Retro-Bit Generations

[+evg2000]

I've tried a couple of USB controllers, and they don't work. Also the box looks like crap with all the stickers all over the place.

[Flojomojo]

I've tried a couple of USB controllers, and they don't work. Also the box looks like crap with all the stickers all over the place.

 

There's a grand old tradition of putting screenshots on the box of games that never come out. My favorite no-show was Eternal Champions for Sega Saturn.

 

I suppose there's a real difference between "these are the sort of games that are coming someday, maybe" and "these are the titles that are included, and you can't sue us for false advertising because they're in there."

 

Seems like analysis of console boxes is in order. That sounds like a job for The Cutting Room Floor, if they haven't already done that as a feature.

[godslabrat]

I'm somewhat surprised and maybe a little disappointed that this isn't popular enough for the haters to photoshop the name as Retro-Shit Generations like they did with the AtGames Sega Genesis ASS system several years ago.

Retro Bit has done some quality work in the past. I'm hoping they can bury this flop and move on. Doesn't even seem like it's worth memeing

[Andromeda Stardust]

I didn't even think to try my 8bitdo controllers. I would like to see how those work out as well.

 

So the best option for me with this system is just have it connected to hdmi when I'm using it and unplug it from the hdmi when I'm done. The power button doesn't have any control over the system being on or off.

So it automatically comes on when you plug it into the TV, with or without the power switch? That's odd. Does changing the input on the TV reset the console?

 

 

I've tried a couple of USB controllers, and they don't work. Also the box looks like crap with all the stickers all over the place.

That's a real bummer then if we can't use controllers other than the ones it came with.

[CMR]

My Saturn USB controller would rock if I ever played it again. I've been meaning to take mine apart and see what is inside. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow when I have time. I would be cool if it could be hacked and improved. I noticed the arcade emulation wasn't as bad as some stuff (It was probably some flavor of MAME), but there's no excuse in an HDMI system looking this bad especially when it's built on emulation.

[akator]

Sad to hear the feedback about this one. I was hoping it would be a fun new toy.

[elgobbes]

So it automatically comes on when you plug it into the TV, with or without the power switch? That's odd. Does changing the input on the TV reset the console?

The power button lights up when I push it, but the system is on regardless. I'm not sure if it resets, I'll have to check. If I had to guess I would say that it would probably stay on because my Fire Stick stays on regardless of what input I'm using.

[Flojomojo]

Turning on when plugged into HDMI seems like a control protocol

 

This is the generic name

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Electronics_Control

 

I know Panasonic calls it something like VieraLink and I'm pretty sure other manufacturers have their own. It's useful, but only if you want it. You should be able to turn it off from your TV's configuration menus if it bugs you.

 

It makes my Apple TV stomp on other inputs sometimes.

[Atariboy]

Scanning this video, Captain Commando is the arcade game, Big Run is the SuperNes game (And runs choppy and the shadow under the car flickers), Irem Major Title is SuperNes, Super EDF is SuperNes, Ring King is NES, R-Type III is the SuperNes original rather than the GBA port, and Bionic Commando is NES.

 

Edited November 18, 2016 by Atariboy

[onmode-ky]

Scanning this video, Captain Commando is the arcade game, Big Run is the SuperNes game (And runs choppy and the shadow under the car flickers), Irem Major Title is SuperNes, Super EDF is SuperNes, Ring King is NES, R-Type III is the SuperNes original rather than the GBA port, and Bionic Commando is NES.

That guy is playing a copy provided by Retro-Bit, though, not a retail one. Earlier, I was uncertain about trusting such reviewers' videos because of the presence of Alfred Chicken on their systems, but now what's giving me pause is the fact that their systems have a "Juudou Warriors" entry instead of the "Judo Warriors 2" entry that's on Kosmic Stardust's retail copy. This YouTube review also has "Juudou Warriors," so even though it shows footage of every game on the system, I'm hesitant to use it as a source for my data archiving purposes. Who knows what else could be different?

