Flojomojo Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 SweaterFishDeluxe, you around to talk about this thing? Looks like a nice little portable NES/Genesis at a very sweet price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanallan Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 It looks interesting. I guess noone here has one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweater Fish Deluxe Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Sorry, I haven't been around of late so I missed this topic. Yes, I got a Onestation. It's a pretty cool system, I think. The hardware itself is very nice, especially the screen, which is one of the best screens I've ever seen on a handheld. It's similar to the one on the VG Pocket systems, but much higher resolution. Overall the system has a very impressive build quality for what's essentially a pirate device. As you've probably heard if you've looked into the system, the main unit itself doesn't house any actual chips or system architecture at all. It's just a housing for the controls and screen and such, while the systems are on the cartridges along with the ROMs. That's a pretty cool design and makes the system unique enough that I felt I had to have one. The available cartridges are multicarts that contain either NES games, Jungletac's original 8-bit games which have appeared on their other systems (these use the NES hardware, too), Jungletac origina games that use an unknown 16-bit architecture (not Genesis) and Genesis games. The Genesis games require an adapter, I assume because Jungletac considered it too expensive to have to build the Genesis-on-a-chip into each Genesis game collection. Hoewever, you're limited to just the game titles Jungletac has decided to put out on their proprietary multicarts. I think they've put some pretty nice games on the carts--NES as well as Genesis and I even like some of their original games though most people don't--but that's definitely a big limitation when you compare the Onestation to something like the GP2X. At first it might seem like price would be in the favor of the Onestation since the unit itself is only like $30 and the carts are usually about $10, but when you start adding everything up and throw in the Mega drive adapter and of course the shipping form Hong Kong, you're likeley to end up spending as much as you would on a GP2X and not getting nearly as much flexibility. Of course, if it's something very odd and unique you're after, the Onestation may still seem like a good option. When the system was released, Jungletac made it sound like it would have all sorts of expansions including not only extra game cartridges and additional supported systems (the GBC was mentioned and I personally also hoped for SMS and Atari 2600 since those have the kind of on-a-chip technologies needed to make Onestation cartridges), but even things like multimedia players, digital camera, GPS and so on. However as time goes it on it's sort of becmonig obvious that none of that stuff will happen. I didn't get my hopes up to begin with, but it's still a little disappointing since a lot of interesting stuff could have been done with the system, but like pretty much everything else from Hong Kong, it' has received zero long term support. So, given those two problems--the lack of choice in software and the lack of support in the present and future--if the system still seems interesting to you given what's currently availabe for it, I'd say go for it and you probably won't be disappointed. It's certainly unique and obscure and that counts for a lot with gamers like us, eh? One thing I'd advise being wary of, though, is whether the cartridges you're getting are PAL or NTSC format. The Onestation itself will display either format, but if you want to take advantage of the TV-out function (which is awfully cool in my opinion, though again, something that the GP2X can do as well), it will matter. I haven't seen NES or original Jungletac game carts in anything but NTSC format--though they may exist--but the MD-adapter I got was PAL so I con only play MD games on the Onestation itself or in B&W on my TV. When I play Genesis games, they have a bit of an odd wavy effect on the Onestation screen, I don't know if this is because my adapter is PAL or if it's always like that for some reason (NES games don't look like that). Also, the A and B buttons are reversed from what they would be on the NES, which can be annoying in some games like Lode runner and Super Mario Bros. That's about it. I use my DS flash cart a hell of a lot more, but I'm sort of glad I got the Onestation. If the shipping hadn't been so expensive, thereby making the system as a whole about $60 cheaper, I think I'd feel a lot better about the purchase, but there you have it. ...word is bondage... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share Posted January 24, 2007 Cool, thanks for that. About a week after I posted that question, the PSP was cracked wide open (downgraders for all, PSone emulator, easy custom firmware updates, Devhook support included) and I kinda lost interest in the Onestation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Thag Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 I have one of these, and they are well worth picking up. For $35, you get a neat, bright little handheld that comes with a 75-1 cart that has GADS of awesome NES games. Dig Dug 1 & 2, Galaga, Galaxian, ALL the Donkey Kongs, Mappy, and a gazillion other awesome arcade games. Not to mention a bunch of other great nes games like contra, and street fighter. It's well worth your money. If you getthe 16 bit adaptor, you can play Strider, Raiden, Pac mania, and a gazillion other great Sega games. Seriously, this little thing is a retro-games dream. I just got mine, and I'm very impressed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlh2600 Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 link? