tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88885871623912936372024-03-14T10:21:30.125-07:00The Famiclone Shelf<hr color="#c7ad59">Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-7196618110262235192018-07-22T16:42:00.002-07:002018-07-22T16:42:15.356-07:00The Game Genie Experiment<div>
As a child I was a huge fan of the Game Genie peripheral, so much so that I now own almost all of the variants that were officially produced, <i>almost</i>. After doing a bit of research I've found there was also one released for the Famicom, or perhaps more accurately Famiclones but it works on Famicom as well. Sadly these seem to be exceedingly hard to get a hold of.<br />
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After seeing the Famicom Game Genie my mind was racing, so I decided to try an experiment. At the center of the madness is a normal NES Game Genie which I plugged that into my <a href="https://thefamicloneshelf.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-nameless-nes-to-famicom-cartridge.html" target="_blank">NES to Famicom</a> adapter. Now many people may or may not know that the thickness of the Game Genie board is quite a bit bigger than any official NES, Famicom or Famiclone cartridge, so it took a bit of shoving to get the Game Genie into the adapter.</div>
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Once it was shoved in good and tight I took one of my homemade Famicom to NES adapters and plugged that into the cartridge end of the Game Genie. Then I plugged the newly formed Megazord of sorts it into my Dream Station, because it has the clearest video output, and popped a Famicom game into the other end. At first things were garbled up, but after taking it all apart and giving it a cleaning it fired right up with the code input screen.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMOlpAP6ZMU-vzr3qAI0sqYoCYah-fwrLqztWGrexjBNf2aEk_-avCveTus-uqu-cCLG5kR6Sn1QJXHjm1cfrFqpazqgP0gm24_UTKhud3tjPos5SxYj_uqLq7wrZ_rhIz_hoWFP4N7X4/s1600/36518346_234166423976040_8871048271766749184_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMOlpAP6ZMU-vzr3qAI0sqYoCYah-fwrLqztWGrexjBNf2aEk_-avCveTus-uqu-cCLG5kR6Sn1QJXHjm1cfrFqpazqgP0gm24_UTKhud3tjPos5SxYj_uqLq7wrZ_rhIz_hoWFP4N7X4/s400/36518346_234166423976040_8871048271766749184_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a beautiful mess!</td></tr>
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Not all the codes worked, but I'm used to that being the case on the NES as well, but I did manage to get some codes to work! It's tall, ugly and a long way around to get a Game Genie for the Famicom, but it does work. The overall joy of the experiment being a success was only multiplied by playing some games with codes and having some silly fun.<br />
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I know the adapters aren't available everywhere, but they should all be fairly easy to find online, as should be an NES Game Genie, if you don't have one already. Maybe someday I'll get a Famicom Game Genie, but if not I've tested a theory and proven that an NES version, with the right adapters, works perfectly fine.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-75320727405748466002018-06-03T10:54:00.001-07:002018-06-03T15:58:07.537-07:00The Super Joy IVMany Famiclone enthusiasts will certainly be familiar with the famous, perhaps infamous, Power Player Super Joy III. Personally I always wondered where the first and second had gone, but there's no time for that now as the Power Player Super Joy IV has arrived! Yes, the Super Joy family has grown a bit bigger with this new addition. Let's find out whether it's worth picking up or not.<br />
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As is standard with Power Player Super Joys you'll find everything needed to start enjoying your Super Joy IV right away inside the box; instruction manual, power adapter, AV cables, zapper gun and second player controller as well as the main console. In short, the AV cables are cheap, the power adapter is cheap and the zapper and second player controller are very small. The zapper and second player controller work perfectly well, but I find the second player controller to be a bit uncomfortable to hold for extended periods of time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8eOjZ8QSx03sxhqF7DwMT_pMuQG_oEnLd6djRHHl6hiEYZdpRfdBG-QCR4Dr97XwDm96fVSgLvfgpWxC3ejUjZnl5fAuc323x_1jnKL_D_b9wPIxw5w1JUm_UWiw-6TO5cDpL5PvX9E8/s1600/PowerPlayerSuperJoyIV.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="1520" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8eOjZ8QSx03sxhqF7DwMT_pMuQG_oEnLd6djRHHl6hiEYZdpRfdBG-QCR4Dr97XwDm96fVSgLvfgpWxC3ejUjZnl5fAuc323x_1jnKL_D_b9wPIxw5w1JUm_UWiw-6TO5cDpL5PvX9E8/s400/PowerPlayerSuperJoyIV.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The first thing anyone will notice about the Super Joy IV is the new design. Instead of the Nintendo 64 controller, this time the more ergonomic Nintendo Wavebird has been chosen to house the console. When compared to the genuine article, the Super Joy IV is just a bit bigger than the Wavebird. I'm sure dimensions had to be modified a little to get everything inside of it, but overall the shape is fairly true to the Wavebird. Personally I find the slightly bigger dimensions to be more comfortable than the real Wavebird.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvFfv_G_nGHqAtI0dfpXMtrAdDH7_sdc6F35nvnTltKP_RKyERfOdMSvJW02Ls6YXLO-ad9wLDFeOCcE9VGlQ1Zapms4nhahrc45z5B4XoNKPal9blV_2ME6KCdLpQiyG_P3s5cYQZfTb/s1600/SuperJoyIV-Wavebird.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="1549" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvFfv_G_nGHqAtI0dfpXMtrAdDH7_sdc6F35nvnTltKP_RKyERfOdMSvJW02Ls6YXLO-ad9wLDFeOCcE9VGlQ1Zapms4nhahrc45z5B4XoNKPal9blV_2ME6KCdLpQiyG_P3s5cYQZfTb/s400/SuperJoyIV-Wavebird.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The button placement is the one true fail of the Super Joy IV. In my experience the Wavebird (more accurately all Nintendo Gamecube controllers) action buttons took a little getting use to, but after playing with it for a while I became familiar with them. With the Super Joy IV the action buttons aren't very well thought out at all. The only buttons you'll really need to use, B and A, are along the far right side and kind of easily used by resting your thumb straight up and down on them, but still a bit uncomfortable. And don't get me started on the turbo buttons or the silly B <b>and</b> A combo button in the center, they're just too cumbersome for my liking.<br />
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As with every Super Joy Famiclone there are built in games. On the surface the Super Joy IV offers 60 games, but once broken down you'll get more like 50, which all things considered is pretty good for the way built in games are usually broken up. Titles such as Islander (Adventure Island), Grading (Gradius), King Kong 1, 2 and 3 (Donkey Kong) and many of the black box era games are included. In my opinion they're all solid titles; even if you never used the cartridge slot the included games are worth the price for the whole thing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXxorJtgtSPipwGwPF6UM64m8h2UcxAjEy4jxOMrnQxhBS9cPYTeEGszHmv9Hcwn7_N2BAha-KJPJWlG8k-9h_X6TIXeP-4GbET6p6Gjl0ohgcn2KGAVSUV9BOHBELb2onfyiJE_OHJ91/s1600/SuperJoy3and4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="1386" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXxorJtgtSPipwGwPF6UM64m8h2UcxAjEy4jxOMrnQxhBS9cPYTeEGszHmv9Hcwn7_N2BAha-KJPJWlG8k-9h_X6TIXeP-4GbET6p6Gjl0ohgcn2KGAVSUV9BOHBELb2onfyiJE_OHJ91/s400/SuperJoy3and4.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super Joy III compared to its younger brother the Super Joy IV</td></tr>
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One of the main draws to these types of Famiclones, I think, is that they're portable Famicom/NES style systems that will allow you to play Famicom style cartridges. My particular Super Joy IV has a very tight cartridge port that makes me uncomfortable using any of my Famicom cartridges. I managed to wiggle some in, but the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_d7jAQQ94Lh9g9f-WcbS4oYD8CCJKK_0kz_m-Je8qZi5t7k_O8TbmLQYknHOlPswS4veFHR0Iy_H26EA5WXRmgol2hfbHap4vHLkYPhU0M43hNEeGk1boC1nkD41jm06adBirScIhMsZE/s1600/SuperJoyIV-CartSlot.png" target="_blank">stabilizing ribs</a> are just too snug for me to feel comfortable pushing and pulling 20+ year old plastic in and out of there too many times. I'm sure the ribs can be shaved down, and I may do so, but I'm just more familiar with the massive area the Super Joy III offered when it actually had an open cartridge slot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr20LQr_zUmE7sbrBNqthjzA5OA1pjLpPfb-L6j-zdHtlEp9cjwLJ7iKhqGXMHZeluV2HvQpMMRTcoAS5QclTiHg5eoz5CNF4uqIrwCnVYTdatrh6XMyEGlACLp-eyiqgzZs2pBPJlB4YE/s1600/SuperJoy3and4-Back.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="1502" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr20LQr_zUmE7sbrBNqthjzA5OA1pjLpPfb-L6j-zdHtlEp9cjwLJ7iKhqGXMHZeluV2HvQpMMRTcoAS5QclTiHg5eoz5CNF4uqIrwCnVYTdatrh6XMyEGlACLp-eyiqgzZs2pBPJlB4YE/s400/SuperJoy3and4-Back.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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So what are my thoughts on the Super Joy IV? It's comfortable to hold, the only buttons you need to use aren't as easy to use as other Famiclones, but they're still functional. The included games are standard Famiclone titles, but they're all pretty good and the joystick actually works this time. Wait, what? Yes, the Super Joy III had a hard plastic joystick that was always useless, but on the Super Joy IV the joystick is very much useful. A bit stiff, but useful. All things considered I'm glad I own it because it's unique, but I feel the Super Joy III is a more user friendly Famiclone.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-60361820824293777552018-04-29T11:38:00.000-07:002018-04-29T11:38:11.067-07:00The Nameless NES to Famicom Cartridge AdapterFor NES owners who want to play Famicom games on their console the internet has documented numerous amounts of adapters that will allow you to do just that. But what about the Famicom, or as we prefer Famiclone, owner who wants to play an NES game on their Famicom/clone? Don't fret, there is an adapter that allows you to play the bountiful array of NES games on your 60 pin console!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmt8eyhFeo8z-WllUrfXD5vTxxtKueSFS3QDcZlL-hkcXbyQVP4JIqEnjMSATcyP8SUYQLcGmTYx9OhWk40gety9T_GTG8NAY5X8z9MifdludWq_wLg1TxRUzvTqmvf0WUajgu4C1ddr5/s1600/NEStoFamicom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="743" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmt8eyhFeo8z-WllUrfXD5vTxxtKueSFS3QDcZlL-hkcXbyQVP4JIqEnjMSATcyP8SUYQLcGmTYx9OhWk40gety9T_GTG8NAY5X8z9MifdludWq_wLg1TxRUzvTqmvf0WUajgu4C1ddr5/s400/NEStoFamicom.png" width="392" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Nameless 72 to 60 pin adapter, front (top) and back (bottom).</td></tr>
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In most parts of the world NES games are fairly easy to come by, and in some parts of the world Famiclones are just as prevalent, if not more so. It's in the parts of the world where these two situations meet that Famiclone owners needed a way to play the 72 pin cartridges on their Famiclones. That was when <i>Nameless Company</i> stepped in and created this fine adapter.<br />
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Since the adapter is essentially the same dimensions as a Famicom cartridge, except it has a 72 pin connector at the top, it works in much the same way. You simply plug the adapter into your Famicom or Famiclone, line up your NES cartridge's angled edges (NES label facing the back of the console), and plug that into the adapter. Voila! You're ready to play NES games on your Famicom or clone console.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DjuRoWDc9Nv0mqPeeLAgQl3MNTdstRCOlGkVk96ehZUmn0grHuPEkZj8GYfsNlXVKBEbe91XLwdIGxKwAnjLUe82zyGzsireGG-OVxkiE5WKACZvBMAKmM1K5QszZH2Yr1k9npjfX7U4/s1600/NEStoFamicom2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="979" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DjuRoWDc9Nv0mqPeeLAgQl3MNTdstRCOlGkVk96ehZUmn0grHuPEkZj8GYfsNlXVKBEbe91XLwdIGxKwAnjLUe82zyGzsireGG-OVxkiE5WKACZvBMAKmM1K5QszZH2Yr1k9npjfX7U4/s400/NEStoFamicom2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
The quality of the adapter seems very sturdy overall. With a cheap, nameless adapter one could assume you may run into situations of accidentally bumping the console and getting a vomit of pixels and colors upon the screen. I can't say with complete confidence as I've never given it a thorough testing but I have used this in a handheld Famiclone, which included a lot of movement, and never experienced any adverse effects, glitches or disturbances to gameplay.<br />
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Since I don't want to break the adapter open and see the inner workings I've never seen what's inside. Considering this is a bit of a Schrodinger's cat situation, I'm just going to assume this is a straight pass-through device that connects all the necessary pins down from the 72 to 60 and onto the system. As such I've never had any incompatibility issues.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nPhyyJkJ-jFWt0yKRim2HrTdITtZ2JtaaYjCE-TW75XLTfdWM5zCEM3_BXy6Gn2hkqt6VDqfHiKv8qvUuKlc1P-oTDqRlZLqflFnl0F9NkvnsENCYNVAJ4Xi2Hn4M26nfkvCrLXE6POD/s1600/AdapterUse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1080" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nPhyyJkJ-jFWt0yKRim2HrTdITtZ2JtaaYjCE-TW75XLTfdWM5zCEM3_BXy6Gn2hkqt6VDqfHiKv8qvUuKlc1P-oTDqRlZLqflFnl0F9NkvnsENCYNVAJ4Xi2Hn4M26nfkvCrLXE6POD/s400/AdapterUse.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using the Nameless adapter to check the<br />
functionality of a Super Joy 3 that doesn't have a housing.</td></tr>
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Sadly there isn't much information I can offer in the way of how to find one of these. At the time I bought mine, about 4 years ago, they were readily available on foreign ebay sites such as MercadoLibre. Currently I can not find any, but that's not to say they won't make a comeback in the future at some point.</div>
