Ace_1

I'm the writer of said guide, and yes, ONLY non-High Definition Graphics Genesis Model 1s are at risk of having bad audio circuitry(not hardware - it is different, but not worse). It all depends on the motherboard. If you have a High Definition Graphics Genesis Model 1, it will have motherboard revision VA2 to VA6, which all use discrete Yamaha YM2612s and the same audio amp which give the Genesis Model 1 its trademark rich and bass-heavy audio. The non-High Definition Graphics model has motherboard revision VA6 with the EXT port removed, VA6.8 or VA7. The VA7 motherboard is the one with the nasty audio output. This nasty audio output carries over to the Genesis Model 2 on motherboard revisions VA0, VA1 and VA1.8(those are the most common motherboard revisions of the Genesis Model 2 and they SUCK both for audio AND for video). Do take note many Genesis systems don't use the same sound hardware or have screwed up sound hardware. A lot of Genesis systems don't use a discrete Yamaha YM2612, but instead use an ASIC version of the YM2612's CMOS counterpart, the Yamaha YM3438, which has been modified by Sega with an improved DAC for added clarity, but at the same time, this modified YM3438 has several bugs fixed, which results in an almost complete lack of quantization noise, making some games either sound different or almost completely wrong. After Burner II seems most affected by this issue as it makes heavy use of the YM2612's quantization noise for background notes in the music. On a console with an ASIC-based YM3438, those notes are almost inaudible. These systems and motherboard revisions are known to contain ASIC-based YM3438s: -Genesis Model 1, motherboard revision VA7 -Genesis Model 2, motherboard revisions VA0, VA1, VA1.8, VA3 and VA4 -Genesis 3, both the VA1 and VA2 motherboards -Nomad -Sega CDX -JVC X'Eye Beware of Genesis Model 2 motherboard revisions VA2 and VA2.3. While they have discrete YM2612s, their PSG sound hardware appears to be COMPLETELY screwed up. The white noise and one of the square waves are so loud they drown out the other two square waves, causing not only volume balance issues with the YM2612, but also volume balance issues with Sega Master System games, as well as noticeable distortion in those games. PSG-heavy games will sound wrong as well. You would be wrong as almost every time I've seen a Genesis Model 1 for sale, it's usually either a High Definition Graphics model or a non-High Definition Graphics model with a VA7 motherboard. They're the two most common Genesis Model 1 variants I've come across.

Genesis high score club? I'm in! Though I should get a flash cartridge so I'm not limited to the games I own already.

At least that's solved. Still doesn't hide the fact the RetroN3 Version 2 sounds like complete s*** on the Super NES side. Have a look at these clips I posted on YouTube showing the RetroN3 Version 2 compared to a real Super NES: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2g3MaUNWa4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJs35hLscyg That is F-ing nasty. The RetroN3 Version 1 had perfect Super NES audio aside from some slightly messed-up Stereo separation due to the way the NES side's Mono audio out was split to make dual Mono and low volume. What the hell did Hyperkin do to make the RetroN3 Version 2's Super NES side sound so horribly distorted and lacking in bass? Not gonna happen on my end, Rex(well, unless I get an FC Mobile II and FC16 Go, in which case, that's it for me with clones unless a new clone comes out which is miles ahead of any clone we have now or I find some of the older full-motherboard NES and Genesis clones). I test these things and study their hardware because I enjoy that. Not to mention, there is a market for these systems and I want people to see what these things are truly capable of. Although I do wish some company would come up with a Genesis/Super NES combo clone. Since clone console manufacturers can't seem to let go of the God-forsaken NOAC with reversed square wave sound channel duties, at the very least, give NES cloning a break and make a Genesis/Super NES combo clone(and a better portable Genesis than the garbage AtGames has put out). I believe that's what the GN Twin was supposed to be at first. For a tech guy like me, these clones make good consoles to just mess around with, see how they work and see if there are any mods that can be performed on them. It's just half the fun of getting clone consoles for me. Although I did get an FC3 Plus not so much to test it, but rather because I took down my entire setup and now have a temporary setup with very little space, so having a Front-Loader NES, launch-model Super NES and Genesis Model 1 all hooked up at the same time is just not possible for me right now. People will not ditch the clones

Revision 3? What? What's changed now? I just got a RetroN3 for a friend and the Super NES audio is just unbearable, not to mention we've both overall been quite disappointed with the system. If this supposed RetroN3 Version 3 is any better, I'm gonna sell off the RetroN3 Version 2 and get a RetroN3 Version 3 in its place for my friend. Unless I already have a RetroN3 Version 3?

