Portable SNES Upgrades Play Famicom, Genesis, And GBA Games

[Steven Bogos]

Portable SNES Upgrades Play Famicom, Genesis, And GBA Games

The Poke Fami DX is a portable SNES with a 3.5 inch screen and TV out.

The Retron 5 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/122953-RetroN-5-Console-Revives-NES-And-SNES-Era-Classics] is the retro-gamer's console of choice, playing retro games from nine different systems. But what if you want to play your retro titles on-the-go? The Poke Fami DX, a portable SNES, might be the right choice for you, and some upcoming adapters will allow you to play Famicom (Japanese NES), Genesis, and GBA games.

The Poke Fami DX has a 3.5 inch screen and a TV out, so you can still use it as a traditional SNES emulator if you want to. An adapter lets you plug in a second controller for multiplayer Street Fighter 2 or Mario Kart action. A GBA adapter is scheduled for release this summer, and adapters for the Famicom and Mega Drive (Japanese Sega Genesis) will be available soon too.

The system measure out to be 18 (width) x 9 (height) x 4 (depth) cm and weighs 320 grams. Included in the package is an AC adapter, controller connector, stereo AV cable, stand, cleaning cloth, and the system. A lithium battery powers the system when you're on-the-go, which boasts around 7 hours of play.

Adapters for other hardware like the Famicom, Mega Drive, and GBA are sold separately, and from the looks of things the console and its adapters are only available on specialist retailers. [http://www.amazon.co.jp/pokeFAMI-EDITION-%E3%83%9D%E3%82%B1%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%83%9F%E3%83%87%E3%82%A3%E3%83%BC%E3%82%A8%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9-%E3%83%96%E3%83%A9%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%82%A8%E3%83%87%E3%82%A3%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3-2013%E5%B9%B44%E6%9C%88%E7%99%BA%E5%A3%B2%E4%BA%88%E5%AE%9A/dp/B00C2NU0IK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366622225&sr=8-1&keywords=pokefami+dx+black+edition]

It looks like English language games work with the base SNES model of the console, but it is unknown if they will work with the new upgrades. As far as I remember, the NES and Famicom cartridges are completely different, so we can probably rule that one out, but GBA carts are the same across both regions, and i'm not sure about Mega Drive vs. Genesis.

Source & Image: Siliconera [http://www.siliconera.com/2013/04/20/portable-super-nintendo-can-be-upgraded-to-play-famicom-genesis-and-gba-games/]



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[ScrabbitRabbit]

Mega Drive (Japanese Sega Genesis) will be available soon too.

Slight correction; the Mega Drive was it's name in every area that wasn't North America, not just Japan Also, Genesis and European Megadrive carts are pretty similar, but you need an adapter to play Japanese games. I had a Japanese copy of Cyberball and it had these weird things sticking out of the side, preventing me from inserting it.

I've seen similar systems before, though they were mostly ROM based. I've considered picking one up, since the 3DS' virtual console currently leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[Snotnarok]

Huh now I've seen that too. Wonder if it's L and R buttons last longer than the nintendo handheld ones. They always crap out so quickly. A bit surprised nintendo allowed this though. Not something I'd expect to be honest.

Handhelds? Their consoles have questionable builds as well, with the 72-pin connector in the NES being the thing that WILL die (my NES is actually just dead, 100%), I have 1 dead SNES controller and my SNES is touchy as hell (Freezes if there's a good enough shake in the room), friends SNES controller is buggy.
My first Genesis controller still works perfectly as does the system with a CD upgrade, as does my friends Turbo Graphix 16, no issues with the controllers /etc.

I'm not trying to say a system is better just that I've experienced build quality differences.

^ Long story short, I haven't seen much quality in their early console builds.

If anything their handhelds have shown the opposite to me, GB,GBC,GBA,GBASP,DS were all pretty rock solid. Sometimes there's stuff that may build up in the shoulder buttons but that's easily fixed.

OT: I've never been sold on these 'portable handhelds' because ...well look at NES & SNES carts, they're large, larger than any handheld device today (all-round size) so that's ONE cart and now you have the device.
I'm aware there's some gray area with emulation on PSPs/Android phones but given some of us own many copies of some games I don't think these companies are going to wave a finger. Yeah I got like 3 copies of Sonic 3 & Knuckles, 2 copies of Megaman X I just don't see the issue

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

Who has working cartages from these consoles? My N64 and Sega Genesis games are mostly dead. Might as well get that 7 inch android tablet that's got buttons and is shaped like a ps vita and install an emulator on it. I have a hard time seeing as crime considering these cartages aren't in circulation anymore. And it's supposedly legal if you already owned the games

 

[RevRaptor]

Retro-gamer's console of choice?

You are kidding right. These things always seem silly to me. As I see it there are two types of retro gamer. Those that want the 'authentic ' experience and play one original hardware and those that want convenience who typically play on pc or tablet or some other rom handheld solution.
This thing caters to neither party. I have a few original consoles and stacks of cartridges and I still prefer emulation, Improved graphics and the ability to play on damn near anything this thing doesn?t look like it would be nearly as good as a decent tablet with attached controller. Not to mention the insane prices a lot of carts go for now days. Looks like a geek toy and little else. Real gamers know there are way better options out there.

 

[Sonic Doctor]

Who has working cartages from these consoles? My N64 and Sega Genesis games are mostly dead. Might as well get that 7 inch android tablet that's got buttons and is shaped like a ps vita and install an emulator on it. I have a hard time seeing as crime considering these cartages aren't in circulation anymore. And it's supposedly legal if you already owned the games

I do.