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I find this little adapter to be very useful for my needs. If I want to play a Famiclone and later on I want to play an NES game, it's far easier for me to just pop this adapter in and put the NES game on top of it and play. No need to fidget with my NES for a few minutes before it decides to work. I'm quite happy with this little adapter, even though the company who made it clearly wasn't, because they didn't even bother to name the poor thing.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-64527027300750640302015-08-19T12:56:00.001-07:002015-08-19T12:56:31.136-07:00Famicom Adapter for Power Joy VoyagerWithin the past year I've come to find that many different companies have their own Famiclone shaped similar to the Power Joy Voyager. While I'm very glad that mine came with the cartridge, allowing it to work as a Famiclone and not just a portable LCD game, it <b>did not</b> come with an adapter to allow it to play actual Famicom style cartridges. Units under names such as <a href="http://www.videogameobsession.com/videogame/hk/drboy.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dr. Boy</a> and a handful of others actually came with a really neat 60 to proprietary (whatever these style of clones use) adapter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSZBvx_r3ZxC31DfOPDLExDpaiCAXV_ZaHdPirrpjO5_r5Ox_lEcwZ09IuNvkeLquxcQIihyphenhyphenAAdXaV0ZMOC1SI_UOc8MUxkD9VetTS1r4ItvYv0aeQ4g9RB1csvje4KbrJofuqOyl5C-L/s1600/PowerJoyVoyager.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSZBvx_r3ZxC31DfOPDLExDpaiCAXV_ZaHdPirrpjO5_r5Ox_lEcwZ09IuNvkeLquxcQIihyphenhyphenAAdXaV0ZMOC1SI_UOc8MUxkD9VetTS1r4ItvYv0aeQ4g9RB1csvje4KbrJofuqOyl5C-L/s320/PowerJoyVoyager.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the same color, but it works!</td></tr>
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After some internal debating I decided to acquire one, just to have one. I figured it would open up the chance to use this oddball Famiclone as a full fledged Famiclone, instead of just the cartridge it comes with. Not to say that the cartridge it comes with is bad, but again it's proprietary, restricting the usage to whatever is on the cartridge it comes with.</div>
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Now it may not seem like a lot to most people, but I find this adapter to be quite a useful little tool. The Power Joy Voyager is no longer restricted to just the cartridge it comes with. Now I can use any of my Famicom cartridges, multi-carts or maybe even a Famicom Everdrive, if I decided to buy one in the future.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VEX9q9krYNw9w-FDx_7XDCIUL4QlKc5FZ0SacdBCtx8X-27M28LSGeY2vtck7XCvsFx8a3EiKI6IGG2KfrbKMZKtwUCktGLRak0MsSGIILj8BZR9VYoqxCImR-FHodxcExk981ePKCew/s1600/PowerJoyVoyagerFront.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VEX9q9krYNw9w-FDx_7XDCIUL4QlKc5FZ0SacdBCtx8X-27M28LSGeY2vtck7XCvsFx8a3EiKI6IGG2KfrbKMZKtwUCktGLRak0MsSGIILj8BZR9VYoqxCImR-FHodxcExk981ePKCew/s320/PowerJoyVoyagerFront.png" width="167" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Use it with Famicom games...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPtKW-CfV3mZZ5FEeh9C3CWRm1NBFTkNUtMz1oMIp2KKpaeCDuOna0aM7IxPt7iugb8m7CjnS6gqPe0eTzDdcw-FwFsOo_QR63-y-IiAVw9rd2eEW4p8YwdQT1-WftGfmLqzbz-oj4PEP/s1600/Silly.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPtKW-CfV3mZZ5FEeh9C3CWRm1NBFTkNUtMz1oMIp2KKpaeCDuOna0aM7IxPt7iugb8m7CjnS6gqPe0eTzDdcw-FwFsOo_QR63-y-IiAVw9rd2eEW4p8YwdQT1-WftGfmLqzbz-oj4PEP/s400/Silly.png" width="156" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">or just be completely silly!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-62026560241190406832014-07-10T09:43:00.000-07:002014-07-10T09:43:17.987-07:00Innovation Super 8 Compatibility Fix Mod<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After owning the Innovation Super 8 for over a year, I have to say that I haven't used it very much. The truth is that it's a bit of a problem child, and getting this thing to work properly at a moment's notice is next to impossible. The connecting board is noticeably thinner than any actual SNES or Super Famicom game, making it hard for the console to actually make proper contact with the already imbalanced add-on.</div>
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The second issue is that the AV contacts aren't too tight either. Often times I'll be fiddling with the console to get it to work, only to have it work with poor video or no audio. This is quickly remedied by pushing the AV connector back into the Super 8, but sometimes even that slight movement can throw the system off balance and cause it to glitch out, causing me to restart the whole Super 8 balancing dance again.</div>
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There is another issue that was a blatant flaw left within the Super 8, perhaps by Innovation or the company that manufactured the units for them. At first I didn't really see this as an issue, as it didn't directly affect me. I simply liked having an add-on Famiclone for my SNES that allowed me to play Famicom, NES and play my SNES region free without having to cut out the little tabs in the cartridge slot.</div>
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Shortly after I got my Super 8 I did some research as to how compatible it was, since it is a NOAC. One of the main issues that popped up wasn't caused by the NOAC, but rather that it wasn't compatible with the Super Gameboy or SNES games that utilized the Super FX chip. I'm not sure who or why they made this decision, but there was an intentional gap in one of the traces leading to the connecting contacts.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bQ_OL_A1GaDkcvT1WVka-qVmYTOj1fapl0CT3ck-RVskjKn_ZTbHWdWupTro6bOaPI_7pA5Hq5SukfRBvnSvyDRYtQYgOqM6Uzey6QzyXDXsGQPfxXGpdDsPglovzZAt1P8Vtjqli7pQ/s1600/Super8Mod.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bQ_OL_A1GaDkcvT1WVka-qVmYTOj1fapl0CT3ck-RVskjKn_ZTbHWdWupTro6bOaPI_7pA5Hq5SukfRBvnSvyDRYtQYgOqM6Uzey6QzyXDXsGQPfxXGpdDsPglovzZAt1P8Vtjqli7pQ/s1600/Super8Mod.png" height="196" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trace on the far right shows an unmistakable gap.</td></tr>
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For the longest time I just let this flaw go, as I don't currently own any games that would be affected. I did, however, check my Super Gameboy, which yielded less than savory results. The Super Gameboy loaded and worked, except it was too slow to be of any real use. This didn't really bother me, as I just preferred to pop the Super Gameboy directly into my SNES and play it that way.<br />
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As time went on I felt that it would be a simple and easy mod, so why not just give it a try? I don't really use the Super 8, but it would still be useful to make sure it was compatible with Super FX chip games and the Super Gameboy, even if I don't currently need it to be.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinG_zUMR0mKIvwxTqTbozmdWNGPJa9rAWoep7EUMvjrEE5wrPqGWRFQAQ4m-0L_0JnrtChMZ5gLngt0ajTWGclMyC0kcgdOuJ0MoMNgwvH9Mq7ZvCiv0TC-Xr0qQqmUFrq1OEhFqGb1TuJ/s1600/Super8Mod%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinG_zUMR0mKIvwxTqTbozmdWNGPJa9rAWoep7EUMvjrEE5wrPqGWRFQAQ4m-0L_0JnrtChMZ5gLngt0ajTWGclMyC0kcgdOuJ0MoMNgwvH9Mq7ZvCiv0TC-Xr0qQqmUFrq1OEhFqGb1TuJ/s1600/Super8Mod%25282%2529.png" height="311" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The intentional gap with clean areas to be soldered.</td></tr>
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I started by taking the unit apart, to reveal the area I needed to work. Then I carefully scraped away a small portion on both sides of the gap, to allow me to bridge the gap with solder. My original idea was to solder a small bit of wire, but since the gap wasn't very big I figured I could just bridge the gap with solder.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVei7yFRAZHuHHlizk9XTKm7okPpVqvHQ3YBnUNgKnExiY0hJe16vinbcOkY3G8DpjIkPYtJtE8v8lPA95XR2Evqx_Tb40SgtVW8DKoZ84yhp0mpOXPQMfVQ9HUJvTlWXs-SRrPcPF1V7/s1600/Super8Mod%25283%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVei7yFRAZHuHHlizk9XTKm7okPpVqvHQ3YBnUNgKnExiY0hJe16vinbcOkY3G8DpjIkPYtJtE8v8lPA95XR2Evqx_Tb40SgtVW8DKoZ84yhp0mpOXPQMfVQ9HUJvTlWXs-SRrPcPF1V7/s1600/Super8Mod%25283%2529.png" height="216" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the prettiest, but it does the job!</td></tr>
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I am by no means a world class soldering master, but I managed to bridge the gap. Sure it doesn't look very good, and it took longer than I expected to get the two sides to actually join up, but the connection is solid and works perfectly. After fiddling with the system for a while I managed to get it to balance with my Super Gameboy in it and it ran correctly. I still can't be 100% sure that it works with Super FX chip games, but I'm going to boldly assume that since it's just a pass through for SNES games it should work just fine.<div>
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If you own or are thinking about purchasing a Super 8, this is an extremely easy and worthwhile mod. As the picture shows, I won't be winning any rewards for my soldering skills, but it got the job done, besides this is hidden within the unit and can't be seen unless the unit it taken apart. But sadly, this mod really doesn't benefit me, because I'll just be sick of trying to get the Super 8 to work and pack it away again.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-32269699402898738052014-06-29T18:26:00.001-07:002014-06-29T18:26:23.834-07:00Power Player Super Joy 3, the Super Joystick!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Throughout the years I passed up so many Super Joy consoles, because I didn't know exactly what they were. Later on, when my interest in handheld Famiclones started to grow, I found a powder blue Super Joy 3 and I decided to take a chance on it. I had only done a little research on Power Joys, but I was told the Super Joy 3 was essentially the same type of Famiclone, meaning this thing played classic NES/Famicom games, and supposedly played Famicom cartridges. Those two facts alone were well worth the couple of dollars I paid for it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTLv82j41LBKqz3Yhq6VeDUQ9_6u6VlPpAwbM-ZmdT9Dl_8v0lDJG-EaBd4tFddLG9Cz1EDjPXq8wE_4evRhs2QK-ZhFHfIcUBuwM5ZjrSiATcaniiv5zDOJYhd6XqDce1DZlhuk9Z_mB/s1600/SuperJoys.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTLv82j41LBKqz3Yhq6VeDUQ9_6u6VlPpAwbM-ZmdT9Dl_8v0lDJG-EaBd4tFddLG9Cz1EDjPXq8wE_4evRhs2QK-ZhFHfIcUBuwM5ZjrSiATcaniiv5zDOJYhd6XqDce1DZlhuk9Z_mB/s1600/SuperJoys.png" height="227" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My very first Famiclone is the one on the far left side.</td></tr>
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When I got home I scrambled to find all the needed cables and batteries to give the thing a complete test. After powering the system on I was greeted by a little bit of music and a screen boasting 12000 games, which I now know is just a marketing ploy to move these things off the shelves. After a little bit of playing around, I started to wonder how these things could play Famicom cartridges, because mine didn't have any visible cartridge slot. Instead mine had some weird cover protruded from under the console, which caused my hands to cramp if I used it for too long, with absolutely no possible way to externally connect a Famicom game.</div>
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After carefully removing the the plastic cover, so that I could reattach it later, I found the 60 pin connector with a small board stuck inside. I grabbed a Famicom game I had bought a few months prior and tried to get it to fit, but there was no hope. I decided I should take the Super Joy 3 apart and see if this thing really would play Famicom games through that slot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNJid1Y6VblFDS9v7qyfc5DTlSryMpWmFqhXIGJBr0alGN0R4Y-aUw8cRjp0XR6NXLIscsRaR_ewymx-44cFXWCVXib-6LQg7lXtqtfx6j2dPhwDE8YDyvKmWuj3bVwBC21325P2v8lJ5/s1600/Blue_Power_Joy%25284%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNJid1Y6VblFDS9v7qyfc5DTlSryMpWmFqhXIGJBr0alGN0R4Y-aUw8cRjp0XR6NXLIscsRaR_ewymx-44cFXWCVXib-6LQg7lXtqtfx6j2dPhwDE8YDyvKmWuj3bVwBC21325P2v8lJ5/s1600/Blue_Power_Joy%25284%2529.png" height="274" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMElQUt2Kz06rktaiyFItOxzPSoUn1GHk4wHvNj6CHtu9PFZxkG6ZwzybaqUXM5V3zQEo88lLw9K7rejBU9qLkynKfo_Y1kQEyxDr0LmQrSVYK0UnF7rugbWSViOngh9tTCiJsKo3oU8Oo/s1600/Blue_Power_Joy%25285%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMElQUt2Kz06rktaiyFItOxzPSoUn1GHk4wHvNj6CHtu9PFZxkG6ZwzybaqUXM5V3zQEo88lLw9K7rejBU9qLkynKfo_Y1kQEyxDr0LmQrSVYK0UnF7rugbWSViOngh9tTCiJsKo3oU8Oo/s1600/Blue_Power_Joy%25285%2529.png" height="290" width="320" /></a></div>
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The answer was a resounding yes; yes these things really do play Famicom cartridges. But if I had to take the whole thing apart, rendering in useless, how was I suppose to actually utilize this fact? In frustration, I just put the Super Joy 3 in my closet and used it on occasion the way it was, until I happened to find another Super Joy 3, this time with an actual slot to put a cartridge in.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHahAMFvIc95jy3hNM_fXPwHFKWj0wSaTzV5qDzpQxvYb3NsHJ-q16tlL3tIupuR4RjJlTaH2rfl7YMRp4F04KxHsSJNjXLvCliTjH3BO202nf102tiTJqkZr2kdvNcQsAu_5jx2yYTp_/s1600/SuperJoy3Back.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHahAMFvIc95jy3hNM_fXPwHFKWj0wSaTzV5qDzpQxvYb3NsHJ-q16tlL3tIupuR4RjJlTaH2rfl7YMRp4F04KxHsSJNjXLvCliTjH3BO202nf102tiTJqkZr2kdvNcQsAu_5jx2yYTp_/s1600/SuperJoy3Back.png" height="225" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RxGAT6Y6ypWf2EHmnntLH_JBDuVbvGvyOehyphenhyphentWJkA4TIj1XnlJmo8LSMEBxYKcT83o1dOYnFpp7YcY4iU0lryOKQB-9wK4qmipXIK-NkWPNzc9H9jr2aNFnQRzm1mby3tZFCdvqk6utA/s1600/Blue_Power_Joy%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RxGAT6Y6ypWf2EHmnntLH_JBDuVbvGvyOehyphenhyphentWJkA4TIj1XnlJmo8LSMEBxYKcT83o1dOYnFpp7YcY4iU0lryOKQB-9wK4qmipXIK-NkWPNzc9H9jr2aNFnQRzm1mby3tZFCdvqk6utA/s1600/Blue_Power_Joy%25282%2529.png" height="232" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you can see above, the Super Joy 3 comes in 2 external variations. The first, and most common, has an actual Famicom sized slot on the bottom, allowing for cartridge insertion, opening the library to any Famicom (or pirate) cart you own. The second design still has the cartridge slot, but it's molded so that the unit only allows for the inserted rom board, leaving no room for any actual cartridge to be plugged in.</div>
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My collection has grown quite a bit, and hopefully will continue to grow, so I've found that although the Super Joy 3 is your typical handheld Famiclone, stuffed into an N64 style controller, there are at least two different programs inside that I've found. The first being the one I previously mentioned that boots up with a little bit of music and boasts 12000 games. The second one boots up with no music, a black background and Fun Time written in green, before going to a screen of 78000 options.</div>
