http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=209297337 supposed to play nes and snes games. anyone have this?? my nes was stollen a few years back...

8/19/2009 6:39:54 PM

because its cheap gray market chinese shit and illegal

8/19/2009 6:44:53 PM

Or you can just download an emulator and roms for free and play on your PC. The controllers won't work though.

But $30 and free shipping, that's pretty sweet.

8/19/2009 6:45:21 PM

Quote :

"The controllers won't work though."

Sure they will.

http://www.retrousb.com/index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=390c44df5f2873daccff12c690fb3612

8/19/2009 6:47:48 PM

Or, instead of using emulators and buying expensive as shit USB converted controllers, you could just buy a REAL NES, and a PowerPak

smoothcrim is right, those knockoff units are horrible. A lot of games won't even work, the video and audio quality is terrible, the controllers are terrible and they break all the time.

8/19/2009 7:16:45 PM

id love a powerpak for snes

8/19/2009 7:24:41 PM

^^I guess the assumption would be that you already have a USB controller that you use for other things, so that cost is somewhat mitigated.

Besides, for the cost of that PowerPac you could get about four x-box 360 controllers (that both work with PCs and can be key mapped).

[Edited on August 19, 2009 at 7:40 PM. Reason : -]

8/19/2009 7:39:45 PM

I like how Noen calls something that costs $30 "expensive as shit" and then has the balls to recommend an alternative that costs $175+.

What an moment if I've ever seen one.

8/19/2009 8:01:09 PM

^compared to the guys who recommended using a COMPUTER with 40 dollar controllers.

200 bucks gets you every NES game ever made, on the real hardware, in your living room.

Or, you could spend 80 dollars on USB controllers, a few hundred on a computer and monitor, and still have to sit at your computer to play.

^^^ 360 controllers work great for 360 games. They suck balls for classic gaming.

[Edited on August 19, 2009 at 8:24 PM. Reason : .]

8/19/2009 8:23:28 PM

I don't know about you, but I already have a computer.

Mine does HDMI out to my 46 inch tv too.

I'm just sayin'.

[Edited on August 19, 2009 at 8:25 PM. Reason : still ing by the way.]

8/19/2009 8:24:31 PM

^^If the emulator doesn't support a joypad you can either map the keys or find an emulator that doesn't suck. The end result is no worse than an old school NES controller.

[Edited on August 19, 2009 at 9:27 PM. Reason : -]

8/19/2009 9:26:14 PM

^How much did that cost? Bet it's easy to take on trips too. I'm sure its cheap on the electricity too. The "I already have it" is a personal anecdote that implies EVERYONE has a htpc. When, in fact, very few people do.

And emulators are garbage in comparison to the real thing, even the NES.

8/19/2009 9:32:17 PM

Quote :

" ^^^ 360 controllers work great for 360 games. They suck balls for classic gaming."

Rofl. It's always fun when Neon just makes shit up to add weight to the dead argument he is making.

8/19/2009 9:33:51 PM

Quote :

"Or, instead of using emulators and buying expensive as shit USB converted controllers, you could just buy a REAL NES, and a PowerPak Power Glove. I love the Power Glove. It's so bad."

8/19/2009 9:43:21 PM

Quote :

"The "I already have it" is a personal anecdote that implies EVERYONE has a htpc. When, in fact, very few people do."

True. We are talking about games here. I'd guess that people that are into old school games are more likely to already own a PC. I wonder what percentage of people that would go for something like a PowerPak don't have a computer. You don't even need a supercomputer, we're talking NES here. Heck, maybe there are a lot of people that don't have PCs and would drop a couple hundred on something like that. What do I know. Still seems like someone would only get it for the novelty of playing on an actual NES.

Portability for trips? Meh. Maybe people that can't divorce themselves from NES games for the duration of a vacation would also want to bring a laptop to keep abreast on e-mail/internet... but that's an even smaller group.

Quote :

"I'm sure its cheap on the electricity too. "

Lol. If you're dropping $200 on something that only plays NES games I doubt the additional cost of running a PC is forefront on your mind.


[Edited on August 19, 2009 at 9:56 PM. Reason : -]

8/19/2009 9:49:24 PM

Wow. you know you've lost the fuck out of an argument when you start pulling shit like the cost of electricity out of your ass.

8/19/2009 10:11:15 PM

Meh. Different strokes for different folks.

8/19/2009 10:17:21 PM

fuck that shoddy box

http://www.stupidfingers.com/projects/

this guy is the man

8/19/2009 10:18:18 PM

Quote :

"Rofl. It's always fun when Neon just makes shit up to add weight to the dead argument he is making."

I built my own arcade. I've used nearly every emulator out there, for nearly every system out there. I've used dozens of PC joysticks, pads, and controllers for playing classic games. I've used the 360 controller to play these games. So no, I'm not "making shit up". As usual, you are just trolling more shit that you don't know about.