While a normal Power Base Converter will not fit in the RetroN3 without cutting off the back plate or completely disassembling the converter, the RetroN3 DOES play Sega Master System games. I've done it with a custom Power Base Converter I made myself and it does work, however, I couldn't get After Burner and Global Defense to work, which I think is a problem caused by my converter as on certain Genesis Model 2s, I can't get those games working, either. My converter is now broken, but I'm in the process of rebuilding it, so once it's rebuilt, I'm going to see if I can get After Burner and Global Defense to work. This is all on a RetroN3 Version 1, by the way. The RetroN3 Version 2's Genesis side is unchanged, though, so I don't expect Master System compatibility to be any different than on the RetroN3 Version 1. That's a bit pessimistic, no? I have a SuperJoy III Famiclone that's been made sometime in the early 2000s and it's still perfectly funtional. Even my RetroDuo, after having so many things soldered to it, still works perfectly since the day I got it in 2008. Even my FC Twin worked for two years before I completely screwed up the system(the NES side's audio output trace is completely ruined and the Super NES side's video encoder circuitry and audio amp have been trashed - still need to find my FC Twin's Super NES board and see if I can AT LEAST get it working through RGB because if it works through RGB, the Super NES board is still fully functional and can be salvaged). The RetroN3, on the other hand, seems to be pretty shoddily put together. Case and point: the RetroN3 Version 1 I had before(not mine, it belongs to a friend - he lent it to me so I can test the system and mod it for him) would get really nasty waves and heavy electrical noise in the audio signal if a Super NES controller was plugged into controller port 1, and if a SuperFX game or the Super GameBoy was inserted, after the lines would show up, those games would reset themselves and they'd keep doing so until the system would no longer recognize the SuperFX game or Super GameBoy was inserted into the system. Even the RetroN3 Version 2 I bought for another friend(he's looking for a Genesis and Super NES, but is tight on space, so I got him a RetroN3 Version 2, although I personally think I should have got him an FC3 Plus because even though it doesn't work with original controllers out of the box, the Super NES and Genesis sides are better than on the RetroN3) has issues with the Super NES side. When I first got the system, it worked fine, but a few days later, I noticed nearly every single Super NES game I'd play on the system would play with several graphical errors and it kept on doing this for several weeks. It hasn't done it again since, which has me scratching my head and wondering whether the Super NES side will hold up.

I was told the sound is better on the Genesis side on these Tomee consoles, but I don't know if that's true or not, so that's one thing I'd like to know. Has anything changed between this thing and the Gen-X/GN Twin?

I do have a theory as to why Famiclones nowadays aren't as good as they can be: none of the clone manufacturers seem to develop their NOACs in-house. They seem to purchase NOACs from various companies and slap them onto a small motherboard without really questioning how good they are. This is the reason why we still have NOAC-based clones with reversed sound channel duties on the square waves. Those NOACs are made by UMC(this company made chipsets for 386 and 486 motherboards), and UMC's discrete 2A03 clone from back when Famiclones had full motherboards already had reversed sound channel duties, so what we've got here is essentially poorly reverse-engineered technology from the late '80s/early '90s. I believe UMC themselves came up with the NOAC, although instead of it being a glop-top chip, it was a surface-mount ASIC. Even Famiclones with correct sound channel duties have other sound issues, which are the following: 1) What appears to be filtering on the square waves(play Rad Racer on an NES then play it on a RetroBit RES, RetroDuo or FC Twin and you'll know what I mean) 2) DPCM is screwed up and barely audible 3) White noise is too loud I still have not figured out which company makes NOACs with correct sound channel duties and screwed-up DPCM, but one thing's for sure: they weren't made by UMC. From what I've read, back when full motherboard Famiclones were being produced, clones of the 2A03 and 2C02 were made by not just UMC, but also Hitachi and Toshiba. I don't know if those are any different than UMC's parts. I'd like to get my hands on Hitachi and Toshiba 2A03s and 2C02s so I can see whether those are used on the more accurate NOACs. This stuff is also true of other console clones. Case and point: the RetroN3. I found a fake MegaDrive 2 which uses the exact same GOAC(TCT-6801) as the RetroN3. I don't know if the video and audio are the same, though, as Geniclones(and real Genesis systems, for that matter) all have different A/V circuitry. The same is true with Super NES clones as well. Look at modern-day Super NES clones(aside from the non-Yobo-jeweled FC Twin), they all use the same three TCT chips for the CPU, twin PPUs and SPC700-based sound hardware. This is why there are very little differences between Super NES clones. The differences all boil down to the audio circuity used, the video encoder used and the strength of the video signal itself.

