DKC Atlas Forum

[nintendobarn]

What are your thoughts on the retron 5? Could it be the ultimate machine to play almost all of your DKC-related games or is it too good to be true?

The thing that gets my attention is the possibility to play gbc and gba with a snes controller.

http://hyperkin.com/blog/2013/03/retron-5-details-revealed-from-the-midwest-gaming-classic/

[Qyzbud]

This does look like an excellent piece of equipment — thanks for the link.

The RetroN 5 will have 5 cartridge slots allowing you to use original NES, SNES, Genesis, Famicom, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. You will also be able to use Super Famicom, Mega Drive, Game Boy Color and Game Boy cartridges as well. Because we have created a new chipset, it allows us to ensure that region locks and compatibility are no longer an issue, and the RetroN 5 will play both PAL and NTSC cartridges. CIC lockout chips and FX chips are no longer going to be an issue, as we aim to achieve 100% compatibility with all cartridges.

Very impressive.

I wonder how Nintendo views products such as this; surely a substantial amount of Nintendo's earnings comes from selling old titles as Virtual Console downloads, and this has the potential to cut into that market.

Whatever the case, I too appreciate the idea of using a SNES controller for just about everything.

The fast-forward support and upscaling shader are nice features, too:

The RetroN 5 will allow for manual and passive overclocking, giving the users the ability to speed up or slow down their games as they see fit. This option will be available on our GUI, and users will have the ability to access this at any time during gameplay by utilizing the “Home” button on the controller. You will also be able to utilize this function by programming the Macro buttons on the wireless controller as well.

Example of RetroN 5 vs. SNES upscaling:

Spoiler!

[ShaneM]

I wonder how Nintendo views products such as this; surely a substantial amount of Nintendo's earnings comes from selling old titles as Virtual Console downloads, and this has the potential to cut into that market.

First, my source: https://www.nintendo.com/corp/legal.jsp

Next, the answer (taken from their site, which I just linked to):

"How Does Nintendo Feel About the Emergence of Video Game Emulators?

The introduction of emulators created to play illegally copied Nintendo software represents the greatest threat to date to the intellectual property rights of video game developers. As is the case with any business or industry, when its products become available for free, the revenue stream supporting that industry is threatened. Such emulators have the potential to significantly damage a worldwide entertainment software industry which generates over $15 billion annually, and tens of thousands of jobs."

[Qyzbud]

Actually, I think my question was pretty much the opposite of what you've answered here.

Your response deals with Nintendo's reaction to unofficial software emulators, and the use of "illegally copied Nintendo software" — whereas my query was in regards to hardware designed to facilitate the use of legal and legitimate cartridges.

The funny thing, of course, is that before Nintendo embraced (and enabled) the downloading of their old games via the Wii's Virtual Console service, they were fundamentally opposed to software emulation — now it forms a big part of their business model.

Now, in the era of moderately priced, legally-sanctioned downloadable games, Nintendo's original creations — the old cartridges themselves — are all but redundant... but consoles like the RetroN have the potential to make cartridges relevant again — which is quite likely the last thing Nintendo would want.

It's a very interesting situation.

[Tailikku]

Having seen the videos by PatTheNESPunk and Game Sack, it's not worth it. Sure Jimmy Fallon did use it for one episode of his show so that Mike Tyson could fight himself in Punch Out, but it's riddled with problems like:

1) Can't accept unlisenced/flash/reproduction carts
2) Can't accept light guns
3) Hyperkin essentially stealing the source codes from various emulators to make this
4) Can't play Knuclkles in Sonic 2/Sonic 3 & Knuckles/Blue Sphere, it just senses Sonic & Knuckles
5) Can't recognize PAR and Game Genie
6) Crap filters and bad "enhanced" audio

Pass this up