Jump to content

<<<Andrew>>>

New Members
  • Posts

    23
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by <<<Andrew>>>

  1. I agree - I am not sure where the online hate comes for Dan and Terry (the owners). Jealousy perhaps or just lots of second guessing of what the "best thing" to do with it is. I am part of a retogaming group in Hong Kong and met and got to know them at http://retro.hkwhen they showed it off publicly for the first time. They are still in touch with our group and are as genuine as can be. Delightful is a great word to describe them both - completely down to earth, approachable and grateful for the opportunity and experiences the prototype has given them. They had the prototype without knowing really what it was for many years so any kind of suggestion that they deliberately rigged things to get it are absurd. Now they have been clear they want to share it with the rest of the community as much as possible. Doing things like getting Ben Heck to repair it (many people would not even consider touching the internals like this), letting people play with it and hold it is IMHO much better than putting it behind glass and letting it be a static museum piece. We are really lucky they ended up with it than any other people I can think of.
  2. I got the same thing from CyberGadget eventually. I contacted my Hong Kong based retailer and they weren't very helpful (told me I was out of warranty because they bought it from Cyber Gadget more than 1 year ago - even though I bought from them less than 1 year ago and was supposed to be 1 year warranty! Typical for HK unfortunately). Managed to talk them around a little bit and they gave me a good price on a replacement unit which seems to work fine and updated just now to 2.3 without issues. Really disappointed the first unit went bad. I always treated it with kid gloves and it upgrade all the way from 1.0 to 1.5 without issues but got stuck there. Anyway, back happily RetroFreaking and now I can use my RetroFreak Gear Converter GG/MKIII/SG cartridge adapter finally after a kind friend got it from Japan for me (which is what prompted me to upgrade the firmware in the first place!). Thanks to everyone who gave me very helpful suggestions to fix the first one!
  3. Tried a couple more things - still no luck. Found links to download v1.6: http://retrofreak.in/ja?src=17e62166fc8586dfa4d1bc0e1742c08b and v2.0: http://retrofreak.in/ja/?src=072b030ba126b2f4b2374f342be9ed44 and tried updating with those. Same issue "Installation failed - error code: 1000" Also can't seem to find any "factory reset" type option, so I'm running out of things to try :-( Anyone got a direct contact for CyberGadget support which may be able to help?
  4. Thanks entryan and Liqmat - have tried an old plain SD micro SD 1GB card and two more recent SDHC 16GB and 32 GB cards (the 32GB straight fresh from the packet Samsung brand one) No luck. I might see if I can somehow factory reset all settings and see if that helps. Since it's otherwise working fine I have been holding off doing anything too drastic, but seems others not having the same issue so got to try something. Will post back here if I have any luck or learn anything more. Thanks again for trying to help :-)
  5. Firmware 2.3 is available now - see: http://www.cybergadget.co.jp/support/retrofreak/update/ However I am having problems installing it. I have version 1.5 firmware installed and only just now getting time to try to update beyond that. After going through the normal cycle of writing request file to the SD card, uploading it to cybergadget and downloading the firmware update I get the following error message: "Installation failed - error code: 1000" I can't seem to find any reference to this error. Anyone else seen this problem or similar? Things I have tried: - Disconnect the main RetroFreak from the cartridge adapter (and all other adapters) - Multiple Micro-SD cards - Reinstalling 1.5 which seems to work Additional information: - On 1.5 it does not seem to remember my language, acceptance of license agreement or monitor settings. It asks me to set these every time I turn it on. Not had this on previous firmwares - Otherwise everything is working fine - System Information shows: RetroFreak application: v1.5 (build 2764), System software: v0.2.0, Hardware revision: v1.0 Does anyone know a link where I can request an earlier firmware in case its just 2.3 thats the problem? Never had issues before in updating the firmare. Any ideas of other things to try? Thanks in advance!
  6. Oh this is new - Famicom to NES adapter from Cyber Gadget specifically for the Retrorfreak. Coming in July: http://www.cybergadget.co.jp/products/4544859022630.html
  7. I was just coming here to post about the 8bitdo receiver - seems great add on to the RetroFreak - let us know how it works when it arrives! I have the SFC30 controller and really like it. Build quality is great. Hopefully they release the SNES/SFC wireless adapter soon too. I saw the prototype in action at http://retro.hk and it worked well but they still don't seem to sell it.
  8. Have you tried changing the "Display overscan" and/or "Force Original Resolution" and/or "Screen Size" settings under the "A/V Settings" menu for that game? This might help.