I don't see why people bother to buy replacement connectors when all that needs to be done is to tighten the bottom row of pins on the existing cartridge slot. I find the best way to do that is to stick a small flat-head screwdriver under the pins and gently pry them up one at a time. Don't overtighten the pins as you might either break them or make the cartridge slot so tight your NES will have the common Famiclone death grip. Just tighten the pins enough for the cartridges to work without pushing them down.

Double score for me! An A/V Famicom and a Super Famicom Jr. both 100% complete in their original boxes(and I really mean 100% complete, right down to the paperwork and plastic bags) and both consoles as well as their accessories are in PRISTINE condition. The Super Famicom Jr. and its pack-in controller have a few scuff marks on them, but it's nothing a little Windex won't remove. Also got 33 Famicom cartridges, some legit, some pirated: And 6 Super Famicom cartridges, only one of which I actually will play. The best part about this: I got both consoles off a local seller who put up an ad on the local classifieds for the A/V Famicom/Super Famicom Jr bundle. Just one problem: one of the power supplies included was an NES power supply(EEK! Thankfully, the previous owner didn't use it on either console) and the power supply that originally came with the A/V Famicom is broken(I'm not surprised - it seems those power supplies are highly prone to failure when used on North American power outlets). This whole lot set me back $300. I might have overpaid(maybe not 'cause the A/V Famicom and especially the Super Famicom Jr. sell for quite a bit of money), but hell, I'm VERY happy to finally own an A/V Famicom, and the Super Famicom Jr. is pretty much a bonus 'cause I was mostly interested in the A/V Famicom. And here are the A/V Famicom and Super Famicom Jr. next to their North American counterparts, the Top-Loader NES and the Super NES Mini: Awesome.

If you like over-the-top racing with crazy physics, definitely pick up the San Francisco Rush games released on the Nintendo 64: San Francisco Rush Extreme Racing, Rush 2 Extreme Racing USA and San Francisco Rush 2049(honestly, I'd take the Dreamcast version over the Nintendo 64 version since it has better graphics, better framerate and the original arcade version's soundtrack). Whenever I've got some buddies to play San Francisco Rush 2049's Stunt and Battle modes, we always have a blast, especially in Stunt mode where it's funny seeing us all rage at our inability to land stunts.

Some facts about the GN Twin and Gen-X: -Both have inaccurate NOACs -Both have distorted Genesis audio -The controller ports are NOT 100% proprietary. They're modified DB9s using NES controller signals -You can hack in Genesis controller ports(the Genesis and NES use completely different controller signals) -Special cartridges will work on the Gen-X and GN Twin(Virtua Racing, the Game Genie, etc.) The GN Twin is worse than the Gen-X on the NES side because the video and audio quality is poor. The video is VERY heavily oversaturated and the audio is insanely quiet and muffled. On the Genesis side, they're about the same. The distortion is the same and both consoles have too much green in the video output. While most of these problems can be fixed, you'd be better off with a RetroN3 if you're interested in getting a Famiclone since the sound on the Genesis side is almost perfect(the PSG is considerably louder but can be fixed by replacing 2 resistors), you can use original Sega and Nintendo controllers on the console, and it has S-Video output for the Genesis side, something the GN Twin and Gen-X lack(however the NES side is just as inaccurate as the Gen-X and GN Twin). If not, get either a Front-Loader or Top-Loader NES and a Genesis Model 1 with HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS written on the case.

