Yobo FC vs. FC Twin vs. Poly 2-Which is best for my NES collection?

[Ace_1]

I was wanting to get myself a Famiclone in order to keep my two front-loading NESes in good working order for a long period of time. Now, since most of the recent ones are NES-on-a-chip, I was a little hesitant, until I stopped by my local Flea Market and found 3 Famiclones, the Poly 2(probably the new line of PolyStations, made to resemble the slimline PlayStation 2, costs about $40 Canadian), the Yobo FC($50 Canadian) and the FC Twin($75 Canadian). I was wondering which of these would be best for my NES game collection, which is:

 

(list moved to post #10)

 

I'd like for some of you who've had personal experience with these Famiclones to tell me how these games work on your consoles. But I think my best choice would be the Yobo, as I'm not sure about the inclusion of a Light Gun in the Poly 2, and the fact it has a Famicom cart slot(I have no NES-Famicom converter), and the FC Twin only accepts Super Nintendo controllers, as well as me having no Super Nintendo carts(I already have the games I want on my Wii, so there you go). So, from personal experience, what was the result when playing these games on your FC Twin, Yobo(it's the American version) or Poly 2?

Edited September 2, 2007 by Ace_1

[gulag picture radio]

You kind of pegged it with the FC Twin - while really cool (and I've been finding a LOT of SNES carts lately at the thrift), you won't be able to use original NES controllers. I've always been happy with the Yobo - it's pretty well built, and I think it's kind of cute because it's so tiny. The red and while also reminds me of a classic Famicom.

 

You mention the Yobo allowing you to play Fami carts. Mine doesn't - it's US NES only, but the foreign ones are Famicom only (you need an adapter to play the US games). Not sure the one you've got.

 

I've got the Poly unit that you mention. It's made of really chintzy plastic and won't survive much play - besides, you can't plug in standard NES stuff into it.

 

The one that I play these days is the Messiah NEX. I know that people have complained about compatibility stuff, it doesn't seem to be any worse than any other Famiclone. The NEX is built better (really slick classy design!), and the wireless controllers are awesome. They've also got a really nice wireless arcade stick that you can get. Add to that famicom + NES slot and I think it's a winner.

 

If you want to read a few reviews of these guys on my website, here are some links:

 

YOBO review

FC Twin more detailed review

Messiah wireless controllers

[Ace_1]

Yeah, I always thought the PolyStations were really cheaply made, and when I picked it up, it was like picking up a piece of paper, which had me say, "Cheap NES-on-a-chip as usual", but the Yobo has me hooked, as I wanted to get myself an authentic top-loader, but they run for over $70 Canadian on eBay and with shipping and all can result in over $100 as the total price, and the Yobo is at an acceptable price(at least for me it is), but I wouldn't go FC Twin because of the inability to use NES controllers and because I'm paying $75 for a half paperweight, remember, I already got the games I want for the Super Nintendo on my Wii, so it's useless to get the original carts. By the way, if you own any of the games listed on my first post, what was the result from your first-hand experience?

And, I can play Japs because I have not 1, but 3 Famicom to NES converters with me(one attached to my 110-in-1 that was stuffed inside a Gyromite cart, a generic one in a casing and one in my Excitebike cart.

Edited July 21, 2007 by Ace_1

[Fighter17]

I'm never was a fan of bootleg hardware.

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

I'm never was a fan of bootleg hardware.

 

I thought that the stuff like the Yobo and FC Twin were now legal.

 

JY

[Ace_1]

Didn't the patents for the hardware expire a while back? These clones were made afterwards, but I believe the Poly 2 is illegal as it has an integrated 76-in-1 or something, although I'm not sure when these first started popping up, whether before or after. But I would really love it if someone who has a Yobo and the games I've listed to give me their personal experience with the games on their system. And you know what, ever since I saw the crazy prices for a real top-loader, I thought I might as well get a clone(better than nothing, and I have my modded(disabled lockout chip) front-loader as back-up when a game has major issues or doesn't work at all, like Castlevania III and Rad Racer II, although mine is damaged(has pins that are missing), and doesn't work properly on a real one

Edited July 21, 2007 by Ace_1

[Fighter17]

I'm never was a fan of bootleg hardware.

