I Added FB2 to My Console Collection!

[Aamp]

I don't play as much as collect and am usually uninterested in dedicated systems. FB2 is the second DS I own and glad I didn't pass it up. Seen it for $20 local and was honestly dividing the cost up between the VCS compatible joysticks. I contacted the seller then didn't hear back for over half a month. I almost didn't go for it after that delay. But I bought it! 2 days ago, blindly; not really knowing if the controllers'd be any good. They looked gently used, stored for years as the seller mentioned. One joystick more than the other as per some wear. I was worried it was broken as I couldn't feel it "clicking".

 

Hooked it all up and was impressed. The joysticks, learned after, are a rubber carbon pad design which I don't have to wrench on and they're pretty accurate. Felt like I was "cheating", rolling over 100,000 points in Arcade Asteroids, not realizing the difficulty buttons were "pressed in" for no UFOs. It was a lot harder with the difficulty buttons out getting the same amount of points - that's a lot of asteroids! I actually like the big round console buttons. The sound and graphics are nice. The 2600 on a chip is a big plus to me. I knew one FB was NOC, and others emulation, but not which ones. AtariAge taught me a lot after a search for model "26519". I can't believe that it was engineered with hacking in mind and that I'm not using this, but I kinda like that I haven't monkeyed around with it, yet!

 

Not trying to make a review on this "out of print" console, but just offering my "now in favour biased, what I think", opinion of the FB2, incase anyone was finding one used like myself . I have no experience with any of the other FBs.

 

.............

 

Pirated bootleg models began to worry me somewhat as I combed through a lot of topics trying to find the signs. This was before I played mine enough to know if games would show up buggy or anything. "I think", through reading/seeing enough pics here that it appears possible to tell a fake without opening it, which is maybe mentioned somewhere around here too. Mine seems to check out. I don't "want to" open it.. except for that cartridge port which I would like to add a nice ribbon-cable connection out of the console with a detachable ribbon cable to a project box enclosure housing a cart slot that when connected would set jumper/switch it over from menu to cart just by connecting it to the console. I have to try not to think about that right now

 

Things I didn't like aren't much, but the threaded joystick handle likes to work its way out while playing, and that the AV cable is stuck to the unit which is, however reminiscent to the VCS. A couple of games did some minor funny stuff on screen but nothing seemingly unplayable.

 

Overall, I like the background/tech specs of the unit, Games running on 2600 hardware which is what I set out to do with the VCS and like playing that way on the FB2 too. The look and feel is pretty good for it's initial price, especially the joysticks adding maybe only a rubberized handle that locks into place would be nice, and I like the upgradability option to add a cart port to it *later* also.

 

Sorry for the ill-formated novel, but overall, happy I got this FB! Though much "newer" it has earned a spot among my "other ancient" consoles

[+Gemintronic]

Congrats on the buy. I still don't consider it a "console" until it has a means to insert media. Ge to it!!

[Aamp]

 

^^ Thanks! I really want to but I'm scared I'll mess it up. Lifted too many traces overheating on NES controllers . I'll get a new tip for the iron one day then have a go at it, especially if I find another to play with