Over the years, we have unboxed, tested, and reviewed a TON of different NES clone systems. Hyperkin, Old Skool, Retro-Bit, Gamerz Tek, and others have all put out budget-friendly clone systems designed to allow you to play your classic 8-bit Games again. We've put together all of the NES Clone console reviews we've done to date and man, you can see that along with the changes in hardware, our channel has also changed a lot. Let's take a look back to see the different NES-ONLY compatible systems we've reviewed and how they ranked at the time.
Please note: This is a time capsule look back at the history of this channel. Over the years we've improved cameras, capture devices, microphones, and more. Some of these videos go back almost 6 years. I know the quality in some of the older scenes doesn't look great. We've learned, evolved, and improved.
Also Note: The Retro-Bit RES+ is no longer being sold. It is being included for comparison's sake.
About these systems:
All of these systems are under $50 and feature some sort of system on a chip or SoC. A system on a chip essentially reproduces the functionality of all the hardware in one integrated circuit. These have been around for decades at this point, & are relatively inexpensive to produce. If it is inexpensive and emulates the hardware using just one or a few circuits what's the downside? Game authenticity often suffers from this implementation. Most of these SoCs suffer from what is called a reverse duty cycle issue which negatively impacts the audio. This leads to games not sounding correct. SoC's also have inaccurate color palettes which can make games look wrong, and game compatibility is an issue. I do not know of any SoC system that will get past level 2 in Battletoads, & things like the Famicom Disk System will not work. But when you can get an HDMI-equipped NES clone with an SoC for under 30 bucks, sometimes you're willing to make some concessions.
Rankings:
Best Controller:
Gamerz Tek 8Bit HD/8Bit Boy
When it comes to a comfortable and responsive controller, the Gamerz Tek controllers just do something so right. It keeps the overall button size, placement, and layout, but it also refines the shape of the controller to provide round corners instead of the sharp, pointed ones of the Original NES Controller. These are really very good.
Honorable mention: Hyperkin Cadet
Best Video Quality
These all have color palettes that are quite off from the original. The Old Skool and Hyperkin consoles seem to be the worst in our opinion, with the RES+ and 8BitHD looking a little better. None are great, however.
Winner- Toss Up
Best Audio Quality
Much like the visuals, the audio is pretty off on all of these. My go-to test is the coins in Super Mario Bros, and they all have what's called a reverse duty cycle issue. This has existed since clone systems first popped up, and it has never been fixed. All of these have reverse duty cycle issues, which is quite disappointing.
Winner - None, all losers here
Power Port
This may sound odd to include here, but the power port makes a difference, at least to me. None of these systems use USB-C for power, otherwise, that would be a huge W, but at least most include a micro USB port for power. One noticeable exception is the Gamerz Tek 8BitHD which uses a proprietary barrel-style connection. That stinks. The rest all use Micro USB.
A/V Output
Most of these, except for the Retron1, all have HDMI outputs. The Gamerz Tek 8Bit HD & Hyperkin Retron 1 AV ports only have Mono output, which technically all output mono via AV but splits both of these into a left/right channel.
Aesthetics
None of these look like an NES, but they all have their own design styles. The Gamerz Tek 8BitHD has definite NES design influences. The RES+ is the most original looking of the systems, although the controller is definitely NES inspired.
What do you think of this style of video? Would you like to see me do more of these in the future? Let us know in the comments and we'll see what we can do in the future!
#NESClone #NIntendo #nintendoentertainmentsystem #Retron #Hyperkin #RetroBit #OldSkool