 

I thought that the stuff like the Yobo and FC Twin were now legal.

 

JY

 

Legal or Illegal, anything with the NES-On-A-Chip is shit.

 

Real hardware is better, always!

[Ace_1]

I actually have a front-loader, but I wanted to buy myself a top-loader, but its price on eBay is keeping me away from it. Not only that, I can't find one anywhere in my local pawn shops or flea markets. So I'd get anything top-loader, real or not, and whatever works wrong will be used on my front-loader(I know Gradius in my 110-in-1 might, because it sounds really bad on the FC Twin, saw it on a YouTube video, although I'm not sure if that same issue is true with the Yobo FC. I'll put up a link to the video once I find it again.

 

I'll need a response really fast, as I might go pick up one of the Famiclones tomorrow.

 

EDIT: Here's the link to Gradius running on an FC Twin:

Edited July 22, 2007 by Ace_1

[Ace_1]

Well I was unable to buy to Yobo as someone bought the one that was there and they won't be getting any more until at least Thursday. But I'm holding myself back as no one has ever posted their personal experience with the games I own on a Yobo and the other 2 Famiclones I mentioned. And I apologize if this is considered a bump.

Edited September 1, 2007 by Ace_1

[Ace_1]

Old thread, I know, but I want to bring it back because now, I'm REALLY considering an FC Twin(Ignore the other 2 Famiclones, those are out of the question). Now, I'd like to know if the FC Twin is any good with the games I'd like to get for it(SNES games, that is), as well as my NES games:

 

SNES:

 

Arkanoid Doh it Again(as well as SNES mouse)

Castlevania Dracula X

StarFox(I believe it discolors the sky and makes it green, but I personally don't mind that, it actually looks funny)

Super R-Type

Darius Twin

F-Zero

Race Drivin'(does this use the SuperFX chip?)

Tetris 2(is it the same as the NES version?)

Stunt Race FX

 

NES:

 

MegaMan 2(I heard that MegaMan games had sound issues on some Famiclones)

Castlevania

Castlevania II

Castlevania III(Might never work)

Rad Racer

Rad Racer II(Was said to cause hardware freakouts)

Duck Hunt(won't work because of the lack of NES controller ports)

Super Mario Bros. 2(US version)

Super Mario Bros. 3

Gradius(import)

Gradius II(import)

110-in-1(don't ask me how this thing landed in Canada, all I know is that I found it with no casing at my friend's pawn shop a while back)

Sky Shark

Tiger Heli

The Hunt for Red October

Life Force

Built To Win

Excitebike(with Famicom-NES converter)

Jackal

Blaster Master

Spy Hunter

Tetris 2

The Immortal

The Legend of Zelda(I don't play it, but I still have the cart, gold one)

Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!

Soccer(lame)

Super Sprint(Tengen cart, might not work)

 

And no Famiclone bashing, please! It's really hard for me to come across an original SNES that sells for less than the price of an FC Twin, and when I do find one, it's discolored(yuck). And, what color should I get between silver/black and white(I have a preference for white because it looks like a carbon-copy(sort of) of the SNES Mini)?

Edited September 2, 2007 by Ace_1

[JamesD]

I have a Yobo and the only problem I've experienced are that a few games don't sound quite right. There's some sort of difference in the sound hardware. The sound is enough like the original that you may not notice if you aren't listening for it.

All my games play fine but I don't know about the ones you listed since I don't have them.

Well... I have a Duck Hunt/Mario Bros. cart but no light gun and just haven't tried it yet.

 

I have a Silver Yobo and it matches my Silver PS2 nicely.

Black would have been my 2nd choice and the new NES slimline unit look is pretty cool.

 

There's always someone replying to any Famiclone thread that you have to use the original hardware and Famiclones suck. Ignore them... they probably have a bunch of money invested in the original hardware.

