Post by lovablechevy on May 17, 2008 1:16:05 GMT -4
THIS POST CONTAINS HANDY HACKING INFO - SCROLL DOWN!
PLEASE EITHER POST YOUR COMPATIBILITY LIST HERE OR PM ME! I WILL ADD IT TO THE GROWING LIST!
updated compatibility list as of 5/05/08
nes (i am using good since i don't have an actual nes to compare)
* bible adventures - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* blaster master - good
* castlevania - good
* castlevania ii: simon's quest - good
* castlevania iii: dracula's curse - good
* color caves - does not work (Torokun - suspects it is a cart issue)
* chiller - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* dig dug 2 - good
* dragon warrior - good
* dragon warrior ii - good
* dragon warrior iii - good
* dragon warrior iv - good
* dungeon magic: sword of the elements - good
* dusty diamond's all star softball - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* gauntlet (unlicensed) - good
* gilligan's island - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* guardian legend - good - just a note, this did not work on the super 8
* gyromite - good
* hydlide - good
* ironsword: wizards & warriors ii - good
* journey to silius - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* kabuki quantum fighter - perfect (FakePlasticBall)
* kirby's adventure - poor sound (FakePlasticBall)
* klax - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* legacy of the wizard - good
* legend of zelda - good
* load runner - good (Torokun)
* magic of scheherazade - good
* metroid - good
* milon's secret castle - good
* m.u.l.e. - good (Torokun)
* pac-mania - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* paperboy - does not work - controller is not recognized
* quattro adventure - all 4 games good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* rolling thunder - does not work (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* star tropics - good
* star tropics ii: zoda's revenge - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* strider - perfect (FakePlasticBall)
* sunday funday - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* super mario bros - good
* super mario bros 3 - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below) / poor sound (FakePlasticBall)
* super mario bros/duck hunt - smb is good no way to test duck hunt
* tecmo cup: soccer game - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* trojan - good
* vegavox - good (Torokun)
* vice: project doom - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* xevious - perfect (FakePlasticBall)
* zelda ii: the adventure of link - good[/ul]
famicom with converter
nes repro carts
super gameboy
gameboy color
snes
* legend of zelda: a link to the past - perfect
* liberty or death - good (FakePlasticBall)
* lufia and the fortress of doom - perfect
* lufia ii: rise of the sinistrals - perfect
* madden 97 - good (FakePlasticBall)
* mario paint - good with mouse (Video Game Central from video below)
* peace keepers, the - good (FakePlasticBall)
* phalanx - good (FakePlasticBall)
* pro quarterback - good (FakePlasticBall)
* secret of evermore - perfect
* shadowrun - good (FakePlasticBall)
* star fox - perfect
* super bases loaded - perfect
* super mario all-stars - perfect
* super mario rpg: legend of the seven stars v 1.0- perfect
* super mario world - perfect
* super mario world 2: yoshi's island - perfect
* super punch out!!! - good (Video Game Central from video below)
* super r type - good but one sound channel seems to not work (Torokun)
* ultima vi: the false prophet - good (FakePlasticBall)
* where in time is carmen sandiego? - good (FakePlasticBall)
* wing commander: the secret missions - good (FakePlasticBall)[/ul]
super famicom
pal snes
finally i've gotten my retro duo. so, is this thing as good as it claims to be? let's find out!
i immediately looked at the packaging. it's actually nice packaging. a pretty box with a nice see through window.
box front
box flap
box back
i open it up and this is what is inside:
the controllers and console are very firmly in place. this impressed me. it took me a little force and bending of the plastic holder to get them out. the controllers are a little lighter than the original snes controllers. and they feel kind of clicky. the console is of a moderate weight. obviously, it is lighter than the snes. it's quite a bit smaller. i really like the look of it.
fyi, i am a girl and i don't have that big of hands. this console is pretty small!
i open it up to look at the inside. of course, i don't really know what i'm looking at, but here are the pics.
top side
bottom side
the board, in it's entirety is 5 1/4" w 5" tall on short side and 5 3/4" on longer side. the smaller nes board is 5 1/4" by 1 3/4". the snes part is 3 1/2" (short side), 5 1/4" wide, 4 1/4" (long side), and the bottom is 3 3/4" with a 1/2" going further down to the final 1 1/2". hopefully that makes sense.