 

And really, what the heck is "Judo Warriors 2"? According to Google searches, there is no such game! But if it's really just Moero!! Judo Warriors, why would Retro-Bit slap a '2' on if it's not a sequel? I can sort of understand them accidentally calling Legend "Legend E" in the menu, because that might have been a European ROM they used, but appending a '2' out of nowhere, especially when they had it in the menu with no '2' before?

 

My Saturn USB controller would rock if I ever played it again. I've been meaning to take mine apart and see what is inside. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow when I have time.

If anyone takes their Generations system apart, I would love to see some photos of the innards, particularly at high enough resolution to see any text that might be printed on the chips. Also, anyone with a (retail) Generations system, please feel free to go through the "Platform Still Unconfirmed" list from my previous post if you have some time and let me know what games in that list are ARC/NES/SNES/GEN/GB/GBA/NASA. Yes, I really am the weirdo who cares less about playing the games and more about cataloguing them--at least for this system.

 

onmode-ky

[Andromeda Stardust]

Scanning this video, Captain Commando is the arcade game, Big Run is the SuperNes game (And runs choppy and the shadow under the car flickers), Irem Major Title is SuperNes, Super EDF is SuperNes, Ring King is NES, R-Type III is the SuperNes original rather than the GBA port, and Bionic Commando is NES.

 

At 1:30:40 he loads Creepy Bird, "this game is so hard..." LOL!

 

BTW, his unit have the "90 games" boxart. The retail units (like mine) are "100 games" on the box...

[Atariboy]

NintendoLife reviewed this. Not much that hasn't already been discussed here, although as a NES Classic owner, I liked the picture comparison that demonstrates well the small size of this.

 

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/11/hardware_review_retro-bit_generations

 

The one thing that I haven't seen mentioned yet is the issue with Varth. This vertically oriented arcade game apparently can only be played with your display in a vertical orientation, which is something that perhaps 2-3 of their unfortunate customers will even have a setup for.

 

There's no option to rotate it 90 degrees and display it pillarboxed like everyone else since the dawn of arcade compilations has done when emulating a vertically oriented arcade game on our horizontally oriented home displays.

 

Heck, I bet the directional controls aren't even mapped correctly for what amounts to TATE mode, with them likely rotated as well so that it controls like it was a horizontal shooter. So the few users that are willing/able to rotate their display for this one game likely will have to remap the controls just to play it properly, if you can even remap the directional inputs.

Edited November 18, 2016 by Atariboy

[Flojomojo]

Tiny Cartridge, a blog I like, put up some impressions. They weren't very hard on it, but this was just a first look.

http://tinycartridge.com/post/153343782187/tiny-stream-meet-the-retro-bit-generations-i

[Keatah]

That guy is playing a copy provided by Retro-Bit, though, not a retail one. Earlier, I was uncertain about trusting such reviewers' videos because of the presence of Alfred Chicken on their systems, but now what's giving me pause is the fact that their systems have a "Juudou Warriors" entry instead of the "Judo Warriors 2" entry that's on Kosmic Stardust's retail copy. This YouTube review also has "Juudou Warriors," so even though it shows footage of every game on the system, I'm hesitant to use it as a source for my data archiving purposes. Who knows what else could be different?

 

We rarely trust any reviewer's opinions. Too much possibility of bias. The best source of information is in forums.

[Keatah]

There's a grand old tradition of putting screenshots on the box of games that never come out. My favorite no-show was Eternal Champions for Sega Saturn.

 

The most "famous" and well-known incident is the one on VCS console carton, the chess game..

[Flojomojo]

The most "famous" and well-known incident is the one on VCS console carton, the chess game..

 

Can you point me to a picture? I don't recall what you mean, and chess came out, even if it looked different.

[Keatah]

So it automatically comes on when you plug it into the TV, with or without the power switch? That's odd. Does changing the input on the TV reset the console?

 

 

That's a real bummer then if we can't use controllers other than the ones it came with.

 

Are mfgs of these consoles beginning to use some sort of protocol and pinout that isn't actually USB? I mean just using the connector because it's a connector?

[Keatah]

Can you point me to a picture? I don't recall what you mean, and chess came out, even if it looked different.

