Mini Arcade Alert!

[Tanooki]

So they didn't even use the licensed Joust NES port? What a ripoff...

 

 

No it is the Famicom version, just with various hacks. New title and font change being the primary stuff. The dead give away is the HAL created jingle when it fires up the game which the hidden Defender game on there does as well since they at HAL did that one too. If you personally feel that the NES/FC version of the game is good, you'll have no problem probably like this one too. If you're a total arcade purist perhaps you'd hate it.

 

Glen's show just linked a teeny bit ago shows it in its true glory as he attempts to play it using a camera viewfinder to capture it in action (as with Rampage too and it's a heavily hacked NES release adding in the missing Ralph the wolf.)

[+GoldenWheels]

 

If you personally feel that the NES/FC version of the game is good, you'll have no problem probably like this one too. If you're a total arcade purist perhaps you'd hate it.

I don't like to dog on what people like personally but this game is my lifelong jam and anyone who thinks the NES version is good should do themselves a Joust favor and go play any nearly other version. 7800, 5200, Atari 8 bit, the Coleco prototype, the PS2 compilation versions...anything. Hell even the 2600 version has better physics. I'm no arcade purist... the NES game just stinks.

[NE146]

I was trying to straighten up my desk and laughed when I realized this was a thing on it (after I gathered them together).. 1. candy, 2. ornament, and 3. game(s).

 

 

 

[Andromeda Stardust]

I don't like to dog on what people like personally but this game is my lifelong jam and anyone who thinks the NES version is good should do themselves a Joust favor and go play any nearly other version. 7800, 5200, Atari 8 bit, the Coleco prototype, the PS2 compilation versions...anything. Hell even the 2600 version has better physics. I'm no arcade purist... the NES game just stinks.

You're probably right. I do most of my Jousting on Atari 7800 anyway. And I do the two-finger multitap on my adcade sticks, which is impossible on the mini cade ~4mm buttons.

 

Any game requiring rapid fire will get tiring quick. Centipede has auto fire while Galaxian and Space invaders are slow and only allow one shot onscreen anyway. Joust? Er, no.

[NE146]

lol speaking of rapid fire buttons on a handheld, that reminds me of playing Hyper Olympic Challenge 5 (aka Track & Field) handheld. The buttons were plastic but man we SLAMMED those things as kids. Just think of how you press the buttons on any Track & Field game (e.g. the 2600 standalone controller).. I'm amazed they held up especially when both player controls are on the same unit.

 

 

[Tanooki]

Wow a localized old Japanese Konami tabletop, very rare I imagine and pretty neat too as it looks like it has a few challenges to it. A bit later today I'm going to take another crack at getting Rampage and Joust once more.

[Andromeda Stardust]

lol speaking of rapid fire buttons on a handheld, that reminds me of playing Hyper Olympic Challenge 5 (aka Track & Field) handheld. The buttons were plastic but man we SLAMMED those things as kids. Just think of how you press the buttons on any Track & Field game (e.g. the 2600 standalone controller).. I'm amazed they held up especially when both player controls are on the same unit.

 

 

Vintage plastics were generally 2-3mm thick, now your lucky to get 1mm with your toys if that. Even if modern ABS is superior some how (though I'm skeptical that any plastics we have now are better than good old NES/Atari carts of vintage 80s), the companies cheap out by making the shells as thin as possible. Expecially cheap China made junk.

[Tanooki]

Here's one for you to gawk at, appears to be the Chinese taking their Bridge Direct parts (NOAC and all) and going larger with it.

https://www.amazon.com/GBD-Arcade-Handheld-2-8Joystick-Electronic/dp/B076WPXPWM

 

What you have here is a slightly yet larger arcade cabinet with 4 buttons per side and joystick, and they pop off with a cable for 2P playing same time. I think it's poorly translated Chinese engrish idiot speak here, but it has a TF card (picture shows Micro SD card and slot on right side) where you can side load whatever old NES/FC games you want into it. Common images online show it off playing Contra and its title screen. Amazon won't show that, but ebay and aliexpress do quite nicely. (Scroll half way down for their mock up) https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-Mini-Portable-Arcade-Joystick-Machine-Classical-Retro-Style-183-Video-Game-Built-in-Arcade/32840412486.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.1.IZq9bY&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_2_10152_10065_5000015_10151_10344_10068_10130_10345_10324_10342_10547_10325_10343_10546_10340_10341_10548_10545_5130015_10541_10084_10083_10307_5690015_10539_5080015_10312_10059_10313_10314_10534_100031_10604_10603_10103_10605_10594_5060015_10596_10142_10107,searchweb201603_31,ppcSwitch_5&algo_expid=120a31e9-41f8-4aad-929b-3219bf5eea7e-0&algo_pvid=120a31e9-41f8-4aad-929b-3219bf5eea7e&rmStoreLevelAB=1

[+GoldenWheels]

Jeez Tanooki the games list looks awful but I have to say the idea of the control panel being detachable controllers is kind of genius. They still look smallish and the cords don't look long but I could see that actually making one of these units way more playable.

