Hyperkin RETRON 5 (mock-up)Although we've been following the developments of Hyperkin's upcoming RETRON 4 closely, Slashdot reports that the company has surprised everyone by going straight to the RETRON 5. Hyperkin has had a spotty history at best of promising the moon and stars with their modern consoles that play classic cartridges, i.e., often falling down on compatibility and emulation, but it looks like they're determined to finally nail it, publicly stating they want 100% compatibility. The RETRON 5 can play the actual cartridges for nine systems, with transparent NTSC and PAL support: Famicom, NES, SNES, Super Famicom, Genesis, Mega Drive, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, and the Game Boy. Hyperkin hasn't ruled out support for other platforms, pending parts, and it's certainly easy enough to imagine scenarios where systems like the Sega Master System and Game Gear would work just as well with the right adapters. In any case, even if it's just those nine systems/four system families, that's still a mighty versatile single console, particularly since you can update the firmware.

In terms of controls, the system will come with two nice looking six button bluetooth controllers (in fact, the d-pad looks a lot like the superb control found on SNK's Neo Geo Pocket Color), which can be charged with the console's USB port, but there are also six controller ports to use any combination of classic controllers in any combination of system modes, meaning two NES, two SNES, and two Genesis controller ports, and the ability to say, use an SNES controller for Genesis or NES games, as just one example (this includes full user configurable button remapping in all modes). Video is upscaled 720p over HDMI (composite audio/video is also supported for older televisions), with all kinds of options to support different aspect ratios and other video modes as the user desires, plus Hyperkin has claimed that all kinds of technological wizardry is in place to make these standard definition systems look and sound the way they're supposed to on modern high definition displays. Finally, of the remaining key features among a laundry list of them, the console will also allow users to create save states, support auto-save for when the system is suddenly turned off, offer a "cheat menu" (built-in Game Genie/Action Replay support?), and also offer "Manual & Passive Overclocking," which means both slowdown and fast-forward at any time (perfect for those overly chatty text-bubble-based classic games).

Obviously, all of that is a lot to promise, particularly at a sub-$100 price point, but we'll certainly be waiting anxiously for the official release after June to put this potential flying unicorn through its paces. Check out the video presentation for the RETRON 5 at the Midwest Gaming Classic below:

Burnout - this is the first iteration of a great series of racing games. I explain a little about the game and then I do some gameplay. Neither of which is really good as it is tough to do both at the same time :P

I touch on the new 2013-03 YouTube layout too.

My Nintendo Wii U (2013)I've been quiet on the blog front of late as I've been focused on writing three new books for 2013 (and hopefully do what I can to help get the documentary out as well). However, with the latest NPD figures for videogame consoles being dissected across the Web-o-sphere, and Sony likely firing the next salvo for next generation platforms with their upcoming PlayStation-centric announcement (and Microsoft to follow soon thereafter), I thought this would a good time to break my silence and chime in with my perspective on the current videogame-centric happenings.

First off, it's clearly not looking good for pure videogame stuff with three lackluster hardware launches in a row: 3DS, Vita, and Wii U. The 3DS recovered sufficiently with a dramatic price cut that was very much against Nintendo's previous corporate policies that discouraged losing money on hardware, which allowed it enough time to hold out for the software situation to pick up. While it will never reach the sales heights of the blockbuster DS, considering how much competition both direct and indirect there is now versus then, it should still end up selling quite well when it has run through its complete lifecycle.

This hand-held is a 99-100% GBA, GBC hardware compatible game system. It is 99-100% software compatible with GBA, GBC, GB, NES through loading game files off a SD-card. The form factor and looks of the system can seem familiar as it uses the same case as the Gemei A330 aka Dingoo - but mind you this is not the same system. Compared with the original GBA case the system is about the same size, also the screen is about the same size but of a much higher resolution. The angle of the B and A buttons on the original is less steep than the diamond orientation of the Y X B A button layout on the Revo. The screen is not protected by a layer of glass, just a layer of plastic so you need to be a little careful. Don't put it in trousers but put it in the provided sack or pouch.

The camera I use barfed in this video - footage is very blueish so doesn't do the screen of the system justice - the camera makes it very blue with very little red. That's a camera thing. Just check out how it picked up my Nexus 7 - also quite blue so the camera :(

The system touts PC Engine and SMS, GG compatibility but the PCEngine emulation is far too slow. The GG and SMS games don't run full speed. GBA, GBC, GB and NES does.

