Anyone used this with a NES??

[Marky_1979]

Hi Guy's whilst searching on the net for nes stuff I found this its a cart that you load  roms onto and play all your games on without having to change carts.

Has anyone seen/ got one of these before or used one? it comes with a chip aswell not sure what this is for. Want some advice as am thinking of getting one.

[ChadTower]

Wow, never seen that.

[stephenp1983]

that is neat.  I haven't seen it on there site before either so it must be pretty new.

Wow its pretty expensive at 135 bucks, I wonder what the difference in it and the lite version is that is only 35 bucks

[northerngames]

it would need an adapter to hook to a pc is that supplied also?

[Marky_1979]

Not sure to be honest the site states that it comes with a special chip and I wondered if its necessary for it to be installed? and if it is how easy would it be? I have an old NES and am sick of swopping the carts would love to have them all on one cart.

[northerngames]

more then likely the chip is in the cart but it still would need an adapter to hook to your own cart so you can then hook it do a pc and get the info and then unplug your cart and plug that in and put your cart info on it and it should be plug and play afterwards if the chip is built into the cart.

[Naru]

How about a link to this thing?
It sounds interesting but I can't seem to find it.

[Marky_1979]

Yes no worries I'll search through my history and get it............. http://www.retrousb.com/index.php?productID=133

[ChadTower]

It uses CF cards, doesn't it?

$135 is too much.

[Marky_1979]

So do you just drag a load of NES roms onto a CF card then?

[mmmPeanutButter]

You could also make a modded NES for pretty cheap... 

(It's the dreamcast shoved inside of an NES)

[pointdablame]

So do you just drag a load of NES roms onto a CF card then?

That's what it seems like.   And once the CF card is inserted into the cart, it lists the roms on the first logical partition of the CF card.

Seems simple enough, and a very cool idea.. but I agree that $135 is just way too much.

[ChadTower]

And frankly, not that great an implementation, given how hard it is to find an NES that works well.

A FAR FAR better idea would be a flash card drive that connects right to the motherboard's edge connector, bypassing that cart connector entirely.  Make the housing shaped such that it can be easily accessed via the cart door and you've essentially changed the medium to something reliable.

[northerngames]

I just checked woot for the hell of it and they had these today lol

Hitachi 4GB Microdrive – 2 Pack
$19.99
+ $5 shipping
condition:
New, OEM
product(s):
2 Hitachi 4GB CF Type II Microdrive HMS360404D5CF00

[ChadTower]

Right, but it wouldn't be a standard drive, it would be one that interfaced with the NES motherboard and had an on board menu system for selecting which rom to project onto the motherboard edge contacts.

It would actually be very much like this cartridge product except it would slide straight onto the motherboard in a more permanent installation.

[northerngames]

yeah more then likely this set-up would use the cards like on woot you hook them to the pc put the info on them and then install them in the cart pictured above and then it goes into the console and the os to run it like that is built into the cart itself.

I seen another unit where it plugs on top of a n64 and it has 3 slots on top to put a nes snes or n64 carts.

[Howard_Casto]

Actually, I think the point of making it a cart is so you don't have to hack up your nes.  Remember, once you put your games on it, you only have to get it working on your nes once because it should never need to be removed after that. 

The price is waaaaay too high though.  It's the same as the "lite" cart only a little bit of programming has been added to access the cf drive and it has just a tad bit more memory.  50 bucks would be a fairer price from what I'm seeing.  The interface is rather crappy imho as well.  Mind you, a nes can't handle anything fancy, but loading a low-res 8 bit screenshot of the game when you stop on it, yeah it could probably do that.  That would seem to be needed as you could potentially put an entire nes collection on a single cf card, and thus it'd be hard to remember all the games from title alone. 

This all seems to be going about this the wrong way though.  Has everyone forgotten that the nes already had a disc drive?  The famicom disc drive hooked up to the expansion port on the bottom of the nes/famicom and read and loaded floppy discs.  It seems to me that a look at that hardware would be the way to go.  You still wouldn't have to mod your nes and yet you would have a reliable connection.  Also since floppy drives are an actual pc standard (not ide, unfortunately), someone would have a better chance using the interface for something better than cf, like maybe usb or a real hd. 

