Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2016/07/14/nes-classic-edition-looks-like.html
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Would be really curious to see if this runs on the same SoC’s that all the Retron units do. Just with the polished software layer that we expect from Nintendo.
Can we expect it to be hackable? Not if Nintendo has anything to say about it. Flashcarts historically have been a huge impact on the profitability of the GBA/DS line of handhelds.
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Sorry, what does SoC mean?
Part of me wants this, but another part wants to just get a Retron, but then I would have to hunt down the games…
There are several games I both loved and would like to try.
When I won my original Nintendo, it came with this guide book that had maps etc to dozens of games, like Zelda and Metriod. They should TOTALLY make a guide book that you can buy for this. I realize all that info is online, but to have a guide book for all the specific games on the unit would be hella convenient.
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System-on-a-Chip. Basically there are two ways to do a retro console. One way, which is increasingly popular, is just to do emulation – a ARM chip like those found in any smartphone is powerful enough to emulate any 1980s console. But emulations have glitches (or even lack of glitches in some cases) which mean that running a game on a emulator often doesn’t feel, look, or sound the same as the original. The other way is to miniaturize the original hardware to combine what was dozens of chips in the 1980s to a single chip. That’s a system-on-a-chip. They generally play games more accurately than a emulation.
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Ahhh, ok. Yes that would be good.
I hope it has RCA hook ups. I still have an old Sony Trinatron as my TV.
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I’d avoid this. The controllers are tiny, too. I dropped one and lost it in the folds in my belly.
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What kind of emulation does the Virtual Console use? Does the Wii have SoCs for older systems in it, or is it all software emulation? Because I bet this is just a pared-down, single-use device running Virtual Console software with a baked-in game library.
I’ve been shopping around for used NES’s and, as much as I’d love the retro appeal of the original (and a few classic games not listed here), the HDMI cable is a big win. Classic systems like this really need a classic old TV to run them on. Modern flatscreens, surprisingly, are terrible with old games without a lot of hacking (and even then, not terrific).
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[quote=“girard, post:7, topic:81459”]What kind of emulation does the Virtual Console use? Does the Wii have SoCs for older systems in it, or is it all software emulation?[/quote]No, no SoCs in there. That would be a needless expense.
But on the subject of emulation: many recently took offense that SNES emulation is only available on the updated “New” revision of the 3DS hardware (with a more powerful CPU) and not on the original 3DS (which is still capable of running every single 3DS title released thus far, with vanishingly few exceptions). SNES emulation has been just-barely-adequately demonstrated on less powerful hardware than even the original 3DS, and I was inclined to believe that, rather than being a blantant cash grab to force everyone to go buy a new 3DS, Nintendo was actually concerned about emulation accuracy and accordingly went with a solution that required more powerful hardware.
So… if Nintendo is that concerned about emulation accuracy, would they really stoop to anything less than authentic hardware here? I guess we’ll see.
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The more I leaf through the capabilities, the more that I wonder whether this system is just pared down Wii/WiiU hardware? It seems to have the save state feature present in the Virtual Console, Wii controller ports, HDMI out… I’d be shocked if it didn’t have access to the Wii Shop channel to purchase more games.
I think building an emulation console would be the better route because you can run other stuff on it beyond NES games and you have more control over everything. Still this thing is pretty neat and would be worth giving to someone as a gift perhaps
TAKE MY MONEY NOW!!!
that is all
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I think you mean… I kind of agree.
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My only wish would be to include some or any or all of these:
Metal Gear
DuckTales
Blaster Master
Dragon Warrior
River City Ransom
Rygar
Fester’s Quest
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
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Not having Contra also kind of blows big time.
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Oh crap! How could I forget Contra or Super C?
Castlevania, zelda, smb, metroid, kid icarus, gradius. I’m sold.
Rygar… OMG I would love that.
No Dark Tower? would not buy
The weird thing I’ve found with my flatscreen: Try the RF output. On my living room’s tv, it complains about an unsupported resolution when I plug it in via composite, but RF is fine. It works well enough for me though, since the TV only has one composite set and I use those to plug in my PS1/PS2 (same connector, so I just swap to the one I’m playing at the moment)
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