Portable NES Gets Extravagant Add-Ons

Still no SNES version? *goes back to bed*

arekkusu82

I would find it very entertaining to watch someone try to hold that gun up to that tiny screen and try to play Duck Hunt on it.

Available for Pre-order for $53 + Shipping at 8-Bit Classics. Pre-orders also receive a Free Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt Cartridge.

Black - [8bitclassics.com]

White - [8bitclassics.com]

Corey Koltz

Do they realize that the zapper won't work with LCD tv's??

Mmmm... Duck Hunt.

Fun fact: if you say "Duck Hunt" like a Chicago Super Fan, it sounds dirty.

sandwiches

@ShinuZERO:

Something to emulate NES games you say? Hmmmmm. Try this out for size!!

[www.dealextreme.com]

Josh Langston

@Zorantor: Yeah. What he said. I was going to say all that, but maybe with less words and sentences.

@Zorantor: Unfortunately, I'm not good enough with electronics to do any of that homebrew stuff... I was mostly just amazed that he still has (Or is the person) someone making plastic cartridges for his NES games :D That is pleasing to me... I appreciate his passion for what he does, and hope he keeps doing it. Maybe someday he'll work with N64 games or something like that.

@Nik Ingrassia: Is that so? Well, I guess I've learned something.

@blacksamurai87: I think everyone here at Kotaku knows what an FDS is.

@McWhammer: I did see that. Impressive. The thing on there that caught my eye most, though, is the flash cart.

*Raises Jolly Roger*

Is this NES only?

I've been considering the FC III (not portable) that has NES/SNES/Genesis for $80.

sqlrob

@Zorantor:
"I'll buy that for a high price, stranger."

@Zorantor: Did you see his NES games though? He's got some crazy stuff for sale in that department.

@Zorantor: The Zapper and Super Scope both depend on pecularities of CRTs. The Zapper reads the light flashes, and the Super Scopes detects exactly where the CRT's beam is. The "sensor bar" for the Super Scope is just to communicate via IR with the SNES.

Nik Ingrassia

Too bad it doesn't seem to be compatible with SNES carts or ROMS. But at 60 smackers?! What do I have to lose?

Tye-The-Czar

@lazesummerstone: Most towns have an old-school game shop somewhere nearby. Just search a bit.

@StormdragonBlue: Dowingba is right; you've got it backwards. The NES Zapper's functionality relies on it reading precisely timed flashes of light on the screen. HDTV's have a tiny amount of delay before displaying their picture, which throws off the Zapper's mechanism completely. Only something like the SuperScope that relies on an external tracking source will work on an HDTV.

@McWhammer: I've actually seen those controller adapters before. I've already got the Hori SNES pad for GameCube, but I'm very tempted to buy that NES adapter.

I originally saw those when a comic I used to read, called Hubert, suddenly disappeared from the Internet and was replaced by links to that site.

@vonfaustus: It would be different here. The original NES Zapper worked by measuring flashes of light that occurred for a split second on certain areas of the screen when you pulled the trigger. That won't work on HDTV's because there is a tiny delay between the input and the display, and the original Zapper mechanism relies heavily on timing.

The Wii remote, on the other hand, has a very simple camera that can't do much more than track two lights, such as those provided by the sensor bar. Because it only knows the location of the sensor bar and not your television, it can't accurately track shots aimed at the screen, and so you need an on-screen cursor to know where you're aiming.

You certainly could play Duck Hunt that way, but because of the cursor it would be more of a point-and-click game than the classic shooting game.

@vonfaustus: It does? I've been using it with only one controller (I'm the only one in my family that plays it >_>), so I haven't had the need to get Wii Play. But the question is: does it have that damn asshole dog?

armless-phelan

@ShinuZERO: Welcome brother, we've been expecting you ^_^.

@ShinuZERO: I have one of those. I also have the SNES and the boxy NES, but I use this to keep down on the clutter. Works like a charm.

@gurfinki:
Next to B and A are probably turbo buttons. As for the shoulder buttons on the wireless controllers... beats me.

But the buttons on the system itself follow a PlayStation design. Segmented D-pad, and rectangle/triangle Start/Select buttons.

@Orionsaint: Why not read the article, mmkay?

@ShinuZERO: checkmate

sereal

@Tyr4nt: It does in fact come with a version of Duck Hunt. I know this because I own Wii Play. So there! :P

But now you're talking about input using the Wii Sensor Bar. This FC Mobile II doesn't have that option.

