nes/snes retro duo! pics, review, hacking info 7/27/10

Includes but not limited to: SNES, Genesis, Sega CD, PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Game Gear and I guess the Virtual Boy.

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Joel Schmidt
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Post by Joel Schmidt » Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:24 am

lovablechevy wrote:
SZF2001 wrote:Oh God, I'm confused.

OK, so I own a FC Twin. Yobo, to be precise.

So there is also an FC Dual, and a Retro Duo?

Someone set it to me straight - I'm willing to throw my money down on which console is proven to play Castlevania III, Mario RPG, and every other game.

I'd like to get some games that haven't worked for the Twin, but now I don't even know if these two will work. D:
yes, there are several in existence now-a-days.

i have no personal experience with the fc twin or the fc dual. but, the retro duo has been proven to work for castlevania iii. and i know that some fc twins play mario rpg. the retro duo does.

if you look here, some of the games that didn't work on the original fc twin have been proven to work on the retro duo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fc_twin

like i said, i have no experience with the fc dual and joel schmidt is the first person i've read that owns one. maybe he can enlighten us. apparently it looks to be the same as the retro duo except cosmetically.
Just call me Joel :)

Here is the bottom line: avoid the FC Twin.. it is obsolete. If you want to have near 100% compatibility get the FC Dual or the Retro Duo. If you also want a nice case, go with the Retro...

There are only two serious differences between the Dual and Duo (say that 5 times fast :P): S-Video support and being able to have both cartridge slots occupied. I suspect lovablechevy, that when you plugged the composite video into the Duo it switched over to that and is not actually using the S-Video connection. However, the FC Dual DOES allow the use of S-video with NES game no problem. The FC Dual forces you to remove any Super Nes/Super Famicom carts in order to play Nes/Famicom carts. The Retro Duo doesn't require it, but DOES recommend it.

Both the FC Dual and Retro Duo can play NTSC-U and NTSC-J cartridges without the need for special adapters. According to Videogamecentral's video, the Retro Duo can also play PAL format cartridges without the need for an adapter. I personally have not tried this on my FC Dual, but since they have 99.9% identical internal boards, I'll lay odds it can also. Both systems can use original SNES controllers, and I've heard talk that there is a forthcoming adapter to allow the use of the original NES Light Zapper.... conceivably this will also allow the use of original NES controllers.


grrrr.. I just looked at the wikipedia entry for the FC Twin and noticed that someone has removed all the information I had added regarding the FC Dual. Guess someone doesn't want to admit it exists and was released long before the Retro Duo.

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Post by lovablechevy » Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:22 am

Joel Schmidt wrote:There are only two serious differences between the Dual and Duo (say that 5 times fast :P): S-Video support and being able to have both cartridge slots occupied. I suspect lovablechevy, that when you plugged the composite video into the Duo it switched over to that and is not actually using the S-Video connection. However, the FC Dual DOES allow the use of S-video with NES game no problem. The FC Dual forces you to remove any Super Nes/Super Famicom carts in order to play Nes/Famicom carts. The Retro Duo doesn't require it, but DOES recommend it.

Both the FC Dual and Retro Duo can play NTSC-U and NTSC-J cartridges without the need for special adapters. According to Videogamecentral's video, the Retro Duo can also play PAL format cartridges without the need for an adapter. I personally have not tried this on my FC Dual, but since they have 99.9% identical internal boards, I'll lay odds it can also. Both systems can use original SNES controllers, and I've heard talk that there is a forthcoming adapter to allow the use of the original NES Light Zapper.... conceivably this will also allow the use of original NES controllers.

