I'll still buy a Generation Nex...

[Lacan]

Edit: Ah I'll get a Generation Nex, since it sounds better then my Family Boy.

Edited October 28, 2005 by Lacan

[Lord Helmet]

I always thought these looked cool, but it seems to me that just getting real top loading NES is the best alternative.

 

What is it about all of the famiclones that make them incompatible with some games?

[GrizzLee]

I got mine yesterday. I was second on initial pre order list.

 

 

I don't have a large collection. I only have a handful of games that I really like to play, SMB, BlasterMaster, a Famicom multi-cart, ROB, Arkanoid, Space Invaders, RC Pro-Am etc... they all work for me! At CGE I was concenred about compatiblity and played everything I could get my hands on (They had several large tubs of gmaes at the CGE). No problems. It also works with my Messiah wireless controllers. It'll sit right next to my XBOX. I'm very happy with it.

 

-Lee

[Lord Helmet]

What's the quality of the hardware. Is the plastic sturdy, or does it feel cheap?

[Flojomojo]

And does Tengen's "Rolling Thunder" work on this machine?

[JB]

I always thought these looked cool, but it seems to me that just getting real top loading NES is the best alternative.

 

What is it about all of the famiclones that make them incompatible with some games?

955830[/snapback]

They're reverse-engineered from the original NES/FamiClone hardware, and not well enough to get everything exactly right.

[Lacan]

I decided that I should buy a Generation Nex, even though the only game that doesn't work is Castlevania 3. Besides I have CV 3 on Castlevania and Contra Collection Disk for the PC, but it would be cooler if I could play it on the TV.

 

Anyway I'm getting a Generation Nex and Castlevania Curse of Darkness with the guide fo course.

[KaineMaxwell]

Compatibility list:

http://www.playmessiah.com/onlinestore/gnex_faq-chart.htm

[Great Hierophant]

95% is fairly impressive, for a start, if that number is to be relied upon. While some of the games that refuse to start probably have to do with connector issues, other games would not work even if they had brand new copies of the games. Specifically, not one of the MMC5 games work. (For those who don't know, the MMC5 is Nintendo's most advanced memory mapper, used in 8 games including Castlevania III.) Also, they don't have much luck with Camerica titles, although many non-working games use the Aladdin Deck Enhancer.

[NightSprinter]

95% is a fairly good number to start with.. but that's only for American titles. I actually would like to see a revised number including the various Japanese games (Namco105, Konami VRC4, VRC6, FamiCom DiskSystem, etc.) on that list. Only then can we know more about its real compatibility.

[atarilovesyou]

....how hard is to find the top loading NES deck nowadays?

 

Damn, Castlevania 3 was a sweet game, never could finish it!

[NightSprinter]

AtariLovesYou: extremely hard. I just did a search on eBay and found only NINE official top-loaders from Nintendo out of 691 items (including official and clone systems). The 1994 model is one of the hardest-to-find units out there.

[J.Max]

....how hard is to find the top loading NES deck nowadays?

 

Damn, Castlevania 3 was a sweet game, never could finish it!

956368[/snapback]

 

 

It's not just that it's hard to find, but it doesn't have A/V connections either. That's a rather large problem for some of us...

 

I'm really disappointed that the NEX doesn't have better compatibility. 95% sounds about what your average Famiclone would have. Good thing I've got a modified (real) NES top loader...I really considered buying an NEX, but now I don't think so.

[atarilovesyou]

AtariLovesYou: extremely hard.  I just did a search on eBay and found only NINE official top-loaders from Nintendo out of 691 items (including official and clone systems).  The 1994 model is one of the hardest-to-find units out there.

956441[/snapback]

 

 

...I still remember seeing the thing briefly in the stores back in the day, wondering who the hell would want THAT???...ha!...plus I thought the controllers looked lame.

 

No AV compatablility on the top loader?....odd, since the original NES had it...not that I ever used it.

[Ze_ro]

Also, they don't have much luck with Camerica titles, although many non-working games use the Aladdin Deck Enhancer.

I think they just haven't tested any of the Aladdin games with the system yet... so they may work, but no one knows.

 

--Zero

[JB]

AtariLovesYou: extremely hard.  I just did a search on eBay and found only NINE official top-loaders from Nintendo out of 691 items (including official and clone systems).  The 1994 model is one of the hardest-to-find units out there.

956441[/snapback]

 

 

...I still remember seeing the thing briefly in the stores back in the day, wondering who the hell would want THAT???...ha!...plus I thought the controllers looked lame.

Oddly enough, I always thought the NES2 pads were a massive improvement over the originals.

 

No AV compatablility on the top loader?....odd, since the original NES had it...not that I ever used it.

Yah. Odder since the J version was AV only.

Of course, the US NES2 was being pitched as a bargin-bin game device. And US cheap TVs didn't have AV ports at the time.

[Great Hierophant]

Each of the official choices has its problems. The front loader suffers from an unreliable cartridge loading mechanism. The top loader is expensive and suffers from unnecessarily poor video quality.

 

Most replacement cartridge connectors behave like the NEX's in that they don't use the push down mechanism to complete the circuit, rather they are a rigid piece of plastic and metal. However, they are generally made carelessly in regards to the proper spacing and pitch of the connector. More often, a cartridge doesn't work because the contacts are terribly corroded or stripped.

