Jstick

Oh I agree, I’m not particularly a fan of the Pi for emulation (although it is interesting for other projects). My response was to the “Pi and SNES classic are basically equivalent” comment. As noted, the classic is only 1.3 frames / 22ms behind a real SNES on a CRT in terms of input latency, which is pretty respectable for a cheap out-of-the-box platform. I’m one of those people who is sensitive to lag, which makes low latency a fairly important feature to me.

Yep, that’s the thread I’m referring to, relevant parts bolded below: So basically since you can’t realistically use all the performance optimizations on the Pi without slowing down the emulation, it still ends up behind the SNES classic.

...and speaking of Higan, here is byuu’s take on FPGA vs emulation: https://byuu.org/articles/what-is-emulation/

I realize this is a tangential point, but the SNES classic has been tested to have significantly lower input latency than a Pi running SNES emulation, so closer to the original hardware in that respect. This, along with the included first party SNES controllers and replica case, make the classic the superior solution of the two in my view.

I’m sure the initial SD limitation is simply due to Hyperkin wanting the focus to be on the primary draw of the device; i.e. loading real carts. Anyone who is currently content with emulating the 2600 on their PC, Console, Pi (or even Flashback) won’t be particularly interested this box, regardless of whether you can put 500 ROMs on it or not. The target is those of us with physical collections and controllers who are perhaps replacing a dead system, moving to a flat-panel TV, or just want a modern option that doesn’t require tinkering/maintenance. It would hurt the image of the device as a valid hardware replacement if all of the initial videos and reviews were people simply loading the device with huge lists of ROMS and scrolling through them to play, as well as having these devices popping up on Ebay pre-populated with full ROM sets as mentioned. This would give the impression that the Retron ‘77 was simply a Pi type box that does not offer much over existing solutions. Of course since the device is open-source, Hyperkin is obviously aware that people who are determined can circumvent this limit, but it is smart of them to aim to showcase the device as a way to play carts, as it is uniquely the first out-of-the-box dedicated system to do so since the original consoles (even if it is cheating a bit). The 2600 experience is so primal from a gaming perspective that it really does lack something when you aren’t grabbing a cartridge with cool artwork, popping it in the slot and holding an original controller in your hand (as Metal Jesus pointed out).

Apologies for bumping an old topic, I noticed @Omegamatrix posted a fix for Spider Fighter PAL earlier in the thread and I’m looking for an NTSC version of the same fix (if one exists). I’m seeing the same graphics corruption in the game on my NTSC Jr.

I don’t subscribe to the Metal Jesus channel or support his Patreon, but I think you are looking at this in the wrong way. There are people who are willing to pay creators a monthly amount simply because they enjoy certain content and would like to see more. Perks such as releasing a video early to these supporters are just a small bonus, a way to say thanks. There is a conceptual difference here, I highly doubt he expects non-supporters to suddenly fork over money to get past a ‘paywall’ because they want to watch this video a day early. As for Hyperkin, assuming the device gets a reasonably favourable review, it’s some decent exposure for the Retron ‘77 with their target audience, so I’m sure it is worth it for them.

I hope you can get them to your overland distributors soon as well, for those of us up here on your northern border

No shipping to Canada, as many of us found out.

Only standard paddles and joysticks supported out of the box according to an earlier post, no driving controllers or keypads etc. Track & Field controller should be fine as it’s just mimicking a regular joystick (left, right and fire).

You can load ROMs, this was clarified earlier in this thread (There was a screenshot posted of the ROM loading interface).

Drat, I'm in Canada and was just about to order...

Looking for a Plug-In board, PM sent.

and here we are... hanging on to our 40 year old old carts and trying keep them running on original hardware, while praying our old CRT sets with RF connections don’t die

I made this list by picking 8 of my favourite games from different genres. Frostbite (Platformer) - More a platformer in the literal sense than the traditional sense; once you get into a rhythm and your reflexes take over there is no other 2600 game that compares (in my opinion). Keystone Kapers (Endless Runner) - Non-stop running, jumping over and ducking under obstacles, memorizing patterns that get progressively complex and more difficult: all the hallmarks of a good endless runner. Pressure Cooker (Puzzle) - The best 2600 puzzle game, this is the Tetris of burger making. Ms. Pac Man (Maze) - Some prefer Jr. Pac, but this is my personal favourite. (Although, If I were including “modern” games, I might replace this one with Ladybug). Berserk (Top-Down Shooter) - Who doesn’t like Berserk? (Also, I think the electrocution effect is my favourite sound on the system). Enduro (Driving) - Not strictly a ‘racing’ game, this is actually more like meditation; after a while you just end up in a sort of trance while the days and the seasons pass by before your eyes. River Raid (Shoot-em-up) - This one is pretty straightforward, it’s the best vertical shooter on the system. Adventure (RPG) - Set this to random mode and nothing else can touch it for ‘adventure’. (Bonus - Solaris: I could never get very far in this so a desert island would be the perfect excuse to master it... but somehow this never quite felt like a 2600 game to me, its design sensibilities were of a later age)

Being skinnable is perfect, thanks for the sneak peek. It’s also great that you are not forced into an interface if a cart is inserted.

Nice, I remain cautiously optimistic. This is so important, and a big reason why I have been moving back to original/upgraded consoles lately. Also, maybe it’s just me, but I’m hoping that the onscreen interface is basic and 2600-like rather than slick high-tech whizzbangery

Going by the information in the post from Andrew, Hyperkin is not planning to “scam the programmers’ of Stella. Hyperkin did apparently license an older version of Stella initially, but realized it wasn’t worth the effort required to bring it up to speed and so have decided in the end to use the current version. In order to do this, under the GPL license used, they are required to post the sourcecode used, along with any additional changes made. According to the last update, Hyperkin will go this route and fully respect the terms of the license. This is a win for everyone, in my opinion.

Thanks for the update Andrew, it pretty much ticks most of the boxes I’m interested in. I’m not crazy about the front panel design (too cluttered and haphazard, perhaps having the buttons in black vs white would help it look a bit more dignified), but that’s just cosmetic, and the shell itself is a decent enough homage. What will make or break the device for me personally is the input latency, considering the instantaneous response of the original. I had to give up on Raspberry Pi emulation for this reason, so I hope Hyperkin can improve on that. I noticed that he said not supported “out of the box” rather than mentioning hardware incompatibility, so perhaps this is something that could be addressed by the open source nature of the device.