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The overall quality varies from unit to unit as well. Some of my Super Joys have very nice video output, while others have lines in the background, and others have fuzzy, snowy screens that are almost unplayable! While the inner workings vary from unit to unit, the outer construction tends to stay the same with cheap plastics throughout. I have noticed a slight button variation, but it really isn't a plus or minus as they are all buttons and do their required jobs, no matter what plastic they used.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRX0Mgy8KbtIrJBIQJ6shukI3gui81Q9Arn0wqDDfcLho2Cg_8FBHfGLwdVV2MQIvaO_wS8jajWvC2KgQ7Rn7Ba199e710np33baFd0manFh8JbOT39rCXOPPCNBfauiTpPLMn8NSKAgOi/s1600/Blue_Power_Joy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRX0Mgy8KbtIrJBIQJ6shukI3gui81Q9Arn0wqDDfcLho2Cg_8FBHfGLwdVV2MQIvaO_wS8jajWvC2KgQ7Rn7Ba199e710np33baFd0manFh8JbOT39rCXOPPCNBfauiTpPLMn8NSKAgOi/s1600/Blue_Power_Joy.png" height="142" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1T45np9-n7nd2VtWOdj5MzNcATsODE4XYzvYiNOa0uEmKSSBSxf_jj2Hdl7bug670UbDem5xGU-g6dxhbm8Yfd9ioTXG5CdY3f5HKMi4FIQr2wHaUJJOl_5mOwS5ndxV176eCcrn_U0_g/s1600/SuperJoy3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1T45np9-n7nd2VtWOdj5MzNcATsODE4XYzvYiNOa0uEmKSSBSxf_jj2Hdl7bug670UbDem5xGU-g6dxhbm8Yfd9ioTXG5CdY3f5HKMi4FIQr2wHaUJJOl_5mOwS5ndxV176eCcrn_U0_g/s1600/SuperJoy3.png" height="141" width="400" /></a></div>
The Super Joy 3 has a player 2/light gun port on the very front of the unit, outside of where the battery pack goes. I've never owned a brand new Super Joy 3, so I can't comment on the quality of the zapper, but I do happen to own three of the second player controllers. Player 2 controllers are modeled heavily off a Sega Genesis controller, with slight modifications. These controllers are ok, for what they do, and work well with almost any other Famiclone you have as controllers for either player.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DniD5x9czg0epSJjVVSGkMr3_6nLK5smiHsRL40lcs-Zd2na9cw7VzgNvj6sBYoVlCBJ0gxMmKGK7GVrNfw3cYn5bFKoesKLrqTEl3uxtGj0AVuTDa2vxPlIqyo70vxFeLwGsBCYLkoZ/s1600/PowerGamesController.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DniD5x9czg0epSJjVVSGkMr3_6nLK5smiHsRL40lcs-Zd2na9cw7VzgNvj6sBYoVlCBJ0gxMmKGK7GVrNfw3cYn5bFKoesKLrqTEl3uxtGj0AVuTDa2vxPlIqyo70vxFeLwGsBCYLkoZ/s1600/PowerGamesController.png" height="173" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgN3a2QCHw4nfKBtKzAXxFUvGCOr3vRojS9VXvIbk-7ymk9oLiKSNEWDQ8uohD4CgUUb-o96VX-LfQekUJo1kb2wjuwVagZqaa01DhAmZ1mkrT7V3KEhEwIvT5eMgrDPfEzpZmxrLYfhV4/s1600/PowerGamesControllerBack.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgN3a2QCHw4nfKBtKzAXxFUvGCOr3vRojS9VXvIbk-7ymk9oLiKSNEWDQ8uohD4CgUUb-o96VX-LfQekUJo1kb2wjuwVagZqaa01DhAmZ1mkrT7V3KEhEwIvT5eMgrDPfEzpZmxrLYfhV4/s1600/PowerGamesControllerBack.png" height="170" width="320" /></a></div>
After collecting my first one, it seemed that I found them all over the place. If one of them happened to cross my path that I felt the price was worth paying, I couldn't pass it up. So, needless to say, my Super Joy collection has expanded to a total of six. I can't really say the Super Joy is a great unit, because it varies from unit to unit, but I can say that if you get your hands on one that works correctly, it's a great little handheld Famiclone.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-18474751787520065742014-06-16T18:43:00.000-07:002014-06-16T18:43:33.840-07:00The vsMaxx MaxxPlayWhen I first started to collect Famiclones, the only ones I could find were the handheld, N64 controller inspired ones. My very first being a Power Joy that I picked up, on a whim, after seeing a handful of them scattered around different thrift stores, but never having picked one up. Shortly after that I found a Super Joy 3, and after that was the vsMaxx MaxxPlay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkz5agpHXK6sZovTiF38i_fodc7UvPWxMuH_NAXYFUtq07O4dROw10S45p1rxnrUu9L6RuPTRtQc9UY6nxL6LcQ7YGDuZd3Hr3SJD5W0JdR1RHPjwFZVdBBsDJU5sPoX7_2LthNBg6fyfT/s1600/MaxxPlay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkz5agpHXK6sZovTiF38i_fodc7UvPWxMuH_NAXYFUtq07O4dROw10S45p1rxnrUu9L6RuPTRtQc9UY6nxL6LcQ7YGDuZd3Hr3SJD5W0JdR1RHPjwFZVdBBsDJU5sPoX7_2LthNBg6fyfT/s1600/MaxxPlay.png" height="291" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The console (left) and 2nd player controller look virtually identical</td></tr>
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The MaxxPlay just isn't the same breed of Famiclone as the other handheld Famiclones, it stands out in quite a few ways. Most notably is the fact that the MaxxPlay has the best build quality out of any of my other handheld Famiclones. Although it does look like the typical Famiclone in an N64 style controller, this one feels far superior and a lot more solid when you hold it in your hands.<br />
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As soon as I first played the MaxxPlay I could immediately feel how different it was from the Super Joy and Power Joy systems I own. The plastic is substantially more rigid, the d-pad (and working joystick, might I add) is more accurate, and the buttons have a really nice springy response. Another step above is that the intro screen is a very well illustrated set of instructions on how to use the system, in case for some reason you couldn't figure it out otherwise.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdLOWfQYSdISXHfJ7e4aZF_FxYL9B67-7GJtRzDG6vQsj_TSaUW-hATSmvR5R_TNjhfiuP5W3HDM9rsgPFs1yVHzs9nWu7h_BngX6eQCEIVkl4IVBTRdeOnwwxyTV2jNgpMqy-GgK3PIe/s1600/MaxxPlayScreen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdLOWfQYSdISXHfJ7e4aZF_FxYL9B67-7GJtRzDG6vQsj_TSaUW-hATSmvR5R_TNjhfiuP5W3HDM9rsgPFs1yVHzs9nWu7h_BngX6eQCEIVkl4IVBTRdeOnwwxyTV2jNgpMqy-GgK3PIe/s1600/MaxxPlayScreen.png" height="303" width="400" /></a></div>
The basic design is much the same as many plug n play Famiclones: N64 controller styling, adjusted to suit the needs of the system dwelling within, with a Famicom 60 pin connector attached to the bottom and using the memory card slot as the battery pack receptacle. While also integrating a light gun, the MaxxPlay has added LEDs on either side of the barrel. And, just like the Power Joy, the plug for player 2, as well as the system's hardwired AV cables, are located on the bottom of the light gun handle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iKitTUr1_WM6Xdjk8a7F8y5dxcrHZnTEdIcqyuNfRD_8lYLtAv0yUbwvgOa6_B7IdxvwBwX49ttSOiupq91inLWyIV987En786wnU-W92HVwxKVTZ8taJyOsoHH_LCcW-iZwvOGMAvxn/s1600/Systems2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iKitTUr1_WM6Xdjk8a7F8y5dxcrHZnTEdIcqyuNfRD_8lYLtAv0yUbwvgOa6_B7IdxvwBwX49ttSOiupq91inLWyIV987En786wnU-W92HVwxKVTZ8taJyOsoHH_LCcW-iZwvOGMAvxn/s1600/Systems2.png" height="320" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom of player 2 controller</td></tr>
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The main system functions well with 95 built-in games, but the 60 pin connector on the bottom is plagued by the same tight, uncomfortable placement as all other plug n play Famiclones. Although this time there isn’t enough space to make a good enough connection for most of my Famicom cartridges to even work. I have found out that, by their poorly made nature, pirate carts work slightly better. Even so, if you accidentally bump the cartridge you’re going to need to reset the system and try again.<br />
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The second player controller is a feature that intrigues me as well as confuses me, all at the same time. The second player controller is completely identical to the main system, without the integrated battery pack holder, but they did leave a bit of it to become a stand for the controller. The second player controller works just as well as the main system controller, but it too has a built-in light gun, which I found a bit excessive, but whatever.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx6LdTviLTVRhcP3RgBGk_rmPii-HL3-rXuJt92bsL1Tby8Q_GZrICNTFEv4zjKhPeMtHulO0RF1uzxLuMPmd2G3LgKZ8s2mH2e0exm5o-ro7hYkeOrzjYdn8eA7_85fA1L3b0GChV5JV/s1600/MaxxPlayer2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx6LdTviLTVRhcP3RgBGk_rmPii-HL3-rXuJt92bsL1Tby8Q_GZrICNTFEv4zjKhPeMtHulO0RF1uzxLuMPmd2G3LgKZ8s2mH2e0exm5o-ro7hYkeOrzjYdn8eA7_85fA1L3b0GChV5JV/s1600/MaxxPlayer2.png" height="241" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like the second player controller so much, I actually own four of them.</td></tr>
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Even though it's plagued with tight space issues and a 60 pin connector that only works sometimes, the vsMaxx MaxxPlay is still a system worth owning, simply for the build quality and games built-in. The 95 built-in games are hacks of their original counterparts, but you'll probably find them all fairly familiar. The solid plastic and very good controls push this, easily, above all other handheld Famiclones I own.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidknAA52LVB5y-PlzPMNC5O18Z17TJqnL83bl2jcA2Nj0rWAMPbzKzYbWcVHODnxth59cl8wU0kJ5qsfxy7ogFaPzfpnDmL115eVVYpKWOq5sKKuNXqqLl_w5eXC8sZ_1Rn9QkrU7Om5lo/s1600/vsMaxxMaxxPlay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidknAA52LVB5y-PlzPMNC5O18Z17TJqnL83bl2jcA2Nj0rWAMPbzKzYbWcVHODnxth59cl8wU0kJ5qsfxy7ogFaPzfpnDmL115eVVYpKWOq5sKKuNXqqLl_w5eXC8sZ_1Rn9QkrU7Om5lo/s1600/vsMaxxMaxxPlay.png" height="278" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and I like the console so much, I actually own three of them!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-11356727392218503172014-06-11T10:35:00.001-07:002014-06-11T16:53:33.374-07:00Famiclone Light GunsIf there is one genre of games that Famiclones and pirated multi-carts love to adorn themselves with, it has to be light gun games. Such classics as Duck Hunt, and all its hacked variations, Gotcha!, Hogans Alley and many more are some of the most common games I find on multi-carts. That means there is one accessory almost every Famiclone has to include in some shape or form, the light gun.<br />
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Through testing nearly every light gun I own I can safely say they all work pretty much the same, so I'm not going to bother doing a proper review. But I am going to go over the different kinds I own and give a bit of an explanation about them. Many different Famiclones come with many different shaped, colored and sized light guns, so here is my collection.<br />
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First up are what I like to call the System Light Guns. These are the handheld consoles, such as the Power Joy and MaxxPlay, that are a console and light gun in one unit. Even though the MaxxPlay already has a light gun in the console unit, the controller for player 2 is the exact same shape and has a light gun built in as well. A bit excessive if you ask me, but all of the System Light Guns I've used are accurate and comfortable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLtAV4qlleWTOpz2vkJD5M825je6zBZjKn5pHgOfkkPc9Bi-b5gpmDxACiyHlIcP6VZXE4hBdPdFrxKAzh2TyOyA2xM-SlMrDEpXHjf1LEkSIFUr7Yfi92UVaR01JLFjThT8QewoXWQHI/s1600/Systems.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLtAV4qlleWTOpz2vkJD5M825je6zBZjKn5pHgOfkkPc9Bi-b5gpmDxACiyHlIcP6VZXE4hBdPdFrxKAzh2TyOyA2xM-SlMrDEpXHjf1LEkSIFUr7Yfi92UVaR01JLFjThT8QewoXWQHI/s1600/Systems.png" height="190" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iKitTUr1_WM6Xdjk8a7F8y5dxcrHZnTEdIcqyuNfRD_8lYLtAv0yUbwvgOa6_B7IdxvwBwX49ttSOiupq91inLWyIV987En786wnU-W92HVwxKVTZ8taJyOsoHH_LCcW-iZwvOGMAvxn/s1600/Systems2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iKitTUr1_WM6Xdjk8a7F8y5dxcrHZnTEdIcqyuNfRD_8lYLtAv0yUbwvgOa6_B7IdxvwBwX49ttSOiupq91inLWyIV987En786wnU-W92HVwxKVTZ8taJyOsoHH_LCcW-iZwvOGMAvxn/s1600/Systems2.png" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Next are the daisy chained controllers for the Power Joy Voyager. For some reason mine have stopped working, which upset me greatly. These are unique little controllers. One controller is perfectly normal, but the other one is a bit elongated and has a trigger and barrel integrated for the light gun feature. Being as small as it is, this is a bit uncomfortable in my hands, personally, but isn't completely useless.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslBNnZHHVkUlVOEZ7i7XrMoFPpLgiWKNnMSgFJ9UI1mQ4KU8BryVy3Yab48oq6fbQ8BNwOR1vWOmnhdwjVJ2bxSBmuUXFSfEKxn4vSK-q7Z1gV_v7_yfe1aU7fnleLlH-yMZlSTq-v1YH/s1600/Voyager.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslBNnZHHVkUlVOEZ7i7XrMoFPpLgiWKNnMSgFJ9UI1mQ4KU8BryVy3Yab48oq6fbQ8BNwOR1vWOmnhdwjVJ2bxSBmuUXFSfEKxn4vSK-q7Z1gV_v7_yfe1aU7fnleLlH-yMZlSTq-v1YH/s1600/Voyager.png" height="320" width="284" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzgo7qTDOx5j9BbhFOuO_SaD_vCA1aeeo90ayiPPpYFsi9ydUwKjouBm8s2oEREQxcE6ojO-qjrPqvks__4JVh_aQMlyDhLIKjDi3uXe5S5O6-ALXqF7RkNyZ-c_o9mjgqZ4MNwFFAhs1/s1600/Voyager2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzgo7qTDOx5j9BbhFOuO_SaD_vCA1aeeo90ayiPPpYFsi9ydUwKjouBm8s2oEREQxcE6ojO-qjrPqvks__4JVh_aQMlyDhLIKjDi3uXe5S5O6-ALXqF7RkNyZ-c_o9mjgqZ4MNwFFAhs1/s1600/Voyager2.png" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">One of the most popular light guns included with Famiclones has to be what I call the Panther, because it's written across almost all of them. Molded after a real handgun (I have no clue which), this one is probably the most comfortable light gun design I've used. The only problem I have is that the orange one doesn't work properly with any of my Famiclones, all it does it reset the console. I suppose if I needed a remote reset button that would be perfect, but I would prefer a bright orange light gun. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hFSTyqur-_bXbrQzYETMHRhg2soGKJTaUJReAQP6A73Q0h5b3NZPBXJrSL8Q_3GbK2ScipJLNDKIco4wMbU_IFQF7DzuGQKsdheBhgqkFG1K3_19Co-IPSEVp_p8Xex5wx9bCZS9JgTo/s1600/Panther.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hFSTyqur-_bXbrQzYETMHRhg2soGKJTaUJReAQP6A73Q0h5b3NZPBXJrSL8Q_3GbK2ScipJLNDKIco4wMbU_IFQF7DzuGQKsdheBhgqkFG1K3_19Co-IPSEVp_p8Xex5wx9bCZS9JgTo/s1600/Panther.png" height="251" width="640" /></a></div>
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Next is a knew one for me, this one is molded off the Lethal Enforcers arcade gun, I believe. It's very comfortable, but I haven't fully tested this one for accuracy or even if it works! Yeah, I'm a bit lazy, but it looks cool.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmahcbRpvPiu5FEkKT_XBaeYYc0unjpOBUqtTWwQ_hURC90qy-dWJgBQJoHpsdSP4hHwUv1FXrf8L_sPkccbxwid8yIsWoxOi_AyJkJOWB1mSR4d3295PtkgBjqi4Sfx_9Ct15208sv19c/s1600/LethalEnforcers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmahcbRpvPiu5FEkKT_XBaeYYc0unjpOBUqtTWwQ_hURC90qy-dWJgBQJoHpsdSP4hHwUv1FXrf8L_sPkccbxwid8yIsWoxOi_AyJkJOWB1mSR4d3295PtkgBjqi4Sfx_9Ct15208sv19c/s1600/LethalEnforcers.png" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