Allow the writer of the Genesis Model 1/Model 2 write-up on Sega-16 to chime in. The CDX offers some of the clearest sound you can get off of a Genesis, but it does have some minor volume issues. It seems the PSG and 32X PWM are a slight bit too quiet on the CDX compared to FM Synthesis and Sega CD PCM/CDDA. It's also got overall quieter sound than other Genesis models, but like I've said before, it's got very clear sound. It doesn't have the bass-heavy audio of the pre-VA7 Genesis Model 1 or Nomad, but its clarity is damn good. As for video, it's slightly darker than a Genesis Model 1 with a Sony CXA1145 video encoder, but slightly sharper and with heavier color saturation. You'd typically find a Fujitsu MB3514 video encoder in the CDX, which you can also find on some European MegaDrives and some VA0 to VA1.8 Genesis 2s in all regions.

For whatever reason, I just can't get much into any MIDI music. I'm a sucker for FM Synthesis, which is what many old PC sound cards(early SoundBlasters, for instance), the Genesis, numerous arcade games and Yamaha keyboards use. I really don't get why people always say music not made with real instruments is MIDI. You can get synthesized music not just with MIDI, but also with PSG(used by the NES, in particular), FM Synthesis and WSG(stands for Waveform Sound Generator, commonly used on some Namco arcade boards). By the way, isn't the Super NES' sound chip ADPCM-based? Does it work like MIDI on PC sound cards with predefined instrument sets or are the samples made by the game's developer and stored in the game's ROM? That's one thing I've always wondered about with the Super NES' sound chip.

They don't. The FC3 Plus uses a TCT-6705 and the RetroN3 uses a TCT-6801, but custom GOACs developed in-house and based off the TecToy-580G GOAC due to certain similarities between(odd overscan area, graphical glitches with Master System games).

Could you confirm the improved NOAC sound and Castlevania III compatibility with either a sound byte or a video clip? I'm not convinced the RetroN3's NOAC has truly been improved, at least not until I get a sound byte from the version 2 RetroN3 and a video clip of the version 2 RetroN3 playing Castlevania III.

I posted a full review of the RetroN3 on the Sega-16 forums: http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showpost.php?p=303221&postcount=105 I haven't personally used an FC3 Plus, but I can definitely recommend a RetroN3 as a good all-in-1 clone for playing NES, Super NES and Genesis games. Oh, and you can also play Sega Master System games with a Power Base Converter. I will see if can snag an FC3 Plus, however. I like to pick any clone that comes along as it's always a new experience with each one.

