Super Retron HD announced

[Atariboy]

Much more so than the Retron 1 HD, this HD SuperNes clone has caught my eye. I've been very impressed with the SuperNes-on-a-chip inside my Retro Duo.

 

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/08/hyperkin_reveals_hmdi_snes_clone_the_supa_retron_hd

 

 

Of course, if they're again upscaling composite or S-Video, forget it. But I've heard of RGB mods for clones like the Retro Duo, so I'm optimistic there's potential for decent HD video here.

Edited August 5, 2017 by Atariboy

[0078265317]

Nice.

[128Kgames]

I'm sure it won't play multicarts just like the Retron HD so I'll pass.

[Tanooki]

If it's Hyperkin they copy as much of their work from iterations so I would imagine it runs as questionably well as their existing NES box that set people off pretty badly. It's a shame, they have this good market they could exploit but they do everything wrong to anger anyone who cares about anything better than barely minimal functional support. Hyperkin, they're like the Kia Rio, Ford Pinto, AMC Pacer, Chevy Geo and the flipping Yugo of game console makers.

[Atariboy]

My Super Everdrive works on my Retro Duo. Since I imagine the same basic SNES hardware is in all of these non-emulation clones, I don't see why it couldn't work here.

 

As for the Retron 1 HD, I believe most people's issues with it revolve around the flaws with NOAC chips in general. Being limited to composite video for instance, which is then upscaled with unsurprisingly poor effect on the Retron 1 HD. SNES clones on the other hand offer up excellent compatibility, accuracy, and can be modded for RGB out which is likely the signal Hyperkin is drawing here to upscale.

 

Not only does my Super Everdrive work on my Retro Duo, but even my Super Game Boy works with it with the video signal and such passed through correctly just like original hardware. The flaws with emulation based machines don't necessarily apply to this upcoming product.

Edited August 5, 2017 by Atariboy

[Tanooki]

I hope you're right, but I would not be surprised if they're using what they've already paid for in spades -- supaboy guts. They aren't friendly with chipped games. Hopefully that isn't the case but knowing them you have to go by example and the Retro Duo has always out classed them in the compatibility department by a little bit.

[Punisher5.0]

I hope you're right, but I would not be surprised if they're using what they've already paid for in spades -- supaboy guts. They aren't friendly with chipped games. Hopefully that isn't the case but knowing them you have to go by example and the Retro Duo has always out classed them in the compatibility department by a little bit.

I've only had issues with SA-1 games on my Supaboy. Everything else is fine.

[Tanooki]

I think the supaboys vary.

 

I made some videos a few years back showing how to bypass the SA1 games not working on the handheld (I had v2.) You boot up any game in the unit, press+HOLD reset for a blue screen, then throw in a SA1 game and release reset. SA1 games work, or did for me. I got various emails about it, a few people said it didn't work on theirs, others said it did for them (more than not.) Are you saying your Supaboy runs SDD1 (SFA2?) V2 wouldn't run it, but V1 did. Also FX games are a crap shoot. Yoshi was straight up broken, but DOOM for FX2 works. With FX1 some work fine, others act like a demo kiosk with an exactly to the second 5minute timer reset (Star Fox, Stunt Race FX.)

[KeeperofLindblum]

I'm going to eagerly await results.

 

I'm kinda wanting to convert everything to HDMI if at all possible.

I had a long rant here but removed it to keep on topic. lol

[Atariboy]

Assuming the SNES-on-a-chip is equivalent to what's in my Retro Duo and they're able to tap into RGB signals to feed their scaler, my biggest concern is their scaling solution and build quality.

 

Their quality control hasn't exactly been impressive. The Retron 5 has proven to be very problematic for many people. Hopefully they'll be able to do better with a simpler machine, so that those that give it a try can expect it to work out of the box and last a few years before requiring replacement.

 

They appear to also be hinting at a SuperNes mouse in that Twitter picture. Mario Paint is in the system and a mouse in Hyperkin style colors looks like it's possibly plugged into the controller port. Is there actually demand for this accessory these days?

Edited August 5, 2017 by Atariboy

[Punisher5.0]

I think the supaboys vary.

 

I made some videos a few years back showing how to bypass the SA1 games not working on the handheld (I had v2.) You boot up any game in the unit, press+HOLD reset for a blue screen, then throw in a SA1 game and release reset. SA1 games work, or did for me. I got various emails about it, a few people said it didn't work on theirs, others said it did for them (more than not.) Are you saying your Supaboy runs SDD1 (SFA2?) V2 wouldn't run it, but V1 did. Also FX games are a crap shoot. Yoshi was straight up broken, but DOOM for FX2 works. With FX1 some work fine, others act like a demo kiosk with an exactly to the second 5minute timer reset (Star Fox, Stunt Race FX.)

I did try that swap trick but it didn't work for me. SFA2 works no problem. Mine is a V2.

[keepdreamin]

At the rate this is going, folks are going to own more Hyperkin clone consoles than actual games for them.

[Tanooki]

I did try that swap trick but it didn't work for me. SFA2 works no problem. Mine is a V2.