Lastly we come to my personal favorite, at least in terms of looks. Up to this point all of the light guns have used the standard DB-9 style connector. This one, however, uses the Famicom style connector. Sadly this one is broken; the internal switching mechanism is poorly thought out, even for Chinese Famiclone standards. I've seen a few of these online that actually have a small, red, flip up sight in the back, which this one has the holes for. Even though this doesn't work, it's still a very cool Famiclone light gun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgO9dABIGa5__V3OX2UrnRrhSh16N0unPyLOyI_TiEiczOkqrJljk4spKmKQuIYoXGY6LyG036n8NUSOFjLJvJot4IhRsUTPg-OOXgFYwjwEherQfDFdJlyV9CRUkJZ-lXmRJn-h_xcTSn/s1600/Zapper.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgO9dABIGa5__V3OX2UrnRrhSh16N0unPyLOyI_TiEiczOkqrJljk4spKmKQuIYoXGY6LyG036n8NUSOFjLJvJot4IhRsUTPg-OOXgFYwjwEherQfDFdJlyV9CRUkJZ-lXmRJn-h_xcTSn/s1600/Zapper.png" height="270" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Addendum:</span></b></div>
After posting this article I sat down and played around with some of the guns I had not tested, mainly the Lethal Enforcers gun. Out of all the guns I own, the Lethal Enforcers, orange Panther style, as well as the Panther with the brown grips would not work properly. I believe the NES zapper style will work, it just needs a switch installed, which is easier said than done.<div>
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The Lethal Enforcers and brown grips version of the Panther may have a component malfunction or are wired weird, so I decided to just let them stay that way until I can investigate further. The orange Panther, however, functioned, yet it would actually glitch out the game once the trigger was pulled. After pulling it apart I immediately found the culprit, but I had to do some testing before I officially decided to do the surgery.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPe0hG-CAEApwUMHYVvKBzB1ALltWazxfAIGvnK9GoBwJfmvYPDhyphenhyphen2A_3vPZduB6KGXoiAMgYlkF8c5vCUeZsIFx_TN8PUmeut-0Lpf-9sK88unaibQvQ6RBLwAauYlNcxmZ7boXckKX-2/s1600/ZapperGuts2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPe0hG-CAEApwUMHYVvKBzB1ALltWazxfAIGvnK9GoBwJfmvYPDhyphenhyphen2A_3vPZduB6KGXoiAMgYlkF8c5vCUeZsIFx_TN8PUmeut-0Lpf-9sK88unaibQvQ6RBLwAauYlNcxmZ7boXckKX-2/s1600/ZapperGuts2.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAzh0hjdklyjt9q6et9UVujlN7_v3zSiBD4j0luTFqPMrjj8qlB2_KveRLIiuM68dPmBUIdEAR-C95fPpvTIbl_an4QeZNS52kg0mBpOGvVhyTxibEJz-FtRkHcEFboqOJMlSGH7-XJnu/s1600/ZapperGuts3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAzh0hjdklyjt9q6et9UVujlN7_v3zSiBD4j0luTFqPMrjj8qlB2_KveRLIiuM68dPmBUIdEAR-C95fPpvTIbl_an4QeZNS52kg0mBpOGvVhyTxibEJz-FtRkHcEFboqOJMlSGH7-XJnu/s1600/ZapperGuts3.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3ccTdRCS3E8KIBoJRqEgbjSICXCKE07JXJkaobQ3SKHPro69fOmdnJFbCd-d5c9a3u9j7iM8caF1YRsxVLCIbOxx_8p1ZpP_53ccLsHkSrOv5uKLQfjFRB-z0bIZJhMZ-Q_bKcdu9-Wr/s1600/ZapperGuts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3ccTdRCS3E8KIBoJRqEgbjSICXCKE07JXJkaobQ3SKHPro69fOmdnJFbCd-d5c9a3u9j7iM8caF1YRsxVLCIbOxx_8p1ZpP_53ccLsHkSrOv5uKLQfjFRB-z0bIZJhMZ-Q_bKcdu9-Wr/s1600/ZapperGuts.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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As you can see above, the Famiclone light gun is a very simple system. Just a small board holding the receptor LED with a few other components, wired down to the switch and into the controller cable. What happened with the orange Panther was a case of the switch having an additional wire, for what I do not know.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSat3d8ILxxiToPmfK3rhWFlllxyAfnwyxlwoXpsJbdA_psjdITuYcrqlqKWY7acKCt0D1cbKUu2c5woL_zzjLCWWi8ppcKGM2ne_is2lA6k75irsoQFH2e0WRr8ebq8OVrO-jtVwUBxjN/s1600/ZapperTriggerDiagram.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSat3d8ILxxiToPmfK3rhWFlllxyAfnwyxlwoXpsJbdA_psjdITuYcrqlqKWY7acKCt0D1cbKUu2c5woL_zzjLCWWi8ppcKGM2ne_is2lA6k75irsoQFH2e0WRr8ebq8OVrO-jtVwUBxjN/s1600/ZapperTriggerDiagram.png" height="316" width="320" /></a></div>
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Normally, when the switch is wired up, only A and B are used. Pressing the switch connects B and C, disconnecting the current from A and B, which sends the signal that the trigger has been pulled and the light gun acts accordingly. But since there was an additional wire connected to C, the light gun sent the signal and created an error, causing the game and console to glitch out.</div>
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Once I disconnected the strange wire from terminal C, the proper connection was made and the orange Panther works perfectly fine! I believe it was packaged with the Dreamgear Game Station, but I have some controllers from that system, and they work perfectly fine with my Famiclones, I don't see why the light gun would need to be wired differently, but it was. Perhaps just a fluke, or perhaps this was suppose to only work with that console, either way it was an easy "mod", and it now works perfectly fine with my DB-9 input Famiclones. I just hope I can fix the other three soon. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-18890146064069008852014-04-09T19:06:00.000-07:002014-04-09T19:06:51.997-07:00Family Game FamicloneI am always on the hunt for Famiclones, and when I see one that I don't already have I tend to obsess over it. A few months back that's exactly what happened, and after persuaded someone to buy it for my birthday it finally arrived. I tore open the box to reveal a beautiful grey Family Game Famiclone, in the Famicom style housing, in great shape.<br />
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I was dying to test it out, so I wasted no time digging out my box of Famicom games, pirates and multi-carts. After hooking everything up I pulled the player 1 controller out of its slot on the console, grasped it firmly in my grubby paws and flipped the power switch. Perfect! Its working like a charm, I'm so excited to finally have a <i>working</i> Famiclone that looks this close to a genuine Famicom.<br />
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After playing with it for a little while I noticed that the colors weren't right, which confused me as I was under the delusion that this was a discreet Famiclone with cloned CPU and PPU chips, giving it the proper color palette and sound response. I wasn't worried too much because I was still enjoying my experience with the console. The AV output was a bit wavy as well, which wasn't a huge deal, but it still is something I'll have to take a closer look at.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvFZx1v3anYp-5IHmLVR0Drgih5-6gsrPwjb6aT5JCB-eU95P5EFzEz430VD5M5B0aiQcD5-D8V3COBHm7YWiKMxBRxhok0NQos-gueyMYuY7gWMz0AuNcs7Zg27-tyvPe0MOU9d0uXDH/s1600/FamilyGameRear.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvFZx1v3anYp-5IHmLVR0Drgih5-6gsrPwjb6aT5JCB-eU95P5EFzEz430VD5M5B0aiQcD5-D8V3COBHm7YWiKMxBRxhok0NQos-gueyMYuY7gWMz0AuNcs7Zg27-tyvPe0MOU9d0uXDH/s1600/FamilyGameRear.png" height="277" width="400" /></a></div>
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Shortly after that I wanted to switch from AV and check out what the RF picture may look like, just out of curiosity, so I pulled out the AV cables and plugged in my NES RF adapter. The picture was absolutely horrible, I mean beyond playable, with bands in the background that far exceed that of the NES top loader. But what did I see between the static lines and wavy screen? The colors were absolutely perfect and 100% correct. My mind was blown, I was confused.</div>
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Maybe I could clean up the plugs and freshen up the picture, yeah that should to the trick. Nope. Well what if I did a search on my TV, to see if it could pick up the correct broadcasting for the Famiclone's RF signal. Nope, strike 2! Well that's fine, I don't need RF anyway, it looks <b>much</b> better through the AV outs, albeit with the incorrect color palette and wavy screen.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZF6fF5PmIxFBacH5M316IpCH074JsF9smGc5Z31yZhmFA4Bp3Bt9USI2IEgG2BAWGIGJbwne7Vk8unH5LBlOFFK53L46xJ9S_KQhZ4TU7oQoRGq6YRHTWEcsgUUHolG0eTX6J4IlLcz_/s1600/FamilyGame2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZF6fF5PmIxFBacH5M316IpCH074JsF9smGc5Z31yZhmFA4Bp3Bt9USI2IEgG2BAWGIGJbwne7Vk8unH5LBlOFFK53L46xJ9S_KQhZ4TU7oQoRGq6YRHTWEcsgUUHolG0eTX6J4IlLcz_/s1600/FamilyGame2.png" height="272" width="400" /></a></div>
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After playing Bases Loaded (Moero!! Pro Yakyuu) I did notice the console was tapping into the extra audio channel that my Dreamstation did, so at least I was getting the extra sounds. But in the pursuit of better knowledge on how to fix the AV output I decided to change the TV I was using and see if that made a difference in the video quality, and surprisingly it did, but in a very weird way! On the second TV I immediately noticed the RF signal was perfectly fine, with correct colors, but the AV was completely unusable. After trying a channel search on it, which changed nothing, I decided I would just have to use the console through AV on my main TV and deal with it.</div>
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To further my understanding I opened the system up to check the solder joints in the AV section, when I was greeted by something I have never seen before. Is that... is that a concealed NOAC? I have no clue what I'm looking at, but it was solitary, nothing else populating the board for miles, so this had to be the brains of the operation.<br />
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As soon as I saw this Famiclone I obsessed over it partially because I had seen another blogger (<a href="http://133fsb.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">133mhz</a>) write two articles on one that looked exactly like this one. 133mhz wrote up (<a href="http://133fsb.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/restoring-a-nice-famiclone-part-1/" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://133fsb.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/restoring-a-nice-famiclone-part-2/" target="_blank">Part 2</a>) about cleaning and restoring a Famiclone, as well as how to swap out the cloned CPU and PPU for the original Nintendo chips, essentially making the Famiclone 100% a Famicom. My thoughts were to get my hands on a clone just like his and, sometime down the road, swap out the chips and have a Famicom with AV out, but seeing what I see now that's impossible. Even though they are identical outside they are far from the same on the inside, but that still doesn't concern me, as this is my first, properly functioning, Famiclone that looks like a Famicom.<br />
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Putting the technical issues aside, I originally had reservations about how the controller had the cable coming out of the top, instead of the sides. After playing with the console for a while, I feel this was a wise choice as this is what I'm more familiar with from the NES as well as almost all of my Famiclone controllers.<br />
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With the cable placement out of mind, I did find a few things that are slight concerns, but nothing more than slight. The Button layout is very close to one of my favorite third party NES controllers, so I'm familiar with that layout, but the edge of the buttons are much more rigid and come to an edge, instead of a smooth round off, which is just a bit weird. Also the D-pad is a complete 360 circle, which I sometimes find doesn't allow for accurate movement, instead pushing down to duck causes me to go off to the right a little.<br />
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Besides the concealed NOAC not allowing me to swap it out for real Nintendo chips, I'm perfectly ok with this system. The controllers are comfortable, the system works and offers the extra audio channel, which is all I really want in a Famiclone anyway. I feel I can sort out the video quality issue at some point, making this an extremely awesome little Famiclone, but until that I can completely enjoy it just the way it is, and I do!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-58938901187527763572014-03-02T13:45:00.001-08:002014-03-02T13:45:17.167-08:00NES Sized Pirated Multicart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A long while back I received a Home Computer System Famiclone. What I didn't realize was that the chip that controls the controller input was dead, but the rest of the console worked perfectly fine. When I flipped the console on I was met with a multicart list of games, among which were Mortal Kombat and Street Fight 8-bit pirates. Knowing the console may take a while to fix, I painstakingly removed both ribbon cables holding the multicart board into the system and carefully, since I didn't have any desolder wick, smoothed out the solder as much as I could on all 60 contacts.</div>
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Originally I wanted to immediately jam the board into one of my home made Famicom to NES converters and test it out, but as I didn't do too well smoothing out all the solder on the contacts I decided I would go ahead and use one that I hadn't officially turned into a converter yet. After opening the cartridge I removed the Gyromite board and pushed in the pirated multicart board. Everything was going well until I heard a cringe worthy crunch, upon inspection I had gnarled up the inside of the converter.</div>
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With some slight adjustments I managed to get everything aligned enough so that it fit and worked perfectly. Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter are what you would expect in 8-bit, slow and kind of boring. The cartridge has many other games built in, but the most name worthy of all had to be the two <i>demakes</i> of well known 16-bit games.</div>
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After I pulled the cartridge from my NES I decided it would be best to just remove the Gyromite label and leave the whole thing together, there was no sense in making a converter with a board hanging out of it. Sadly since I was in a bit of a hurry to test out the cartridge, and slightly messed the converter up, I don't think I'll be able to pull them apart, even if I did it really wouldn't be worth it. Even though the cartridge was a 5 screw configuration I could only use 4, as the board covers up the one in the center, but with the 4 corners being screwed down I haven't had any issues.</div>