For the record, both the snes and n64 (I think even the gamecube) had these add-on ports.  The snes port was never utilized (except for the sony/phillips cd-rom prototypes) and the n64 add-on was used in japan to hook up a cd-drive, which is ide, which could be swapped out for a harddrive! 

What I would like to see is a add-on base for each unit that contains a ide slot (for either a harddrive or cd/dvd rom) and possbily a bluetooth/wifi connection so you can manage your games from the pc.  This would be very nice.  I could put all of my units in a nice case, with the countless carts mounted behind them, maybe make/buy some wireless gamepads, and never have to touch any of the stuff again!

[ChadTower]

You wouldn't be hacking up your NES at all.  You'd just be swapping the connector for the flash drive.  No alterations to anything.

[Howard_Casto]

You wouldn't be hacking up your NES at all.  You'd just be swapping the connector for the flash drive.  No alterations to anything.

Yes you would.  Unless you are talking about something I'm not getting you have to crack it open, now mind you it'd be a simple swap, but you've still opened your nes and altered it. 

[ChadTower]

A swap isn't a hack, not in my mind anyway, and if a person can't do that swap they should be wearing a freakin' helmet.

[Howard_Casto]

It's not a matter of skill, you no longer have a virgin nes that's never been opened. 

[ChadTower]

Considering none of the virgin NES actually work reasonably anymore, who cares?

Any given NES is one of many many millions.  It's not a rarity and this would be an upgrade.  A substantial upgrade.

It's not like an NES is a Channel F or something.

[Marky_1979]

I think I will get one if the price comes down I still dont understand what the chip that comes with it is? is the chip already placed in the cart?

[northerngames]

It's not a matter of skill, you no longer have a virgin nes that's never been opened. 

the cart goes in like a normal nes game would with the onboard info so why would the console need to be opened again?

there is no chips for them lol.

who cares if you open it or not plus if you have not already opened and cleaned a 22 year old console's creepy crawlers out it might be a good thing I seen some nasty console's that were not even a year old and suppriesed they did not short out and start a fire and pretty sure nes does not warrenty them after 22 years of use. 

[Howard_Casto]

Considering none of the virgin NES actually work reasonably anymore, who cares?

Any given NES is one of many many millions.  It's not a rarity and this would be an upgrade.  A substantial upgrade.

It's not like an NES is a Channel F or something.

Mine sure does!  The edge connector issue was not a problem so long as you cleaned it regularly (read you do NOT wait to clean it until it stops working).  The main issue I see with your method is you no longer have a nes because if by some chance you wanted to put in a cart and play it you can't.  Also I'm sure some of you freaks enjoy having a handful of yard-sale nes's lying around, but that's not for me (or for most).  I don't want to play on little Timmy's nes, I want to play on MY nes.  I want to use my own, original childhood consoles.  Because of this I'm not exactly keen on regularly taking them apart and modding them.. it'll ruin any future collectability they might have and even taking them apart gives the risk of some damage (scratches on the cases, stripped screws, ect).  Plus there's the whole security screws thing... I think I have those lying around, but if not that's a week waiting for them to come in and added cost. 

Regardless of that, you've completely ignored my suggestion!  The expansion port on the bottom of the nes is designed for this very thing.  The top of your nes would still work as advertised, which in your method, it gets ruined.  And please don't tell me that you can always take it apart and re-connect it with your idea.  That isn't exactly practical is it?

[northerngames]

Considering none of the virgin NES actually work reasonably anymore, who cares?

Any given NES is one of many many millions.  It's not a rarity and this would be an upgrade.  A substantial upgrade.

It's not like an NES is a Channel F or something.

