Should You Buy the Old Skool Classiq 2 NES & SNES Clone Console: In-Dept Review Featuring Mario RPG

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Should You Buy the Old Skool Classiq 2 NES & SNES Clone Console: In-Dept Review Featuring Mario RPG

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Күн бұрын

In this video we put the Old Skool Classiq 2 HD Clone Game system through perhaps the most extensive review on KZfaq!
Thanks to Live Action Games in Champaign, IL for providing the Classiq 2 for this unboxing and review. Please give them a like and a thanks on their Facebook page at / lag217
John Riggs Classiq 2 Review - • Video
Old Skool has been making accessories for retro games for quite some time. From replacement power and AV cables, controllers and AV2HDMI adapters they have some pretty cool gear. They have recently delved into the world of clone video game systems with the Classiq 2 HD, a 2-in-1 system that can handle games from both the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Nintendo Super Entertainment system.
The Classiq 2 is available in 2 different color schemes, either red & black or purple and grey. The latter mimics the colors of the original American SNES which, for some will be a great thing but for others they won't look at the system with the same nostalgia.
The controllers are pretty functional, the SNES being my preferred controller out of the two. It feels great, the buttons are responsive although the travel on the X/Y seemed a little on the short side. The NES Controller mimics the shape of the dogbone controller but I will say it didn't feel quite as good as the SNES one.. Only one of each is included so if you want to get some 2-player SNES gaming in you'll need to buy a 2nd controller.
Game compatibility is really high, thanks to this being a hardware-based system. Problematic games such as Mario RPG and Yoshi's Island both play on the Super NES side of things without issue. It even handled the Super Game Boy & Retro-Bit Multicarts with Joe & Mac! SNES game emulation looks good, if a tick on the muddy side. On the NES side things were just as good compatibility-wise, including Castlevania 3 & the Retro-Bit collection multicart too. I didn't run into a single game that didn't play, however some games needed to be inserted just-so for the system to read and recognize it.
Let's talk about the cartridge slots because this is where the Classiq 2 misses the mark a little for me. The SNES cart slot is ok at best. SNES & Super Famicom games have a decent amount of wobble to them which can affect how the games load. If the cart isn't straight up and down & is at a slight angle a game may not load. The spring loaded door on the cartridge slot on the SNES side also stuck in on a regular basis too. Yes, it did come back up but eventually but it did take its sweet time to do so.
Audio quality is still an issue on the NES side of things, same as other clone NES systems. Much like the Retron HD the audio is pitched up and high on the Classiq 2, again most notably on Super Mario Bros' coins. It was disappointing to hear but leans towards this being a similar system on a chip.
Why it RoX:
- Compact 2-in-1 design
- Includes NES & SNES Controller
- Great game compatibility
- Decent Value
- AV output
What could be improved:
- Audio is off
- Color palette is a bit muddy
- Including 2 SNES controllers would be better than 1 of each
- NES Controller felt cheap
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Пікірлер: 129

@ilovetacos210 3 жыл бұрын

Using the analog sound output of the console vs HDMI helps the sound. It's still high pitched, but has a lot more depth. I personally use analog out to my surround sound and HDMI to my TV.

@ecmyersvids 6 жыл бұрын

Another fantastic, thorough review of a not-so-great system! Thanks for covering so many different games and aspects of the console. I'm sure this is the perfect solution for many casual gamers, but it's not quite what I'm looking for... One other test you can try is Battletoads; apparently many clone consoles, including the RetroN HD, freeze up in Level 2, so that would be another interesting data point. BTW, that baby in Wai Wai World is from the Famicom-only game Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa!

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

I think for casual gamers who just want a system that plays games it will fit the bill but for the hardcore it does have some warts. Interesting on the Battletoads, I actually don't own a copy but may have to add one to the collection to test, thanks!

@vfddcv7445 6 жыл бұрын

Great in depth review... So many guys reviewed the product and none talked about the sound issues on the nes and the color palette

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+vfddcv Sound in the NES is YUGE to me. None of the budget systems nail it but some are worse than others

@vfddcv7445 6 жыл бұрын

I have a famiclone in hd with sound issues but I did got used to it and it doesn't bother me at all. But picture quality is better than the classiq 2.especially in super mario you can see the sky is purple I remember it being blue.are the colors changed?