The problem with the 360 controllers (and the PS3/PS2/original Xbox controllers) is that all the buttons are analog, which doesn't translate well at all to classic systems with digital buttons. The PS1 controller was the last one that worked okay, but the dpad on that was a bit suspect.

Quote :

"Wow. you know you've lost the fuck out of an argument when you start pulling shit like the cost of electricity out of your ass."

I would say it was lost when you assume that everyone has a home theatre PC, or the time or desire to configure a half-decent frontend for gaming.

As for electricity, you are talking shit about a difference of 120 bucks. The NES draws 17 watts, while a HTPC draws 500+ watts of electricity. If you leave your computer on more than about 6 hours a day, you'll end up cheaper with the NES in a year.

Quote :

"Still seems like someone would only get it for the novelty of playing on an actual NES."

I would say the same thing for everyone that gets a gamepad to play emulated games on their computer. In my experience, that fun lasts about 30 minutes, then controller gets tossed in a drawer. I still play on my NES, because it's convienant. No fiddling, no bullshit configuration, it just works.

8/19/2009 10:33:52 PM

Quote :

"I built my own arcade. I've used nearly every emulator out there, for nearly every system out there. I've used dozens of PC joysticks, pads, and controllers for playing classic games. I've used the 360 controller to play these games. So no, I'm not "making shit up". As usual, you are just trolling more shit that you don't know about."

Could it be that what you stated was simply an opinion rather than an absolute truth? Just a thought.

8/19/2009 10:38:22 PM

Keep arguing points that nobody's trying to make. While you're at it could you give me a rundown on why round wheels are better for my car than square ones?

This started by me thinking you're an idiot for recommending something that costs $200+ right after saying that $30 was "expensive as shit".

This ended with me thinking you're an idiot for several other reasons as well.

Congrats!

8/19/2009 10:48:57 PM

is the powerpak legal and the ROMs all legit and everything or is this piracy?

I stopped paying attention to video games many years ago.

8/19/2009 11:24:40 PM

It seems that you think everyone who wants to play old NES games demands to play them on a HTPC on their fancy TV's and with authentic equipment. I, for one, did not have an HDTV when I had an NES growing up; they didn't exist. So I'm still perfectly happy to play old-school games on my regular computer monitor; hell, my monitor now is a big step up from the shitty TV we had when I was a kid. So I don't need to buy a computer for this purpose. It's a sunk cost.

I also, like a large percentage of Americans, leave my computer on a lot of the time when I'm not using it. If I had a HTPC, or an authentic NES for that matter, my computer would still be on at home while I gamed. So again, the power consumption is a sunk cost. I tried to find a stat on how many people leave their computer on all the time, and http://www.1e.com/EnergyCampaign/downloads/PC_EnergyReport2009-US.zip was the best I found quickly, claiming that only 63% of people in the US "always power down their home PC [overnight]." That doesn't say 30+% leave it on every night, but I imagine it's substantial, and even more people leave it on during the day while they're at work if they turned it on in the morning before going to work.

I just don't care so much about the gaming environment when it comes to old-school stuff. I only care about the games themselves; I want to play fun, nostalgic games. I have a USB gamepad that's probably 8-10 years old that I have never noticed a problem with, even though it's analog. I understand that you're more passionate about this topic than I am and clearly have higher standards, but I've never been dissatisfied with my emulation experience for any game that I've wanted to play. I don't pretend that everyone else is either just like me or just like you, but my hunch is that I'm closer to the average dude than you in this regard.

And for taking on trips, isn't that what NES emulators on the DS and PSP are for?

[Edited on August 19, 2009 at 11:35 PM. Reason : ]

8/19/2009 11:34:02 PM

Stop trying to be rational. Noen's got an argument to win here. Logic be damned.

8/19/2009 11:38:27 PM

Logic goes down easier when you're not being a douche about it.

8/19/2009 11:51:00 PM

Quote :

"Keep arguing points that nobody's trying to make. While you're at it could you give me a rundown on why round wheels are better for my car than square ones? This started by me thinking you're an idiot for recommending something that costs $200+ right after saying that $30 was "expensive as shit". This ended with me thinking you're an idiot for several other reasons as well. Congrats!"

The OP was talking about a replacement for his NES. Then BIGC said the classic "emulatorz", to which you followed with a reinforcing statement to that line of thought. Both of which were points that had NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ORIGINAL POST.

And it's $38 bucks per controller, plus shipping. Which means 80+ dollars AND a computer AND a considerable amount of time invested to play anything.

For $200, you have a system that you can just turn on and play. And don't worry, I've thought you were an idiot for a long time, unfortunately I can't put the user blocker on my machine at work, so I have to put up with your stupid ass drivel at least some of the time.