grrrr.. I just looked at the wikipedia entry for the FC Twin and noticed that someone has removed all the information I had added regarding the FC Dual. Guess someone doesn't want to admit it exists and was released long before the Retro Duo.
no, i'm pretty sure it's reading the s-video for snes. the main reason i say this is because i tried many different arrangements for having this system plugged into my tv along with all my other systems. at first i put it through my s-video box without the yellow video plug. then i tried it with the video plug. then i tried unplugging the s-video from the system and nothing showed on the screen at all. i then tried the exact same set up through my composite box. it was the same results except that the video did show if i didn't have the s-video plugged in. i didn't pay much attention to the difference in quality between the composite and s-video boxes. but, i don't notice any difference in the quality of the snes side when i unplug the composite video plug while going through the s-video box. *shrugs* maybe there just isn't that much difference to be had between composite and s-video for snes?

the only pal game i have does not work on the retro duo. BUT, it was one of the last pal games made and is said to have the most complex lock-out stuff to avoid us and japanese players from having it. it'll boot, but only say "this game is not intended for play on this super nintendo or super famicom." it does work with the pro action replay.

joel, i was wondering if there had been fc dual info on the wikipedia site at one point. i noticed that nothing was said in the entry, but there was a link to buy one at the bottom.

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Post by Joel Schmidt » Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:40 pm

lovablechevy wrote: no, i'm pretty sure it's reading the s-video for snes. the main reason i say this is because i tried many different arrangements for having this system plugged into my tv along with all my other systems. at first i put it through my s-video box without the yellow video plug. then i tried it with the video plug. then i tried unplugging the s-video from the system and nothing showed on the screen at all. i then tried the exact same set up through my composite box. it was the same results except that the video did show if i didn't have the s-video plugged in. i didn't pay much attention to the difference in quality between the composite and s-video boxes. but, i don't notice any difference in the quality of the snes side when i unplug the composite video plug while going through the s-video box. *shrugs* maybe there just isn't that much difference to be had between composite and s-video for snes?

the only pal game i have does not work on the retro duo. BUT, it was one of the last pal games made and is said to have the most complex lock-out stuff to avoid us and japanese players from having it. it'll boot, but only say "this game is not intended for play on this super nintendo or super famicom." it does work with the pro action replay.

joel, i was wondering if there had been fc dual info on the wikipedia site at one point. i noticed that nothing was said in the entry, but there was a link to buy one at the bottom.
Wait, you tried it through converters/switches? Are you also routing it through a stereo system? Did you try plugging it directly into your tv's s-video connection? I ask because the fc dual did not like trying to run s-video though my Sony stereo's composite video jack, either directly using an s-video to rca adapter or by down-converting it through a 4 port switch. (Why my system has rca and component in and outs, but no s-video in/outs I have no clue. My dad's is the same way but also has HDMI in/outs with no s-video in/outs) It would develop a serious blur and ghosting issue like it was out of sync. BUT it will display s-video fine if I remove the stereo receiver from the loop.

I'll see about getting myself some pal games to test with my Dual and a Duo when the local Play-n-Trade store gets one in for me this week.

And yes, you were correct to wonder that. In fact, specifically, the line about Castlevania III working with the Retro Duo originally said FC Dual and was one of the comments submitted by me as soon as I tested it. Someone changed the system name, but left the rest alone.

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Post by grahf » Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:38 pm

It is extremely unlikely that the FC Dual has true s-video output for the NES portion. While it may be going through the s-vid plug, its almost certainly split-composite.

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Post by pixelbomb » Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:01 am

I also bought one of those FC duals from a play n trade store. I got a Retro duo as well from them when they started carrying the Retro Duo last month. I didnt take apart any of mine but it pretty much boils down to this, if they have the same insides:

1) Fc dual controllers have a 3foot cord and the controller looks NOTHING like the original SnES controller. in fact it looks really ugly.

Retro duo controllers look very much like the original SNES controller, PLUS i measured the cord to be a good 7 foot. a life saver when you have a bigger TV. its not the 90's anymore.


2) Fc dual only has a ON/OFF button, where the Retro Duo has a 16 bit-OFF-8 bit config, allowing you to have both carts in the slots while you play either. When i did the same to the FC dual with both carts plugged in, you get a black screen.