 

Chess came out because of a lawsuit. A guy purchased a VCS, and there was a chess symbol on the box. But no chess game in the catalog. A lawsuit for false advertising ensued. Later, Atari developed VideoChess. A chess game with graphics was thought not possible in the limited space of a VCS ROM, at the time. I'm pretty sure bank switching was "invented" for making this game possible. But yet, the game never used the technique.

 

Edited November 18, 2016 by Keatah

[Andromeda Stardust]

VCS Chess suxx. Though Battle Chess and Chessmaster on the NES are fun for a bit. At least on the NES you get adequate memory and CPU time during screen draws. Honestly though none of the bitd video chess solutions were that great due to limited resources, unless you purchased a dedicated machine.

 

I did get a dedicated Chess computer from Radio Shack as a kid. Had a real board with magnetic pieces where you press the piece down you want to move and press again the square you place it on. Very cool. I think I spent countless hours playing against the computer as a kid because I had no friends to play with IRL.

 

I found the thing in the garage and hooked it up a year or two ago, and still works like new!

[+GoldLeader]

So Kosmic (or anyone else who has one and wants to answer),

 

If you've tried it, do the HDMI and A/V outputs BOTH work at the same time? I guess specifically what I'd like to know is can I hook this up to a stereo (using audio from A/V) and use HDMI for the video on a modern TV?

[Andromeda Stardust]

So Kosmic (or anyone else who has one and wants to answer),

 

If you've tried it, do the HDMI and A/V outputs BOTH work at the same time? I guess specifically what I'd like to know is can I hook this up to a stereo (using audio from A/V) and use HDMI for the video on a modern TV?

Will look into it tomorrow (or later today as it's already Saturday in my tine zone).

[Keatah]

VCS Chess suxx. Though Battle Chess and Chessmaster on the NES are fun for a bit. At least on the NES you get adequate memory and CPU time during screen draws. Honestly though none of the bitd video chess solutions were that great due to limited resources, unless you purchased a dedicated machine.

 

I did get a dedicated Chess computer from Radio Shack as a kid. Had a real board with magnetic pieces where you press the piece down you want to move and press again the square you place it on. Very cool. I think I spent countless hours playing against the computer as a kid because I had no friends to play with IRL.

 

I found the thing in the garage and hooked it up a year or two ago, and still works like new!

 

Pretty neat how these old electronics continue to work after 30-40 years. Not like the shit they've been making for the past 10 years.

 

Anyhow. The fat lady next door taught me how to play chess. And shortly thereafter I got the VCS version and loved it. Before that I had a Fidelity Chess Challenger, though at that time I didn't know how to play. I ended up taking it apart and making show shoes from the shell halves and god knows what I did with the electronics. Probably connected it to the AC mains directly like I did so many things back then.

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

Probably connected it to the AC mains directly like I did so many things back then.

You must really have enjoyed releasing the magic blue smoke. Was it more puff 'n' smoke, or a literal flash bang from the watt energies involved? You're lucky you didn't electrocute yourself or burn the house down...

[Keatah]

There were a few times I got knocked out and didn't know what happened. But it was everything you could imagine. And more. It was glorious! I even seem to recall the smoke being multi-colored. But there never was a strong correlation between color of the smoke and the parts it came out of.

[Andromeda Stardust]

I've tried a couple of USB controllers, and they don't work.

I crammed the Retrobit controller into my PC. Button layout is assinine. Controller identifies as "PS3/PC Gamepad" in Windows. Every USB controller I have seen maps the Dpad to the little X/Y rectangle. Retrobit Generations controller maps the Dpad to "Point of View Hat". See screenshots for details. Sorry for the crappy MS-Paint diagram.

 

The controller maps 12 buttons (only 8 total are used), X and Y axis (where every USB adapter or digial pad I've ever seen maps the Dpad) is present but not accessible, and two Z axes are present but not accessible.

 

My guess is the Generations USB controller's Dpad maps to the location where one of the analog sticks would normally map to on a traditional dual stick controller.

 

To do: Plug in a wired PS3 controller and see if it works...