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It was a simple and small project, but well worth what little time it took. I'm thinking of making a label for the cartridge as well, just so it looks better than all grey. Strange to think now if I wanted to play this on a Famiclone I would need an NES to Famicom converter.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-62352837851978924422014-01-31T15:44:00.000-08:002014-01-31T15:44:10.595-08:00Why I Have a Passion for Famiclones.Why do I have such a passion for Famiclones? To say that's simple to explain wouldn't be true, and to say it's complicated wouldn't be true either. But then again I understand perfectly why I have such a passion for Famiclones, so I guess its just easier if I took the time to explain it.<br />
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Famiclones were never on my video game hunting radar until about 2010, hell I wasn't even familiar with the Nintendo Famicom until about a decade earlier. I live in the United States, where it seems we selectively import what we want from other cultures and never bother to import anything that doesn't fit our current commercial needs. We already had the NES, so why would we want another system that was essentially the same but looked different? Not to mention the cartridges weren't interchangeable without an adapter.<br />
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It's not to say the US didn't have an import market, it was just that I never knew about it for most of my life; and even when I found out it seemed very niche, and must less popular than it is now. As an adult I'm now noticing that Canada seems to have imported Japanese video game culture, on a much broader scale then the US, for decades! Mexico has not only been importing Famicom games and consoles, but also the Chinese pirate versions as well. So why did it seem that the US interest in Japanese video game culture was so niche and underground? Your guess is as good as mine, perhaps even better!<br />
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Once I knew, or assumed falsely to be more accurate, Famicom games were expensive and wouldn't work in my NES, I completely removed them from my scope of collecting. About 2010 is when I started to see a large influx of portable Famiclone consoles, the Power Joy and Super Joys, in the thrift stores I frequented. It wasn't until I found an extremely cheap Power Joy that I ever really took interest in the whole Famiclone market.<br />
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Just having a non-working Power Joy gave me reason enough to do some research on the whole history of Famiclones, I'm a sucker for researching things I enjoy researching. The results were astounding; Famiclones came in all shapes, sizes, colors and where spread throughout the world, far and wide! Famiclones could take on the shape of penguins, racecars, N64 controllers, alien space ships, pseudo officially licensed consoles and even shaped exactly like a Nintendo Famicom. The more research I did, the more interested I became in the subject, causing even more research.<br />
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I found it intriguing how they could fit a fully functional (although not really 100%) Famicom clone into the many various shaped consoles and controller style portables. Not only that but the fact that some consoles, and most every portable Famiclone, had built-in Famicom/NES classics without the need for external cartridges, while still adding a 60 pin connector for just that matter in case the user desired it. All of this really appealed to my OCD for keeping things neat, tidy and confined within small spaces.<br />
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Knowing these systems were a potential way to play Famicom games, which was a far cheaper alternative to importing the Famicom console, sparked my interest in importing Famicom games. But before my interest in Famicom games could fully blossom, my interest in the dark, seedy world of piracy and its strange history firmly planted itself within the fertile soil of my brain and grew into a vine that encompassed my cerebrum and short circuited my interest in the real thing.<br />
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The story of how Famiclones and pirated games came from the desire to have the nice things every other country had, but most countries couldn't afford, also appealed to me, the sheer ingenuity! Call them demakes, pirated or even cheap junk, but these were all the exposure some countries had to the classics we have so readily available. Faced with a desire for the finer things in life, a choice needed to be made. The birth of that choice was an extremely interesting line of consoles and video games that simulate/emulate something most people take for granted.<br />
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I take great interest in the way they take consoles that most gamers already know and modify them in drastic ways, while making the internals as simple, yet functional as possible. Although functionality of Famiclones run the gambit from very good to only lasting a few months, I'm certain a lot of engineering goes into the planning and manufacturing of these systems, and engineering is exactly what makes my heart race when I see a new Famiclone I've never seen before.<br />
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<u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">Necessity is the mother of invention.</u><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal;">The need to fill a market left empty in many countries by financial hardships or trading limitations has created something fascinating, a whole sub-market of video games and video game consoles that gave many people the pleasures they couldn't otherwise have. Whether you hate them or love them, the fact is they always will be a part of video gaming history. Even if nothing more than a footnote.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-46424465218777202422014-01-21T13:43:00.002-08:002014-01-21T13:43:27.059-08:00Famiclone ControllersOver the last few years I have collected a plethora of Famiclone controllers, out of habit and for variety. Some of these controllers didn't come with their respective consoles, but I knew they were Famiclone controllers and picked them up anyway. I won't be giving any extremely in-depth information about the controllers in this article, but I figured this article may help out someone who is faced with a wild Famiclone controller on whether they should take it home or not.<br />
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I don't know what to call these (I found 2) controllers other than "the silvers". Blatantly modeled after a Playstation controller, with a few liberties in design thrown in, these controllers are fairly comfortable. The A and B buttons are set to X and O, respectively, meaning that like the other 80% (or more) of Famiclone controllers these too have a backwards A and B scheme, often throwing off the ability to play simple games. I'm not sure which Famiclone these came from, but they seem compatible with all Famiclones, at least the ones I've tested them on.<br />
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The Power Player controllers come packed in with the Super Joy Famiclone systems. Over the years I have found plenty of these laying around thrift stores and I would dare say they are the most common Famiclone controllers out there. With a pseudo Genesis shape they are as comfortable as any Genesis controller, although significantly lighter and more bulky. Again the A and B are backwards, as the C button functions as Select, since there is only a stand alone start button. Again these seem universally compatible, so if you need Famiclone controllers in a pinch, these are most likely to be easier to find and ready to go.</div>
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The Powerstation controllers are, again, based on the Playstation, even Powerstation is kind of a play on the former's console name. If you're familiar with the Playstation controller, you're pretty much familiar with this one too! Comfortable, A and B are in correct alignment with turbo buttons just above them, diagonally left. This controller even features shoulder buttons being: L1 is B, R1 is A and pressing both L2 and R2 is the equivalent of start. The plastic, although still the cheap melty kind, feels good and solid in your hands, topped of with a good cable length. Seemingly universal as well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmVd5V4eZASBuKX1VrbaGP9KKTjVFYvN9fFyoGL8jm9Fcvt_iLmaVTlcs2r0oBwHY1njMqPA3UbvU9RGekSarAXAxVJ6sisqdcHPybAuqvh_mJEe-TdpAl6ah9LxtQVMXFLZGR7fiCLA5/s1600/SuperVideoGameController.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmVd5V4eZASBuKX1VrbaGP9KKTjVFYvN9fFyoGL8jm9Fcvt_iLmaVTlcs2r0oBwHY1njMqPA3UbvU9RGekSarAXAxVJ6sisqdcHPybAuqvh_mJEe-TdpAl6ah9LxtQVMXFLZGR7fiCLA5/s1600/SuperVideoGameController.png" height="198" width="320" /></a></div>
I picked up the Super Video Game controllers with my 57000 Super Video Game, which displays a Playstation feel throughout. Sadly I had to add the D-pad myself, but even so these are very comfortable, albeit maybe a tiny bit smaller than a normal PS controller. The A and B backwards, unsurprisingly, but Z functions as an additional turbo B and C an additional turbo A. Seemingly universal!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2ZKr6hua6Qk9wF1He0X5lRb5mMl7QuHFSPGvPWDx5t17SCZU264DQ_6ef2do9OPf53IOcz8l5jsHNDWD2LS1DInrbFjsDuu6HqsXCJJUNacmtfKoL9a0POewJMAuvDGoFT0QLEmSInDW/s1600/FamicloneController.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2ZKr6hua6Qk9wF1He0X5lRb5mMl7QuHFSPGvPWDx5t17SCZU264DQ_6ef2do9OPf53IOcz8l5jsHNDWD2LS1DInrbFjsDuu6HqsXCJJUNacmtfKoL9a0POewJMAuvDGoFT0QLEmSInDW/s1600/FamicloneController.png" height="142" width="320" /></a></div>
Obviously if you're going to try and pass off a discreet Famiclone console as the genuine you'll need to clone the controllers as well! Very familiar Famicom style and comfort with buttons in the correct places and familiar turbo buttons within easy reach. There isn't really much else to say about this controller, other than I do have some third party NES controllers in this design and they are among my favorite NES controllers. Assumed universal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5W_Cfgm7Wru4Il_UzKzYRsp_4EbwxFYcuFkJyysNXUVj4q36ZzHB9XTn8tHReT9ZRjO_pJtqIc1c4ORrOOiaPVcWi-Xmu0K5GriCFcGOP9ZwEMMbcg3-EKmSVHYhaD3W6LkSBkh2uGaen/s1600/SuperFamicloneController.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5W_Cfgm7Wru4Il_UzKzYRsp_4EbwxFYcuFkJyysNXUVj4q36ZzHB9XTn8tHReT9ZRjO_pJtqIc1c4ORrOOiaPVcWi-Xmu0K5GriCFcGOP9ZwEMMbcg3-EKmSVHYhaD3W6LkSBkh2uGaen/s1600/SuperFamicloneController.png" height="148" width="320" /></a></div>
Some Famiclones tried to mimic the Super Famicom, while having either a 60 (Famicom) or 72 (NES) pin connector built in. I've seen these controllers in both a DB-9 (Atari, Sega, Famiclone) end and even an NES controller end. The SNES style is very comfortable and familiar, A and B are where they should be, with turbo buttons clearly marked. The plastic is a bit chip, as per usual, but the cable seems like a quality thick cable. Again, assumed universal.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-10212552140255370272013-08-24T10:13:00.002-07:002013-08-24T10:13:36.703-07:00The Power Joy!Ahhh, the Power Joy! The very first Famiclone I ever owned, as well as the one that kicked off my whole adoration for the Famiclone species in general. I had seen them before, strewn about the shelves of various thrift stores, but it wasn't until someone went a bit cheap with the pricing gun that I dared to take a chance and pick up one of these fabled "<i>console in a controller</i>".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCmWwDgI24BI8gPkxfz0lM9eS3Pe6IGw0Yv5E2PbAF1Sxi3tuLe_33PWXaGnDTtgCosy6lyVJHa9X-rGnx2SxeRbUQ-XFiojOosufRzJx02mQGGF_jjoGgB6vERZgwTp6vsKFRXZ5uHpw/s1600/Power_Joy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCmWwDgI24BI8gPkxfz0lM9eS3Pe6IGw0Yv5E2PbAF1Sxi3tuLe_33PWXaGnDTtgCosy6lyVJHa9X-rGnx2SxeRbUQ-XFiojOosufRzJx02mQGGF_jjoGgB6vERZgwTp6vsKFRXZ5uHpw/s320/Power_Joy.png" width="320" /></a></div>
The very first one I picked up was just the controller; no cartridge, no second player controller and no battery door. Ignorantly I used an NES power adapter to try and boot the thing and within seconds the pungent aroma of heavily leaded solder filled the air around the system, with no signs of life I quickly unplugged it and packed it away. I had seen a lot of people online showing off that the system would play Famicom games, a console I had yet to tap into, but with no way of powering mine up properly, or even know if it would ever work again at this point, I had to keep on searching for another.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5al2qkDe7Y4w50GTVtuNIvZHg5PgI43pJar7smom6oIPx8OfqR8MKlsEl9oNdfDbqli7DofL_p5cmwmqUeeXJckgXzl1Z_XvGM-7Bv0r0h9hUeoYpxv5Y_kYeSoJA5w6Bg7y_SG1EBeXa/s1600/Power_Joy%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5al2qkDe7Y4w50GTVtuNIvZHg5PgI43pJar7smom6oIPx8OfqR8MKlsEl9oNdfDbqli7DofL_p5cmwmqUeeXJckgXzl1Z_XvGM-7Bv0r0h9hUeoYpxv5Y_kYeSoJA5w6Bg7y_SG1EBeXa/s320/Power_Joy%25282%2529.png" width="225" /></a></div>
It took a while but finally I had found myself another Power Joy that came complete, with the battery door and the PJ-008 cartridge, so I pulled my original one from its thrift store bag casket in my closet and give it a good play through. Without a cartridge plugged into the system there are 10 built in games, most of them taking advantage of the built-in light gun, which is quite accurate! Almost all of these games are based on different hacked versions of Duck Hunt, replacing the ducks with helicopters, alien ships, etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY01WbQc-28UDyel4nm3KlNj79XzLapULtWF84c4AyOcu5LZp1PGSsMK1yfRAeRxgWs3ycP0HS6_o-Ir-KBCtlCnZyQmIKognIIufwIrd53USy1I_TFLFhrzvhS_i8ERCUy592Bych1mji/s1600/Power_Joy_PJ008.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY01WbQc-28UDyel4nm3KlNj79XzLapULtWF84c4AyOcu5LZp1PGSsMK1yfRAeRxgWs3ycP0HS6_o-Ir-KBCtlCnZyQmIKognIIufwIrd53USy1I_TFLFhrzvhS_i8ERCUy592Bych1mji/s320/Power_Joy_PJ008.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The PJ-00X cartridges are probably one of the best features of the Power Joy line, as they offered the choice of many great Famicom/NES titles. Mine came with the PJ-008 and I've seen different lists of games given to the same # cartridge, Chinese quality control there, huh? But the great thing about the cartridges is the simple fact that they work in an NES (w/ converter) or a Famicom, obviously as the Power Joy is a NOAC.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYmgXJ7NqYWy4M-Os6C1YhJrtK70AhzmJd1CRAqAtTuse45FM683EpgYtcFfF619kQ8DzQ3hGGFtJklKadp32P6uartPCARkgRqavK3QLFT5zZ7bSs4skHkztE3ZSFeIxJSnFdnTTT-eS/s1600/Power_Joy%25285%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYmgXJ7NqYWy4M-Os6C1YhJrtK70AhzmJd1CRAqAtTuse45FM683EpgYtcFfF619kQ8DzQ3hGGFtJklKadp32P6uartPCARkgRqavK3QLFT5zZ7bSs4skHkztE3ZSFeIxJSnFdnTTT-eS/s320/Power_Joy%25285%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the main reasons I enjoy the Power Joy is due to its all-in-one design, so I don't need to hunt down accessories and parts if I want to play the thing. The Power Joy is strictly utilitarian but quite comfortable, as well as painfully obvious that this was spawned from the breeding of a Nintendo 64 controller with a fighter jet model kit. One of the major features, at least to me, is that unlike the Super Joy units the joystick on the Power Joy is fully functional, yet only a digital pad and not analog.</div>
