Portable NES lets gamers relive 8-bit classics
- — 16 May, 2009 07:55
Nintendo games are great, but their remakes lack the hard difficulty and cartridge-blowing nostalgia of their original titles, while shelling out real cash for virtual Nintendo dollars can be a hassle. Thankfully, Think Geek is selling the spiffy new Retro Mini Handheld NES System for those of us who can't let go of Mega Man 2 and the original Mike Tyson-version of Punch-Out!! You probably can't play Duck Hunt with it, but you'll look like an old-school pro with this bad boy.
Even better, you can hook this up to home TV or other entertainment systems, although the settings for 8-bit gameplay may be kind of weird. It doesn't come with any actual games, but most NES titles go for anywhere between $30 and a couple of bucks on Amazon, anyway. The only real downside I can see with this thing is that it takes a whopping 4 AA batteries to run, something I haven't had to find cash for since I had my first Game Boy. Plus, old NES cartridges will probably have cruddy contacts. The cartridges are very finicky if not cleaned properly. Make sure you clean the contacts on your cartridges or they may not work properly in the Retro Mini.
Think Geek also has cool alternatives in the form of the Retro Duo and the Retro NES USB Controller, for those of us running ROM software and emulators on our computers. Now where did I put that copy of Dragon Warrior III?
Product Features:
Handheld NES system plays original full-size NES cartridges
2.4" LCD TFT Screen
Built in Speakers
Headphone out jack
Includes composite (NTSC) video/audio out cables for playing on a TV
You need to supply your own NES cartridges
Requires 4 x AA batteries (not included)
Runs for over 8 hours on a single set of batteries
Dimensions: 15cm x 9cm x 4cm deep
