My review on Generation Nex

[n8littlefield]

The fact that Messiah "lies" in their FAQ is something to be concerned about, I suppose, and that this is a 10 year old chip and not a custom made one kind of stinks - but the entire console is a CHEAP sixty dollars.  So it's not 100% compatible: big deal.  My old NES is barely functional if I'm lucky.  The fact that I can pop in all of my old games and have them work damn near flawlessly is reason enough to love the thing.  I don't know anyone, in fact, that has an NES that runs nearly as well in this day and age.  Perhaps the top-loading ones are still in fine form, but good luck getting one cheap on ebay or anywhere.

991035[/snapback]

 

I'm really glad you're having a good time with yours. I have the Yobo famiclone ($30 instead of $60) and like mine for the same reasons you like the NEX. The only thing I'll correct you on is that Jag, among MANY people here, have NES's that run just as reliably as the NEX. All it takes is some patience and sometimes a new 72pin connector and some electric contact cleaner and a toaster NES can run like brand new...

Edited December 30, 2005 by n8littlefield

[Toupee]

I'm really glad to hear a lot of your NES's are still in fine form. I might have to look into fixing mine up myself. I'd love to see it working well again.

[JB]

I still prefer the iPod and iTunes model.  Let people control their songs and use songs they obtained elsewhere, but provide a really nice online store and acceptable prices for buying songs.  It seems to make Apple boat loads of money.  Nintendo should take note.  Over controlling things can turn people away, as well as diminish the capability of their product/service.

990865[/snapback]

Sadly, there's a single large distinction.

 

Apple doesn't have any music IP.

Nintendo does.

 

That tneds to make one company a lot more piracy-friendly.

Nintendo's also historically been one of the more agressive companies as far as copyright is concerned.

 

The fact that Messiah "lies" in their FAQ is something to be concerned about, I suppose, and that this is a 10 year old chip and not a custom made one kind of stinks - but the entire console is a CHEAP sixty dollars. 

Which is from 2-4 times what other systems using the exact same chip run for. So 60 isn't really that cheap.

 

 

 

I'm really glad to hear a lot of your NES's are still in fine form. I might have to look into fixing mine up myself. I'd love to see it working well again.

I'd recommend grabbing a small flathead, dental pick, or something similar and tightening the contacts up as a first step.

Cheaper than a new connector, and with less wait.

[Toupee]

Which is from 2-4 times what other systems using the exact same chip run for. So 60 isn't really that cheap.

Perhaps so, but with the - in my opinion at least - downright stunning aesthetic value, wireless support, and alternate Famicom slot, I'd say that more than makes it worth it over a cheaper alternative.

 

Of course, if there is some other clone that offers all that with the same chip at less than sixty bucks, then please slap me for my ignorance.

[omne]

It's a lost cause Toupee. There are those here who cannot wrap their mind around someone liking an NEX.

 

I like it too. My last store has sold out locally, and Thanks to Jag bumping it over at Slashdot, I have backorders for more.

 

Different strokes for different folks.

[Jagasian]

The "USA Neo Fami" aka "Yobo" aka "FC Game Console" aka a few other names, is a poorly marketed NES clone with better game compatibility than the NEX. It too uses a run of the mill NES-on-a-chip, but its cart slot is built a bit better resulting in slightly better compatibility. It is also easy to find for $30, and in fact you can even get one new in box for less than that, if you look around. They are all over the place. The same company even makes a portable version called the "Pocket Fami", which sells for $70.

 

Again, I do see the utility of a new NES clone, but I think that it is lame to market something as new when it is the same old crap repackaged. NOAC based clones have been around for years now in Famicom and NES form. The question is, what does the NEX do that these other clones do not? These other clones cost far less than the NEX. My recommendation is for those with a non-working NES to get their system repaired. It will cost no more than the cost of an inexpensive clone, and the end result is much nicer.

 

Imagine how well your car would run if it never got serviced for 20 years. This is why so many people have a non-functioning NES. They've never had their system serviced.

[JB]

Which is from 2-4 times what other systems using the exact same chip run for. So 60 isn't really that cheap.

Perhaps so, but with the - in my opinion at least - downright stunning aesthetic value, wireless support, and alternate Famicom slot, I'd say that more than makes it worth it over a cheaper alternative.

 

Of course, if there is some other clone that offers all that with the same chip at less than sixty bucks, then please slap me for my ignorance.

991134[/snapback]

Aesthetics is totally subjective. But as a general rule, whatever you want a deck to look like's been done.

 

Including the miniature NES, actually

http://famiclone.emucamp.com/nasa/nasa.htm

Not quite as clean as the NEX, though.

 

My personal favorite is a Famiclone in a 7800 case, using Genesis gamepads.

 

 

 

Wireless is... misleading.

ANY Famiclone with standard NES or FamiCom ports has wireless support.

Messiah's own wireless pads ship with wired NES-port recievers, making them compatible with any system that has NES joypad connectors.

 

The NEX has a built-in reciever for Messiah's pads. The upshot of this is you can leave the recievers in the box if you're using Messiah pads on a NEX. But it's nothing special from a pure compatibility point of view. It goes under aesthetics, really.

 

 

 

Cart slot's messy. I gather most famiclones have FamiCom cart slots, with a signifigant minority using NES slots.

But it's a case of buyer beware for matching slots (excepting the Messiah and Yobo, both of whom are attempting to market to existing owners of NES stuff and are very well-known to have NES cart slots).

 

I don't really see adapters for japanese games as a big deal, though.

You'd lose cart-based audio, but I think I've heard the NEX has trouble with that anyways(I can't confirm that without expending more effort than I care for, though I'm finding things implying it).

 

 

 

 

 

The 100% standard NES port area would be the feature I'd hype if I were pushing the NEX, as having the exact same layout helps accessory compatibility.

Spacing is only relevant to a very few accessories, but matching ports brings it above many famiclones(but not the oft-mentioned Yobo).

 

 

As a minor caveat, it isn't really 100% identical.

The underport area on the real NES is larger than on the NEX. An accessory that hangs into the underport area, like a Satellite reciever, which is one of the very few devices that has an issue with matching layouts(the Advantage does NOT require a match, contrary to popular belief), will wind up propping the NEX up unless the front edge of the NEX lines up with the edge of the shelf.

 

This may or may not be an actual issue, but these devices were never intended to be load-bearing, and I personally would be hesitant to use them in a situation that left them bearing a load.

 

Aesthetics-wise, a Satellite reciever looks hideous on anything other than an original toaster, and are only tolerable on there as opposed to genuinely good-looking, so no there's no real edge there for anyone.

[Jagasian]

JB,

 

There was a mini-NES clone on Ebay a few months ago. It looked nicer than the one you linked, but it had built-in games. I am not sure if they were violating copyright law or not, but chances are it was most likely illegal. As many people have said many times before, if there is a specific design for a NES clone case that you can think of, there is already a NES clone that uses that design. The PS2 shaped NES clones were popular a year or two ago. That is the thing, these clones are always the same, but the plastic shell is changed. It is the only way you can keep selling the same crap for 10 years without people getting wise to the trick.