak then? The hue cards? would be cool if you can play the super cd games on these...
+Matt Thomas it would be great to have a CD based retro console. But yes, the Retro Freak has a HuCard slot for PCE, TG-16 or Super Grafx games
What about Famicom controller on Retron 5
+Joseph Gray original Famicom controllers were hard wired into the console. The later AV Famicom's controllers were the same as the NES as far as I know. The other peripherals that use the 12 pin accessory port on the Famicom are not compatible with the Retron5.