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+vfddcv It's the same pallet, or at least very similar, to the Retron HD. Check out my comparison video below because the original NES was not as blue as I thought either: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mL1mZNR137_Vcmg.html

@vfddcv7445 6 жыл бұрын

I didnt remember that. I played super mario as a kid and now after so many years on a clone console. Damn that purple looks a little depressing though:(

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+vfddcv Yeah, that side by side really opened my eyes.

@LelandHasGames 6 жыл бұрын

The Super Everdrive does work with it. It also works if you have the DSP1 chip installed on it.

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

There you have it.

@MrSujano 6 жыл бұрын

Not too bad considering you get both the NES and SNES in HD for $70.

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+Mr. Sujano You can do better and a lot worse for the money.

@MrSujano 6 жыл бұрын

Completely agree - great review :)

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+Mr. Sujano It will be interesting to see how things change once the new Retro-Bit Super Retro-Trio Plus and the Gamerz Tek multi systems are released

@MrSujano 6 жыл бұрын

What a time to be alive for us retro gamers!

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+Mr. Sujano Translate Retro Gamers=Us Old Farts

@MarcMarioMaster 5 жыл бұрын

Finally somebody who tries out PAL cartridges. I'm from Europe and got interested in this one. Superinformative video. =3

@RoXolid 5 жыл бұрын

I was lucky that I was able to pick up some pal games when I was in Germany last year!

@thegirdybird 6 жыл бұрын

Best in depth review I’ve seen for this or any console. Subscribed!!Just got mine yesterday. Love it so far. It’s my first clone console but aside from some slight sound issues, it’s great. I did have some lag issues at first but game mode on my tv fixed that. Did you have to use game mode as well??

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+The Girdybird Thanks for the kind words! I may not always be the first one out but try to be the most in depth you'll find! You will pretty much always need to use game mode when playing games, my TV is permanently set to game mode.

@thegirdybird 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much. Playing my collection in HD is great. I look forward to watching your other videos. Keep it up.

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+The Girdybird That's the gameplan!

@cunawarit 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this review, this is looking like the best affordable clone system at the moment.

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+Guillermo Power It is decent, definitely not without flaws but it had good game compatibility. A good value too

@cunawarit 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your reply, sadly unless you go with an FPGA solution most SOAC clones will have some issues. I'm happy with that :) I have original NTSC NES and Super Famicom consoles, but I still need a clone to run PAL games in my collection.

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+Guillermo Power Very true but that really had nothing to do with system power, that's where I was a bit confused by your statement. When I think power I'm thinking CPU, RAM, etc.

@cunawarit 6 жыл бұрын

Power? Sorry, I am now confused as well, I made no mention of power. When it comes to System On A Chip clones my main concerns are: * Palette accuracy. * High degree of compatibility (as in it will run the majority of games for the console being cloned). * Sound accuracy. * Ability to run both NTSC and PAL games at the correct speed. * Ability to use original controllers. * Either HDMI or RGB output, not component. I would assume that RAM and CPU clock speed of the clone are either the same or very close to the original.

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+Guillermo Power Sorry, got comments confused. Thought someone mentioned this being the most powerful Clone out there. That was my confusion. This definitely has some interesting aspects to it, I am curious to see how the multi-systems from Gamerz Tek and Retro-Bit fare in the coming weeks and months, PLUS the Hyperkin HD SNES too.

@amolochitis30 4 жыл бұрын

Had to view this one too! Great live testing man.

@JonCampos80 5 жыл бұрын

I own this unit too, unfortunately the SNES audio is mono (both hdmi and analog outputs) and the SNES image is really blurry and particularly noisy on dark scenes.

@linuxlonestar4796 2 жыл бұрын

Hey! I’m a really big fan of your videos. It’s a bit weird to comment on such an old vid, but I was wondering, how would you compare this to the gamers tek 2in1 HD? I’m trying to decide on a budget clone system, and I can’t really find a comparison between the two.

@RoXolid 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for watching and for the compliments. So I'm not the biggest fan of the Classiq, I think the audio and color palette are less authentic than other systems. Most clones, on the NES-side, have an issue with the audio, but this one (like the Retron1 HD for comparison) seem to be the least accurate. I like the Gamerz Tek unit a lot, it still has its flaws. I think the controllers are a lot better myself on the Gamerz Tek, and the HD2 has better game compatibility as well. I hope this helps!