Edited September 2, 2007 by JamesD

[Ace_1]

When people say that, it pisses me off(pardon my language, but it's the truth). I mean, look, some people(like me) are really intent on getting a Famiclone, and original hardware purists go in and bash the clones. And by the way, I'm no longer wanting to buy a Yobo FC Game Console(was that what you were talking about James? Or was it the FC Twin?), simply because of how cheap the system is made. Look, here it costs $40 and when you pick it up, it feels like an SNES with no motherboard in it. It felt really flimsy. At least the FC Twin has some weight on it(a bit lighter than my PlayStation Mini(PSone)) and feels much more solid. But I want to know something about what seems to be the newest batch of FC Twins that has the Yobo logo behind the NES cart slot instead of FC Twin. Has anything changed in that one besides new box art and a Yobo logo on the console(are they still making it in white? Even if it isn't, I could always repaint it in SNES Mini colors if I get bored of the color I got)? Now, I'll move over my list of NES titles to where I listed the SNES game I'd like to buy. I would love it if someone who has the games listed and an FC Twin to give me their personal experience with them. Please post every single minor imperfection, please. I want to know exactly what I'm to expect with that system.

[JamesD]

(was that what you were talking about James? Or was it the FC Twin?),

I was talking about the standard FC model, not the twin.

I've been thinking of getting a twin myself.

My FC was around $20 US shipped off of ebay btw.

[Ace_1]

WHAT?!?!?!?!?! That thing costs $40 Canadian plus 13.5% tax where I found it! Luckily the FC Twin costs $80 Canadian taxes in. Now, I found two different kinds. One has FC Twin behind the NES cart slot and one has a Yobo logo at its place(what's different between them?). If I'm to get one, it'd be in white.

[GorillaSpawn]

WHAT?!?!?!?!?! That thing costs $40 Canadian plus 13.5% tax where I found it! Luckily the FC Twin costs $80 Canadian taxes in. Now, I found two different kinds. One has FC Twin behind the NES cart slot and one has a Yobo logo at its place(what's different between them?). If I'm to get one, it'd be in white.

 

As far as I know, from everything I've read so far, the FC Twin has the same compatibility with the NES as other NES on a chips (like the Yobo Nes clone). I have a Hyperkin NES clone that is nearly identical to the YOBO console.

 

I aos Have a FC Twin. I have not heard of any SNES game that didn't work on it. I have a small collection of games, so although all of mine work that isn't saying too much.

 

I like having a NES clone that uses the old controllers, too, because I sometimes play Duck Hunt and other light gun games.

[Ace_1]

I personally couldn't care less about compatibility problems. If my NES games have audio that's butchered so bad(like Gradius, although I'm not sure if the Japanese version(mine) will have the same kind of issues(maybe a 75% chance)), have garbled graphics or don't play at all(like Castlevania 3, although I don't play it that much), I'll just play them in my front-loader. And if there are problems with SNES games I'll jjust have to suck up to them(I can live with some discoloration or incorrect audio in the games, anyways. I'm not a PURIST, so minor problems don't bother me) I'm getting it for these reasons anyways:

 

Nintendo-brand top-loaders are expensive(would cost about as much as an FC Twin in Canada)

Nintendo-brand top-loaders are IMPOSSIBLE to find in my area(have not seen 1 ever)

I'm fed up of trying to repair 2 dead SNESes without ever having any success(and probably never will because it looks like the problem is one of the PPUs)

 

By the way, Gorilla, does your NES and SNES collections have any of the games included on my list?

Edited September 5, 2007 by Ace_1

[+remowilliams]

I've got or used probably every NES clone under the sun, and the FC Twin is the best clone system I've seen. It has the standard NOAC incompatibility issues, but strangely seems more compatible than either my NEX or my Yobo. I have run into zero issues with the SNES side (even my SNES flash cart works fine), though the video is not as crisp as a real SNES. I've also played many of those games in your list on both systems without issue, except for known stuff like CV3, etc.