Quote :

"is the powerpak legal and the ROMs all legit and everything or is this piracy?"

The powerpak is legal. ROMS are technically illegal in the US (via the 1983 Atari case) for copyrighted games. There are hundreds of public domain games, and hundreds more abandonware games (the original copyright holder has abandoned commercial interest in the title). Less than 1% of the games released for the NES have ever been republished commercially.

http://roms.zophar.net/ (formerly just zophar.net) has been around for 10 years offering ROMS for download. Much like marijuana, it may be technically illegal, but as long as it's personal use, no one is ever going to come after you for it. No manufacturer or publisher has ever taken an individual to court for "fair use" violations of out-of-market games.

And just to nip it in the bud, before El Nacho or Fail Boat responds with "OMG HYPOCRIT NOENENEN", I legally own copies of every game I play.

8/20/2009 12:00:44 AM

Again, you just keep arguing points I'm simply not trying to make. You said $40 (even though you can find the same thing on ebay for <$30 shipped) was "expensive as shit".

Then you linked to something that costs over 5 times that.

I mean, god damn. Is it really that hard to see where I find amusement in that?

yes, you might get added benefits of spending >$200 on a real NES. But in the end, you've got a $200 box that does one thing: play 20 year old ROMS. You wanna talk about added benefits, lets talk about everything else you can do with a HTPC hooked up to your tv. Or just how portable a PSP with emulators is. Or how a modded Wii with a classic controller doesn't cost much more than your NES setup and still lets you play with "authentic nintendo hardware" and controllers that feel pretty close to the real thing.

Bottom line is, there's dozens of ways to play old NES games. Some ways are better than others for various reasons. Personally I have about as much desire to have a "real" nes hooked up to my tv than I do to go fishing in my bathtub. It's just not my thing. But if you like it, so be it. That doesn't change the fact that $135 is a STUPID amount of money to pay for a glorified flash cart. But if arguing how much power you're saving over my PC (which only uses 35 Watts, btw not the 500+ you claimed) makes you feel better about how much it costs then have at it.

[Edited on August 20, 2009 at 12:19 AM. Reason : Also simply stating you're not a hypocrite doesn't make it true. But that a whole other rant.]

8/20/2009 12:18:15 AM

idk what hes going to say in response, but i doubt it will trump ^

8/20/2009 12:26:43 AM

Quote :

"You wanna talk about added benefits, lets talk about everything else you can do with a HTPC hooked up to your tv."

I have one, does lots of things. Emulators isn't one of them. A NES is better.

Quote :

"Or just how portable a PSP with emulators is."

I owned one, it sucks dick for emulation, had horrible battery life (~3 hours with emulators), but at least it has digital buttons. The experience was terrible, it was a pain in the ass to lug around, ended up selling it.

Quote :

"Or how a modded Wii with a classic controller"

It'll cost you $250 bucks, and you'll still be playing on pretty garbage emulators (at least the Virtual Console on the legit Wii has gotten the games working properly).

Quote :

" Personally I have about as much desire to have a "real" nes hooked up to my tv than I do to go fishing in my bathtub. It's just not my thing. But if you like it, so be it. That doesn't change the fact that $135 is a STUPID amount of money to pay for a glorified flash cart. But if arguing how much power you're saving over my PC (which only uses 35 Watts, btw not the 500+ you claimed) makes you feel better about how much it costs then have at it."

This is really the point. You don't have any interest in it at all, yet you continue to make retarded, uninformed arguments. $135 is a drop in the bucket for anyone with a half-decent job, especially for an entertainment device. Hell, TWO modern video games will cost you that much. I enjoy playing Nintendo on occasion, as do thousands of of other people. Just because it's not YOUR hobby doesn't make it "stupid" to spend time or money on it if someone else finds it enjoyable.

And your 35w htpc (which, unless it's a mini-itx board, I don't believe for a minute) still uses double the power, and if it is Ion powered, doesn't have the juice to play most of the modern emulators well anyway.

---------

It must really suck being you. Apparently you have a life completely devoid of anything enjoyable, and seem like a classic social pariah that just sucks the fun out of any situation. Have you ever posted anything on this site that was happy, uplifting, congratulatory, or otherwise not taking a giant El Nacho shit on a thread you should have never responded to in the first place?

8/20/2009 7:29:57 AM

Quote :

"because its cheap gray market chinese shit and illegal"

I thought the original patent on the NES system expired??? Don't know about SNES but I thought NES was expired.

And I'll add building your own home theater PC does have many advantages. It's not a 100% replacement (Chrono Trigger I can tell right off the bat is different from the intro music/sounds), but, its mostly there.

[Edited on August 20, 2009 at 8:08 AM. Reason : .]