@linuxlonestar4796 2 жыл бұрын

@@RoXolidthanks for the input! I will definitely take that into consideration!

@RoXolid 2 жыл бұрын

You are very welcome!!

@PikangsFutaba 2 жыл бұрын

Love how clone consoles swiftly fails in the audio department on the NES side, in this case as soon as you moved in the menu, I noticed inmediatly the audio fail, still, not a bad alternative overall (but there are better options of course).

@RoXolid 2 жыл бұрын

It's due to the HDMI output integration, the weird thing is that if you connect to Composite, the audio is fine.

@rubenmejia4881 6 жыл бұрын

The baby in wai wai world 2 is from a game called "Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa" a Japanese exclusive made by konami. It's a nice platforming game you should check it out.

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

I've heard of it I just always forget the name

@vorenge 6 жыл бұрын

You are so awesome. I appreciate you for posting your comprehensive review. Oh those coins...meh.

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+Vorenge I do it for all of you! Thanks so much

@threwanade 11 ай бұрын

I’m assuming this outputs an upscaled composite signal which would explain the blur. What I would do is rgb mod it and send the signal to a scaler from a multiout, then it should be comparable to the 1 chip in sharpness, I’ve done that to a yobo snes and it looked great.

@riverwhite8418 6 жыл бұрын

This is possibly the most powerful clone console ever made.

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+River White I wouldn't say that. It is very good but there are other systems out there that are as good and in some ways a little better. But this is nice that it is 2 in 1 and has the HDMI output.

@flamedlyrici.s.a.c456 6 жыл бұрын

RoXolid Productions could you name other clone consoles like this that are the best?

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

I like all the Gamerz Tek HDMI systems thus far. I just started testing the Super HD-2 and it's very good, just like the 8- & 16-Bit HD systems. I also really like the Super Retro Trio+ from Retro-bit. For the budget-conscious that is where I would look myself.

@keithmoon8277 2 жыл бұрын

Will this system work with a game genie. Also which system do you like better. The Retron 2 or the Old Skool. Thanks

@RoXolid 2 жыл бұрын

The Retron 2. Both work nearly identically, flaws and all, but I prefer the Retron Controllers. I don't recall if this worked with the game genie, sorry

@vfddcv7445 6 жыл бұрын

So is the snes part better than the gamerztek one? Please can you do a review on hyperkins new hd snes clone too? Its called supa hd or something thanks :)

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+vfddcv Trying to get my hands on the Hyperkin. I need to compare the SNES footage but, just based on memory of experience I would lean towards the Gamerz Tek. That being said I'm hoping to have the Retro-Bit Super Retro Trio relatively soon to test too

@richardhislop-harvestthena4882 Жыл бұрын

all issues considered over this would you say for nes and snes the Retron 2 HD or the Retron 3 HD is better clone system or do you think there is a different on better then the Retron 2 or 3 hd for under $100 budget? thanks!

@GrimmysReviews 5 жыл бұрын

stupid question, but have you tried playing the NES games in PAL mode? Maybe since that might be a bit slower it could help the audio a little. just a thought.

@RoXolid 5 жыл бұрын

It still plays at 50hz, when you put that in a 60hz tv it's going to play fast

@Perfectly_Balanced930 Жыл бұрын

Dont understand why the cartridge slot needs to clamp down on the cartriges.

@RoXolid Жыл бұрын

It is less that it clamps down and more the spacing between the front and rear pins that are tight.

@vfddcv7445 6 жыл бұрын

Wow 35 min video gotta watch this thanks :)

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

+vfddcv Hopefully the reason for why it took so long makes a little bit more sense now, LOL. I really wasn't dragging my feet, I promise :-)

@jaytpmc 4 жыл бұрын

You say it is a bit "blurry" but how is it compared to a regular SNES with a hyperkin HDMI cable?

@RoXolid 4 жыл бұрын

I'd say the Hyperkin cable looks better, plus the colors and audio are more accurate.

@Johnnygrafx 6 жыл бұрын

I've heard some folks complain about input lag on this. did you notice any of that?

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

There wasn't much but there was some. Overall this is one is a pass for me. If you're looking for a 2-in-one NES/SNES I'd check out the Gamerz Tek Super HD-2, really good system.

@RetroSetJoe 3 жыл бұрын

Question on this, does it output composite and HDMI simultaneously?? Could I send it to my CRT Via Composite and to my Capture card via HDMI?