[Tanooki]

Yup the game list is almost pure garbage other than a few hacked up NES games looking at the pictures/name list of things. The selling point is that it's a NOAC that loads roms off a microSD card along with the nicer detachable 4 button controllers. The only concern I've seen come up from someone online was if it like the RS-11 ghetto handheld out a couple years now if the B-A button functions are swapped on games and not just now they named the buttons. Having to have run/jump (SMB series) or shoot/jump (megaman/contra) stuff backwards will be a mess. That alone would be a deal breaker but it will take someone donating it to a youtube guy or another person on here (other private forum) being the guinea pig about it. As a micro NES/FC cabinet it has promise.

[JBerel]

Just ordered simply for the SD card capability to load of the NES titles. About time somebody made a NOAC with a card slot. Hopefully it's works as expected, in deference to the Pigeon English.

[Flojomojo]

Berel, please share what you learn!

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Yet another cool mini-arcade thing I'd love to buy that will probably never come to Canada

 

 

Just an update, I found an Amazon shipper who does deliver to Canada and I just got Galaxian.

 

Here's the link for any fellow Canucks

[Tanooki]

Galaxian is brutal. I probably should apply myself more but it gets a little uncomfortable on trying to navigate with the stick and fire while holding it. Also it like sticks the moment you fire, have to accommodate for that or you're dead trying to evade incoming stuff. I like it though, got a score over 5k on it so far which I guess isn't too bad. it is odd, but it doesn't show your remaining lives.

 

I also caught a screwball glitch. High score will appear to reset to zero if the demo plays and pops back to the load screen, but if you power off or go in the game it is back.

[Glen's Retro Show]

JB

Let us know, I hear that the side load slot is removed! Let's us know if in fact that larger two joystick console does in fact have the SD slot

[JBerel]

i think that notion may have come from one site thet mentioned "now removed" next to the sd slot spec. They did the same on the batteries spec, so i'm pretty sure that's just pigeon english for "not included".

[JBerel]

So it showed up today and I gave it a quick once over.

Observations in no particular order:

• The built in games are total crap as expected. Actually the worst, most utterly pointless games I've seen in similar items based on trying a few.
• As seen in the pic below, the SD card slot is there and actually works. When you turn it on, the first thing you get is the option to select internal games or TF Card games. Those would be unzipped NES files on the sd card when plugged in. You have to put them in a WMGame folder, and from there they will be seen.
• The NES games generally load up fine. There's a couple (Like Rush'n attack)that dump and you need to restart the unit. Something in those it doesn't like, could be a file issue.
• Most games loaded fine, but it give's you a load progress bar upon loading each. Many times the load progress goes to 100% in 2 seconds or less. On others, (like empire strikes back) it took a good 8 seconds to load, but it finally loaded.
• Probably the thing that will turn folks off is the emulation. This thing is not powerful at all. Just the loading delay suggests this. When you get into a game, you can see that it's running at probably 75% speed and sounds are off. Mario jumping in Donkey Kong sounds like a wounded duck because of the slow down. I'm pretty sure a number of sounds just don't play at all. In Empire Strikes back, there were some notable explosion sounds that are missing. Probably a product of the limited speed or horsepower. All that said, it's definitely playable, just don't expect dead accurate-quality emulation.
• The screen is a typical quality LCD with adequate brightness. Very similar to the Bridge Direct units.
• Size-wise, these are very similar to the Bridge direct units. I wouldn't be surprised that the factory contracted to make the ones for Bridge Direct, went "rogue" and made these on the side as often happens.
• The case feels like the kind of garden variety quality plastic you'd expect in these import things. Not rotten, but not high quality. The sticks and buttons seem like lower quality plastic, but serviceable enough. The sticks themselves are a decent design, but the directional switches beneath are prone to easily go down+right when pressing right or similar.
• The removable controls are interesting, but the snap in tabs and release feels flimsy and prone to breaking. There's a tab on the bottom you press that releases it and you can lift up and remove. Locking it in depends on a number of small plastic nubs that may well snap off at some point. When removed, you get about 8' of cord.
• Interestingly, there was mention on a site or two about support for external USB and a lithium battery. Even the paperwork below mentions that. The USB port, or hole for it in the case, is obscured by the label right below the sd card slot. There's also no indication of contacts for recharging a lithium battery in the battery case, but the mold appears to accommodate space for one. I expect they removed that capability for cost or who knows what. I may cut the label to reveal the usb port or hole at some point. Not sure what the benefit of it would be, unless it powered the thing via direct usb cable connect, which is kind of contrary to the point of the device.
• You'll notice they provide a website for "more exciting games". It's an interesting experience that needs to be translated to make heads or tails of. Not much use though since everything is in Chinese or japanese and appears to be more shovelware or poor clones & hacks.
• All in all it's what you might expect if you bought one of those super joy controllers from about 10 years ago. The Pigeon English throughout is always ammusing.