  9. Oh and another recent video review (this one a bit better as I think he played more before reviewing and found more features):
  10. If its a standard cartridge it should work. Games which are not in the included database come up with an "Unknown" plus a checksum. Its done this for some bootleg multi-carts I have tried. You can then go into the menu and tell it to write the game database to XML on the SD card. You can then edit the XML on the SD card and change the name from "Unknown" to the actual game name you want. From then on it will use the correct name. I managed to get my hands on 3 addition separate RetroFreak controller adapters here in Hong Kong today so now I have a total of 4 for some authentic multiplayer goodness :-) Also new video RetroFreak review from Gamester81 here:
  11. Did you see this teardown? (teardown starts about halfway through)
  12. Just while people are talking about supported peripherals - I assume you have all seen the official support page noting this (use google translate for English): http://www.cybergadget.co.jp/support/retrofreak/supportlist/8070/ Also list of game specific issues here: http://www.cybergadget.co.jp/support/retrofreak/supportlist/8077/ I have an emulator on the Wii for SFC which supports using the Wiimote for Superscope games which works decently. Would be amazing if Cybergadget could get that kind of emulation going via a bluetooth dongle!
  13. Seem's I'm in the minority here, but I like filters and scan lines (though don't usually use extreme filters). To me my memories of playing these games are from CRT's (including CRT monitors like Commodore 1841) which, though clear, never showed square pixels. Things were a little bit rounded and separated between scan lines. It's what I disliked when I first moved to PC's around the early 90's, games that looked really nice at 320x200 type resolutions on Amiga/Atari ST/console monitor/TVs looked wrong with square pixels on VGA monitors at the same resolution. Hence I feel better with some kind of filtering. I agree the scanline implementation is not best on RetroFreak (probably due to only running at 720p), but it still usually (depending on game) looks more realistic to me. The great thing about the RetroFreak is that its all configurable, so each of us can play how we like! PS: I've never experienced overheating on mine and I play usually with filters and scan lines and leave it on all day sometimes.
  14. Sorry to hear you had this happen. Hopefully you get it replaced quickly and as you said its an isolated problem. I am certainly loving mine and touch wood had no issues so far. I am on the latest firmware which does seem to work well and have some nice usability tweaks. Really looking forward to the extra cartridge adapter being released soon to get even more systems runnning. Also love to see how to put other emulators on the system. Seems like from the videos it has enough power to run some decent 3D emulation.
  15. If anyone happens to be in Hong Kong next Tuesday 15th March at 7pm the Hong Kong Retro Gaming meetup is on and we will be playing with the RetroFreak. See here for details: http://www.meetup.com/RetrogamersHK/ Other events regularly - come join us!
  16. FYI - if anyone happens to be in Hong Kong next Tuesday 15th March the Hong Kong Retro Gaming meetup is on and we will be playing with the RetroFreak. See here for details: http://www.meetup.com/RetrogamersHK/
  17. Reset works for me too as is game speed. Which game are you having speed problems with? I have used original Famicom, Super Famicom, Genesis, Gameboy, Gameboy Colour and Gameboy Advance games. Really surprised if the controller adapter could kill your Famicom controller, unless your house has wiring issues? Very sorry to hear this has happened though. USB usually doesn't have enough juice to be able to fry anything like that. Its only 5V at max 500 ma and Nintendo hardware tends to be pretty bullet proof. It is possible you have a defective unit but it should still at most send the USB 5V at 500ma. It might be worth checking the connectors on both console(s) and controller. Maybe the insertion and removal of the controller has bent or loosened the pins so they no longer make good contact? If you are willing to take it apart a multimeter could quickly see if and where the connections are bad. There's iFixit guides for both controller and socket (on the NES) which may help https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+Entertainment+System+Controller+Maintenance/51585 https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+Entertainment+System+Controller+Outlet+Replacement/3838 I've not tried an original NES controller with mine, but tried SNES and Mega Drive through the RetroFreak controller adapter, PS1/2/3 and Gamecube via other USB adapters and PC USB controllers including the 8BitDO SFC30 and iBuffalo SNES clones without any issues. Hope you can get it fixed.
  18. I agree its really slow with lots of ROMs but once its loaded everything is very quick. Also with micro-SD cards so cheap and ROMs so small you can also have multiple SD cards (say one per system) then just pop in the one for the system you want to play and it will load quicker. The other thing I do is have one MicroSD exclusively for my own carts I have ripped via the retrofreak and another of "backups". Also in case you are not aware you can use the "select" button on the RetroFreak controller to choose between "Compact", "Middle" and "Large" display mode of listed titles as well as sorting by Rating, Year, Developer or Title (using the dpad left and right to change). In "Compact" mode you can list a large number of games on a single screen. You can then (with the latest firmware) hold down the Y button and press up and down on the dpad to move down one page at a time. Even with big collections this can get you where you need to be pretty fast. Note you can also connect a standard USB keyboard and use pageup and pagedown buttons to do the same. Standard USB mice also work. Some wish list feature requests I'd like to see in future versions: - Keyword search for titles, developers, etc - Fast initial load of titles on SD card just from the games database XML file (could reconcile list in background after initial load) - Not have to reload whole title list from SD card when you rip a new one from Cart - Be able to play inserted cart immediately instead of having to wait for SD card to load first on system start up - Be able to choose which screen shot (or which ones to cycle through to show many) is used on the preview image (I think it uses the last game play screen now) - Be able to upload game database XML files to Cyber Gadget to be included in future firmware updates (so more unrecognised carts get added to the list) - Be able to create your own code freak codes (just instructions would be fine) - Emulation of Super Famicom mouse by USB mouse for games that support it see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_NES_Mouse - Support of Super Famicom multi-tap via the original controller adapter - Support of the Mayflash Gamecube controller adapter in PC mode (this almost works, but all 4 controllers work as controller 1) - Network file share support via USB ethernet/wifi adapter (bonus points for remote Web Interface, direct ROM download function or network multiplayer support) - Official way to add and start 3rd Party emulators or other Android Apps - Official support for 32x and Sega CD ROMS - Additional cartridge adapters for NES, Atari 8bit, Intellivision, C64, etc Even if these needed a second V2 shell (sold separately) - UI Theme, background image and skinning support (ideally per system) to customise the look of the UI - Game recording function (even if only low res, vine style short gifs) which could be shown instead of the screenshot in game listing - Emulator preview running in the single game screen instead of static screenshot before you hit play Anyone know how to get feature requests to Cybergadget? Anyone from Cybergadget reading this? :-) Overall even without any of this I am super happy with the console and thank Cybergadget for their work and updates given so far!