8/20/2009 8:07:12 AM

so...I have snes9x, nesticle, and a famicom emulator that i'd been using with a couple cheap logitech usb gamepads that look like playstation controllers on my htpc. Everything works fine. I just thought "hey that's cool" when i saw this thing that plays both nes and snes games AND supports your old snes controllers. The controller feel is just different and i kinda miss it. guess the retroport is cool too, but 2x $19= $38 is like the same as just buying the damn duo box to begin with.

8/20/2009 1:02:02 PM

^^

Quote :

"Some of Nintendo's patents on the Famicom expired in 2003, followed in 2005 by NES-specific patents such as those covering the 10NES lockout chip. While Nintendo still holds various related trademarks, NES hardware clones are no longer necessarily illegal on the basis of patent infringement. This matter is complicated by the effect of different patents awarded in different countries, with different expiration dates. Nintendo sued Gametech in 2005 for selling the PocketFami, despite the patent expiration. Nintendo lost this suit.[citation needed] However, Famiclone manufacturers who incorporate copyrighted games into the unit may still be subject to legal liability on that basis, due to copyrights having much longer terms than patents (in most countries creative works such as games are automatically in copyright for many decades, sometimes up to 95 years after their creation)."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famiclone

The SNES didn't come out until the early 90s so those patents will probably be running out in the next 5-10 years.

8/20/2009 1:28:40 PM

I enjoy playing NES/SNES/GBA/SEGA emulatated games on my hacked xbox using XBMC. I don't see the big deal here.


SNES to USB converter:
http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Smartjoy-Controller-Adapter-Converter/dp/B0009VIZSY

8/20/2009 1:44:48 PM

Quote :

"It must really suck being you. Apparently you have a life completely devoid of anything enjoyable, and seem like a classic social pariah that just sucks the fun out of any situation. Have you ever posted anything on this site that was happy, uplifting, congratulatory, or otherwise not taking a giant El Nacho shit on a thread you should have never responded to in the first place?"

I'll be honest. I won't bother responding to the rest of your post because It's just the typical, "I'm Noen, I know more than everyone about everything. I'm right about this, and everyone that has an opinion that differs from mine must be an idiot" Not surprisingly you missed the entire point about how there are many different ways to do things, and different people will get different benefits from different setups. The entirity of your post isn't that different from a three year old crying at the top of his lungs screaming "BUT I LIKE IT THAT WAY" followed immediately by "EL NACHO IS A STUPID DOODIEHEAD"

I do want to point out that until you came along and interjected your stupidity, my one and only post in this thread was not only on-topic, but also helpful and in no way thread shitting. Just like the majority of my posts on here. I will continue to call out the exceedingly stupid from time to time, and if that's what you choose to focus on, then I can't stop you. Just because you choose to ignore all my helpful and positive posts, doesn't mean they don't exist.

8/20/2009 1:59:07 PM

8/20/2009 3:32:31 PM

It's okay, Noen is TWW's videogame-phile. If he were an audiophile he'd own this.

8/20/2009 5:06:55 PM

And I'd still be mashing this:

up against my ear.

8/20/2009 7:50:55 PM

So that powerpak doesn't come with any of the ROMs obviously and doesn't come with the compact flash card you'd need to use either- so doesn't suggesting its use also effectively require the person using it to illegaly download the ROMs and to already own a computer?

As far as portability goes... isn't a laptop a bit more portable than an NES, considering you don't even really need a TV or power outlet to play for a while at least? What's wrong with a $20-40 wireless controller and the laptop most people already own? While the "already own it" argument might be distasteful, the "PowerPAK" doesn't escape the same dilemma either and you'd be hard pressed to find a person on this board who doesn't own at least one shitty laptop. Pick up a cheap HDMI-DVI cable (or a VGA or S-Video cable) and a headphone-RCA cable and you can enjoy all the pixelated goodness on your TV.

8/20/2009 11:54:25 PM

Retro Duo Twin NES and SNES Console

So has anyone bought one of these? Please give it a thumbs up or down on whether its worth the money. I know its cheap and I don't expect Nintendo quality. I just want to know if it plays most games and that doesn't' fall apart as soon as you take it out of the box.

8/21/2009 1:06:05 AM

^^Well if you're going to go that route you might as well come out and say:

You'll need a computer to even be able to order the PowerPak.

8/21/2009 4:11:37 PM

Nah you could go to a public library and order it.

8/21/2009 9:48:59 PM

//or YOU could use a FEREIND's PENIS TO ORDER IT

8/21/2009 9:58:57 PM

I don't know, I mean I think the library might give you a hard time about downloading the ROMs and I'm not sure how many of their computers have compact flash readers but they might. I don't have too many friends with broadband penis connections let alone a card slot.

8/21/2009 10:01:52 PM