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Thag Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 I got mine off of ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlh2600 Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 Thanks, none there atm, but I'll keep an eye out. Sounds pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweater Fish Deluxe Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Check out DealExtreme.com http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.112 This is the same site that used to be The Fifth Unit, which is where I got my OneStation, so I can confirm that they're reliable. They also have free shipping on most of the games which sure as hell beats the ridiculous shipping prices other Hong Kong based sites have. They also now have the best selection of games. When I ordered from them, they didn't have any games available, so I had to get my system from them (because they have the cooler design that no one else carries) and games from SuperUFO.com, which is why I ended up paying so much for my system including shipping. If you can get everything you want from DealExtreme, the system is definitely a great deal. They have a ton of new Genesis multicarts that I haven't really looked over in any detail, but I noticed titles like Gunstar Heroes, Alien Soldier, Steel Empire, Power Drive Rally, Shinobi 3, etc. Very nice selection. ON the other hand, they don't seem to have any of the cartridges with JungleTac's original 8- or 16-bit games, but I don't htink most people are interested in those. ...word is bondage... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanallan Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 I haven't gotten one (yet) and would like to know how hard it would be to make an adapter for, say, Sega Game Gear games to be played on this thing. Since I don't have either system (got Stargate for GG yesterday, and I love mah Stargate) I don't really know if the two (cart and onestation) are even compatible. Wanted to ask before I go and splurge on either a OneStation or GameGear. Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweater Fish Deluxe Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 That would be pretty complicated. Basically you'd have to take the entire Game Gear system and turn it into a cartridge that plugs into the Onestation, receiving controller input from it and passing back video and audio and has a cart port of its own to accept Game Gear games as well. Such a thing owuld obviously be huge if it were based on the original Game Gear architecture. However, there is the SMS-on-a-chip which is used in that handheld system from Coleco/Playpal discussed elsewhere on this forum. That thing might in fact be a Game Gear-on-a-chip since there's two Game Gear games on those system which never had Master System versions to my knowledge. If it is a Game Gear, you could use that chip in this project and it would make your Game Gear adapter cartridge for the Onestation a lot smaller and more useful. There's also the matter of the OneStation screen, though. It may require digital RGB inputs, whic would make building your own OneStation cartridge prohibitively complicated. But actually, I think the screen on the OneStation takes analog RGB inputs. I haven't actually tested it out myself, but I only see five lines going to the screen, which isn't enough for digital RGB I don't think and is exactly how many you'd expect from analog RGB. Of course, unless the screen also takes composite video (or the SMS/GG-on-a-chip outputs RGB), you'd have to convert the video to RGB, which would be another complication. Basically, the OneStation is not at all what you're looking for. I'd recommend an original Game Gear (which has a really shitty screen and is not fun to play for that reason, in my opinion) or emulation on a GP2X or PSP or something. I'd love to be able to build my own OneStation cartridges, but a Game Gear adapter is not where I'd start. I think just taking the Coleco handheld unit and turning it into a cartridge along with its built in games would be a more viable project. That or a TV-Boy. ...word is bondage... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 4, 2007 Author Share Posted April 4, 2007 Wow ... I'm seriously torn here. Check out this disassembly: http://mozy.org/16bit/onestation/ Combine that with DealExtreme's CHEAP prices and shipping, and I'm almost ready to buy this useless but fascinating little toy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Vendel Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 Wow, how interesting, I went to that distributor site and looked at the price and I was trying to figure out how the heck they were selling a multicpu system for under $30, basically its a portable version of Atari's old "Game Brain" just an empty shell with screen, power and inputs and then you plug in the carts that have the CPU onboard with rom's and given the listing of games - highly illegal to boot... Its a VERY cool idea, too bad from what the