I do like to keep it real though if I can. I own quite a nice collection of NES carts. :)

vonfaustus

It's not as much a NES in your pocket, as it is a NES in your FACE.

@vonfaustus: Doesn't Wii Play come with Duck Hunt? or are you one of those damn hipsters that has to keep it real with the original?

FUCK! Do hipsters say "keep it real?"

Tyr4nt

@ShinuZERO:

An emulator is all well and good, but some of us spent hundreds of dollars on NES carts back in the day and would like something to play them on. I still have a working NES, but this option seems pretty great. I might see if there are some reviews out there and then pick it up. Certainly looks easier to travel with than the regular NES.

jcb231

@armless-phelan: I think Duck Hunt only works on CRT TVs. So if you got an LCD or Plasma you might wanna think twice about that if you're thinking of buying this based on that sole reason.

I could be wrong though. I never actually tried it out myself. I only read that.

vonfaustus

@OMFGLOL: a computer will connect to most modern tv's.

What's the point of the additional 2 buttons?

supo

@FatalChaos: I'm honestly not sure that whipping out even a toy gun aboard public transportation would be the best idea.

@ShinuZERO: a hipster doofus...

BAd idea on their parts is..
Light guns do not work on LCD type tv's.

They are made to registers reflected light, and LCd screens dont reflect enough light to register.

So.. pull out your old CRT tv for this

Crypysmoker

The question is: Will that Zapper clone work on non-CRT TVs?

MrPerson

@Combine:
I think hipsters have hootenannys. Or maybe I'm thinking of dirty hippies.

Kid_Bitchin

@emulsifier:
Bwaaaa??

See:

@Jambi_Bum:

@ShinuZERO: Yeah, I hate people with money for things too. Idiot.

emulsifier

@ShinuZERO:

Like my PSP/DS?

CustomFirmware

@PlayNTrade (Basically the only game retailer that carries a boat load of old games), yard sales, flea market (Just check to make sure they don't rattle, and look in good condition before buying) and of course eBay for steep prices.

@Zorantor: Check out all the stuff this guy's doing (Including NEW games!!):

RetroZone

I've never bought from him, because of the prices, but I intend to someday.

@CraigJapants: When you gotta go you gotta go!

@StormdragonBlue: NES Zapper does not work on my LCD TV. Superscope used a sensor bar that you placed on top of your TV...not sure why that wouldn't be compatible with any TV.

@Orionsaint: "The system's successor, the FC Mobile II, not only shrinks down the handheld's dimensions with a classier casing, but allows you to output its signal to a TV set."

Does that answer your question?

Cranker

@FatalChaos: It's for when you plug the console into the TV obviously.

Cranker

In b4 Portable NES = PNES = PENIS jokes

@simply_androoo: That's a pretty sensible idea actually.

Phazon

@ShinuZERO: cos this version you can connect to the TV

OMFGLOL

@Bluejuan85: SMRPG on PSN with trophies. It might actually motivate me to successfully time 100 jumps.

PsycheE

@ShadowOdin is sad he missed Wyatt Cenac's visit to Sweden: I sowwy.

@Jambi_Bum: aaaaaaaah, I know people like that *fetal position*

@Spenze: YES! Too bad my memory stick is broken now, though... I really need a new memory stick.

@[lookatthisfuckinghipster.tumblr.com]

gunna get moi one of thoes.

@ShinuZERO: ...fuck :(

@conditionals:

Whoops, link: [kotaku.com]

double fail

@lazesummerstone:

They had some here from mammary.

Hmmm, pretty lame.

This is the first time I've seen this. Snazzy! How come there are 4 buttons though? Or are they the start and select buttons?

Is this thing licensed by Nintendo? Or has the patent "worn off" or something?

Imagine if somebody made a portable that could play Famicom,SuperFamicon,Megadrive,etc games?! And no. Emulators don't count as I'm thinking it should be a exact playing replica without any slowdown whatsoever.

Or something that can play N64 games? Yeah that'd be nice! Killer Instinct and Wrestlemania 2000 on the go?? Nice...

excaliburps

@Ganon255:

Only hipsters read Kotaku

@Koji Otaku: only hipsters say say

@Combine: Only hipsters say jamborees.