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Another utilitarian feature that I quite like is the hardwired AV and power cables, although I think the power input could have easily been put about the same spot as it was in the Super Joy systems, but thats just splitting hairs. This means I don't need to hunt down a set of AV cables when I want to play the system, making the Power Joy completely portable. Powered by 4 AAA batteries, you're good to take this thing almost anywhere you need to go, as long as there is power for a television.<br />
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And finally we reach something that Super Mario Bros. taught us all those years ago, other people want to play too, and they have as much right as we do, us controller hogs! It took me a while to actually track down a Power Joy second player controller, but I did and its fairly standard, yet pretty good. My only complaint would be that the spacing on the grips is a bit strange, which I personally can't use it for too long, but then again that could be a ploy to keep people from wanting to become player 2.</div>
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I currently own the Power Joy and Power Joy Voyager, but I hope in the future I will find more Power Joy systems and even more of the cartridges. I'll never forget the first time I passed up an absolutely complete Power Joy for $10 at a thrift store, but through time and patience I've pieced one together, with a spare one for parts if needed. The Power Joy is nothing more than pure Chinese piracy and I don't really favor it over any of my other consoles, or even Famiclones, but it was my first and thus I will forever remember the joy and excitement of exploring a world that was completely new to me.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-45939157619991355532013-08-19T18:59:00.001-07:002013-08-19T18:59:35.900-07:00The Dreamstation FamicloneThe Dreamstation was a console I stumbled upon at a local flea market, after I spotted a yellow pirate multicart on top of its box. It was also my first <i>proper</i> Famiclone console. I had just bought the 57000 Video Games less than a month prior, but the Dreamstation was my first complete in box, with everything needed to get started right away Famiclone console.<br />
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Up to this point I was only familiar with the numerous handheld clones and the clunky 57000 Video Games, so when the Dreamstation actually worked as well as any of the officially branded systems I own, I was kind of shocked! The Dreamstation isn't flashy or splashy but it did exactly what I wanted it to do, it worked. The video quality was good, the sound quality was what you would expect from an NOAC, yet a year later I found out that the Dreamstation had a trick up its sleeve.<br />
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One night I was playing my (official) Famicom copy of Bases Loaded when I noticed the volume was much lower than any of the other games I had been playing, so I simply turned the volume up. Shortly after the game started I heard voice clips and additional sound effects I had never heard from the game before. The Dreamstation was somehow emulating the FM synthesis chip from the Famicom.<br />
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None of my other Famiclones will play these voice or audio clips hidden deep within the game's coding. And the NES was never given the FM chip, so when I play that cartridge in my NES all volume levels are normal, but the game play is devoid of any real noise, I can tell there are missing sound effects. I'm not exactly sure how the Dreamstation is able to emulate or replicate the FM chip, but I know for a fact it does.<br />
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Besides being able to emulate FM sounds and overall functioning better than any of my other Famiclones, the Dreamstation isn't without it's faults, simply the short controller lengths. I covered this in my controller extension cable article. But to their credit the A and B buttons are laid out like an actual NES, with A and B shoulder buttons as a cool bonus, meaning I can use these controllers without getting confused by backwards controls.<br />
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In addition to the controllers the Dreamstation also included a gun, which looks insanely too real to be used outside of the home. The trigger on mine was snapped off by the previous owner, but even so the light gun is quite accurate and comfortable to hold. Not surprisingly the included pirate multicart has quite a few variants of games to test the gun out, which is handy.<br />
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Not only did the seller toss in the above mentioned cartridge, which looks a lot like a Nintendo 64 cartridge, they also included the yellow cartridge, as I stated at the beginning of the article. Both cartridges are filled with the standard pirated games as well as some random hacks tossed in. Finally I have a pirate cart with Dream Mary built in! (Super Mario Bros. with the wrong scrolling)<br />
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I've seen many other Famiclones in this shell with various other names, but I'm not sure if they are the exact same board inside or not. Which makes me wonder if they would all be able to emulate the FM chip. So far the Dreamstation is my favorite Famiclone console that I own, but if there is a better Famiclone on the market I'm sure I'll track it down!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-34157925370899999472013-07-21T16:35:00.004-07:002013-07-21T21:37:57.186-07:00Power Games aka Penguin Famiclone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2pwD5g345JyIMT-NEoipWwW7LYzEmnSRAjdTRogZDTWTmSA-SDdLGfaaufw6zidzt9En8SFbPvYFjKZOCM8rk4jTs9-t51kOmZALO3rhTPeClTSZ3mwtVi3Hf2N0ojPAklvyzU8zTfty/s1600/Power+Games+Famiclone+(5).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2pwD5g345JyIMT-NEoipWwW7LYzEmnSRAjdTRogZDTWTmSA-SDdLGfaaufw6zidzt9En8SFbPvYFjKZOCM8rk4jTs9-t51kOmZALO3rhTPeClTSZ3mwtVi3Hf2N0ojPAklvyzU8zTfty/s400/Power+Games+Famiclone+(5).png" width="248" /></a></div>
The Power Games Famiclone, aka the Penguin Famiclone, was one that I had seen a handful of times while doing research on Famiclones in general. Possibly the most extreme, and adorable, variant of all Famiclones, the system is housed within a simple Penguin shaped shell. The Power Games "Penguin" was a Famiclone I have wanted since the time I first saw it, but I never knew where, or if, I would ever run across one.<br />
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While the local Goodwill shelves are no stranger to the likes of the Super Joy III or the Power Joy controller based Famiclones, as far as I've seen they have been devoid of anything console based. I've learned that sometimes you need to trust your gut and just walk into a store, worst case scenario you had a little exercise and didn't pay them a dime! The other day that feeling struck me as I walked into a local Goodwill, where I eventually saw a boxed Power Games system sitting on a shelf.<br />
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As per (Goodwill) usual the box was open and everything was haphazardly thrown inside, yet I could see the Penguin was there, along with a lot of wires, so I decided to plunk down the $3.99 asking price and take a chance that it was complete. Once I got the thing outside and into the car, lucky for me, everything was inside the box and seemed as if it had only been played a handful of times, if that, and tossed straight back into the box. Sadly the Penguin's foot was broken off and the included multi-cart was busted open as well, but thats nothing a quick spot of hot glue hasn't remedied.. so far!<br />
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The box art is just as bland as any other box art you'll find across any other Chinese system, but there was a gold sticker on the front proudly proclaiming "<i>108IN 1</i>", so I was super curious to get this thing plugged in and thoroughly checked out! Once everything was plugged up and ready to go the first thing I noticed was how ominous the system looks with its beady little red eyes giving you the cold stare down. Secondly I noticed that there actually were 108 games built into the system itself and not coming from the cartridge, as I originally thought.<br />
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Most of the 108 built in games are unique with very few repeats/variations of the same game. The pirates did quite a good job with title screens and making slight changes to original games, enough to make the pirated version fun yet different, some are actually really fun but most of the games are just complete and utter junk! Games such as Desert Storm (Contra clone) and Overspeed Racing ( Rad Racer with a dash of Spy Hunter) are fun games that were simply redone, while games such as <b>Assart</b>, are completely new to me, but still fun to play.<br />
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The Power Games is unique in design but it isn't very practical, strictly using wireless controllers and not even offering the option for wired controllers, but it does give the light gun its very own port on the side. Player 1 has a completely wireless (via infrared) controller, while player 2 plugs into the first controller and both signals are sent from controller 1. The finicky nature of infrared is on full display as I'll often find myself not pointing the controller correctly and end up losing a life, but the worst part of this so called wireless controller is the way its eats batteries!<br />
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The controller designs, despite being infrared, are the standard Famiclone style of Playstation ripoffs, comfortable and merely functional, sort of. One of my main complaints about Famiclone controllers has been that they simply can't seem to get the layout of B and A correct, which is the case with the Power Games controllers. I have found controllers that manage to get it right, but since the Power Games system uses proprietary controllers without the option of using other controllers you're pretty well stuck with this fact.<br />
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After all was said and done I thought the saving grace came down to the included multi-cart, boy was I wrong. I had to take the broken cartridge apart and put the board into the Power Games manually, which took me a while to figure out which way to even put the thing into the system as it doesn't have angled edges around the cartridge slot. After putting the bare board into the system the right way I heard the extremely familiar jingle of the 12000 in 1 menu of a couple of my Super Joy III units.<br />
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From the wireless controllers that are minimally problematic, yet problematic just the same, to the limited handful of built in games that are entertaining, the Power Games turns from a practical Famiclone into more of an occasional conversation piece. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I own the Power Games system, but I have other Famiclones that work better and offer the option of correctly mapped controllers. That means this poor Penguin is most likely doomed to spend most of his days in the closet.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-41268614681761354002013-06-26T17:49:00.001-07:002013-07-10T16:52:49.850-07:00Power Joy Voyager - The Last Voyage?If I told you that I have a portable Famiclone you would most likely assume I was talking about a Super Joy 3 or a Power Joy. What if I said it was in fact a Power Joy, but it was in the shape of a quasi Game Boy Color, played "9999" built in games on an LCD screen but also played NES games from a Game Boy style cartridge? Well its all true, and that Famiclone's name is the Power Joy Voyager.<br />
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The Power Joy Voyager does everything the original Power Joy can do, with the bonus of having 9999 different Tetris clones as well, if you can consider that a bonus. This system has the unique ability to be powered by 4 AA batteries, unlike the original Power Joy, as well as allowing you to use the Game Boy style controller layout for single player games (While in "NES" mode) or plugging in a pair of controllers, which are tied together to a single DB9 end.<br />
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Although slightly bigger, the overall design is undoubtedly trying to resemble that of a Nintendo Game Boy Color, and at first glace thats what I originally thought it was. Even the cartridge has a slight Game Boy look to it, but more of a knock off Game Boy pirate design. Its comfortable to hold, but the built in games aren't really what will have you holding the system for too long, thats the built in NOAC.<br />
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On the very top are the (mono) AV outs, all you have to do is plug in your cables and flip the switch on the side from LCD or Off to TV and you have a tiny Famiclone. For the Famiclone part there are no built in games, the software comes from the PJ-007 cartridge. The cartridge shares the same name, and game list, as the Famicom style cartridge that comes with the original Power Joy.<br />
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Short of it having the 9999 LCD games, the Power Joy Voyager functions exactly the same as the Power Joy. I find this one to be more unique in design and a lot easier to shove in a bag and take on the road. Although they made different cartridges for the Power Joy, I believe the PJ-007 is the only one they made for the Voyager.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-3791747094857133262013-06-23T18:15:00.002-07:002013-07-26T21:38:43.734-07:0057000 Super Video GameMy deep interest in Famiclones started when I picked up my first Power Joy, and although it didn't initially work it still spurred extensive research into Famiclones and their history. That research lead me to want more Famiclones, not just handhelds like the Super Joys and Power Joys, but more console based Famiclones. That day finally came when I found a Super 57000 Video Game at the Goodwill outlet store.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2bpx37GaDYC937l3A03cg7YZ3zMim9o0_14vmlRzkf2SyVxKPh_iq0SP4qe-IoApJuVLXvRFAvpkQA2hKUfoWEuSbjdlZkAaMjZT2Bn7cxo3EmhV1Hc_DYjWpPP50xno3qLUdohIN23d/s1600/Super+57000+Video+Game.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2bpx37GaDYC937l3A03cg7YZ3zMim9o0_14vmlRzkf2SyVxKPh_iq0SP4qe-IoApJuVLXvRFAvpkQA2hKUfoWEuSbjdlZkAaMjZT2Bn7cxo3EmhV1Hc_DYjWpPP50xno3qLUdohIN23d/s320/Super+57000+Video+Game.png" width="320" /></a></div>