@RoXolid 3 жыл бұрын

In theory you could

@MattacksRC 2 жыл бұрын

I just got one of these thrown in with a used game bundle. I felt it was pretty decent but Im not fond of how the pins grip the nes cartridges. It feel like it's gripping the cartridge much too tightly. I'm worried it will damage the cartridges when I go to remove them. So far nothing bad like that has happened.

@RoXolid 2 жыл бұрын

The pins are ok, I just don't dig the pallet or audio

@Puck90a 6 жыл бұрын

My NES game genie doesn't seem to be working. Is it incompatible with the Classiq, or is my game genie bad?

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

I don't recall 100% but I don't think my Game Genie worked either

@juanvera6419 3 жыл бұрын

Do repros work on it

@RoXolid 3 жыл бұрын

I've tried the multicarts like from Retro-Bit + the Holy Diver & R-Type carts and they work

@phillosiphy8545 4 жыл бұрын

what did you do for the console power wise? mine doesn't work and gives us only a black screen so i figure its just not enough energy being sent out. What kind of power adapter do you have since i cant really return the product.

@RoXolid 4 жыл бұрын

I used a cell phone brick, I just don't remember if it was one of the multi-output ones or just a single one.

@phillosiphy8545 4 жыл бұрын

@@RoXolid what power output was it at or the highest one you can recall or reccomend?

@RoXolid 4 жыл бұрын

So the multi-output one is 5V 2A, the single output was at least 800mAh output for the current.

@ent1064 5 жыл бұрын

I would try to get this.. But for the price, im better off getting a snes classic

@RoXolid 5 жыл бұрын

I would completely agree

@justinmp7621 5 жыл бұрын

Have you reviewed the Retron 2? How does it compare with this?

@RoXolid 5 жыл бұрын

No I hadn't, and the Retron 2 HD hasn't started shipping yet to the best of my knowledge.

@justinmp7621 5 жыл бұрын

@@RoXolid it's on Amazon for as low as $42, but have heard it's cheaply made but works well. Just curious how it might compare to this model that's $20 more. Thanks for the response, love the channel!

@RoXolid 5 жыл бұрын

I see BGR and others all promoting this system and, nothing against Hyperkin here, but don't buy it! This is a Composite-output system, making it identical video quality to an original NES/SNES. Wait for the HDMI version to come, they announced it at CES this past January and will be MUCH better!!!

@justinmp7621 5 жыл бұрын

@@RoXolid i didn't even notice that, good callout!

@TheJoejoez 6 жыл бұрын

Is this the current best setup to play both HD NES/SNES on the market under 150ish? That's about as much as I'd be willing to pay as I have the real consoles also, just want them on my HDTV to look good and take up less space. Going to shelve the NES/SNES. Only interested in NES/SNES. Analogue products are way too much IMO. Needs to be 4:3 also. Not interested in emulation.

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

For the money I would not recommend this system at this point, there are better options out there. For a 2-in-1 system I'd recommend the Gamerz Tek Super HD-2, it will play NES, Famicom (with a 60-72 Pin adapter), SNES and Super Famicom games, both NTSC & PAL and works in 16:9 and 4:3. I think the Gamerz Tek system looks and sounds better than the Classiq 2, the controllers feel better and it is overall a better system. I do with Gamerz Tek would have included an NES and SNES-style controller as I love theirs. Here's a link to my review of the Gamerz Tek unit, and there's a link in the "More Info" section to where you can purchase one: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fZ9ji6pz0qiVdJc.html

@TheJoejoez 6 жыл бұрын

thanks will check it out!

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

Of course, let me know if you have any other questions!

@TheJoejoez 6 жыл бұрын

My other thought is to just fork up the money for the AVS...yes only plays one system, but looks pretty incredible from what I've seen. I'll just have to save up money or not play SNES in true HD, or just get an SNES classic and sell some SNES carts... bleh...tough decision. However unlike the NES Classic, the SNES classic DOES have *most* of the games I'd actually want to play. SNES is getting ridiculous in price to collect for now anyway.

@RoXolid 6 жыл бұрын

I'd say get the Gamerz Tek Super HD-2 and use that to gauge your actual interest and how much you use it. If you're going to get bored you're not out much but if you love it you can sell it pass on and get the AVS.