3) the FC dual feels really cheap. i actually had to return the system and get a new one in december because when i pulled my controller out, the whole controller port came out with it.

the Retro duo has a better quality feel to it.

These are all Honest opinions, as i own both systems. I gave the FC dual to my little cousin in San fran hehe.


Seriously though, with all these comparisons, both are the same price, and you get those options with the Retro Duo, it should be a no brainer.

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Post by Joel Schmidt » Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:25 am

pixelbomb wrote:I also bought one of those FC duals from a play n trade store. I got a Retro duo as well from them when they started carrying the Retro Duo last month. I didnt take apart any of mine but it pretty much boils down to this, if they have the same insides:

1) Fc dual controllers have a 3foot cord and the controller looks NOTHING like the original SnES controller. in fact it looks really ugly.

Retro duo controllers look very much like the original SNES controller, PLUS i measured the cord to be a good 7 foot. a life saver when you have a bigger TV. its not the 90's anymore.


2) Fc dual only has a ON/OFF button, where the Retro Duo has a 16 bit-OFF-8 bit config, allowing you to have both carts in the slots while you play either. When i did the same to the FC dual with both carts plugged in, you get a black screen.

3) the FC dual feels really cheap. i actually had to return the system and get a new one in december because when i pulled my controller out, the whole controller port came out with it.

the Retro duo has a better quality feel to it.

These are all Honest opinions, as i own both systems. I gave the FC dual to my little cousin in San fran hehe.


Seriously though, with all these comparisons, both are the same price, and you get those options with the Retro Duo, it should be a no brainer.
1) Please. Don't. Remind. Me. :/

The rest) Yes & No about it being a no-brainer. It really just boils down to personal preference regarding the cosmetic appearance of the system. And availablity. Some people probably will prefer the platinum look of the FC Dual... heck I admit it DOES go well with my MacBook Pro. As for controllers, meh... it's easy enough to replace them with original Snes controllers... Given that I got my FC Dual in Nov and it is basically the same system as a Retro Duo, I don't see the need or point to switch. I have a feeling a lot of people would/will feel the same way. That said though, you also have to look at what is being sold in game stores. The Dual has the PnT store logo on it, but it is allowed to be sold at other stores also... Here in St. Louis, it is not hard to find them... the Retro Duo on the other hand is non-existant... and if I hadn't seen the articles online about the CES show, the Play n Trade here wouldn't have ever known about it... heck they didn't even know that Innex (the company that brought over the Duo) was partnered with PnT...

3) no clue why you get a black screen. If I try to play an 8-bit game with a 16-bit one also inserted, it defaults to the 16-bit one... every time.

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Post by Joel Schmidt » Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:31 am

hey lovablechevy? Did you give Innex, Inc your compatibility test list? Because it is now on their retro duo page.... almost word for word (even has your comment about how guardian legend didn't work on the super 8 ). They only left out your tests of the fan translated roms and games you used a converter with.

http://www.innexinc.com/index.php?nav=i ... etro&id=48

If you didnt... it would make me question if they actually did any tests of their own. Or just decided it would be easier to plagiarize someone else's efforts.
Last edited by Joel Schmidt on Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by pixelbomb » Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:44 am

Hey Joel,

I agree with what you just posted as well. Although i was speaking for the people that dont own any of these snes/nes clones yet.

if i you own a FC dual, then yea i probably wouldnt get a Retro duo.. well maybe. personal preference again, like you said.

but if youre out looking for a SNES/NES clone console cuz you dont have one yet, (cuz why would you buy the fc dual, get an ugly controller, then spend more money to go out and get a SNES controller) then yea i would say just get the retro duo for the reasons i mentioned above.
Last edited by pixelbomb on Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:55 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by pixelbomb » Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:48 am

oh and another bit of info i found out from that Play n trade store,

the Retro duo will be featured on the Gadgets section in the April issue of Game informer magazine, so its definitely gonna be noticed.

also the Play n trade store i went to said they were getting too many returns on the fc dual, and a lot of stores are in the transitioning period to get the retro duos in the stores instead. mainly cuz they didnt want to risk
their name put on a console with defect rates like that. a lot of the stores simply stopped ordering the FC Duals, which pretty much answers the reason why you see the FC duals in other stores other than play n trade- the supplier must be stuck with quite a bit of them.

