- Joined
- Mar 27, 2005
- Posts
- 23,647
After buying and loving the hell out of the Mega and Master Everdrives and having ZERO problems with them, I decided to take the plunge and Get the Famicom version because I've been missing playing a bunch of my favorite NES games.
I love these flash carts because I don't have to keep an expensive collection, but I'm pretty disappointed in this one. There's so much shit that can go wrong with the Famicom/NES version.
First, I hear that it's picky about operating voltages, so you either have to have a good official power supply (which is usually not the case for Famicom importers), or you have to try replacements until you get one that works. Fortunately, I have a power supply that seems to give a good and steady voltage.
Secondly, many users reported having a difficult time getting this cart to boot due to dirty contacts, right out of the box. Why are these PCBs so grimy straight from the manufacturer? I experienced this one firsthand, it took me 3 q-tips to get rid of the green hued crap that was covering the connectors and I finally got this thing booted.
And then there's rom compatibility. From what I'm reading, there's a lot of roms out there with incorrect file headers or none at all, and they cause problems with this thing. I can't find a working Zelda II rom to save my life. I hear that different versions of the internal OS fix or break roms, and even the latest version (v11.1 as of the time of this writing) fixes some things but breaks others. This is yet another problem, an OS has to be loaded by the end user on an SD card opens up room for more problems such as card compatibility, speed (yes, I hear this is an issue with loading some games even on something as slow as an NES, due to the lockout chip in the system), and formatting problems that can inherently arise with flash media.
Expansion audio chip emulation and Famicom Disk support are in their infancy, so expect wonky sound and compatibility problems there too. I played Akumajou Densetsu (JP Castlevania III) and that music is just off. Some of the notes hold too long and others are incorrectly pitched.
However, when the games actually work, they work great. I'm currently playing through Destiny of an Emperor again and loving it, I just wish I could play Dragon Warrior fucking ONE on this thing.
Also, there are reports of Chinese ripoffs that are EVEN WORSE with these problems, which is hard to believe. (And yes, my copy is legit.)
Anyways, there's my little mini review/rant. I just can't recommend this thing because there's so many variables, so many problems right out of the box. This product feels unfinished, like a beta test that you pay to play. Just look at krikzz's support forums, it's full of people complaining of these same problems over and over. I have a feeling that in a few years this product will be great if it continues to be supported and updated, but it's a complete mess right now.
P.S.- Does anyone know where I can just get a big ass zip file full of roms that are tested for this thing? Don't say good rom or no intro, those sets still have a bunch of games that don't work with this thing.
I love these flash carts because I don't have to keep an expensive collection, but I'm pretty disappointed in this one. There's so much shit that can go wrong with the Famicom/NES version.
First, I hear that it's picky about operating voltages, so you either have to have a good official power supply (which is usually not the case for Famicom importers), or you have to try replacements until you get one that works. Fortunately, I have a power supply that seems to give a good and steady voltage.
Secondly, many users reported having a difficult time getting this cart to boot due to dirty contacts, right out of the box. Why are these PCBs so grimy straight from the manufacturer? I experienced this one firsthand, it took me 3 q-tips to get rid of the green hued crap that was covering the connectors and I finally got this thing booted.
And then there's rom compatibility. From what I'm reading, there's a lot of roms out there with incorrect file headers or none at all, and they cause problems with this thing. I can't find a working Zelda II rom to save my life. I hear that different versions of the internal OS fix or break roms, and even the latest version (v11.1 as of the time of this writing) fixes some things but breaks others. This is yet another problem, an OS has to be loaded by the end user on an SD card opens up room for more problems such as card compatibility, speed (yes, I hear this is an issue with loading some games even on something as slow as an NES, due to the lockout chip in the system), and formatting problems that can inherently arise with flash media.
Expansion audio chip emulation and Famicom Disk support are in their infancy, so expect wonky sound and compatibility problems there too. I played Akumajou Densetsu (JP Castlevania III) and that music is just off. Some of the notes hold too long and others are incorrectly pitched.
However, when the games actually work, they work great. I'm currently playing through Destiny of an Emperor again and loving it, I just wish I could play Dragon Warrior fucking ONE on this thing.
Also, there are reports of Chinese ripoffs that are EVEN WORSE with these problems, which is hard to believe. (And yes, my copy is legit.)
Anyways, there's my little mini review/rant. I just can't recommend this thing because there's so many variables, so many problems right out of the box. This product feels unfinished, like a beta test that you pay to play. Just look at krikzz's support forums, it's full of people complaining of these same problems over and over. I have a feeling that in a few years this product will be great if it continues to be supported and updated, but it's a complete mess right now.
P.S.- Does anyone know where I can just get a big ass zip file full of roms that are tested for this thing? Don't say good rom or no intro, those sets still have a bunch of games that don't work with this thing.
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