Nintendo Classic Mini announced

[Osgeld]

So on 12/05/2016 you can get it from dell.

 

With financing!

[dgdgagdae]

Can someone explain the 4:3 and pixel perfect settings to me? I can see the difference on the screen, but what are each of these settings really doing?

[0078265317]

 

With financing!

 

It says apply so I think its optional. And it says as low as 20 dollars a month. And its 60 dollars. So 3 payments and it yours. Not bad.

[Atariboy]

4:3 matches the television aspect ratio these games were built for and displayed in originally.

 

Pixel perfect matches how some people these days think these games were actually intended to be seen despite the televisions of the era, with each pixel square in shape.

Edited November 14, 2016 by Atariboy

[Great Hierophant]

Can someone explain the 4:3 and pixel perfect settings to me? I can see the difference on the screen, but what are each of these settings really doing?

The Native NES resolution is always 256x240 pixels. But this would only show as a small screen within a 1280x720 resolution frame. So this is what Nintendo does :

 

Pixel Perfect does a 3 by 3 scale, so the resolution becomes 768x720.

 

4:3 Mode does a 3.5 by 3 scale, so the resolution becomes 896x720. The CRT mode does this then adds an NTSC filter.

 

The Classic Edition does not display the first and last few vertical lines. Some games failed to update those lines, but they would be normally blocked by the CRT's overscan area/

Edited November 14, 2016 by Great Hierophant

[Great Hierophant]

I read that the NES Classic Mini, the European version of the Classic Edition, was supposed to have a 50Hz mode. None of the Youtube reviews from the European users show any 50Hz option. Is there something I am missing?

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

I wonder if Sanwa joysticks have the same mounting dimensions as an original Nintendo arcade joystick. They are both Japanese joysticks, so I wouldn't be surprised if they did. A 4-way Nintendo arcade joystick like came in Donkey Kong machines would be as authentic as you can get for playing Donkey Kong. Actual Donkey Kong joysticks tend to be pricey, but the ones they used on other machines were fundamentally the same thing (slightly smaller balltop), and those used to be cheap; especially ones from a VS. or PC-10 machine. I don't know if they still are cheap though. Those came with an 8-way restrictor plate, but are compatible with a 4-way restrictor. The reproduction Nintendo restrictors are nicer than the originals too; they are CNC machined instead of stamped, and they are smooth as greased glass.

 

Here's the mounting dimensions for a Nintendo joystick:

 

 

Nintendo joysticks are practically indestructable; they are all steel. Most of the well-used ones need nothing more than a good cleaning in the pivot ball socket. Soak one in e.g. gasoline overnight and it makes things easy.

I'm not convinced Sanwas are the same dimensions as a vintage Donkey Kong or VS Unisystem stick. They certainly don't feel the same. Also this joystick will be used with other Nintendo games so it needs to be 8-way capable. Also the restrictor plate has been removed in the Edge stick (there are four screw holes underneath the dust washer) so it doesn't fit the standard mounting holes.

[Andromeda Stardust]

I read that the NES Classic Mini, the European version of the Classic Edition, was supposed to have a 50Hz mode. None of the Youtube reviews from the European users show any 50Hz option. Is there something I am missing?

The possibility of getting stuck with 50Hz is exactly why I wouldn't touch a Euro mini with a ten foot pole. They did it with Wii and Wii-U Virtual Console games and fans revolted.

[Atariboy]

I believe that they went out of their way to stress that the European version was 60Hz.

[MaximRecoil]

I'm not convinced Sanwas are the same dimensions as a vintage Donkey Kong or VS Unisystem stick. They certainly don't feel the same.

 

I don't know one way or the other, though Nintendo arcade joysticks have a wide/narrow mounting plate like other Japanese joysticks do, as opposed to the more squarish mounting plate typical of American joysticks.

 

 

 

Also this joystick will be used with other Nintendo games so it needs to be 8-way capable.