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Post by Joel Schmidt » Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:03 am

pixelbomb wrote:which pretty much answers the reason why you see the FC duals in other stores other than play n trade- the supplier must be stuck with quite a bit of them.
Never said they were new :P But I never really cared to ask about them since mine has worked perfectly for me.

As for risk... to be honest, as a retailer, I'd be nervous about the Retro Duo also. V1 units of any type almost always tend to have a higher failure rate than later versions. Point in case was the FC Twin I had bought last january. darn thing would flash randomly when playing Snes games... yet never had a problem with that on my Dual or even when playing around with some of the later run Twins...

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Post by pixelbomb » Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:22 am

Yea I dont think its an internal thing. the outer part of the system just seems very flimsy and cheaply made on the FC Dual.. and im just saying this from personal experience, and hearing this from the play n trade store i went to, which also does training for all the new play n trade stores that open up. (buena park , CA)

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Post by Life of Brian » Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:43 am

All this discussion of dual slot loading machines has got me thinking about making a dual NES/SNES portable. I think I've got an idea!

*scampers away to post new thread*

Edit: Tadaa!
dragonhead wrote:sweet. ive spent a third of my life on benheck!
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Post by lovablechevy » Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:55 am

holy cow! this was a pretty popular thread last night! :)
Joel Schmidt wrote:Wait, you tried it through converters/switches?
i have s-video and composite splitter boxes. i have so many systems to have hooked up to my tv at one time, so i got these. the s-video splitter lets me have 4 different things plugged into my 1 s-video plug on my tv. and the composite also allows for 4 different things to be plugged into my 1 composite plug on my tv. i unfortunately do not have a stereo system.
Joel Schmidt wrote:hey lovablechevy? Did you give Innex, Inc your compatibility test list?
no, no i didn't. i've known it's there tho. i even asked them to remove it. either that or to not edit it without my approval. they used my very first list. all they took off of it was the fact that terranigma does not work. and that kinda ticks me off. but, i don't really know what else to do besides ask them to remove it. *shrugs*

sorry i still haven't measured the system with a mulitmeter yet. my life is crazy busy here lately and i just haven't had the time. and i still don't know if i'm entirely clear on what i'm supposed to do. i might have a little bit of time tomorrow to get around to testing it.

i have recently ordered a few games that have been problem games for the fc twin. well, only two of them actually. castlevania iii and paperboy.

i've also got the yobo branded fc twin and a fc dual on the way. i want to test out each system for myself. i think i'll still prefer my retro duo, but at least then i'll have an educated stance instead of just my blind opinion on the systems.

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Post by Joel Schmidt » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:15 am

lovablechevy wrote: i have recently ordered a few games that have been problem games for the fc twin. well, only two of them actually. castlevania iii and paperboy.
I need to find someone to test Battletoads on it. So far, only Yobo's original FC game system will play it... both the FC Twin and Dual lock up randomly on the 2nd stage. Apparently the Nex and other similar systems has the problem also.

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Post by lovablechevy » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:35 am

Joel Schmidt wrote:I need to find someone to test Battletoads on it. So far, only Yobo's original FC game system will play it... both the FC Twin and Dual lock up randomly on the 2nd stage. Apparently the Nex and other similar systems has the problem also.
will do! been meaning to pick up that game at some point. just bought one off ebay. so, i'll let you know as soon as i get it! 8)

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