That's just so so weird. I wish mine would have liked it, but then again maybe then my SA1 games wouldn't have worked. I sold it off awhile ago to a very happy person considering I modded mine so the d-pad worked correctly. I just don't trust hyperkin at all anymore to make a consistent quality product which is a shame as they have good ideas and rotten unstable execution.

 

The one clone I await, if they weren't just blowing smoke since it's been all silence since January but the Super Retro Boy that does GB+C+A all in one. I'd also like that promised GB multicart for $20 from them too.

[StephenJ]

Tanooki,

"...The one clone I await, if they weren't just blowing smoke since it's been all silence since January but the Super Retro Boy that does GB+C+A all in one..."

I've been looking forward to that system as well. Retro-Bit has said nothing about the SRB since showing it in January. I've sent an email through their website asking about it...no response yet.

 

StephenJ

[godslabrat]

Tanooki,

"...The one clone I await, if they weren't just blowing smoke since it's been all silence since January but the Super Retro Boy that does GB+C+A all in one..."

I've been looking forward to that system as well. Retro-Bit has said nothing about the SRB since showing it in January. I've sent an email through their website asking about it...no response yet.

 

StephenJ

Someone asked them about it on Facebook recently. The response was a typical "We're trying to get it just right." Comeback.

[Tanooki]

So typical retrobit. Struggling to get something that works, just hopefully right enough the amount of people buying are drowned out by those complaining about the problems?

[KeeperofLindblum]

Now I just want someone to do an HDMI SNES mod... Anybody know if that idea is in the works?

[Tanooki]

It wouldn't surprise me, there's a few top loaders(NES) with HDMI jacks on them if you look for it.

[StopDrop&Retro]

Looks cheap and the color combination makes it look like a Dendy.

 

[KeeperofLindblum]

It wouldn't surprise me, there's a few top loaders(NES) with HDMI jacks on them if you look for it.

 

I've actually got a Retro AVS heading my way if it EVER gets here...

 

I ordered back in like June/July and apparently it's still shipping from China. Looking at mid-September at earliest. T-T

 

I guess I was just hoping that someone had ideas or thoughts going into an HDMI mod for the SNES. I looked around after posting what I did, and I guess the main issue of accomplishing this is how the video signal is processed by the SNES. If I read it right, the signal doesn't really come out digital at any point, (My electronics knowledge is like non-existent so please be gentle.) and so you have to end up adding some kind of converter in the process to get this done.

 

guess I'll just have to live with the HD Retrovision Component Cables I have... that my TV doesn't like, so I still have to use my Framemeister. -_-

 

 

Looks cheap and the color combination makes it look like a Dendy.

 

That certainly looks "Dendy".

Edited August 18, 2017 by KeeperofLindblum

[godslabrat]

It wouldn't surprise me, there's a few top loaders(NES) with HDMI jacks on them if you look for it.

 

I think you mean RCA or composite, not HDMI.

[Tanooki]

No I just accidentally pluralized it. People have been very recently modding the NES top loader with an HDMI jack (port.)

[Atariboy]

I just realized I had the system name wrong in the topic title. Super Retron HD sounds better, but apparently it's actually called the Supa Retron HD.

 

 

With several HD SNES clones now out there with what appears to be composite or S-Video being fed to a scaler and Hyperkin never showing off direct feed video on Facebook, I was expecting lackluster video quality. But this one actually looks like it's upscaling RGB, resulting in a nice picture.

 

With the solid quality of SNES-on-a-chips and the ability for these to support accessories like flash carts and the Super Game Boy, this might be an option to consider for someone that finds the Analogue Super NT's ~$200 price tag a bit too high.

 

Of course there could still be input lag issues and build quality concerns, but at least the video/audio side seems solid.

Edited December 4, 2017 by Atariboy

[Tanooki]

Probably called that as it perhaps repurposes that very shoddy SNES on a chip setup the Supa Boy uses. If it does, this needs an honest review of it which NL did not do when it came to compatible games, not just general feel/look of stuff.

 

I had a Supaboy v2, avoided the 1st and saw no reason to get v3 either. Why? Unstable on chipped games. Some presses of the so called same version of a chip may or may not run chipped games at all or correctly. V1 would run the SDD1 stuff like SFAlpha2, but v2 would not at all. Supaboy v2 would run SA1 but barely natively, you had to cart swap and bypass using the reset button held down on a standard game then plug a SA1 in to work. FX1/2 games would maybe run, maybe run 5min and restart, or just get all jacked up.

 

I'm not saying to dodge it, but evade without proof unless someone wants to be a guinea pig for the others. Also they had horrible broken D-pads on all supaboys. I had to internally hack mine so it would work right as it had no bump rocker on the bottom of the d-pad, it was on 4 posts and you could easily click all 4 directions which usually meant games would freeze in a direction(while pressed), glitch, or do other odd stuff. Hyperkin more or less sucks, unless as some would argue, they steal emulator source code to make games work.

[F34R]

I'll get one of them and do a comparison between the original SNES, SNES Jr., Super NT, and this thing.