Mine sure does!  The edge connector issue was not a problem so long as you cleaned it regularly (read you do NOT wait to clean it until it stops working).  The main issue I see with your method is you no longer have a nes because if by some chance you wanted to put in a cart and play it you can't.  Also I'm sure some of you freaks enjoy having a handful of yard-sale nes's lying around, but that's not for me (or for most).  I don't want to play on little Timmy's nes, I want to play on MY nes.  I want to use my own, original childhood consoles.  Because of this I'm not exactly keen on regularly taking them apart and modding them.. it'll ruin any future collectability they might have and even taking them apart gives the risk of some damage (scratches on the cases, stripped screws, ect).  Plus there's the whole security screws thing... I think I have those lying around, but if not that's a week waiting for them to come in and added cost. 

you serious lol

once again who cares

there is no security screws on nes just regular old phillips

fingers dont scratch plastic or motherboards what kind of moddin you do lol

your nes was probably opened and you never knew it.

maybe we keep or precious oriiganal childhood golden nes like you cliam to and we hack the hell out of little timmys garage sale nes becuase we have handfulls of them becuase we can 

as for future collectablity there still all over and keep in mind how popular that console was there everywhere still friends family garage sale flea market game stores internet pawn shops etc.

 

 

[ChadTower]

The top of your nes would still work as advertised, which in your method, it gets ruined.

Nothing gets ruined.  Nothing get so much as a scratch.

Using the expansion port is a much larger project with a lot more custom work (including a housing).  Not exactly practical at a reasonable price point.

[Marky_1979]

Can you guy find a contact e-mail for these guys? Iv looked on the site but cant see one. Am I missing it? cheers

[northerngames]

http://www.retrousb.com/index.php?show_aux_page=2#contact

I also read how it works and it works just like I thought it would as explained above you get your own cf card of choice and reader and you connect it to the pc and plug in your cf load it up with your files throw it in the provided cart origanaly pictured with onboard info stored on the cf off the site they provide what is needed for it all to work put it in like normal a menu appears and you pick whatever you put on the cf.

would be like hooking up a digital camera with a cf card to a pc and loading the pictures on the card and then pulling out the card and sticking it in the cart above

[Marky_1979]

Cheers buddy Iv been on the linc and under contacts it say this...............


Contact

READ ALL THE FAQ BEFORE EMAILING. Your PayPal email is your order confirmation. Your USPS email is your shipping confirmation. No other order or shipping status is available.

Emails are not answered every day, so please be patient waiting for a reply. You may also want to try an alternate address in case there are spam filter problems.

If your question is not answered in the FAQ, send to retrozone at retrousb dot com.........................

Iv tried RETROZONE@RETROUSB.COM but this didnt work and the above address doesn't make sense.

[northerngames]

no it does not and by the looks of the site I would be a little learry ordering from there.

a contact link should be on the homepage and have a link for it on he bottom and it seems if they do not want anyone to know there real contact info or shipping address.

you would not get any confimation for a email through paypal or usps either no clue what that was even supposed to mean lol

[sphetr2]

If your question is not answered in the FAQ, send to retrozone at retrousb dot com.........................

Iv tried RETROZONE@RETROUSB.COM but this didnt work and the above address doesn't make sense.

The reason why the address is given like this is to prevent spammers from using that address (much like you should do when posting in a forum  ).

no it does not and by the looks of the site I would be a little learry ordering from there.

I don't know...Retrozone has been featured on sites like Joystiq and Engadget, so I think they're pretty trustworthy. I think a few of the members here have bought stuff from them, too.

[northerngames]

but that email does not work and they mention find oter means or something but dont post them either you would think they would have a tech support email or a customer support a billing or some means to contact them and also there is no address.

I understand why they typed that email that way I  meant the use your email for confirmation part that makes no sense yeah I sent you a new arcade machine your email is your shipping confirmation lol

[Marky_1979]

Yeah it certainly seems like they dont want anyone to contact them at the moment probably due to having a backlog of orders or something like that. Anyone know how I can contact these guys? someone mentioned that other BYOAC have used these people before..do they have a contact address? Cheers

[Samstag]

If your question is not answered in the FAQ, send to retrozone at retrousb dot com.........................

Iv tried RETROZONE@RETROUSB.COM but this didnt work and the above address doesn't make sense.

Why would you use caps when they didn't?  It may be case-sensitive.

I've ordered from them without any problems in the past, but only for a $20 item.  They've been around for years and I've never seen a complaint.

[northerngames]

I am not saying they are bad just a little learry as a new customer beings the way their contact setup is.

I never used them or heard of them.

[Marky_1979]

I didnt email with caps I just used them on the forum so you could see the address I used