Anyone see the Retrode?

[yuppicide]

The Retrode (formerly: snega2usb) is an easy to use USB adapter for *Super Nintendo / *Super Famicom and *SEGA Mega Drive / *Genesis game cartridges. Play your favorite 16-bit games – legally! – on your PC, smartphone, laptop, network router, *Wii, or *Pandora. There is a huge number of emulators for virtually all existing systems, and the Retrode is the link that enables them to load the ROM data straight from the cartridge. Of course, the savegame RAM on many *SNES cartridges can also be read and written.

 

What’s needed?

 

• Game cartridges, and lots of them
• Emulators for SNES/SFC and Genesis/Mega Drive: SNES9x, ZSNES, Gens, Fusion,
• A computer with a USB port, running any of the above (Windows/Linux/MacOS/*NIX)
• A Retrode

The Retrode is for you if…

 

• you like playing legacy video games on your PC, and doing so legally
• you want to preserve your investment in these games, even after all hardware has expired
• you want to back up your game progress, e.g. before replacing the cartridge battery
• you like emulator cheats, but prefer to finish the boss on the real console
• you simply think it’s cool to plug huge game cartridges into a PDA or cell phone

The Retrode is not for you if… you don’t see the difference between making private backup copies of games that you own, and downloading 10,000 ROMs from the internets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See their website... http://www.retrode.org/wordpress/about/

 

 

 

[StoneAgeGamer]

We are selling these soon. We actually got our first shipment in, but we plan on including the USB cable with ours. I am just waiting for those cables to get in before these go on sale.

 

We are also sending a loner over to ReviewTechUSA to do a review of as well. I have not released pricing yet, but the unit price will be more money (USD) than Retrode.org, but shipping will be free. In the end it will be slightly cheaper for U.S. customers to buy from us than Retrode.org.

[Ze_ro]

I've been looking forward to this for a while, but I'm a little hesitant to buy one until I find out what happens with this.

 

--Zero

[the.golden.ax]

I'd like to see this evolved even further. Plug in the cartridge and the software running in the background auto detects and loads it with your pre-defined settings. USB to Controller ports already on the device... and internal mounting version 5 1/4"

 

AX

[StoneAgeGamer]

I am sure it will evolve as time goes on. Its already evolved quite a bit from when it was Snega2USB. It does have firmware which can be updated and I know they have already added some features like the Config file through firmware upgrades. Probably won't be long before there is some Config software.

[Hatta]

Good stuff. It needs to be set up to mount in a 5 1/4" drive bay though.

[Matthias_H]

Good stuff. It needs to be set up to mount in a 5 1/4" drive bay though.

This might actually work out, but you'd need two adjacent slots since the Retrode is about 50% higher (= width in regular tabletop use) than a regular 5 1/4" bay.

Cheers,

Matthias

Edited March 23, 2010 by Matthias_H

[yuppicide]

Yeah, I saw the 2600 adapter. Sounds great. I hope it'll open the doors to others as well.

 

 

[SRGilbert]

The Retrode is not for you if… you don't see the difference between making private backup copies of games that you own, and downloading 10,000 ROMs from the internets.

 

Well, I guess maybe I fall into that catagory. I mean, what the heck? Why in the heck would someone who owns the actual cartridges want to play those games on a computer? If people really have a hang up about posessing roms of games they don't own, the solution is pretty simple - only download and play roms of games you own!

 

Except for the possible use of backing up save games from a cart, I just can't see much use for this when nearly 100% of commercial games have been dumped.

 

Am I missing something?

Edited March 24, 2010 by SRGilbert

[StoneAgeGamer]

The Retrode is not for you if… you don't see the difference between making private backup copies of games that you own, and downloading 10,000 ROMs from the internets.

 

Well, I guess maybe I fall into that catagory. I mean, what the heck? Why in the heck would someone who owns the actual cartridges want to play those games on a computer? If people really have a hang up about posessing roms of games they don't own, the solution is pretty simple - only download and play roms of games you own!

 

Except for the possible use of backing up save games from a cart, I just can't see much use for this when nearly 100% of commercial games have been dumped.

 

Am I missing something?

 

Fair question.

 

To some people there is still some satisfaction in taking a old school cart and popping it in to a system (or in this case their computer). I agree there are many people that would have no use for this at all. Just like there are many people who have no use for an original Genesis because they have 500 Genesis ROMs they got off a torrent.

 

However, there are still a ton of used original systems and clone systems being sold.

 

There are now some pretty good replica USB controllers and USB adapters now. I see nothing weird or stupid about someone wanting to take a cart they legally obtained and play it on their computer. Just like I see nothing wrong with taking ROMs of games you legally own and putting them on a single Harmony cart.

 

This product is not cheap and is probably for a niche of an already niche market, but I personally think its cool that someone did this and made it available to purchase to the public.

 

There is no right or wrong way IMO. I'm glad there are so many options now.

Edited March 24, 2010 by StoneAgeGamer

[the.golden.ax]

For anyone who ever spent 6 weeks playing a game and lost the save data (happened to me on a SNES game just this year) this is a godsend product. Ability to play or not, I'm in just for the back-up of game saves. I've still got saves from half my lifetime ago depending on the battery in some carts.