*stands still knowing the beast's eyesight is based on movement*

CraigJapants

@Combine: Maybe if they're boyscout hipsters

@magiczero: I already have most of the games I want on emulators, as I don't like going through my storage. Perhaps the DS will get a Virtual Console (as I haven't heard anything about it) that will get added on to the DS' current store. If they did that, I would consider getting a DSi...but I will more than likely wait until the next DS iteration to upgrade from my cobalt DS Lite (my 4th DS, even though I've only paid for 2).

@randomrawr: I emulate on my HTPC, using a controller, from the couch. It's totally the same, just with quicksaves!

I want one.

@Sammo21:

To put every game on it they would need to get permission from every company that ever released a game on the systems. It would be a monumental task.

They are trying to re-release all old titles with the Virtual Console. The DSi now has downloadable title support, maybe it will also support VC titles in the future.

But as was said... emulation is already available and is the easiest way to do this. Nintendo will never offer anything better or cheaper than that.

magiczero

kinda makes me wish I still had any NES games laying around. I don't even know where I'd go to find an NES cartridge if I wanted one.

Dude in the promo photo is play RAD RACER. I wonder if he has put on his 3D glasses, hit 'select', and played 3D RAD RACER.

What's the point of the controllers if the screen is so tiny? Can you connect it to a TV?

@ManekiNeko: As far as I know the NES lightgun is LCD compatible. The SuperScope for the SNES however isn't due to a different kind of detection method.

@simply_androoo:
This is made to be cheap. Big screen=no cheapy=no sale.

Gam3r

@Miksho: Hipsters don't do jamborees do they?

Combine

@Spenze:

Lol but anyways I hope they do a SNES vrsion so I could play some of my SNES games especially SMRPG. I know SMRPG is available on the VC.

@Derek Rumpler: Or not. It'd be as simple as tweaking the emulator so instead of the Wiimote emulating the control, they'd emulate the light gun, and the IR could have a overlay, etc. It's already been done with FCEU Emulator, and that's on Wii. It's actually pretty good.

@Kuwabara Kazuo: "Got some rare things on sale, stranger."

@ManekiNeko: Probably not HDTV's unless it includes some kind of option to compensate for the tiny delay in an HD display. Which I'm guessing is unlikely.

@randomrawr: Wow, that's pretty cool. I knew there were people still putting out homebrew Atari 2600 cartridges, but I didn't know it was happening on more recent machines as well.

I think the influx of newer hardware to play those older games has to do with the original owners' rights to the design expiring, or something of the sort. I don't remember the legal details, just that it's something time-sensitive.

Worth it for the wireless controllers alone.

@simply_androoo: That would make more sense, considering you're stuck holding something that size anyway thanks to the cartridge.

@Quote: true however you don't need to use AA batteries, you can play more then just roms on it, you can surf the net and you get a larger screen.

It could have wireless NES controllers I remember seeing a mod to make them for like $10.

Not to mention you have to buy the old nes games and some of them are actually quite a lot. So if you were going to get that thing plus all the NES games you could get with a mod you would be spending more then the price of a netbook.

Sorry my friend you clearly fail.

Lincolnsbeard33

@Sammo21: A couple years ago, there was that company selling cheap N64 controller-shaped plug & play machines loaded with about 50 NES games. I saw them everywhere at kiosks in the mall where I was working at the time. They went for around $70, were totally unreliable, and seemed to have poor emulation. Nintendo finally ended up shutting them down, fortunately.

As far as Nintendo making something like that? Buy a DS flash card. My DS is loaded with NES, SNES, and Game Boy games.

@Spenze:

ON NO! What have I become?!?! :[

@Quote: You fail, nyuggah! Don't make me get banned from Kotaku the way I was banned from Gawker!

Seriously, you're not going to buy a netbook for $60, but you're not going to surf the internet with a handheld NES clone, either.

ManekiNeko

@Sammo21: It's allready made, and its called a PSP.

Spenze

@Spenze:
It's a fucking Hipster Jamboree up in here.

@ShinuZERO: Don't you realize the first step to becoming a hipster is saying you hate hipsters. Damn hipster.

Spenze

If it's designed to play NES games, why does it have the SNES controller layout? It makes no sense at all.

gurfinki

That... is... awesome.

Now all someone needs to do is make an NES flash cart that fits flush against that thing's design (so, nothing huge sticking out).