now, i will admit that i do not know much about electronics or the noac and such. but, i don't see where this is a noac for the nes part. unless it's the very small glop top on the bottom of the nes board.
interestingly, this is only two boards as compared to the 3 for the fc twin. so, it is not exactly the same!
i have not had time to get a multi-meter. but when i do, i will measure its draw. the ac adapter is only 5v. if that means anything.
so i reassembled it and immediately started to test out all my games for it. the snes games i played a few mins on the retro duo and then a few mins on the snes to compare. unfortunately, i do not own an nes. i was using the rare super 8 converter to play nes games through my snes. and it didn't have that great of compatibility. anyway, here is the list of games and what i found:
***moved to top of page for easy access***
i love everything about the system except the controllers. they are just too stiff and clicky feeling. but i really wanted the controllers to match the console. luckily, i had two mostly dead snes controllers. so, i just simply swapped the pads. now i have the responsiveness of the original controller. woo hoo!
the only comment i have left to make is that to me, the sound for the nes side sounded a little weird. not weird in the sense of how it does through my super 8 (very tinish). it's hard to describe. it was almost as if it was coming through so loud that it was distorted even though i barely had the volume up. *shrugs* overall, i think this is an excellent buy, and would probably make for a great portable.
do you want to be able to play the nes side of the retro duo using nes controllers? see this handy site and thank vomitsaw from the benheck forums! basically, it's just as simple as swapping around two wires!
use this "diagram" with the above site if you do not understand.
nes wires / snes wires
brown = brown
yellow = red
orange = orange
red = yellow
white = white
[quote="Life of Brian"]Here's a tip if you're connecting just the SNES portion of the Retro Duo. The pinout is mislabeled, so follow what the pictures say:
Also, here's a pinout of the Retro Duo's controllers:
[/quote]
~taken from benheck forums
[quote="Life of Brian"]More hacking info! Assuming you're using just the SNES portion for a portable, here's how you bypass the power switch after it's been desoldered:
You can now put a switch of your choice between your power supply and the power input of the board.[/quote]
~taken from benheck forums
[quote="Trstn18"]The pinout is as follows: with the controller ports facing towards you and the cartridge connector facing up, in the back left hand corner of the SNES board there are seven connections.
*pin one is labeled as ground, but when I traced it it registered as +5 volts (and my setup works with that configuration.)*
okay, so figuring out some faulty labeling on the motherboard...
Back left corner connections:
1=+5volts
2=Ground
3=Left audio
4=Chroma
5=Luma
6=Right audio
7=Composite Video
I payed no attention to the 10 connections on the top right side of the board as that has to do with the NES pins, and I removed that permanently, but my friend has confirmed that is labeled correctly.
For the Front 12 Pinouts I can only give you the color coded controller matchup, but as you only connect controllers to this port that should be just fine.
The wire colors in the Retro Duo controller are yellow, red, blue, white, and brown.
1= not used
2= not used
3= Player 1&2 Yellow
4= Player 1 Red
5= Player 1 Blue
6= Player 1&2 White
7= Player 2 Blue
8= Player 1&2 Yellow
9= Player 2 Red
10= Player 1&2 Brown
11= not used
12= not used
*note* there is a capacitor in the center of the controller board. Remove this capacitor and solder it between connections 10 & 6 (that is if you are intending to remove this board)
This setup works perfectly for me (aside from the audio)
hope this helps! : )[/quote]
~taken from this thread
scroll down to see pictures and read a review.
back to original post
hey guys! i haven't noticed this system mentioned anywhere here. it looks to be much better than the fc twin. it can play super mario rpg and games with the fx chip perfectly. it also claims to play castlevania iii perfectly. anyway, here are some links!
store.gameasylum.us/reduo8bit16b1.html
unboxing video
review & setup
user video review part 1
user video review part 2
nes compatibility testing video part 1
nes compatibility testing video part 2
nes & snes compatibility testing videos: part 1, part 2, & part 3
Digital Press forums Retro Duo information
3d realms retro duo information
enjoy!
