NES in 2019 - clone console or original?

[SuperDerpBro]

I went though this recently. I decided to go with a Micro PC and use Retroarch.

Pros
Cheaper than the FPGA clones i was considering.
Less input lag than original hardware.
Awesome CRT shaders.
Retro achievements.
Use just about any controller in the world.
Play awesome hacks.
Also emulates any system up to the PS2/Wii.
Can be a filthy pirate and save money on over priced pieces of plastic.
Probably more but i'm heckin tired.

Cons
Can't play my carts. Well, i COULD if a bought a Retrode.
Not a NES

If you really want to play actual carts, and don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on an FPGA clone, i would just get a real NES and a RetroTink2x. Clones suck. Retrons SUCK. You could also look into the MiSTer FPGA.

[opa]

Thank you for the additional comments, everyone. I totally forgot about this thread. I actually wound up selling my NES collection (all two games). It was nice to get some information on the clones, however. Especially the retrons.

[samsonlonghair]

Thank you for the additional comments, everyone. I totally forgot about this thread. I actually wound up selling my NES collection (all two games). It was nice to get some information on the clones, however. Especially the retrons.

If I didn't have any NES cartridges anymore, but I wanted to get back into NES retrogaming with a "real" feel, I would probably grab an NES mini. Mine is still stock, but I'm told they're very easy to modify.

[SuperDerpBro]

The NES mini is pretty ass at emulation. Lag and sync issues. I still haven't bothered to open either of mine. Very easy to mod but its not powerful enough to run retroarch with hard gpu sync on.. so input lag.

I probably will open one of each of my NES/SNES classics to do this at some point though.. https://shop.8bitdo.com/

[opa]

I thought about a mini but I already have a modded Wii hooked up. Kind of a waste of money for me considering the only NES game I actually care about (that I don't already have on VC) is Jackal. I may eventually just get the rom and leave it at that.

I did get an SNES mini, however. I love those controllers! I actually use them for Wii/Wii U VC titles.

[Sarge]

SNES Classic emulation is definitely a big step up from the NES Classic. Much less input lag and audio latency. I don't regret my purchase one bit.

If your SNES Classic is hacked, you can actually install the NES Classic core on the system. I did that, and was very unimpressed by the results. Most people won't notice, but if you've been NES gaming for a long time, the sound lag in particular will drive you nuts.

[samsonlonghair]

I have not experienced this. My NES games play just fine on a 720p TV set. Maybe mine doesn't lag because there's nothing to upscale.

[Sarge]

Maybe it's the same issue as with the Genesis Mini, where the TV you're hooked to actually affects the sound lag. It's definitely there on mine; Mega Man 2 absolutely killed me with the sound effects for the shots and landing from jumps occurring quite a bit after I was expecting them.

I don't think it's a scaling issue, though. Pretty much all these systems have some input lag, regardless. I don't have any scientific ways to test, but in general, I like to use the Mike Tyson method to check lag. If I can't get through the first 1:30, there's definitely lag there!

[samsonlonghair]

Maybe it's the same issue as with the Genesis Mini, where the TV you're hooked to actually affects the sound lag. It's definitely there on mine; Mega Man absolutely killed me with the sound effects for the shots and landing from jumps occurring quite a bit after I was expecting them.

Luckily, I was always terrible at Megaman from the beginning!

Seriously though, Ghosts 'n Goblins runs fine on my NES mini. So do the timing puzzles in StarTropics. Maybe it's just my use case.

[Sarge]

Now, don't get me wrong, the input lag is fine for most games. I've played way worse. I could even beat Mega Man 2 on there pretty easily if necessary. It's just those edge cases like Tyson that make things noticeable. I pretty much need a CRT to not just luck into a win.