If you're inclined to tinker and you like playin around with the size of these it's worth picking up for amazon's price of $37 or less. I'd say skip trying to find the Rampage and Joust editions of the Bridge direct unit and get one of these instead. It will play all (or most) of them. Don't pay more, and frankly $30 seems right in comparison to the other one title units discussed here. That said, these grey market import do-jobs are in a world of their own, so they are what they are and could disappear at any moment. If you wan't quality NES game play you may be dissappointed, but this is a 2.8" screen. What the hell are you thinking if you're expecting quality game play?

Play on, and remember........"There is no embarrassment of low battery!"

 

Oh and finally....if the screen is scratched or been in dead state (like Nebraska or North Dakota I guess)...change the battery.

[Tanooki]

So it showed up today and I gave it a quick once over.

 

Observations in no particular order:

• The built in games are total crap as expected. Actually the worst, most utterly pointless games I've seen in similar items based on trying a few.
• As seen in the pic below, the SD card slot is there and actually works. When you turn it on, the first thing you get is the option to select internal games or TF Card games. Those would be unzipped NES files on the sd card when plugged in. You have to put them in a WMGame folder, and from there they will be seen.
• The NES games generally load up fine. There's a couple (Like Rush'n attack)that dump and you need to restart the unit. Something in those it doesn't like, could be a file issue.
• Most games loaded fine, but it give's you a load progress bar upon loading each. Many times the load progress goes to 100% in 2 seconds or less. On others, (like empire strikes back) it took a good 8 seconds to load, but it finally loaded.
• Probably the thing that will turn folks off is the emulation. This thing is not powerful at all. Just the loading delay suggests this. When you get into a game, you can see that it's running at probably 75% speed and sounds are off. Mario jumping in Donkey Kong sounds like a wounded duck because of the slow down. I'm pretty sure a number of sounds just don't play at all. In Empire Strikes back, there were some notable explosion sounds that are missing. Probably a product of the limited speed or horsepower. All that said, it's definitely playable, just don't expect dead accurate-quality emulation.
• The screen is a typical quality LCD with adequate brightness. Very similar to the Bridge Direct units.
• Size-wise, these are very similar to the Bridge direct units. I wouldn't be surprised that the factory contracted to make the ones for Bridge Direct, went "rogue" and made these on the side as often happens.
• The case feels like the kind of garden variety quality plastic you'd expect in these import things. Not rotten, but not high quality. The sticks and buttons seem like lower quality plastic, but serviceable enough. The sticks themselves are a decent design, but the directional switches beneath are prone to easily go down+right when pressing right or similar.
• The removable controls are interesting, but the snap in tabs and release feels flimsy and prone to breaking. There's a tab on the bottom you press that releases it and you can lift up and remove. Locking it in depends on a number of small plastic nubs that may well snap off at some point. When removed, you get about 8' of cord.
• Interestingly, there was mention on a site or two about support for external USB and a lithium battery. Even the paperwork below mentions that. The USB port, or hole for it in the case, is obscured by the label right below the sd card slot. There's also no indication of contacts for recharging a lithium battery in the battery case, but the mold appears to accommodate space for one. I expect they removed that capability for cost or who knows what. I may cut the label to reveal the usb port or hole at some point. Not sure what the benefit of it would be, unless it powered the thing via direct usb cable connect, which is kind of contrary to the point of the device.
• You'll notice they provide a website for "more exciting games". It's an interesting experience that needs to be translated to make heads or tails of. Not much use though since everything is in Chinese or japanese and appears to be more shovelware or poor clones & hacks.
• All in all it's what you might expect if you bought one of those super joy controllers from about 10 years ago. The Pigeon English throughout is always ammusing

 

I like your stilted recommendation, it amuses me. Thank you for being the guinea pig on this you're awesome. Now I do have questions.