 

The top loader has a video problem, but it can be fixed with a transistor, two resistors, a capacitator, four wires and an RCA connector. As for the cost, the proliferation of cheap clones may have reduced the price somewhat, otherwise payup!

[JB]

Each of the official choices has its problems.  The front loader suffers from an unreliable cartridge loading mechanism.  The top loader is expensive and suffers from unnecessarily poor video quality. 

The Mk2 J units, of course, are expensive and require an adapter, but aren't plagued by the video issues of the US model.

IMO, this makes them the best of the bunch, aesthetics aside.

 

Of course, I'm cheap. I use my original toaster. It works "good enough" in that it works most of the time, and doesn't require much effort to get working the rest of the time. Also looks nice, which is a plus.

Edited October 31, 2005 by JB

[Jagasian]

The 95% compatibility number that NEX has published is somewhat misleading. Even if a game has significant graphical glitches, it is still counted as working, simply because the game boots. In the DigitPress forums, another user claims that Fire Hawk only boots correctly if you press START before the main screen loads, otherwise the game locks up... yet the official compatibility table lists the game as working. Also, even then, how accurate is the audio in the working games?

 

I think that people need to step back and look at the options:

1. professionally refurbished official toaster

2. professionally A/V modded official toploader

3. professionally A/V modded original famicom

4. official A/V Famicom

5. $25 JAP or USA Neofami

6. $60 NEX

7. some other cheapy clone

 

Yes there are other options, even other official clones that don't have incompatibilities... but I think 1 - 7 above lists the common options. Note that there is a new A/V mod for the official toploader, which makes the video identical in quality compared to an official toaster.

Edited October 31, 2005 by Jagasian

[n8littlefield]

Yeah - I was waiting on the NEX to see if I wanted to refurbish my toaster or buy the NEX. The Castlevania III thing is a deal breaker for me (although I got criticized at digitpress for saying so). I have a very short list of games that I really require a system to run, and the Castlevania series is top of the list. My Yobo will do until Spring, then it's time to order parts. I'm doing a bunch of stuff then, including this refurb and probably modding my PS2 (I always wanted to play Vib Ribbon and have an extra PS2 now to do it!)

[Atariboy]

And where Jagasian are these other options readily available? I don't want to buy a toaster and find that it hasn't had its 72 pin connector replaced and that it's all faded and scratched up, or that I have to replace the connector myself.

 

Since you're so adament that this is a bad choice, I'd appreciate if you gave me a starting spot to look for one that's priced fairly since I'd like a NES that actually works unlike my old one that died.

[Jagasian]

And where Jagasian are these other options readily available? I don't want to buy a toaster and find that it hasn't had its 72 pin connector replaced and that it's all faded and scratched up, or that I have to replace the connector myself.

 

Since you're so adament that this is a bad choice, I'd appreciate if you gave me a starting spot to look for one that's priced fairly since I'd like a NES that actually works unlike my old one that died.

957322[/snapback]

 

I am not qualified to recommend a specific retailer for a professionally refurbished, guarenteed working toaster, as I have never purchased from one. You can use Google for finding such retailers, as well as by searching the DigitPress forums. Personally, I refurbish my toasters myself, by stripping them down and cleaning every part. I don't even bother trying to bend the 72-pin connector. Instead I use Caig products, 99.99% pure isopropyl alcohol, stabliant 22, an old credit card, and white paper towels to completely clean the pin connector, and the motherboard contacts. I also put stabilant on the motherboard contacts before I put the pin connector back in place, so that the electrical contacts are nice and strong.

 

I just rebuilt my childhood toaster NES yesterday. It is missing the controller ports, but even I was amazed that it booted games without blinking. This, in my opinion, confirms that the 72-pin connector problem is due to two things:

 

1. dirty pins

2. zero-force pins

 

Since the original connector puts such little force on the pins, they as well as the cart's contacts must be perfectly clean because there is no pressure to force its way through the grime. Hence the problem can be fixed by using perfectly clean carts and pins, or by using pins that put enough force on the connection to carve through the dirt. Ideally, you probably want a bit of both, which is why a clean top loader works so well. You get more force on the pins, but they are also newer and cleaner.

[atarilovesyou]

..this is off topic, but I have a buddy who was ripping through Zelda the other day, and he can STILL SAVE HIS GAME!!...what, those batteries have gotta be almost 20 years old!!...and they still save his game?...what sweet design that was!..a battery backup that OUTLASTED his system!!

 

Yikes!

[JB]

..this is off topic, but I have a buddy who was ripping through Zelda the other day, and he can STILL SAVE HIS GAME!!...what, those batteries have gotta be almost 20 years old!!...and they still save his game?...what sweet design that was!..a battery backup that OUTLASTED his system!!

 

Yikes!

957654[/snapback]

They should all be about due to die. Even if Nintendo bought only the best parts, they're at 2x the life expectancy of a lithium cell now. Pity, as it means I'm gonna have to run through and do some sodlering on my Zelda, FF, and Crystalis carts.

 

Also: My NES is an early vintage. Been through 2 previous owners, neither of which treated it well, but it still works.

Edited November 1, 2005 by JB

[atarilovesyou]

...I've been lucky with working ol NES's..although I usually found it was the dirty carts that messed up a pristine machine.

 

I babied mine over the years and it still doesn't blink..it's just I'm not so into the older NES games anymore, just the atari stuff. Not to say I don't love it, it's just that I didn't find myself using it enough.