 

There's no good solution for that that I know of. As I'm sure you know, some joysticks have restrictors which allow you to rotate them to make them 4- or 8-way, but that requires you to open up the controller to get to it. There is the Ultimarc Mag-Stik Plus which can be switched from 4- to 8-way by pulling up on the handle and rotating, but a lot of people don't like the feel of their unique magnetic centering (most joysticks are centered with a grommet or spring). Its predecessor, no longer in production, was spring-centered, but a lot of people complained about its short and very stiff throw.

 

As for me, I'd be all set with just a dedicated 4-way joystick, because I find a D-pad to be fine for 8-way games. D-pads (and 8-way joysticks) suck for certain 4-way games though, such as Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Pengo, etc.

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

I don't know one way or the other, though Nintendo arcade joysticks have a wide/narrow mounting plate like other Japanese joysticks do, as opposed to the more squarish mounting plate typical of American joysticks.

 

Actually it is the Japanese joysticks that tend to come stock with square gates, short balltop handles, and loose springs compared to American joysticks, which tend to have round gates, long battop handles, and heavy springs.

 

Most vintage arcade games manufactured prior to the mid-80s all used leaf swtiches in their buttons and joysticks, which have an entirely different feel compared to modern microswitch technology. It was literally the wild, wild west in the arcade era, with each company manufacturing their own joysticks, with wildly different feel and totally incompatible mounting hardware from one company to the next.

 

 

 

As for me, I'd be all set with just a dedicated 4-way joystick, because I find a D-pad to be fine for 8-way games. D-pads (and 8-way joysticks) suck for certain 4-way games though, such as Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Pengo, etc.

Believe me, I am well aware of issues when using 8-way joysticks to play 4-way games. There's no simple solution really. Well there's this one where I rigged a custom pulley system together so I could access a rotating restrictor plate without opening the hardware:

 

Even the rotating restrictor plates aren't perfect though. The only perfect solution for an all-in-one control panel is to install two player one joysticks, one of them as a dedicated 4-way. Or for joystick controllers, have a dedicated 4-way joystick on hand for those games that require one.

 

And once again thanks to you, we are way off topic again...

 

I just cleaned up this thread. Any one who argues about displays or fuel in this thread will earn themselves a free one week vacation from AtariAge.

[MaximRecoil]

Actually it is the Japanese joysticks that tend to come stock with square gates, short balltop handles, and loose springs compared to American joysticks, which tend to have round gates, long battop handles, and heavy springs.

 

What do you mean, "actually"? I never said anything about any of those things with regard to American vs. Japanese joystick. I said that American joysticks have more squarish mounting plates. The context is whether or not a Nintendo arcade joystick would line up with the existing mounting holes where a Sanwa clone once was.

 

 

 

Most vintage arcade games manufactured prior to the mid-80s all used leaf swtiches in their buttons and joysticks, which have an entirely different feel compared to modern microswitch technology. It was literally the wild, wild west in the arcade era, with each company manufacturing their own joysticks, with wildly different feel and totally incompatible mounting hardware from one company to the next.

 

I'm not sure what this has to do with anything. In any case, Wico joysticks were the most common during the leaf switch era (though Nintendo joysticks have always used microswitches, even when most others used leaf switches), and there were other joysticks that had the same mounting hole spacing. The Happ joysticks that became popular once microswitches supplanted leaf switches used the same mounting holes as a Wico, so there was (and is) somewhat of a mounting standard for American joysticks.

 

And once again thanks to you, we are way off topic again...

 

Thanks to me? Is that a joke? I replied to your post on this topic. You're a real piece of work. Not only do you have a habit of replying to posts without first reading them properly, but your perception of reality is in no way an accurate reflection of it.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Goodnight.

[Atariboy]

If the build quality is decent and it actually works with the NES Classic Edition, this might be a good match.

 

 

It's wireless and has the home button that is needed to remotely bring up the dashboard. Still have to physically power the system on and off though.