@Quote:

If you were playing on a portable NES, why the hell would you use wireless controllers???

@Myxomatosis:

This could be due to the fact that these are reproduced consoles by other companies after Nintendo's patent for the NES/SNES expired. The companies that are reproducing these consoles probably figured out how to make them cross compatible with both regions. As for the controller designs, I'm not sure. It's probably just something they came up with.

ie:
[www.playmessiah.com]

How are you supposed to shoot and still be able to see the screen? If I were on a train id have to ask someone to hold the handheld while I whip out my pistol and proceed to shoot.

@blacksamurai87: Probably not. Although I did want to play some of those un-released Zelda un-DLC.

Is that thing compatible with a Disk System?

Look it up if you're uninformed.

Imagine explaining that pistoly to airport security w/ your "portable" NES; PEW PEW!

@armless-phelan: They would have to make a port and I doubt they want to do that.

Plus . . . there's Link's Crossbow Training.

I don't quite get it. FC stands for Famicom, Famicom and NES cartridges have different form factors. An NES cart is shown. Is this for the North American market? Because very few people will understand that it's for the NES from the name.

Also the controllers are clearly shaped liked a super nintendo's. Super Nintendo had four more buttons than the NES. How does it use the extra buttons?

@Lincolnsbeard33: The thing retails at $60... What ntoebook are you gonna get with $60? Will it have wireless NES controllers?

Nope, you fail

@randomrawr:

Holy fuck, that is the coolest thing ever. I really want to order a copy, and I don't even have a Genesis anymore

@ShinuZERO: You could always try to shrink down the cartridge size a bit if you like to mod things...

interim has his cake and is eating it too

Got it, thanks for the tip Mr. Plunkett

I have an NES in glass along with many old consoles and thus I don't feel like taking it out of there. With this I'll finally get those NES games some play!

@Lincolnsbeard33:

For some reason I've never enjoyed playing ROM's through an emulator. I could have physical copy and I'll be able to sit there and play it from start to finish without stopping. I dunno. They just aren't the same to me.

"Hey there, hot stuff. Look what I got."

Kuwabara Kazuo

@Lincolnsbeard33: That's probably the best way to go.

ManekiNeko

@NeVeRMoRe666 RROD'd and is sad:

I dunno, you might come off as one of those "Old Skool" hipsters....God, I hate hipsters D:

The light gun would be a lot of fun to use on that dinky little screen! Come to think of it, would that light gun be compatible with any modern day television?

ManekiNeko

@ShinuZERO: Yeah, but imagine how cool you would look...

stylin'

I think I would rather just get a netbook and then add on a emulator with all the games.

Lincolnsbeard33

I love how retro consoles are coming back. There is this, the GenerationNex, RetroDuo Twin and not counting any others I don't know of. There are still some homebrew releases available for some of these old games as well. Such as Beggar Prince released in 2006/2007 for the Genesis on a commercially released hardcopy.

[www.beggarprince.com]

Why don't they just make the handheld size the same size as the cart? Have a huge screen and stuff? Like a Big Ass Gameboy or something.

Nintendo needs to make a portable SNES loaded with all SNES and NES games.....just saying.....I'd buy it.

I may pick one up, since my NES is dead and Nintendo refuses to release Duck Hunt on the VC. (It would be a perfect fit!)

armless-phelan

@ShinuZERO:

Though the TV output is a cool feature, I'd rather get one of those Twin F/C systems

Carrying around huge cartridges like that on a mobile system? No thanks. I'd rather get something to emulate NES games on the go.

You don't actually need the "cart." You can just take a screwdriver and remove the chip and use that. If you really want a plastic casing you could probably buy a much smaller one or chisel/saw/sand it down to the correct size. Problem solved.

edgeblade

The red buttons are in the wrong layout. 'B' should be at the bottom, and 'A' over to the right.

@ShinuZERO: You can attach it to your tv set, it has AV out.

That's why the hell you would use them

Well, it does look a lot prettier than the original, so it's got that going for it.

I'm guessing that, if this thing were compatible with those SD Multicarts that are available online (does Retrozone have one?) it would be quite a nice little machine.

What it probably doesn't have is the M82, which means that games will sound Tinny and out of tune. Have you heard some of the famiclones that are in the market today?
That is like poking your ears with a pen...

What? How do you use the light gun on that tiny screen?

Imagine what that would look like when you're playing in public.

alzdaman