 

AX

[Herbarius]

For anyone who ever spent 6 weeks playing a game and lost the save data (happened to me on a SNES game just this year) this is a godsend product. Ability to play or not, I'm in just for the back-up of game saves. I've still got saves from half my lifetime ago depending on the battery in some carts.

 

AX

Wow that post completely changed my "beliefs" on how battery saves work (never owned a game system that used those).

 

(If you want to know what those "beliefs" were: If you play the game regularly, the risk of losing the savegame is almost zero. If you don't play it, you'll lose the savegames within 1-3 years)

[the.golden.ax]

Even the simple act of cleaning the contacts on a cartridge can cause the save data to be lost. Even if the battery is still good. Often times though the batteries just quit. Even those that recharge only have so many cycles before they are dead and gone. That I am aware most don't recharge. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

AX

[Herbarius]

I guess there are also tricks like "short pins X and Y" for when you want to deliberately erase the save data...?

 

 

Why would anyone ever want to do that? Well think for example of a game that "unlocks" content over time, but you don't get to select a "profile", you just turn it on and bam there it is. However, you want an "honest fresh start", maybe because you bought the game used, or maybe as a self-imposed challenge.

[Matthias_H]

I've been looking forward to this for a while, but I'm a little hesitant to buy one until I find out what happens with this.

 

--Zero

 

Got the first N64 game to work last night. It obviously "feels" a bit slower than SNES, due to the massive increase in data. Schematics to follow.

[Ze_ro]

I've been looking forward to this for a while, but I'm a little hesitant to buy one until I find out what happens with this.

Got the first N64 game to work last night. It obviously "feels" a bit slower than SNES, due to the massive increase in data. Schematics to follow.

So, are these adapters going to be supported in the firmware? ie, will the ROMs still show up as a storage device? Or will these require separate software to read the cartridges?

 

--Zero

[StoneAgeGamer]

From what I saw the 2600 is already in the firmware because you can actually set the file extension for 2600 games in the config file.

Edited March 27, 2010 by StoneAgeGamer

[Octane]

Wow you can hook it up to the Wii. I'm definitly sold.

 

I am surprised no on has ever come up with a cross platform device that has simple adaptors for the different systems cartridges before.

[StoneAgeGamer]

We do have Retrodes back in stock at a lower price.

 

http://www.stoneagegamer.com/retrode.aspx

Edited May 14, 2010 by StoneAgeGamer

[Lendorien]

We do have Retrodes back in stock at a lower price.

 

http://www.stoneagegamer.com/retrode.aspx

 

This looks pretty cool. Can't afford it at the moment, but man, I'd love to get one. The fact that you can play SNES, Sega and 2600 games with an adapter is awesome. I take it that it works with standard emulators such as KEGA and ZSNES?

 

Wait... did someone say it's Wii compatible? Seriously?

[StoneAgeGamer]

We do have Retrodes back in stock at a lower price.

 

http://www.stoneagegamer.com/retrode.aspx

 

This looks pretty cool. Can't afford it at the moment, but man, I'd love to get one. The fact that you can play SNES, Sega and 2600 games with an adapter is awesome. I take it that it works with standard emulators such as KEGA and ZSNES?

 

Wait... did someone say it's Wii compatible? Seriously?

 

Yes it works with those two emulators.

 

Well its compatible really with any device that can read USB flash drives and can run emulators. It works in the same exact way as a flash drive.

Edited May 16, 2010 by StoneAgeGamer

[StoneAgeGamer]

Just FYI, Retodes are now $89.99 + Free Shipping:

http://www.stoneagegamer.com/retrode.aspx

[Animan]

When I first heard about the Wii (when it was called Revolution), I thought its Virtual Console would use something like this... then it was confirmed that it would be downloadable...

 

I don't think I'll get this, unless Nintendo bans the whole internet because of ROM sites. Does look cool, though. Maybe the GP2X Wiz and Pandore can use these to make its marketing of there emulators look more... legal.

[DickNixonArisen]

I also don't see the utility of this device. If one has the original cart, one is also likely to own the original hardware. If one is playing a console game on the PC, emulation is available. If one is perturbed by piracy, one may own the cartridge before downloading the rom. In no case does the Retrode aid a player.

 

Neat gadget though! Maybe a useful thing to have in the far future, when all of our consoles have finally failed beyond repair and our livers are being eaten by mutant bikers.

[goldenegg]

I will buy one the moment I can also buy a 2600 adapter with it.

 

I also don't see the utility of this device. If one has the original cart, one is also likely to own the original hardware. If one is playing a console game on the PC, emulation is available. If one is perturbed by piracy, one may own the cartridge before downloading the rom. In no case does the Retrode aid a player.

 

Neat gadget though! Maybe a useful thing to have in the far future, when all of our consoles have finally failed beyond repair and our livers are being eaten by mutant bikers.

 

As others mentionrd above, it's a great tool to backup saved games from original carts.