• The NES games that don't load, odds are would you think a funky dump/crappy header emulators learned to read around? Try any rom (JP, Sunsoft) mappers that may just fail (Return of the Joker, Konami VRC2-6 --cv3, gradius2, kid dracula?)
• Do you think between your yes/no it really is worth it if they as you feel run a little slow?
• Do the visuals and audio hold up fairly well or is it that obvious where you think sounds dropped in SW:ESB?
• USB - Perhaps it would work like using a NES/SNES Mini power supply to run direct? Perhaps with more power if it's that cheapo it may improve performance? Some AAs are 1.2v, 1.5v and 2v.
• You recommend Rampage/Joust since the legit retail are like unicorns for many to find, but do they work as nicely?

I'm tempted, $30 isn't too bad but I'd hate for it to just blow.

[JBerel]

BTW, I should correct something. You get 8" of cord on the controls, not 8 feet. Good luck playing this from 8 feet away.

 

After playing with it a while, I really can't recommend it. There are too many games failing to load, and a few of the ones that do load have graphics glitches leaving lots of graphics artifacts on half the screen or more making them useless.

 

So far the games I've tried that won't load include:

Silkworm, the smurfs, Snow Brothers, Tetris, Wizard of Wor, Terra Cresta, Burgertime, 1943, Yie ar Kung fu, POW, Qix, ninja turtles, pitfall, paperboy, punch out, and the list keeps growing.

 

Games that do run include: Donkey Kong, SMB 1-3, Galaxian, Space Invaders, Joust, Rampage, Star Wars, empire strikes back, super spy hunter, Xevious, defender 2, dig dug, elevator action, galaga, krusty's super fun house, mag max, mappy, millipede, Ms. Pacman, Pacman.

 

Pooyan, and Gyruss load but have graphics glitches that prevent you from playing. Looks like 50/50 so far, and several are arcade ports you'd want to play on this thing, so that sucks. Odds are you'd be disappointed. I also notice the screen gets noticeably dimmer when you adjust the sound level. Higher volume, dimmer screen.

 

Rampage and Joust are playable enough. The 8 way directionals for rampage are tedious at times. Those little sticks don't handle up-right or down-left very well. This may be a candidate for a raspberry pi hack if I can rig in some 8 bit do thumb sticks somehow.

 

I don't have any reason to believe bad dumps are causing the failures, it seems clear it's poor emulation. That's probably why there haven't been NOACs with sd cards before, the NOACs are so tempermental and underpowered, they have really low compatibility and performance. Still, you can play several titles you will never be able to without hacking together your own mini system.

 

Overall I have to say it doesn't suck, but it ain't especially good either.

Edited December 9, 2017 by JBerel

[Tanooki]

Well at 50/50 I wouldn't mind it so much if the 50% that did work were on the nose or 99% there, but even then so many hours lost culling a list of what won't screw up or just die outright isn't worth the effort which is a shame.

 

Someone will come along and improve on it, but it appears they're using that bridge direct noac I bet and leaving it up to luck what works or not. Capable sure, but evenly incapable on anything untested.

 

Sounds more like a $10 value than a $30-35 one all things considered given the effort to get what you do want working to run.

 

 

Edit-The first one who comes up with a cheapo low tier but capable for NES level emulator/android minicade like that in that shell I'd be all over it. Then either myself or find someone to do it, make up some new stickers, a mock up of the old Playchoice10 just for kicks as the default art sucks as much as doesn't fit.

Edited December 9, 2017 by Tanooki

[zenmechanic]

I've got one of those SD Card NOAC units coming tomorrow by way of amazon. I'll see what I can find out after I disassemble it. FYI: I did dump the EEPROM from the Bad Dudes MyArcade unit and found the other game related data from Burgertime, Karate Champ, Caveman Ninja and others.

[Tanooki]

I got another person on facebook that did a similar review, same complaints, but also pointed out that the B and A buttons are ignorantly swapped by those fools so all those NES games play backwards control wise which is awful. He tore the entire thing apart so you could see the inside of the joystick panel and it looks like it could be rewired to fix that at least but not sure what the skill level would be.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Honestly it saddens me to see this "race to the bottom" in terms of quality. Seems the Cracker Barrel arcades are as good as it will ever get regretably. I'm not buying that noac clone bullshit, especially the ones paying $20 for a single nes rom in a cheezy enclosure.

[NE146]

Honestly it saddens me to see this "race to the bottom" in terms of quality. Seems the Cracker Barrel arcades are as good as it will ever get regretably.

 

Why regrettably? I think the Cracker Barrel ones are awesome. Yeah they're not "perfect" but there isn't any shortage of "perfect" emulation options out there.. heck people put Rpi's in Coleco handhelds.. and those are great. But I like the fact that these are full standalone miniature recreations (and not also not a lazy NOAC port ).

 

In my mind they're the 2017 version of this

 

Edited December 14, 2017 by NE146

[Glen's Retro Show]

My newest Glennycade builds preview..

Edited December 14, 2017 by Glen's Retro Show