PLEASE EITHER POST YOUR COMPATIBILITY LIST HERE OR PM ME! I WILL ADD IT TO THE GROWING LIST!
updated compatibility list as of 5/05/08
nes (i am using good since i don't have an actual nes to compare)
* bible adventures - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* blaster master - good
* castlevania - good
* castlevania ii: simon's quest - good
* castlevania iii: dracula's curse - good
* color caves - does not work (Torokun - suspects it is a cart issue)
* chiller - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* dig dug 2 - good
* dragon warrior - good
* dragon warrior ii - good
* dragon warrior iii - good
* dragon warrior iv - good
* dungeon magic: sword of the elements - good
* dusty diamond's all star softball - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* gauntlet (unlicensed) - good
* gilligan's island - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* guardian legend - good - just a note, this did not work on the super 8
* gyromite - good
* hydlide - good
* ironsword: wizards & warriors ii - good
* journey to silius - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* kabuki quantum fighter - perfect (FakePlasticBall)
* kirby's adventure - poor sound (FakePlasticBall)
* klax - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* legacy of the wizard - good
* legend of zelda - good
* load runner - good (Torokun)
* magic of scheherazade - good
* metroid - good
* milon's secret castle - good
* m.u.l.e. - good (Torokun)
* pac-mania - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* paperboy - does not work - controller is not recognized
* quattro adventure - all 4 games good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* rolling thunder - does not work (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* star tropics - good
* star tropics ii: zoda's revenge - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* strider - perfect (FakePlasticBall)
* sunday funday - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* super mario bros - good
* super mario bros 3 - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below) / poor sound (FakePlasticBall)
* super mario bros/duck hunt - smb is good no way to test duck hunt
* tecmo cup: soccer game - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* trojan - good
* vegavox - good (Torokun)
* vice: project doom - good (Frankie_Says_Relax from video below)
* xevious - perfect (FakePlasticBall)
* zelda ii: the adventure of link - good[/ul]
famicom with converter
nes repro carts
super gameboy
gameboy color
snes
* legend of zelda: a link to the past - perfect
* liberty or death - good (FakePlasticBall)
* lufia and the fortress of doom - perfect
* lufia ii: rise of the sinistrals - perfect
* madden 97 - good (FakePlasticBall)
* mario paint - good with mouse (Video Game Central from video below)
* peace keepers, the - good (FakePlasticBall)
* phalanx - good (FakePlasticBall)
* pro quarterback - good (FakePlasticBall)
* secret of evermore - perfect
* shadowrun - good (FakePlasticBall)
* star fox - perfect
* super bases loaded - perfect
* super mario all-stars - perfect
* super mario rpg: legend of the seven stars v 1.0- perfect
* super mario world - perfect
* super mario world 2: yoshi's island - perfect
* super punch out!!! - good (Video Game Central from video below)
* super r type - good but one sound channel seems to not work (Torokun)
* ultima vi: the false prophet - good (FakePlasticBall)
* where in time is carmen sandiego? - good (FakePlasticBall)
* wing commander: the secret missions - good (FakePlasticBall)[/ul]
super famicom
pal snes
finally i've gotten my retro duo. so, is this thing as good as it claims to be? let's find out!
i immediately looked at the packaging. it's actually nice packaging. a pretty box with a nice see through window.
box front
box flap
box back
i open it up and this is what is inside:
the controllers and console are very firmly in place. this impressed me. it took me a little force and bending of the plastic holder to get them out. the controllers are a little lighter than the original snes controllers. and they feel kind of clicky. the console is of a moderate weight. obviously, it is lighter than the snes. it's quite a bit smaller. i really like the look of it.
fyi, i am a girl and i don't have that big of hands. this console is pretty small!
i open it up to look at the inside. of course, i don't really know what i'm looking at, but here are the pics.
top side
bottom side
the board, in it's entirety is 5 1/4" w 5" tall on short side and 5 3/4" on longer side. the smaller nes board is 5 1/4" by 1 3/4". the snes part is 3 1/2" (short side), 5 1/4" wide, 4 1/4" (long side), and the bottom is 3 3/4" with a 1/2" going further down to the final 1 1/2". hopefully that makes sense.