 

Even the button angling likely won't be too unpleasant. It's angled more like a NES dogbone controller or a Game Boy is, compared to the steeper angle that annoys many of us with Nintendo's ABXY configuration when we have to use A & B simultaneously such as in Super Mario Brothers.

 

Of course if the quality is trash or it doesn't even work, none of that means much.

 

Edit: Or maybe it doesn't have a home button. That icon below start/select doesn't match what Nintendo uses, so perhaps it's just there for powering the controller on or off, pairing it with the wireless dongle, etc.

Edited November 14, 2016 by Atariboy

[dgdgagdae]

 

Thanks to me? Is that a joke? I replied to your post on this topic. You're a real piece of work. Not only do you have a habit of replying to posts without first reading them properly, but your perception of reality is in no way an accurate reflection of it.

Your tacit attempt to redefine "work" is denied.

[MaximRecoil]

Your tacit attempt to redefine "work" is denied.

 

This is the best example of the concept of "monkey see, monkey do" I've ever seen online. Thanks.

[Rick Dangerous]

Have been pondering this one but just can't rationalize it. If it could be expanded to add more roms then i'd be a lot more interested, but 30 games is a dealbreaker. I just have too many other ways to play the NES library in it's entirety, including perfectly solid emulators, the N64 emulator, my NES Everdrive, and actual carts on my toaster and top loader. Cool design exercise and will be fun for people who no longer have an NES and want a trip down nostalgia lane.

[0078265317]

https://www.google.com/amp/kotaku.com/the-nes-classic-carries-over-classic-glitches-1788930736/amp

[Flojomojo]

Have been pondering this one but just can't rationalize it. If it could be expanded to add more roms then i'd be a lot more interested, but 30 games is a dealbreaker. I just have too many other ways to play the NES library in it's entirety, including perfectly solid emulators, the N64 emulator, my NES Everdrive, and actual carts on my toaster and top loader. Cool design exercise and will be fun for people who no longer have an NES and want a trip down nostalgia lane.

Well, they've certainly made it easier for you by not making it readily available!

 

I think there's something to be said for curation, a playlist of good stuff that everyone can enjoy. I really think the 30 games they picked are all pretty strong. I would have changed it up, and so would you, but I think they did a great job with their picks. It reminds me of Rolling Stone's 500 Best Songs of All Time from a few years ago. Everyone needs to know this stuff, but it's all a bit basic if you're into music.

 

You've moved past it, that's great. I have too, but it's cute and cheap, so I'll likely have one when they're more common. So long as The Paradox of Choice (too many options makes it hard to choose anything) doesn't bother you, all is good.

 

I've been thinking of trying this method of only showing Favorite Games in retropie so that the good stuff is easier to find without digging. In a perfect world, they'd have Playlists so you could share batches of games with people, similar to what you can do with Goodreads for books and Spotify for music.

[Flojomojo]

https://www.google.com/amp/kotaku.com/the-nes-classic-carries-over-classic-glitches-1788930736/amp

Friendly tip: how about a little context next time, especially when posting an AMP link that is unreadable in the preview? For all we know, it's a link to Rick Astley or a computer virus.

 

Like this:

Kotaku says that the NES Classic emulator recreates many of the old glitches of the original games and hardware. http://kotaku.com/the-nes-classic-carries-over-classic-glitches-1788930736

[dgdgagdae]

 

This is the best example of the concept of "monkey see, monkey do" I've ever seen online. Thanks.

 

I made you call yourself a monkey! I win!

 

Gold Leader had a really good post earlier in the thread, about how he likes to understand how people have different opinions, and he doesn't think they're stupid for having them. You can look it up and deconstruct it for logical fallacies if you like. My point is, you seem like an intelligent and knowledgeable bloke, but you wield that knowledge with a sword of +4 dickishness. It's fun to have discussions with others that share a hobby. It's my opinion (see what I did there?) that you come here to put other people down to make yourself feel superior.