Last year a SoC was designed based around the hardware of the original Game Boy Advance. It uses a dual core ARM architecture and instead of relying on software emulation to run GBA games, it is capable of running them natively.

Basically it is a hardware-reimplementation of the original GBA. And as a result it supposedly functions in almost exactly the same way as the original Nintendo hardware.This should provide a higher compatiblity- and accuracy-rate. It is possible to use GBA accesories and link the system up to another GBA, K1GBA or RevoK101. It also features video-out that works on a separate jackplug so the link cable can be used while the system is used on the television. The cable (composite) provides monoaural sound.

The real time clock allows for the Pokemon games to function 100% which is a big plus for a lot of Pokemon gamers out there.

What I wonder is if this system has any more advanced features compared to the original GBA (is there overhead) that allows for the installation or implementation of another operating system that opens up the hardware to more advanced emulation software of other systems. But that may not be the case as this seems to pretty much hardware duplicate the original GBA hardware.

The battery used in the K1GBA (the GBA-SP clone is the same one as the battery used in the original GBA-SP). The battery used in the RevoK101 is a clone of the Nokia BL-5B. Order one of these and you got an excellent replacement for the built-in battery.

Where can you get this system? The price is about $60 (~£40) €50 and for that price you practially can't refuse this.

Well you can get one here:
http://www.k1gbasp.com

The GBA-SP one you can get here:
http://www.k1gba.com

The RevoK101 website:
http://revok101.com

NOTICE:
"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

A demonstration of a hardware compatible Gameboy Advance SP system that has the capabilities to run real GBA game cards as well as run files from an SD-card. The screen is much brighter and of a higher quality thn the original GBA-SP's screen and they seem to have used the exact same plastic molds as the original. Read more below...

We learned several things this morning at Nintendo's big Wii U Preview Event. One, Nintendo of America President and COO, Reggie Fils-Aime, does not appear to be a happy man; two, Nintendo still needs to work on their presentation skills at these events--it was pretty dull overall with not enough meat and too much focus on the wrong things; and three, and most importantly, we got the long awaited hard info on US launch date and system pricing.

You'll have two major system options on November 18, 2012: the Wii U Basic Set, which features 8GB of storage, for $299.99; and the Wii U Deluxe Set, which features 32GB of storage plus the Nintendo Land pack-in game. Besides me correctly predicting all of this back in June (not exactly hard), I still stand by my statement that the pricing is right where it needs to be. Naturally, the Deluxe Set is by far the best value, but Nintendo clearly wanted the sub-$300 talking point. Hopefully, not too many people will lose out either by decision or lack of stock for the Deluxe in getting the Basic.

Anyway, I also predicted that a second Wii U controller would run as high as $149.99. It looks like I was off a bit on that, as reports seems to indicate as much as $170 or so. The Pro Controller - the Xbox 360-like screen-less controller - looks like it will sell for around $65. Again, that seems a bit higher than many of us would have liked (in this case, $49.99 for me). At least the system bundles represent what we can perceive as fair pricing.

Compile is one of the great shoot'm up creators from the land of the rusing sun. Aleste / Power Strike has been one of their major series on various platforms. This game is the 16 bit incarnation on the Super Nintendo. Read more below...

-System overview (00:43)
-Comparison of the layout
-Comparison of the screens
-Demonstration of viewing angle
-Some information on the easy system transfer option (Internet connection required, you can also transfer your Ambassador status and extra games if you got the 3DS at launch) (10:30)
- An overview of the downloaded software I have
- Sound system
- Demonstration of fantastic 2D 'scanline-like' mode on the 3DS XL screen! (21:40) - this in my opinion makes the screen on this system superior to the regular 3DS screen.

The end sequence features a track created by ZombieAndy1979 'The Lake'
http://www.youtube.com/ZombieAndy1979

I got quite a few PMs and video responses on my last personal 3DS video - some wanted, asked or some even demanded a better more in depth look - so here it is. And not to worry - YT didn't screw up the framerate on this one :P

Lots of stuff here for NES fans, including lots of behind-the-scenes stuff as Dave's RealTime Associates company negotiates with Nintendo over the Maniac Mansion port. "The Pubic Pixel!" We also talk about game audio in general and the music in several of Dave's games, starting off with my personal favorite--the Pool of Radiance theme.

Download the video here.