  19. I have about 70 carts dumped (mix of Famicom, Super Famicom, Genesis, Gameboy and Gameboy Advance) and I haven't noticed any of the easter eggs :-( I wonder if they have to be done in a single session or certain number of a particular type? Kind of fun to figure it out though. Overall I continue to be very happy with my RetroFreak :-)
  20. Ah great thanks - they are even based in HK. Always hard to actually find things in HK even though they ship globally from here, often don't want to deal locally as they make more money shipping it overseas! Glad the latency has improved. Makes sense that the filters may slow things down a bit. Cool - let us know how you find it. Hope you enjoy it.
  21. I have a couple of the iBuffalo SNES pads and they work quite well too. They are much better built quality than some other SNES clones, but still not quite right, the buttons somehow are not perfect IMHO. I actually prefer the build quality of the 8BitDo SNES bluetooth controller which works as a wired USB controller as well. http://www.8bitdo.com/sfc30/The buttons feel better and its a bit heavier which sub-consciously gives a good quality feel. A friend also bought their FC30 Pro controller which is more like a modern controller and was very happy with the build quality too: http://www.8bitdo.com/fc30pro/ I still prefer the standard SNES controller though which works well using the controller adapter from the deluxe RetroFreak. So much so that I will probably eventually buy another one at some point when they are easily available. Its a pain that the Gear Converter is delayed, but I would prefer they get the hardware right than ship something sub-standard. So far I have been very pleased with the quality of the RetroFreak. One question I have - has anyone found or tried a converter which lets you play NES (as opposed to Famicom) carts in the RetroFreak? I'm pretty sure something like this should exist, but not seen anything. Not a huge issue for me, as most carts in HK are for Famicom, but would like to have the option to play both.
  22. Yes there is. Under the system menu -> "Auto-start cartridge on insertion" Also just to say I have not noticed lag either. I think it probably does depend on your TV/Monitor though. Obviously the lowest lag you will see is what your monitor adds. Game mode or similar will have best results if your TV/Monitor has it. Another nice thing compared to physical (un-modded) console is that the RetroFreak is region free - so will play carts from all regions easily.
  23. I registered a while back to join in on this conversation as I also have a RetroFreak since launch time and have been enjoying it a lot. There was some issue with my registration though so only just able to post (been wanting to answer some questions, but most have been addressed already!). One note I don't think has been mentioned is that the RetroFreak can have a standard USB keyboard and mouse plugged in and this can be used with the UI (though it doesn't seem that the mouse can be used for any mouse games unfortunately). This was/is handy for using the page down key on the menu system if you load up lots of roms (though latest firmware has added the hold Y+up/down feature which means you don't really need it any more). Another thing people have asked about is the dump game database to XML feature. This can be useful if you have any custom carts of ones not in the database that come up as "Unknown". You can dump the database edit the XML file and rename these "Unknown" files to something more helpful. Also for what its worth I have the deluxe edition including the original controller adapter and it works well and have not had any overheating. I have also used PS1/2 to USB controller adapters and a Mayflash Gamecube WIIU USB controller adapter (in PC mode) with the RetroFreak, but at least in my testing all 4 GameCube controllers ended up as player 1 only :-( Maybe this can be enhanced on later firmwares. Finally one small tidbit - when the Super Famicom Playstation prototype see http://www.engadget.com/2015/11/06/nintendo-playstation-is-real-and-it-works/ cameto Hong Kong (where I live) for the http://retro.hk event - Terry and Dan Diebold were trying to dump the prototype cartridge that came with it. I am part of the http://www.meetup.com/RetrogamersHK/ meetup and they brought it along to one of our meets. I tried to dump the cart, but unfortunately the RetroFreak would not recognise it :-( I think it must have some unusual wiring which was not picked up. Still I had at one point probably the rarest Super Famicom cart in the world in my RetroFreak :-) Anyone in Hong Kong or visiting please come along to our Meetup!
×
×
  • Create New...