The Super 57000 Super Video Game's shell and controllers are, unashamedly, based on the original Sony Playstation, although made of <i>much</i> cheaper plastic. The insides are pretty simplistic, running a NOAC (Nintendo on a Chip) with two built in Famicom slots, one for the built in games board (mine doesn't work so I swapped it out for a loose Hogan's Alley board I had) and the other for Famicom or pirated cartridges, which is hidden under the giant, round lid. From there you have the standard db-9 controller inputs on the front and the audio/video output board on the back, nothing fancy.<br />
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When I found mine it was quite yellow, one controller was pretty beat up and neither controller had D-pads; I later found a D-pad that fits, while it works it doesn't really fit the controller. As for it being a console, I didn't know what I expected because honestly, it works like a console. Even though this thing is quite ugly its still functional!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBRh1ntIyACwyZz0gQwj1Xq2JOYLqaNxHIs8NDgDnhfSLVj-cuSOKEpeu0eJaLV7i_S1Eu1cdtfTkBEFtWQ9FkdgKF4yAGcQKC-yfHgplH7CNjAjTv4a5VR97ASjKpElAIpO_3_H1tOlb/s1600/Super+57000+Video+Game(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBRh1ntIyACwyZz0gQwj1Xq2JOYLqaNxHIs8NDgDnhfSLVj-cuSOKEpeu0eJaLV7i_S1Eu1cdtfTkBEFtWQ9FkdgKF4yAGcQKC-yfHgplH7CNjAjTv4a5VR97ASjKpElAIpO_3_H1tOlb/s320/Super+57000+Video+Game(2).png" width="320" /></a></div>
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As such the Super 57000 uses the same DC 9v adapter as all of my other Famiclones, as well as offering not only AV out, but a pseudo-RF output as well. Sadly I could never get any of my TVs to find the RF channel this system sends the signal to, perhaps it doesn't and its just on there for looks. The back of this thing really shows Chinese ingenuity, a simple output mix up was "corrected" when they sharpied the white jack black, to use for RF, and painted the black output red, for audio, instead of just resoldering them into the right place.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignUNfKWplYHthRfzzcOVZ-Qx930tb5y3oIQNMyD2WsfbJmocPeJ3XbVnUYavIKasVZ-Gkp-aAT4_phib0nU6lIT_7zdxY8yoaqfS26ods1B-S_1MZh9r4RHQWxGxS9nTbud_71UNE64o8/s1600/Super+57000+Video+Game(4).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignUNfKWplYHthRfzzcOVZ-Qx930tb5y3oIQNMyD2WsfbJmocPeJ3XbVnUYavIKasVZ-Gkp-aAT4_phib0nU6lIT_7zdxY8yoaqfS26ods1B-S_1MZh9r4RHQWxGxS9nTbud_71UNE64o8/s320/Super+57000+Video+Game(4).png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The front of the console isn't much better either, the plastic shows gaps all over the place. The lid doesn't always shut properly, half the time due to the sticky release button. But since its only covering a 60 pin port, instead of a CD drive unit, the gap is forgivable.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyc5xWZ_EnuK9cLJRAz-lrPS3gpu4XdAPSkPQ3todfEGITPJLKBGkp2Jxlz96SO1kZEfxbpvGHjg9RZQypim4CErmHi1LttfsoqmQ_24d-DJJ3vu-XlJWqvBRgR7nrzd28Lq5ASd6f7q1v/s1600/Super+57000+Video+Game(3).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyc5xWZ_EnuK9cLJRAz-lrPS3gpu4XdAPSkPQ3todfEGITPJLKBGkp2Jxlz96SO1kZEfxbpvGHjg9RZQypim4CErmHi1LttfsoqmQ_24d-DJJ3vu-XlJWqvBRgR7nrzd28Lq5ASd6f7q1v/s320/Super+57000+Video+Game(3).png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Again, I honestly don't know what I expected from the Super 57000 Video Game, other than the excitement of finally having my own console style Famiclone. Which its just that, a Famiclone in a console shell. The console does what its asked and nothing less, nothing more, it just works!</div>
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The controllers are comfortable, the video quality is what you would expect from a Famiclone and the audio is what you would expect from a NOAC. This was my favorite (I mean only) Famiclone console until I found my Dreamstation. Sadly, it took a slightly better Famiclone to make me realize how abysmal this system was, but that still doesn't mean this system is complete junk.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-4154899582835026202013-06-19T21:42:00.003-07:002013-06-19T21:42:40.526-07:00An Additional (Blue) Super Joy 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZ8scMaAxu9swbLiOFgXt6By3OpqQgS1YNDhsWtYj0CkIO2mD7-HrdnKA_zVBPrYv85n6ZxsLiI6WfNokyZRAArVoSF0z5tNtDqVBAddF3OkQD-rm4e4iqDbRmiz63TgjCZMlUeKUls98/s1600/Blue_Power_Joy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZ8scMaAxu9swbLiOFgXt6By3OpqQgS1YNDhsWtYj0CkIO2mD7-HrdnKA_zVBPrYv85n6ZxsLiI6WfNokyZRAArVoSF0z5tNtDqVBAddF3OkQD-rm4e4iqDbRmiz63TgjCZMlUeKUls98/s640/Blue_Power_Joy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
As you can see I own three blue Super Joy 3 Famiclones. No, I'm not being greedy, its the fact that two of them have different game sets inside and the third one, although looking identical from this angle, is quite different from the other two. In fact, its different from almost all of my Super Joy 3 systems, and not just by color.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87Wd30BLmYD3JvQ81tZ46JZNO-Xiu1RdnUTiLXhC5s43gTrFNRi3CaM8v7XbUOomNogmnPaSaSWUjGBoS2mnM0FgljlSSfh6djLgbuNcq_wYoEPpesQqgWbUU_fcPMwbDjQ9a6ejae7c3/s1600/Blue_Power_Joy(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87Wd30BLmYD3JvQ81tZ46JZNO-Xiu1RdnUTiLXhC5s43gTrFNRi3CaM8v7XbUOomNogmnPaSaSWUjGBoS2mnM0FgljlSSfh6djLgbuNcq_wYoEPpesQqgWbUU_fcPMwbDjQ9a6ejae7c3/s640/Blue_Power_Joy(2).png" width="640" /></a></div>
The two on the center and right have an open Famicom slot, as where the one on the left has a strange blue thing that seemingly hangs underneath it. This isn't the first Super Joy 3 I've found that has one of these, but I've found them to be harder to find than the ones with open cartridge ports. If you're quite careful and push in on the bottom of the cover (oriented as shown below), after breaking loose those two clips, then gentling pulling it back down toward the long handle of the unit you can easily pop that cover off, revealing the Famicom slot and extremely small board inserted within.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAi4OoP38utENGuLbnfhrHUUkjxOsDbJ7TL8WaKALQmOMWFE8lYmhwHMAQE5B23AaKi8kEBtWSxFEhW9jFnLfmdnhqHsQmNHh93qKAfG3rHZwsSGd6wcYH4JUbmwGdWPBNwU9Lecxn6Sx/s1600/Blue_Power_Joy(3).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAi4OoP38utENGuLbnfhrHUUkjxOsDbJ7TL8WaKALQmOMWFE8lYmhwHMAQE5B23AaKi8kEBtWSxFEhW9jFnLfmdnhqHsQmNHh93qKAfG3rHZwsSGd6wcYH4JUbmwGdWPBNwU9Lecxn6Sx/s640/Blue_Power_Joy(3).png" width="640" /></a></div>
The board is much smaller than any <i>true </i>Famicom game board, so much so that the 60 pins hardly align up correctly in the 60 pin slot. And even though I tried, you simply can not use these type of Super Joys to play Famicom games, unless you have loose game boards. And for some strange, inexplicable reason these units prefer to be powered by battery, giving an extremely poor quality video output when powered by a wallwart.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMElQUt2Kz06rktaiyFItOxzPSoUn1GHk4wHvNj6CHtu9PFZxkG6ZwzybaqUXM5V3zQEo88lLw9K7rejBU9qLkynKfo_Y1kQEyxDr0LmQrSVYK0UnF7rugbWSViOngh9tTCiJsKo3oU8Oo/s1600/Blue_Power_Joy%25285%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMElQUt2Kz06rktaiyFItOxzPSoUn1GHk4wHvNj6CHtu9PFZxkG6ZwzybaqUXM5V3zQEo88lLw9K7rejBU9qLkynKfo_Y1kQEyxDr0LmQrSVYK0UnF7rugbWSViOngh9tTCiJsKo3oU8Oo/s400/Blue_Power_Joy%25285%2529.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">My total Super Joy 3 count is up to a total of six, half of those are blue, but I will continue to collect them as I find new colors or maybe even more like this and the light blue/gray one. Well, that previous statement isn't strictly true as I do have one that's shell was broken beyond repair, so I salvaged the guts and plan to turn it into a console... someday, but it doesn't really count as its no long in its shell. Regardless, the Super Joy 3 is fun in short bursts of time and to some, like myself, fun to collect all the different colors and variants.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNJid1Y6VblFDS9v7qyfc5DTlSryMpWmFqhXIGJBr0alGN0R4Y-aUw8cRjp0XR6NXLIscsRaR_ewymx-44cFXWCVXib-6LQg7lXtqtfx6j2dPhwDE8YDyvKmWuj3bVwBC21325P2v8lJ5/s1600/Blue_Power_Joy%25284%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNJid1Y6VblFDS9v7qyfc5DTlSryMpWmFqhXIGJBr0alGN0R4Y-aUw8cRjp0XR6NXLIscsRaR_ewymx-44cFXWCVXib-6LQg7lXtqtfx6j2dPhwDE8YDyvKmWuj3bVwBC21325P2v8lJ5/s400/Blue_Power_Joy%25284%2529.png" width="400" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-12130280641732692742013-05-30T14:19:00.000-07:002013-07-26T21:29:07.683-07:00Famiclone Power SuppliesWhen it comes to powering video game consoles I've always had one adapter that was labeled for each given system and I never questioned it. On some rare occasions I have needed to know what adapter I could use on what (my Atari Jaguar, and 2600), and the internet was a quick reference in power supply interchangeability. But when it comes to Famiclones there aren't a lot of sites out there asking or answering the questions to what power supply will run a Famiclone without burning it up.<br />
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When I picked up my very first Famiclone, a Power Joy without the battery door, I was completely ignorant of what power supply to use. The only thing I had around at the time was an NES AC adapter (NES-002), and instead of seeing anything light up on the screen I quickly smelled the melting of internal components. For years I thought I had burnt the thing to a crisp and it would never work again, later I found out I didn't do it any harm, luckily!<br />
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During the years that followed all I found were Super Joy 3 systems, which use a much easier to understand and more readily available battery power source, so it wasn't until I acquired a complete Super Joy 3 system that I ever really worried about a <i>wall wart</i> slowing me down. Having this one power supply subsequently helped me save tons on batteries and it also helped me test out my Super 57000 Video Game, as it was just the console and controllers, no power supply. But most importantly this one power supply ran all of my Famicom clones without any issues, but I needed more than just this one for my entire collection.<br />
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I now own 2 different Famiclone power supplies which show me the needs of a Chinese Famicom clone are quite simple to sustain. And although these power supplies are for 2 different styles of Famiclones, they work across the board on all of my consoles and handheld systems that offer the option of being powered by a wall wart. But as with anything from China these things are super cheap plastic and I wouldn't trust running my systems on them for both my own and the Famiclone's safety, but I'll get into that later.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZC5kvuoEaM1hH8k3QXrfZQ9f2QC_RW5nfD1UjQ3eawhTIRGaAh6MCLFdn-ZBUJAc2epfwDopu2qb_yNuFcn9GBaNOfv0cghhq6jXO63cAj3KNXdfgQxOBAVvEfulBYKndIn_T2Jy1DyN/s1600/Famiclone_Power_Adapter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZC5kvuoEaM1hH8k3QXrfZQ9f2QC_RW5nfD1UjQ3eawhTIRGaAh6MCLFdn-ZBUJAc2epfwDopu2qb_yNuFcn9GBaNOfv0cghhq6jXO63cAj3KNXdfgQxOBAVvEfulBYKndIn_T2Jy1DyN/s320/Famiclone_Power_Adapter.png" width="320" /></a></div>
There are a handful of components that you'll need to pay attention to when it comes to the safety of your Famiclone: Input allowance of the power supply, <b>DC</b> output, amperage output and the polarity of the barrel plug going into your system. Most importantly you need to make sure the input is standard for where you live, so you don't overheat the power supply and cause a fire hazard. Next you'll need to make sure the output is what the Famiclone needs, which for all mine has been 9 volts DC, 350 to 500 milliamps, with a outer positive polarity on the output end.<br />
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Do not feed your system too much voltage, and <b>do not</b> mix AC with DC, all mine work on strictly DC voltage. You can run slightly higher amperage without worry as the system only takes what it needs, but do not starve it by using a power supply that offers less amperage (about 500mA is ideal). Last make sure you have the correct plug polarity, positive outside and negative inside, most power supplies have a diagram on them showing which polarity the output plug will give your device.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HHtNIseTKIF5flQrKjHScYWtHpZ_Wj4L1XzF0w6Snxp3ktAOwSK861BE6tlGmPjSMGnJgyCPeyHOorNQnTJ3zcyd6U8MXrnyhSBKBlcAIFjifhuJbdnICurRmbiicF68QmiLdTKqIJ_y/s1600/Famiclone_Power_Adapter(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HHtNIseTKIF5flQrKjHScYWtHpZ_Wj4L1XzF0w6Snxp3ktAOwSK861BE6tlGmPjSMGnJgyCPeyHOorNQnTJ3zcyd6U8MXrnyhSBKBlcAIFjifhuJbdnICurRmbiicF68QmiLdTKqIJ_y/s320/Famiclone_Power_Adapter(2).png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Since the supplied DC adapters for Famiclones are pretty standard Chinese junk, I've found a handful of alternatives that are substantially better quality but offer the needed power for my systems. I haven't tested them personally but I also believe a Sega MK-3025 or MK-1602 should work perfectly fine as well. In short make sure the power supply works with your wall outlets, provides 9 volts DC and has as much amperage as your Famiclone needs, and finally make sure what you plug into your console has outside positive and center negative polarity.</div>
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There are the simple rules I've learned and currently follow. My Famiclone collection is always growing and I'm not the type of person to turn down a good Famiclone simply because it doesn't have all the hookups needed. Now that I know what most Famiclones run on, I've got the most important part covered!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-29315484004052286702013-05-09T21:11:00.001-07:002013-05-24T22:07:07.723-07:00The long and short of Famiclone controllers.More often than not Famiclone controllers have exceedingly short leads, forcing users to sit close to the system. This hearkens back to the days of the Nintendo Famicom and its own short controller leads. But luckily, since most Famiclones use a standard DB9 connection for controller input, there is a cheap and easy way to quickly add length to any Famiclone controller.
