Anyone here have a favorite clone system? Or hated?

[Tanooki]

In the last few years despite my leanings never to touch the stuff as it has been more or less universally crap or at least coming up far too short, there have been a couple cases where I've not been disappointed with the device enough I've sought it out and held onto it. Then you have other cases of stuff, and so far it has been two, both from Hyperkin (Hyperkrap) where I was happy at first but then the problems and shortfalls mounted up I got out from under it.

 

To get the turds out of the way I'm speaking of the Supaboy version 2, and then the Retron 5 both versions. The Supaboy in premise wasn't bad, but it has some problems where it has issues, and compatibility problems, along with being a bulky arm weight that plays against it along with a wretchedly poor d-pad that's not even serviceable (same can be said with the Retrobit device too for this.) Did they even fix that nasty d-pad or the other stuff in their 3rd revision lately? The d-pad itself inside is setup with long legs that tap a lower board in the system with contacts, problem is unlike the SNES d-pad bottom with the bump/nipple there to stop multiple (beyond 2) direction pushes, it lacks that. Most games flip out if you end up hitting over 2 directions and it happens always because of no stopper. Games like Mario can keep you running after you care to stop. Stuff like Gradius will stop going the direction you want as your thumb shifts locked in a track until you release (which is fatal) and fighters like SF2 good luck pulling off better than a quarter circle at all. I had to mod the thing using a 2cent electrical twist cap that had the wider base snug between the 4 posts, then hand sanded it down low enough then rounded it to fake one -- and boom, worked like a SNES game pad...so asinine. The rest people are aware of, randomly shut off or restarts on lower battery. Chipped games outside of DSP won't work, may partly work, or glitch out and die.

 

The Retron 5 the first model had a flimsy top you could crack pushing just to get the cart out. Cart slots were too tight, and worse, very brittle weak metal ripping out pins or twisting them breaking slots, and there were other internal issues too with cheaply attached controller ports that would pop off inside, and other garbage. The firmware was junk too, often getting crash happy or deciding it didn't like specific games to start and decided to hate more as life went on. I had one so bad and 2 awful replacements I got a first off the line model 2. It fixed some of that stuff (the hardware issues) but it still was a picky bitch at times, and it had its unfriendly moments or could get stuck now and again...plus it got testy with some forms of SRAM nuking files on your carts. Personally given the problems I wish I had owned a RetroFreak instead as it does all the R5 attempted but better and also works as a flash kit too since it takes games on a SD card and stores them internally, but it wasn't out then either.

 

 

And with the good -- both of them mobile devices. The first being the latest(later) rendition of the FC Mobile, the FC Mobile 88. I happened to find this one local, guy even threw in a SuperGames 500in1 cart with it too. This one runs Famicom carts (but you can get an adapter) and the audio is like 99% right, displays very well, the NOAC in there handles the US stuff great and most Famicom games too including chipped stuff. A couple Sunsoft mappers and the VRC4 (Castlevania 3) and VRC6 from Konami, along with some of the Namco mappers don't work. it causes a small percent of JP releases to fail, but not enough to be a problem. The screen is solid, not as pretty as a GBA 101 but quite good still, comfy to use, good battery life on 2 AAAs, decent TV out comparable to an old NES on RCA cables, and it doesn't feel too flimsy, also the speaker put out good loud quality too. I'd recommend it as a dedicated on the go NES.

 

The other good, the KongFeng GB Boy Color. Wow on that one. The GBC people wish they could get since you can't easily get a 101 style screen into a real GBC. Maybe 5% larger in frame but you'd only see it next to a real unit. Comfy controls, good button response, solid loud audio, and a very clean vibrant display on it. Has all the function of the GBC other than its faux IR window up top which is empty. The system is louder than a real GBC too which is nice. It appears to run like a real GBC should so games with pre-coded color sets (Metroid 2) use them, GBC games hybrid and unique display and sound right as they should. Battery life is a good 20 hours so right there with the original. It also has an internal game card (flash kit) soldered in with 66 unique games. Most of them are garbage puzzles or other screwy bunk, but there are around 10 really fantastic GB releases in there (Mario Land, DK, Aladdin, Duck Tales, Kid Niki sequel, and others.) It feels solid and not flimsy, seems well constructed, and now I see why people had raved about it as GB/GBC fans looking for a solution -- it is one.

[Flojomojo]

I kinda like the GB Boy Colour, too. I am amused that it has Telegames' Yars' Revenge and the GB port of Crystal Quest on it, which are two weird ports of old games I like. It was worth the price of entry for Tetris, but I wish Donkey Kong 94 wasn't unplayably buggy.

 

I want to buy a Bitt Boy famiclones handheld, it's cute and seems to have a great IPS screen. It's cheap but I can't find a US seller who has it in stock.

 

I am hoping the high end AtGames Sega and Atari TV units are as nice as they seem. I'm buying them sight unseen. I'd prefer higher quality handhelds. Maybe 2018?

[RampantOctopus]

From a console collector's point of view, I love my Dina 2-in-1; it's just so strange, and until the NT Mini came along, it was my preferred console for playing coleco games (mostly because of the controller). I also love my Power Games famiclone for much the same reason, it's so bizarre and while it's no technical marvel, I credit it for introducing me to a world of famicom games I had not previously played and the IR controllers are kinda ridiculously bizarre to the point of being fun.

[Tanooki]

I kinda like the GB Boy Colour, too. I am amused that it has Telegames' Yars' Revenge and the GB port of Crystal Quest on it, which are two weird ports of old games I like. It was worth the price of entry for Tetris, but I wish Donkey Kong 94 wasn't unplayably buggy.

 

I want to buy a Bitt Boy famiclones handheld, it's cute and seems to have a great IPS screen. It's cheap but I can't find a US seller who has it in stock.

 

I am hoping the high end AtGames Sega and Atari TV units are as nice as they seem. I'm buying them sight unseen. I'd prefer higher quality handhelds. Maybe 2018?

I saw that about DK, couldn't figure that one out as it looked like the file select screen was jacked. The true sequel to Kid Niki styling int he style of the original looks excellent. The two you mentioned, I know Yar the other sounds familiar so that'll be worth looking into.

 

I agree on the ATGames, saw something on facebook about it and 2018 should hopefully be the year on that for the handheld.

 

In all fairness to ATGames that did slip my mind, They deserve excellent positivity in this thread too given their total catalog outside of the Genesis. Even within Sega the Arcade Gamer Portable which has 30 SMS and Game Gear games locked into it is amazing.