 

On topic: Gold Leader and I each got Nintendo Classics. Neener neener neener. I know that you don't want one and that anyone who does is stupid, but still: neener.

 

Edit: Oh crap, I was the monkey in that statement that you made. In that case, I fling poo in your general direction!

Edited November 14, 2016 by dgdgagdae

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

I made you call yourself a monkey! I win!

 

Gold Leader had a really good post earlier in the thread, about how he likes to understand how people have different opinions, and he doesn't think they're stupid for having them. You can look it up and deconstruct it for logical fallacies if you like. My point is, you seem like an intelligent and knowledgeable bloke, but you wield that knowledge with a sword of +4 dickishness. It's fun to have discussions with others that share a hobby. It's my opinion (see what I did there?) that you come here to put other people down to make yourself feel superior.

 

On topic: Gold Leader and I each got Nintendo Classics. Neener neener neener. I know that you don't want one and that anyone who does is stupid, but still: neener.

 

Edit: Oh crap, I was the monkey in that statement that you made. In that case, I fling poo in your general direction!

I just added him to my ignore list. Way too tempting to engage him by replying to his attacks, and I really don't need to stoop down to his level.

[MaximRecoil]

 

I made you call yourself a monkey! I win!

 

No one is being called a monkey; "monkey see, monkey do" is a term which refers to the phenomenon of someone who imitates without understanding the principles of what he's imitating. That's why you ended up misapplying the term "tacit". You also don't seem to know what the common "piece of work" expression means, but that's not part of the "monkey see, monkey do" effect.

 

 

 

My point is, you seem like an intelligent and knowledgeable bloke, but you wield that knowledge with a sword of +4 dickishness.

 

On forums of this sort, I'm never snarky to anyone who isn't snarky first. If you disagree with that, go ahead and try to find an example where I issued the first snarky remark. There are a lot of people who get upset when someone disagrees with / refutes something they have said, and they jump right into snide mode. Then there are some people who are flat-out "trolls", offering up peanut gallery-type comments to posts that weren't even directed at them in the first place.

[Andromeda Stardust]

If the build quality is decent and it actually works with the NES Classic Edition, this might be a good match.

 

 

It's wireless and has the home button that is needed to remotely bring up the dashboard. Still have to physically power the system on and off though.

 

Even the button angling likely won't be too unpleasant. It's angled more like a NES dogbone controller or a Game Boy is, compared to the steeper angle that annoys many of us with Nintendo's ABXY configuration when we have to use A & B simultaneously such as in Super Mario Brothers.

 

Of course if the quality is trash or it doesn't even work, none of that means much.

 

Edit: Or maybe it doesn't have a home button. That icon below start/select doesn't match what Nintendo uses, so perhaps it's just there for powering the controller on or off, pairing it with the wireless dongle, etc.

That looks really cool, and unlike some people, I really love the "Dogbone" or Game Boy offset button angle. Hopefully they test this thing thoroughly before shipping it out unlike what happened with the Emio sticks/pads.

[dgdgagdae]

 

No one is being called a monkey; "monkey see, monkey do" is a term which refers to the phenomenon of someone who imitates without understanding the principles of what he's imitating. That's why you ended up misapplying the term "tacit". You also don't seem to know what the common "piece of work" expression means, but that's not part of the "monkey see, monkey do" effect.

 

 

 

 

On forums of this sort, I'm never snarky to anyone who isn't snarky first. If you disagree with that, go ahead and try to find an example where I issued the first snarky remark. There are a lot of people who get upset when someone disagrees with / refutes something they have said, and they jump right into snide mode. Then there are some people who are flat-out "trolls", offering up peanut gallery-type comments to posts that weren't even directed at them in the first place.

 

It should be obvious that I know what "monkey see, monkey do" means. I was trying to make a joke. Just like Kosmic Stardust was doing earlier, when you turned into your dickish self again for no reason on post #1612. There's your example of you being snarky with no provocation.

 

I'm done with you. Ignored. That way, I even get the last word!