Top 10 worst knock-off consoles

[+GoldenWheels]

Some clones (at least at a point in time) could play CV3. I believe a version of the FC Mobile 2 could. Is that still the case? I don't no, I don't sit around testing clone compatibility all day.

 

News to me if so. I thought that was a dealbreaker no matter the clone.

[StoneAgeGamer]

News to me if so. I thought that was a dealbreaker no matter the clone.

 

This is (one of) the problem with clones. There doesn't seem to be any consistency in compatibility, even between the same clone. Some add new compatibility, but seem to lose other compatibility.

[+Gemintronic]

This is (one of) the problem with clones. There doesn't seem to be any consistency in compatibility, even between the same clone. Some add new compatibility, but seem to lose other compatibility.

 

I can personally confirm this. The Retron 3 triple system was said to not support the NES PowerPak. Mine does. I can't get anyone else to repeat that feat.

[StoneAgeGamer]

I can personally confirm this. The Retron 3 triple system was said to not support the NES PowerPak. Mine does. I can't get anyone else to repeat that feat.

 

Right, this is why when people ask me if EverDrives will work on X clone I tell them: maybe. Just because one guy got it to work on his, doesn't mean another will. The problem is that they don't serial number or version number these clones very often. So they may use a different NOAC on the same exact product with no actual easy way to tell there is a different chip set inside.

[+GoldenWheels]

This is (one of) the problem with clones. There doesn't seem to be any consistency in compatibility, even between the same clone. Some add new compatibility, but seem to lose other compatibility.

 

Definitely true. I can't say for sure why, but they hold a certain allure for me though. Clones and plug and plays. Especially the ones with decent casings.

 

Quick google search says yeah looks like the mobile II can play CV3.

[+Gemintronic]

For me, the idea of self sufficiency is cool. With the XBox 360 you can actually charge a USB device while it is "off". With a NOAC you can run some of them off AA batteries that can easily be charged by solar or a dynamo. There are also projectors and speakers that run from battery power.

[Osgeld]

Ever heard of Nickle-Metal-Hydride rechargeable batteries? I use those in my Wii-Motes, among other things.

 

that's not the point, your wimote doesnt have a cord going 6 inches away from the wall anyway to function while having to shove in batteries

[carlsson]

I recently also got a second hand Vii look-alike, once sold in a home electronics store over here. While its cartridge physically looks like a Famicom cartridge, it is not at all compatible - I tried! The accompanying manual describes some technical details, and when I looked it up online, it seems this type of device is powered by an emulated 5 MHz 6502 and beefed up graphics. The still pictures look quite good - not sure if they're mid-late 1990's quality - but the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. Assuming most of the code actually has been written instead of just stolen from other types of systems - after all, none of the major brands to my knowledge have had 6502 based consoles since the NES and PC Engine IIRC - it suggests that it is fairly easy to create or import reasonably pretty graphics to the system, programmers make sure the games function but don't put more effort into it than that. A bit of a shame really, as it superficially seems to have some merits. I even found documents describing how to program the emulated system.

[CatPix]

It's more likely that games were rushed - time is money - and that most programers were old guys knowing their 6502 code... but how to make it up to 16 bits style graphics? not much.

 

Also most Chinese sysmte use the laziest way to make their games - bitmapped backgrounds, digitalized sounds - which are processor consuming and memory eating, as well as RAM taxing, but heh, we're in 2013, ROM and RAM are cheap!

Of course such tricks mean they really go the fast and cheap route... So once the code run good and doesn't crash, why caring?

 

You can look at Sachen's game for example : On Supervision : correct games, with decent gameplay and sound. Same for the Mega Duck/Cougar Boy and even their Game Boy ports of those games under the Commin brand.

 

But money is needed, and when they moved to the Famicom (because the Game Boy have a lock-out chip, the Famicom doesn't) OMG.

Save money, save time, and enjoy Little Red Hood, Silent Assault or Master Chu and the Drunkard Hu... (most games published by Color Dreams in fact, that have Sachen, Thin Chen, or Joy Van as developers ).