Here's a copy-paste of my full review as I posted on Sega-16(username Ace): System Quite possibly one of the best-built modern-day clones I've come across. It doesn't feel cheap at all and has more weight than any other clone I've ever used, but there are some weak spots in the plastic, more specifically around the cartridge slots. It's not very aesthetically pleasing, however, due to its really odd shape. It's even less aesthetically pleasing in red, which is the color of the system I was lent. The RetroN3 looks MUCH better in charcoal. This is one of only 2 modern-day Famiclones with S-Video out of the box, with the other being RetroBit's RetroDuo. Unlike the RetroDuo, however, you won't get any video on the NES side through the S-Video out, but that's not a good thing anyways because the NES was never meant to output S-Video in any way. And this clone is the only one that has 2 controller ports for all 3 consoles. Usually, you'd see 2-in-1 clones with Super NES controller ports or 2-in-1 Genesis/NES combo clones and the FC3 Plus with those semi-proprietary controller ports, but Hyperkin went ahead and put in 2 NES, Super NES and Genesis controller ports. Read on to see how well they work. A little note: the system selector switch has 4 positions. The 4th position at the complete right of the switch just turns on the Super NES side just like the 3rd position. Pack-in accessories One thing that surprised me when I first opened the RetroN3's package was the thickness of the Composite/Stereo audio cable. It's about double the thickness of the A/V cables you'd typically get with a Famiclone. And the S-Video cable that's included isn't cheap, either. It's the kind I find at my local electronics shop, which is pretty thick. The power supply is a brick that will take up two power outlets, which isn't very convenient. On top of that, the cord on the power supply is very short. The power supply is rated DC 10V 600mA with center negative. Now, most people say the pack-in wireless controllers are complete crap, but I beg to differ. I have not had any problems with the RetroN3's pack-in controllers unless I point the controller away from the infrared receiver's useful range, which is quite big(it will be reduced if you plug in Super NES controllers), and I was even able to use the controllers rotated a full 180 degrees in relation to the wireless receiver. They feel hollow, but they don't feel like they'll break in your hands; on the contrary, they're quite solid. And they're very responsive too. There are two major issues with these controllers, however: 1) There's a delay in registering button inputs, so if you mash a certain button many times, not all presses will be registered, making games that rely on button-mashing almost impossible to play. 2) The B and A buttons are reversed on the Genesis side. Not too big of a deal for me, but it will make others angry. Aside from those flaws, they work very well with the RetroN3 on all 3 systems. I will make note that Hyperkin made a mistake with their button mapping diagram in back of the controllers and on the flap that's on the front of the box. The diagram says the Z button is the L button on a Super NES controller and the C button is the R button on a Super NES controller. That's wrong; Z equals R and C equals L. It's a bit messy and makes Super NES games a bit confusing to play. And to know your wireless controllers are working, Hyperkin had the idea of making the power LED of whatever system you're using on the RetroN3 blink. Accuracy and A/V quality Accuracy and A/V quality varies on the three sides: -NES: The video is fine for the most part aside from some slight color inaccuracies. Unlike certain newer x-in-1 clones, the video isn't oversaturated and isn't smudged. Where the NES side falls flat on its face is in the sound accuracy. It's got the typical Famiclone reversed 50% and 75% sound channel duties on the square waves, resulting in certain sounds coming out at the wrong pitch. Don't get me wrong, some games sound good with the incorrect sound, but purists will not like it. The sound output is also a bit weak. It's not muffled, but it's weak. -Genesis: The video's accurate, but the Composite video has too much green. The Composite is also rather dark compared to an original Genesis. Also, the S-Video seems a little bit too bright as the whites are REALLY bright. As for the sound, I though I had heard it all with the Genesis Model 1 and the Sega Nomad, but the bass in the RetroN3's Genesis sound output is even stronger than those systems, but this added bass adds some roughness to PCM sound and some of the deeper FM Synthesis notes. The big problem with the Genesis side's sound is that the PSG is almost 2 times louder than the FM Synthesis, pretty much drowning it out. PSG-heavy Genesis games sound really weird as a result. Hyperkin also screwed up the Stereo sound and wired it backwards. The left audio signal is output from the red plug and the right audio signal is output from the white plug. Seems to be a common problem on many x-in-1 clones. There is a strange thing with the Genesis side's video output. If you use the wireless controllers, the first time you press a button, the video will get brighter, and if you use a real Genesis controller, every time you press a button, the video gets darker. I don't get it. There are also some scrolling lines on the video output. -Super NES: Colorful video, but the Composite video is like on the Genesis side - it's too dark(but there's no excessive green). The S-Video output is very bright, but there are times where the colors appear dull. As for the sound, there isn't a single flaw. No joke. And there are PC-based emulators that people praise with certain sound inaccuracies that are not present on hardware clones(the only PC-based Super NES emulator that gets the sound right is BSNES). Like the Genesis side, there are some scrolling lines in the video output, but they're more subdued on the Super NES side. Compatibility Here's a full list of what I found that works and doesn't work on the RetroN3: -NES: -31-in-1 Multicart: compatible -110-in-1 Multicart: compatible -1943: compatible -After Burner(Tengen cart): INCOMPATIBLE(displays graphical garbage and will not boot) -Al Unser Jr. Turbo Racing: compatible(has some graphical glitches) -Arkanoid: compatible -Blaster Master: compatible -Formula One Built to Win: compatible(has some graphical glitches) -Captain Skyhawk: compatible -Castlevania: compatible -Castlevania II: compatible -Castlevania III: INCOMPATIBLE(green screen, does not boot) -Contra: compatible -Duck Hunt: compatible -Excitebike: compatible -G.I. Joe: compatible -Gradius(US version): compatible -Gradius(Japanese version): compatible with Famicom adapter -Gradius II: compatible with Famicom adapter -Gumshoe: compatible -Hogan's Alley: compatible -Image Fight: compatible -Jackal: compatible -Kung Fu: compatible -Life Force: compatible -MegaMan: compatible -MegaMan 2: compatible -MegaMan 3: compatible -MegaMan 4: compatible -MegaMan 5: compatible -Metal Gear: compatible -Ninja Crusaders: compatible -Popeye(Japanese version): compatible with Famicom adapter(US version is compatible as well) -Mike Tyson's PUNCH-OUT!!: compatible -Rad Racer: compatible -Rad Racer II: INCOMPATIBLE(complete hardware freakout, NES side doesn't even turn on and power LED struggles to stay lit) -Salamander: compatible with Famicom adapter(this is the Japanese version of Life Force - a MUCH better game) -Sky Shark: compatible -Snake's Revenge: compatible -Spy Hunter: compatible -Stealth ATF: compatible -Super C: compatible -Super Mario Bros.: compatible -Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt: compatible -Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet: compatible -Super Mario Bros. 2(US version): compatible -Super Mario Bros. 3(US version): compatible -Super Mario Bros. 3(Japanese version - pirate cart): compatible(the authentic Japanese Super Mario Bros. 3 should work) -Super Sprint(Tengen cart): compatible -Tetris(Nintendo version): compatible -Tetris(Tengen version): compatible -Tetris 2: compatible -The Hunt for Red October: compatible -The Legend of Zelda: compatible -Tiger-Heli: compatible -Top Gun: compatible -Top Gun The Second Mission: compatible -TwinBee 3: compatible with Famicom adapter -Vindicators(Tengen cart): compatible -Wizards & Warriors: compatible -Zanac: compatible -Genesis: -After Burner II: compatible -Altered Beast: compatible -Air Diver: compatible -Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II: compatible -Bio Hazard Battle: compatible -Blockout: compatible -Brett Hull Hockey '95: compatible -Castlevania Bloodlines: compatible -Contra Hard Corps: compatible -Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine: compatible -F1 Circus MD(Japanese MegaDrive cartridge): compatible(will work with the region switch set to J or O) -Formula One: compatible -Gaiares: compatible -Galaxy Force II: compatible -G-LOC Air Battle: compatible -Golden Axe: compatible -Gunstar Heroes: compatible -Lotus II R.E.C.S.: compatible -Mario Andretti Racing: compatible -MIG-29 Fighter Pilot: compatible -Newman-Hass IndyCar Featuring Nigel Mansell: compatible -NHL 96: compatible -Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing: compatible -OutRun 2019: compatible -Road Rash: compatible -Road Rash II: compatible -Road Rash 3: compatible -Rolling Thunder 2: compatible -Rolling Thunder 3: compatible -Sagaia/Darius II: compatible -Sonic the Hedgehog: compatible -Sonic 2: compatible -Sonic 3: compatible -Sonic Spinball: compatible -Sonic 3D Blast: compatible -Sonic & Knuckles: compatible -Sonic the Hedgehog locked onto Sonic & Knuckles(Blue Sphere): compatible -Sonic 2 locked onto Sonic & Knuckles: compatible -Sonic 3 locked onto Sonic & Knuckles: compatible -Space Harrier II: compatible -Sub-Terrania: compatible -Super Hang-On: compatible -Super Monaco GP: compatible -Super Street Fighter II: compatible(might red screen every now and then) -Super Thunder Blade: compatible -Thunder Force II MD: compatible -Thunder Force IV(Lightening Force): compatible -Thunder Fox: compatible -Top Gear 2: compatible -Universal Soldier: compatible -Virtua Racing: INCOMPATIBLE(black screen) - or is it? Wait for the complete hardware inspection to find out. -Sega CD: INCOMPATIBLE(duh) -Sega 32X: INCOMPATIBLE(duh) -Sega Master System converters: compatible Master System games: -Ace of Aces: semi-compatible(it works, but only when it feels like it) -After Burner: INCOMPATIBLE(black screen) -Double Dragon: compatible -Galaxy Force: compatible -Global Defense: INCOMPATIBLE(black screen) -Hang-On/Safari Hunt: compatible -OutRun: compatible -R-Type: compatible -Sonic the Hedgehog(European import): compatible -Space Harrier: compatible -Thunder Blade: compatible -Super NES: -Arkanoid Doh it Again: compatible -Axelay: compatible -Battle Grand Prix: compatible -Brett Hull Hockey '95: compatible -Castlevania IV: compatible -Contra III: compatible -Darius Twin: compatible -F1-ROC II - Race of Champions: compatible -F-Zero: compatible -Gradius III: compatible -Jaleco Rally Big Run(Super Famicom cart): compatible -Lethal Enforcers: compatible -NHL 98: compatible -Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing: compatible -Pilotwings: compatible -Raiden Trad: compatible -R-Type III: compatible -Star Trek Starfleet Academy: compatible -StarFox: compatible -Strike Gunner STG: compatible -Stunt Race FX: compatible -Super Mario Kart: compatible -Super Mario World(Super Famicom import): compatible(US version works too) -Super Nova/Darius Force: compatible -Super R-Type: compatible -Super Strike Eagle: compatible -Thunder Spirits: compatible -Top Gear/Top Racer: compatible -Top Gear 2: compatible -UN Squadron/Area 88: compatible -Wings 2 Aces High: compatible -Super GameBoy: compatible(this means all GameBoy black & white cartridge and dual GameBoy black & white/GameBoy Color cartridges will work) Super GameBoy games play just like on the original hardware. The only difference is that the sound output from the Super GameBoy is louder on the RetroN3 and the bass is MUCH heavier than on a Super NES. As for accessories, here's the compatibility list from what I've been able to test: -NES "brick" controller: compatible -NES dog bone controller: compatible -NES Advantage: INCOMPATIBLE(no inputs registered - WTF?) -Taito Arkanoid controller for the NES: compatible -NES Zapper: semi-compatible(you cannot pull the trigger too hard, otherwise the RetroN3 will not register that the trigger was pulled) -Genesis 3-button controller: compatible -Sega 6-button controller: compatible -Majesco 6-button controller: compatible -Master System controller: compatible -Sega Light Phaser: compatible -Genesis 3-button arcade stick: compatible -Official Super NES controller: compatible -Super Advantage: compatible -Super NES mouse: compatible That's a pretty high compatibility rate, but the incompatibility with the NES Advantage has me baffled. I do believe the problem is my controller, but I'll have to check on original hardware to make sure. So that's the RetroN3. Next up: a full teardown of the system and a complete look at the hardware that makes the RetroN3 tick. *gets some batteries ready for digital camera*