now, i will admit that i do not know much about electronics or the noac and such. but, i don't see where this is a noac for the nes part. unless it's the very small glop top on the bottom of the nes board.
interestingly, this is only two boards as compared to the 3 for the fc twin. so, it is not exactly the same!
i have not had time to get a multi-meter. but when i do, i will measure its draw. the ac adapter is only 5v. if that means anything.
so i reassembled it and immediately started to test out all my games for it. the snes games i played a few mins on the retro duo and then a few mins on the snes to compare. unfortunately, i do not own an nes. i was using the rare super 8 converter to play nes games through my snes. and it didn't have that great of compatibility. anyway, here is the list of games and what i found:
***moved to top of page for easy access***
i love everything about the system except the controllers. they are just too stiff and clicky feeling. but i really wanted the controllers to match the console. luckily, i had two mostly dead snes controllers. so, i just simply swapped the pads. now i have the responsiveness of the original controller. woo hoo!
the only comment i have left to make is that to me, the sound for the nes side sounded a little weird. not weird in the sense of how it does through my super 8 (very tinish). it's hard to describe. it was almost as if it was coming through so loud that it was distorted even though i barely had the volume up. *shrugs* overall, i think this is an excellent buy, and would probably make for a great portable.
do you want to be able to play the nes side of the retro duo using nes controllers? see this handy site and thank vomitsaw from the benheck forums! basically, it's just as simple as swapping around two wires!
use this "diagram" with the above site if you do not understand.
nes wires / snes wires
brown = brown
yellow = red
orange = orange
red = yellow
white = white
[quote="Life of Brian"]Here's a tip if you're connecting just the SNES portion of the Retro Duo. The pinout is mislabeled, so follow what the pictures say:
Also, here's a pinout of the Retro Duo's controllers:
[/quote]~taken from benheck forums
[quote="Life of Brian"]More hacking info! Assuming you're using just the SNES portion for a portable, here's how you bypass the power switch after it's been desoldered:
You can now put a switch of your choice between your power supply and the power input of the board.[/quote]
~taken from benheck forums
[quote="Trstn18"]The pinout is as follows: with the controller ports facing towards you and the cartridge connector facing up, in the back left hand corner of the SNES board there are seven connections.
*pin one is labeled as ground, but when I traced it it registered as +5 volts (and my setup works with that configuration.)*
okay, so figuring out some faulty labeling on the motherboard...
Back left corner connections:
1=+5volts
2=Ground
3=Left audio
4=Chroma
5=Luma
6=Right audio
7=Composite Video
I payed no attention to the 10 connections on the top right side of the board as that has to do with the NES pins, and I removed that permanently, but my friend has confirmed that is labeled correctly.
For the Front 12 Pinouts I can only give you the color coded controller matchup, but as you only connect controllers to this port that should be just fine.
The wire colors in the Retro Duo controller are yellow, red, blue, white, and brown.
1= not used
2= not used
3= Player 1&2 Yellow
4= Player 1 Red
5= Player 1 Blue
6= Player 1&2 White
7= Player 2 Blue
8= Player 1&2 Yellow
9= Player 2 Red
10= Player 1&2 Brown
11= not used
12= not used
*note* there is a capacitor in the center of the controller board. Remove this capacitor and solder it between connections 10 & 6 (that is if you are intending to remove this board)
This setup works perfectly for me (aside from the audio)
hope this helps! : )[/quote]
~taken from this thread
scroll down to see pictures and read a review.
back to original post
hey guys! i haven't noticed this system mentioned anywhere here. it looks to be much better than the fc twin. it can play super mario rpg and games with the fx chip perfectly. it also claims to play castlevania iii perfectly. anyway, here are some links!
store.gameasylum.us/reduo8bit16b1.html
unboxing video
review & setup
user video review part 1
user video review part 2
nes compatibility testing video part 1
nes compatibility testing video part 2
nes & snes compatibility testing videos: part 1, part 2, & part 3
Digital Press forums Retro Duo information
3d realms retro duo information
enjoy!