I still have all my old games from NES, SNES, N64, and all Gameboys. Now my NES crapped out on me, but my SNES is still fine and so is my N64, also still have a working old grey brick gameboy. To play my NES, SNES, and Genesis, I have a Retron 3.

I have a little over 50 NES games, only around 12 SNES games(my first SNES and it's games were stolen in a break in), about 12 N64 games, and 35 or so Gameboy games varying from original to Advance. I've only had one cartridge ever go bad on me and that was Zelda 2 and that was only a few years after I got it back in the day.

If you want to find cartridge games that still work, your best bet is E-Bay. My NES collection is what it is today partially because of E-Bay. I haven't purchased one game that didn't work, and you can also find NES(and other platform) games complete in box(I have 12 NES games like that already).

Also, you might want to see if you have any retro game stores in your area, or flea market style antique stores. Now I would say I'm lucky, because I have two retro game stores, one on each side of town(run by the same outfit, but they both have varied collections), and two different flea market antique stores, one in town, and one the next town over.

Seriously the retro game market is huge, because there are plenty of people like me that would rather have the original than buy some digital re-release.

 

[Denamic]

Very novel, but android phones already do that and more. Retro gamers don't need redundant hardware to be retro gamers. Gear hipsters do that shit.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

Who has working cartages from these consoles? My N64 and Sega Genesis games are mostly dead. Might as well get that 7 inch android tablet that's got buttons and is shaped like a ps vita and install an emulator on it. I have a hard time seeing as crime considering these cartages aren't in circulation anymore. And it's supposedly legal if you already owned the games

I do.

I still have all my old games from NES, SNES, N64, and all Gameboys. Now my NES crapped out on me, but my SNES is still fine and so is my N64, also still have a working old grey brick gameboy. To play my NES, SNES, and Genesis, I have a Retron 3.

I have a little over 50 NES games, only around 12 SNES games(my first SNES and it's games were stolen in a break in), about 12 N64 games, and 35 or so Gameboy games varying from original to Advance. I've only had one cartridge ever go bad on me and that was Zelda 2 and that was only a few years after I got it back in the day.

If you want to find cartridge games that still work, your best bet is E-Bay. My NES collection is what it is today partially because of E-Bay. I haven't purchased one game that didn't work, and you can also find NES(and other platform) games complete in box(I have 12 NES games like that already).

Also, you might want to see if you have any retro game stores in your area, or flea market style antique stores. Now I would say I'm lucky, because I have two retro game stores, one on each side of town(run by the same outfit, but they both have varied collections), and two different flea market antique stores, one in town, and one the next town over.

Seriously the retro game market is huge, because there are plenty of people like me that would rather have the original than buy some digital re-release.

When you put it that way, it makes sense to use something like this when you have such a huge collection. I guess my solution makes more sense for people who just want a convenient way to play the games (god forbid Nintendo actually put a lot of these on the 3DS). Collecting the games and consoles isn't impossible, I've seen them myself at flea markets. I was tempted to get one but it's more convenient for me to use an emulator

Despite what Denamic says, there's nothing stupid about collecting old games, I just think there's easier ways to go about playing them portably

 

[Big_Boss_Mantis]

Damn, I love my Xperia Play.

Now, about all that gray area sorrounding emulators...
I own a pretty large collection of old games (mostly SEGA, but I also own some great Nintendo games, like Yoshi's Island, for example), so I am playing them legally most of the time. But, sometimes, I don't feel like paying top dollar for an vintage working copy of Chrono Trigger for the SNES.

So I developed a solution for it. If I ever paid for ONE version of the game, then, what the heck, I am gonna play it in every other device that I can run it. For free!

I never owned a physical copy of Mega Man 2. But I played the hell out of that one. So when the japanese import Mega Man 2 Ps One classic showed up on PSN, I went ahead and bought it.
And there are games, like Sonic the Hedgehog (1) that I have paid COUNTLESS times for. I still own an working copy of my Mega Drive cart (two, actually). Nonetheless, I bought it for Ps 2, PSP, and PS3 in different collections.
Sonic CD is another offender. Recently I bought the same game for Android and PS3. So, if I decided to emulate the original Sega CD game on my PSP, could someone really call that an illegal emulation? If I downloaded the original iso and put it on my (still working!!!) Sega CD, would that be piracy?

Some people defend too vehemently an industry that profits hugely by selling us the past over, and over, and over again.
And, after the Virtual Console, these old games HAVE GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE. (Nintendo is asking for an ridiculous amount of money for Mega Man on the 3DS, considering how old it is and all the ways that it has been prevously cheaper)
Another example: before, you could buy one PS2 game with A LOT of SNK games from 5-6 years in the past. Now, these SAME games are 10 + years old and cost almost ten bucks EACH on the PS Store...

God Of War, Metal Gear Solid, Sonic, Mario, Mega Man, Street Fighter, The King Of Fighters, Mortal Kombat. I have PAID for them. More than once. Probably much more than enough. And probably you have too.

To me it is more important to use moral introspection and wisely choose which games/developers you want to support, than narrowly scream "emulators are bad. piracy is theft" and throw money at shady business practices, just so you could buy Sonic 1 tor the millionth time...

 

[mysecondlife]

That's great?

A lot of SNES games I care about has already been ported to GBA/DS, so I'll just stick to that.

 

[Evil Smurf]

My computer also plays retro games, and I have a DSi, why do I need this?

 

[likalaruku]

Another portable emulator that plays ROMS? Nice for travel, but I'd rather it had played SNES, GBA/GBC, & NDS.