My favorite accessory of this sort is without a doubt Sega's Power Base Converter. Although I did run out of patience trying to find the real thing without any luck so I made my own Power Base Converter. And a note on some of those other adapters like the Super 8: if I'm correct, the Super 8 marks the very first time an NOAC was used in an NES clone. I know NOAC technology appeared sometime in the '90s, but I'm not sure which NES clone first used an NOAC. I do believe it's the Super 8, though. Also: The Power Base Converter is nothing but a pass-through device to play Sega Master System games on the Genesis, as the Genesis contains all of the Sega Master System's hardware. The only thing preventing Master System games from working on a Genesis is the difference in cartridge shape and connection. And by the way, there exists no such thing as a Super-NES-on-a-Chip. There's only a Super NES 3-chip design, with one chip acting as the CPU, the second as the twin PPUs, and the third as the Sony SPC700 sound processor. That design then needs external SRAM and WRAM and a video encoder to encode the RGB to S-Video and Composite. The Super NES 3-chip design is much better than most NOACs, which completely defies logic as the NES, made with mostly off-the-shelf parts and older than the Super NES, is reproduced less faithfully in a different package than the Super NES, which is mostly made of custom hardware. Wow. As for Master System FM Synthesis on the Genesis, it ain't happening unless you have a Yamaha YM2413 in your Power Base Converter. The YM2612 in the Genesis is a completely different type of FM Synthesis chip than the YM2413. The YM2612 is an OPN chip while the YM2413 is an OPLL chip, and both types are COMPLETELY unrelated. The closest matches to the YM2413 I can think of are its more advanced brothers: the YM3812(OPL2 - I believe the YM2413 was derived from this chip) and the YMF262(OPL3, fully backwards-compatible with OPL2). You can easily find those sound chips on old ISA sound cards. Finding a YM2413 is harder. One last thing: Yet again, I have to get this message through: NOACs ARE NOT EMULATORS!!! Jeez, this is getting annoying; why does everyone think clones are emulators? They're not emulators! If these clones were emulators, they'd use a piece of software running on hardware that's more powerful to simulate an NES, but the NOAC is exactly what it is: an entire NES on a single chip, NOT AN EMULATOR. In that one chip is all the hardware found in the NES. Any sound and video flaws can be blamed on poor reverse-engineering(even full-motherboard NES clones have the same sound inaccuracies as NOACs) and broken compatibility with games like Castlevania III can be blamed on the cloners being too cheap to hook up certain signals to the NES cartridge slot.