 

Biggest issue I have with the clones now is that none of them work with my Retrousb NES CF multicart.

 

Race Drivin' isn't SuperFX. Too bad, it might have not sucked if it was.

[Ace_1]

Yeah, because a port with the SuperFX chip would have been a piece of cake. The original arcade version has graphics that look exactly the same like the kind the SuperFX chip can do. By the way, can I get a full report on the games you tried that are on my list(I'd love if people would be extra super precise when they test so I can get a perfect image of what I'm to expect with the system, so mention every little detail you can pick out if possible(got original systems to compare to?))? By the way, what would you rate, on a scale of 1 to 10, the difficulty level of repainting this system? If I don't get the color I want(white) and I get tired of the color I have(which I would prefer to be silver/black if it's not white), I was thinking of repainting it in SNES Mini colors, and possibly add a custom logo on it. What kind of paint should I use for that?

Edited September 6, 2007 by Ace_1

[JamesD]

BTW, I saw one of the places selling the twin on eBay accept a "Best Offer" of $28 (+shipping) but YMMV.

[Ace_1]

Crap... At least with $80, I can get it on the spot. I don't really like eBay because shipping times can be massive(I bought Gradius and Gradius II for the Famicom off of eBay, came to me exactly 3 weeks after they were bought, but there was a typhoon at the time(at least that's what I was told) I bought them(they came from Japan), so considering the circumstances, quite good, but, you know). Plus, they're available in abundance here. 1 local flea market sells them, as well as a thrift store about 5 minutes away from my house(except they don't sell the FC Twin in white). You gotta remember this though, I(might) pay extra for duties(remember, I'm in Canada, so I might have to pay duties if I buy an FC Twin off of eBay, because most of them are sold in the United States).

[GorillaSpawn]

By the way, Gorilla, does your NES and SNES collections have any of the games included on my list?

 

I have Punch Out and Castlevania, and both work.

[Ace_1]

And I presume they have the usual sound alterations that are o-so-common on Famiclones(how exactly do they behave, sound-wise and graphic-wise, remember, I look at every single little detail like that I can picture what I'm to expect if I ever get an FC Twin)?

[GorillaSpawn]

And I presume they have the usual sound alterations that are o-so-common on Famiclones(how exactly do they behave, sound-wise and graphic-wise, remember, I look at every single little detail like that I can picture what I'm to expect if I ever get an FC Twin)?

 

I can't answer this because it's been at least 14 years since I played a "real" NES. I can tell that Super Mario Bros has altered sound, but I haven't noticed anything different with Punch Out or Castlevania. that isn't to say that any real die hards wouldn't notice something. I'm a casual gamer in this regard, so to me it is just fine. At this point I just use the FC Twin for SNES games, and I use my Hyperkin (it's nearly identical to the Yobo) for NES games to use the light gun and in general. But I play my Hyperkin more than the FC win. If I played each kind about the same I'd just leave the FC twin out and play games and just use the SNES controllers.

 

One thing I did notice was that I bought SNES extension cords for the controllers, and they did not work on the FC twin, I dont know why.

Edited September 8, 2007 by GorillaSpawn

[Ace_1]

Honestly, I couldn't care less about the length of the FC Twin's controllers. And by the way, I'm part of the "hardcore" bunch(I LOVE classic gaming), but I don't care about minor incompatibilities here and there, as long as it's not something that butchers the game like the FC Twin does with Gradius(check the video I linked on post #8 and you'll know what I'm talking about, it's so bad audio-wise(unless I get used to it, I'll be playing it in my front-loader)). By the way, what does the Hyperkin look like?

[GorillaSpawn]

By the way, what does the Hyperkin look like?

 

Mine is silver, and in shape, size, and design is almost identical to the Yobo, except the controller ports are on the left instead of the right.

 

It's weird, because there used to be many on Ebay, but none anymore. There is also a hyperkin light gun knock off that I have that works pretty well.