disassembler says - the failure rate is insanely high - 75% is ridiculous, nothing should EVER exceed 2% on the high end of the failure scale - otherwise the retailers will bankrupt a company with return failure clauses. Its a very common problem with a lot of gray market asian products, especially the illegal stuff - its all about bonding processes of the silicon to the board (called COBing - Chip on Board) it plagued several mainstream vendors selling PnP's early on. Curt Wow ... I'm seriously torn here. Check out this disassembly: http://mozy.org/16bit/onestation/ Combine that with DealExtreme's CHEAP prices and shipping, and I'm almost ready to buy this useless but fascinating little toy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 4, 2007 Author Share Posted April 4, 2007 Those cartridges with the CPU are only US$5.00 each though -- that's still amazingly cheap, even for a pirate device, don't you think? How about a Flashback Portable update so I don't have to buy this thing I don't need? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Vendel Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 That is true.... Have you gotten one yourself? I found 3 other sites that were supposedly selling them, but its not listed anymore, I see some on Ebay, I may just have to get one to take a peak at it, its a really neat idea. Flashback Portable Update -- It hasn't been officially canned if that's anyway to put a "good"? view on it.... Curt Those cartridges with the CPU are only US$5.00 each though -- that's still amazingly cheap, even for a pirate device, don't you think? How about a Flashback Portable update so I don't have to buy this thing I don't need? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+karri Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 Flashback Portable Update -- It hasn't been officially canned if that's anyway to put a "good"? view on it.... I just hope Atari decides to do it. Good gameplay is never out of style. I can see it from my own kids who more often choose to play retro stuff instead of modern games. -- Karri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorf Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 This portable NEEDS to have a cart slot this time though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 5, 2007 Author Share Posted April 5, 2007 Have you gotten one yourself? I found 3 other sites that were supposedly selling them, but its not listed anymore That link that SWF mentioned seems to have them in stock. http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.112Thanks for the update on the Flashback Portable, such as it is. I remain cautiously optimistic and hope that it eventually sees release. This portable NEEDS to have a cart slot this time though. No, no, no, no. Cartridges are not portable and they have no business in this remade system. Asking for a cartridge slot on a portable game player is like asking for a cassette adapter for an iPod. The original idea of a compact flash slot or flashable RAM is the way to go -- load it up with software and have no worries about losing the fiddly little bits. If you want a cartridge port on your Flashback console, solder one onto your Flashback 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanallan Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 Asking for a cartridge slot on a portable game player is like asking for a cassette adapter for an iPod. More like an 8-track. I'd rather have something more modern, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambler172 Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 It looks interesting. I guess noone here has one. Hi The One Station is very easy to find in Thailand.I am there at the moment(tomorrop my holliday is finished).One Station comes in a complete box. greetings gambler172 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimo Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 so can you play real MD carts on the OS, or just the ones made specifically for the OS with MD adapter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elviticus Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 These look fun! I ordered one a minute ago and a few carts for it..... Wish I could have gotten Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat for it though - but most of the games were sold out at DealExtreme. Anywhere else I might check? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinChargers Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 These look fun! I ordered one a minute ago and a few carts for it..... Wish I could have gotten Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat for it though - but most of the games were sold out at DealExtreme. Anywhere else I might check? Out of curiosity, how did it work for you? Anybody else here ever get one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimo Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Cheap and fun, but mine only lasted 6 months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longhorn Engineer Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 (edited) Does the Cart output a analog video signal to the Screen unit of some crazy proprietary format? Might have to buy one and check for myself. edit// Reread the thread. Analog RGB? Thats doable. 5 lines? RGB only needs 4: R,G,B,Sync. Edited October 18, 2007 by Longhorn Engineer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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