Sorry to bump a 2-month old thread, but I'd like to inform y'all that I was lent a RetroN3 so that I can do a full compatibility test with all my NES, Super NES and Genesis games and to mod the system. If you guys are interested, I'll post a very in-depth review of what works, what doesn't, how well it works and an in-depth look at the RetroN3's hardware.

I like 'em both, but I have a preference for classic gaming simply because modern gaming is just saturated with the same old FPS crap over and over and over and over again. There's practically zero variety in modern games, and there are very few modern games that appeal to me. There are a hell of a lot more classic games that appeal to me than modern games, so I play the classics more than everything else, be it on original hardware or through emulation(preference for original hardware).

NOTE: The TurboGrafx CD will eventually just stop working, and all TurboGrafx CDs out there will suffer the same fate. One of the gears in there does just like a Super NES: it discolors, becomes fragile and breaks. If that gear breaks, your TurboGrafx CD becomes a doorstop. Also, be advised that the gears in TurboGrafx CDs, well, mine at least, have a tendency to get stuck again after just a few minutes of inactivity. If I want to use my TurboGrafx CD, I have to fight with the damn thing for 15 minutes before the gears start moving again. And the gear in question that causes all these problems is the gear that disintegrates, the one you would typically see that's discolored. The worst part is that there exists no replacement for said gear, so if your TurboGrafx CD's gear breaks, you can't fix it. You COULD fix it if you replace the entire CD-ROM mechanism, but in order to get it to fit, you need to cut a lot of plastic from the case, remove some plugs and relocate about 5 capacitors. I don't know the exact details, but it's a rather tedious process. And that's why I got myself a PC Engine Duo-R. After I got that, I now use it to play any PC Engine CD-ROM and TurboGrafx CD game and I will never go back to the TurboGrafx CD ever again.

Got any pictures of said Famicom? It sounds like you might have a bootleg Famicom.

I've only ever come across 2 dead games, both for the NES: MegaMan and Top Gun The Second Mission. MegaMan worked a few times, but then stopped working, and Top Gun The Second Mission just wouldn't work, not on a clone, nor on original hardware. It just refused to work the minute I got the game, so I got another copy as a replacement. It did take me several years to find another MegaMan cartridge, and this one's still going strong after owning it for several months.

Most European games with no region lock on them will work just fine on any North American Genesis, no mods required. Some games, however(very few), are PAL-optimized, so the games will run too fast or part of the screen will be cut off. Then, there are some PAL games that will work just fine, but the music and sound effects will be WAY too fast. So on your Genesis 2, you don't need to mod anything to play European MegaDrive games that are not PAL-optimized or region-locked. Japanese MegaDrive carts, on the other hand, are a different story. They've got a different shape, and in order to fit them in a Genesis, you need to widen the cartridge slot or use something as a cartridge slot extension. As with some European games, there are some games that are region-locked, which means you need to either install a region switch or use a Game Genie with region lock bypass codes(region switch is recommended). For Japanese MegaDrive games, you need to mod your system regardless of whether or not the games are region-locked.

S-Video delivers a MUCH sharper picture on the Genesis than Composite ever will. If you want to add S-Video to your Genesis Model 1, follow this guide: http://www.jamma-nation-x.com/jammax/genesismods.html It's the very first guide on the website.