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The other day I was rummaging through a box of old video game controllers when I came across a Sega Genesis controller extension. At first I didn't think much of the simple wire, but later that afternoon I had pulled out one of my Famiclones and remembered just how short the controller leads are! It took me a few seconds to mentally fit everything together but soon after I was heading back to that box to dig out that extension cable.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7DGqghzjKOugmyM0E7KrGvqFE2i9JOpREs2I7gvZuP7CvBk8g2jldsNJkShUzdqn0jZCVbfYqOfUvVSgNWwbaJpWzErRzE2cNxYap6bg7-kXtGVvxdUZt2ophk8qp6SJghncYOruT7zF/s1600/EXT.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7DGqghzjKOugmyM0E7KrGvqFE2i9JOpREs2I7gvZuP7CvBk8g2jldsNJkShUzdqn0jZCVbfYqOfUvVSgNWwbaJpWzErRzE2cNxYap6bg7-kXtGVvxdUZt2ophk8qp6SJghncYOruT7zF/s320/EXT.png" /></a>
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The extension cable is a simple point-to-point pass through, so it can be used interchangeably with any system or controller using the DB9 connection. You simply plug your Famiclone, Sega Genesis, Master System or even Atari controllers into the one end of the cable and the other end goes into the system, its as simple as that. This particular cable adds an additional 10 feet to any given controller I use it with; while 10 feet may sound excessive its much better than the 12 inches most Famiclone controllers give you.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2Za9WlREP9YRmOeVIFQjGcsQYTSHvZMyoWoSPdN4eaAEDEVc22pygs8xhXG0gUzmc5iGdF5G6Ca3yNhy7gBu-ha2lvrXAZ4PKw4MWnG7cesJ54Sh7Iboqbgh6KSsy4m0TTnGsopnQLYN/s1600/EXT2.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2Za9WlREP9YRmOeVIFQjGcsQYTSHvZMyoWoSPdN4eaAEDEVc22pygs8xhXG0gUzmc5iGdF5G6Ca3yNhy7gBu-ha2lvrXAZ4PKw4MWnG7cesJ54Sh7Iboqbgh6KSsy4m0TTnGsopnQLYN/s320/EXT2.png" /></a>
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Shortly before publishing this article I checked to make sure I was being factual with everything said herein, and I didn't make a complete ass of myself merely running on assumption. I tested the extension cable on almost every Famiclone I own and only had issues when a cartridge was plugged into a handheld, such as my Super Joy, Power Joy and Vs. Maxx systems, player 2 functions seemed to work for built-in games on these units though. But the same issues did <b>not</b> occur when I used the extension cable on the exact same cartridge in an actual system with 2 controller ports, as opposed to built-in controller 1 and a single port for player 2.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-66697051210821785012013-05-04T20:48:00.000-07:002013-07-26T21:10:05.807-07:00Innovation Super 8 "Famiclone"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpB-JkeqUwr6IVkTjvZ63TMvKc2FS454M07giISzgFikaDWbf6vilg5eVCuLNsLqmEBKtyeqH7w-sZnydK4uZeunMUs03zGC4LWnOMzbJuS__SMJXMx4LgMb3xrxO3YsqSXBqH-ZQrsjgC/s1600/Super8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpB-JkeqUwr6IVkTjvZ63TMvKc2FS454M07giISzgFikaDWbf6vilg5eVCuLNsLqmEBKtyeqH7w-sZnydK4uZeunMUs03zGC4LWnOMzbJuS__SMJXMx4LgMb3xrxO3YsqSXBqH-ZQrsjgC/s320/Super8.png" /></a></div>
When I saw the item above sitting in a Goodwill outlet bin exactly as you see it pictured I ignorantly -- and overzealously -- assumed I had struck gold. I originally hoped it was an excessively rare Nintendo Powerfest or Campus Challenge ROM cartridge, but recessed deep in the back of my mind I knew what it was. I had wanted a Super 8 for a couple of years but never thought I would run across one, but the Goodwill outlet store never ceases to amaze me.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrZCKTDzvtuLdUxa2zgFjlINYLRNwtQecXZUC1zDjQND1O2EdD4CAN7_UAXhQvc4F_SwNX2fVSOUyfwu_LASaia9X3epME4zsg1dsIqy40p40JI6padTYSExI2KZiGR5DscUj7AT-MQt_/s1600/Super8(2).png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrZCKTDzvtuLdUxa2zgFjlINYLRNwtQecXZUC1zDjQND1O2EdD4CAN7_UAXhQvc4F_SwNX2fVSOUyfwu_LASaia9X3epME4zsg1dsIqy40p40JI6padTYSExI2KZiGR5DscUj7AT-MQt_/s320/Super8(2).png" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ARJxhOLRUb3iisMMG3D_4xZ6EPeoUuvF8WvafNBXKA1Y5LeN2oE-OiABJVH8s6DecI-_JOvCeWFB1o47ztiSdG1SVcuJgb2SPGtKLtcSQH4OT0csy6WDyY_b9VCpxZBNCMvzYJOt1xZg/s1600/Super8(3).png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ARJxhOLRUb3iisMMG3D_4xZ6EPeoUuvF8WvafNBXKA1Y5LeN2oE-OiABJVH8s6DecI-_JOvCeWFB1o47ztiSdG1SVcuJgb2SPGtKLtcSQH4OT0csy6WDyY_b9VCpxZBNCMvzYJOt1xZg/s320/Super8(3).png" width="320" /></a>
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If you're not familiar with what an Innovation Super 8 is, its an attachment that goes on the top of your Super Nintendo/Super Famicom and allows you to play four different types of video games: Super Famicom and Super Nintendo (simply used as a pass-through) as well as NES and Famicom games. Some call these a Famiclone, but I tend to think of Famiclones as a standalone system that is self-sufficient and plays Famicom games, either built in, through a 60 pin cartridge slot or both. That is why I classify the Super 8 as an attachment, more so than a Famiclone, although I can't really argue against it being a Famiclone, because it does play Famicom/NES games via an internal NOAC.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypn84CSSS4dT3CwzFRE3YzbSlv4b1iraGVR17xYf1a-JJWPtqdAGxRB9x0Z_uxIVu98oUahA-9T3bjmeaAlVvUza2AOy712SzQyLXVs0SqbrV6ZRVYtI-csAY3wlKUvKME79ImLWR9IaI/s1600/Tri-Star_SNES-title.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypn84CSSS4dT3CwzFRE3YzbSlv4b1iraGVR17xYf1a-JJWPtqdAGxRB9x0Z_uxIVu98oUahA-9T3bjmeaAlVvUza2AOy712SzQyLXVs0SqbrV6ZRVYtI-csAY3wlKUvKME79ImLWR9IaI/s320/Tri-Star_SNES-title.png" /></a></div>
When you boot the Super Nintendo/Famicom with the Super 8 attached you are presented with a pretty awesome screen, giving you the choice of either 8-bit (Famicom Controller) or 16-bit (Super Famicom Controller) games. The first of which is obviously going to boot either your Famicom or NES game which is plugged in, but the system will only boot one or the other; I'm not sure what happens if you try both at the same time, but I'm not willing to chance it. And the second is the single Super Famicom/Super Nintendo slot, luckily there are no plastic stoppers built in preventing you from playing Super Famicom or Super Nintendo games making the Super 8 completely region free, as long as its NTSC.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZfV_2NScSb92fDUUCzgSw8-sBY8MUwKJRyG2GNiP7WylVmNKOU7K0eZJIHvWohAUPBDz5xGjWhS4i_gpAKgKzWzDhDbmGnjoZbcdKmW2FdMbQWNyOksaEsAMp-H_BIhDlH9EyhxT3Jsw/s1600/Super8(4).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZfV_2NScSb92fDUUCzgSw8-sBY8MUwKJRyG2GNiP7WylVmNKOU7K0eZJIHvWohAUPBDz5xGjWhS4i_gpAKgKzWzDhDbmGnjoZbcdKmW2FdMbQWNyOksaEsAMp-H_BIhDlH9EyhxT3Jsw/s320/Super8(4).png" /></a></div>
One issue with the Super 8 is the means in which you run the video through it. The Super 8 runs straight off the power of the Super Famicom/Nintendo, but the Super 8 has its own built in AV cable that needs to be plugged into the back of the SNES and the AV cables, the normally go where the Super 8 is now plugged into, go into the back of the Super 8. The jack that goes into the SNES is really nice and fits well, but the jack coming out of the Super 8 is weak and often times you'll need to completely reset the connection from minor bumps and moving.<br />
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Another issue that is common with NOAC Famiclones are verticle lines on the screen, which I've only noticed while using the standard SNES/N64 AV cables. I managed to remove those lines entirely using a Nintendo RF modulator (NUS-003), yet the colors were muted and the volume seemed to drop dramatically. There is a mod to remove them for good, but the lines aren't really that big of an issue to myself, but they are noticeable and problematic to some people.<br />
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The final issue with the Innovation Super 8 seems to be an intentional break in the traces that prevent any Super Famicom/Nintendo games using the Super FX chip from working through the Super 8 attachment. Again I've read there is a super simple mod to repair this, but I currently don't have any games that use this chip to test whether or not my unit needs this mod or not. Even though the mod is simply bridging a gap with some solder, I'll wait until this problem arises before I'll take personal offense and fix the issue.<br />
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Sure I own a Super Nintendo, an NES and a plethora of Famiclones and I don't currently own any Super Famicom games that need special means to be played, as of yet, but having the Super 8 opens up the doors to so many possibilities. I am a sucker for systems or attachments that allow me to save room on my entertainment center and the Super 8 allows me to play 4 different type of games through one system, with impeccable compatibility. If nothing else the Innovation Super 8 shows the modern Famiclone consoles just how much better an NOAC was back in 1995 and its simply a cool piece to own!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888587162391293637.post-84288776912238308722013-05-01T09:33:00.000-07:002013-09-11T15:43:45.530-07:00This is a Famiclone?I've acquired quite a few Famiclones of all different shapes, sizes and designs in my years of video game collecting. Famiclones range from the bizarre and ugly to an exact replica of the Nintendo Famicom, visually speaking. What I happened to find today sits somewhere between those two, yet I'm still not sure exactly where.<br />
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At first glance this thing is a bottom of the barrel scraping third party Xbox 360 controller, but if you look a little closer the telltale signs of a Famiclone are present. There is no brand name to be seen, simply a strange logo where another analog stick should be. But whoever made this was so dedicated to trying to incorporated the Xbox 360 feel that the power button is a large circle in the center of the controller, with a border that lights up, just like the controller this is trying to resemble.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWvNRglWsjGGpru_Dg76q-yvwWjCad_u_RD2LhEszhuw4qUgFJbd5Ravrl1bLL8rG9FQ2P7qI7crqdz3jI_n0i4bGCDTNJve9-hlH4Dr-KgfHS7kXhINPha-2YSk92QlERC3mkkn3_jsk/s1600/FamicloneBox.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Xbox 360 Famiclone" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWvNRglWsjGGpru_Dg76q-yvwWjCad_u_RD2LhEszhuw4qUgFJbd5Ravrl1bLL8rG9FQ2P7qI7crqdz3jI_n0i4bGCDTNJve9-hlH4Dr-KgfHS7kXhINPha-2YSk92QlERC3mkkn3_jsk/s320/FamicloneBox.png" title="" /></a></div>
There is a second player port nestled at the bottom, between the handles, but the main player controls offer the standard Famiclone fair in a confusing array. There is a standard D-pad and a pseudo analog stick, which works as a standard D-pad and is there merely for looks, and six action buttons to choose from. What are listed as A and B are backwards, X and Y are the turbo versions of the aforementioned buttons, while LB seems to work as both A and B simultaneously and RB does absolutely nothing at all.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifE8Fg8NDskfJeWX5Rg0zexhyphenhyphenwe0uAAWEvkVbXdW_N65y3fEKJ7RkhWaXCzOcfIbD5vCCWwVWUv0YzBKME5FRmw-0AUaffBT10XHJg9AydbaSSi-vyzwVGO2egtR4w8bwMqUB9H_qiP2OR/s1600/FamicloneBox%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Xbox 360 Famiclone" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifE8Fg8NDskfJeWX5Rg0zexhyphenhyphenwe0uAAWEvkVbXdW_N65y3fEKJ7RkhWaXCzOcfIbD5vCCWwVWUv0YzBKME5FRmw-0AUaffBT10XHJg9AydbaSSi-vyzwVGO2egtR4w8bwMqUB9H_qiP2OR/s320/FamicloneBox%25282%2529.png" title="" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDbZY_h5nAUyc8cG4ZGhrzq8VDSLtgxAw4NplbSfeZKPwAqpD2lVCrga0QOVp8un7sqnyWZYsgiSBVioeT5NqcWqdeYXkMliqsGf2rDn95UoOZ78Ehg7QR3byNcnEI6Q52TYng8k4z2zz/s1600/FamicloneBox%25284%2529.png" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Xbox 360 Famiclone" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDbZY_h5nAUyc8cG4ZGhrzq8VDSLtgxAw4NplbSfeZKPwAqpD2lVCrga0QOVp8un7sqnyWZYsgiSBVioeT5NqcWqdeYXkMliqsGf2rDn95UoOZ78Ehg7QR3byNcnEI6Q52TYng8k4z2zz/s320/FamicloneBox%25284%2529.png" title="" /></a>
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On the very top of the controller are a pair of plastic humps, I assume to simulate shoulder buttons, that are pretty much pointless and useless. Between those are a standard set of AV output jacks as well as a power input. Unlike almost all my other handheld style Famiclones this one offers no battery power option at all, but luckily works off the same DC 9volt 300mA power supply all my other Famiclones use.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjriNyTTvzvJfm2YtvWw2C_v72tNgECZHMAvv0vhr6WTcPcbj-q0QYArGYbuLxZWpgsMjd-IxuLt_9w16hDWt1mHmBwca2aSAf7-JJJgXcWKEiO7BhMZ4PfszKMn8mm0FAhbEluY06Rkk/s1600/FamicloneBox%25283%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Xbox 360 Famiclone" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjriNyTTvzvJfm2YtvWw2C_v72tNgECZHMAvv0vhr6WTcPcbj-q0QYArGYbuLxZWpgsMjd-IxuLt_9w16hDWt1mHmBwca2aSAf7-JJJgXcWKEiO7BhMZ4PfszKMn8mm0FAhbEluY06Rkk/s320/FamicloneBox%25283%2529.png" title="" /></a></div>
When I found this at a local Goodwill I originally didn't want to buy it, but once I saw that it was 50% off this week I quickly changed my mind. I honestly didn't know what to expect from this unit; was it a bunch of 8-bit homebrews or would it be just another 9999999999999999 in 1 pirate fest? With the uneasy feeling of whether the system would work and what I could expect from it once I got it home set aside, I plunked down the whole $1 for it and waited to get home to find out.<br />
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After plugging in the AV cables and wearily plugging in the AC adapter, hoping it wouldn't blow up, I pushed in the power button and watched as it lit up green and <i>Fun Time</i> flash quickly on the screen. Immediately after that a list of 76000 games appeared, which equated to approximately 50 games listed over and over again. Almost all of them were Famicom/NES pirates, but there were a few games I've never heard of.<br />
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As per normal this Famiclone is packed with games such as: <i>Contra, 1942, Arkanoid, Super Mario Bros., Circus Charlie, Mappy</i>, and many more. But there are also games I've never heard of such as: Nature Clan Island, Knight Hero and Ice Oceans, the gameplay of all these games isn't anything I'm familiar with, so I know its not a simple retitle. Some of them even have extremely well done title screens, leading me to believe someone took pride in making these games.<br />
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Again, as normal this system is made of extremely cheap plastic, the lower D-pad is almost completely unresponsive, the reset button takes a good hard press to work (which is better than resetting a game on accident) and overall its just another standard Famiclone from China. Its small and packs in a lot of games, but without the option to power it with batteries this system is not portable, which would have been extremely easy if they had tried to clone a wireless Xbox 360 controller. Other than being a different shape and lacking a 60 pin connector (perhaps a detail I should have pointed out earlier) this thing isn't much different than any of my Super Joy systems.<br />
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To simplify, knowing what I know now if this system wasn't $1 I wouldn't have picked it up!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074745100849936267noreply@blogger.com0