I'm thinking about getting one. Does anyone have any recommendations? I'm leaning towards the supaboy. I've heard it has the fewest issues and plays Japanese, mode 7, fx, and fx2 games.
I've owned both the Supaboy and the Retro Duo Portable. In fact I returned my Supaboy for an RDP..... biggest mistake. Go with the Supaboy, the screen looks great, the controls are solid, and it really makes a great home console as well. The RDP's screen is terrible and the poor shielding leads to nasty lines on the screen. In addition I had to go through three RDPs until I got a working one.
In addition I had to go through three RDPs until I got a working one.
I had the same issue. The first one had blown speakers out of the box and the second one wouldn't charge. In fact after I had left it plugged in for a short period of time it literally started smoking and smelled of burnt plastic. When I returned it, I did finally get one that works and I haven't had any problems since. With the included NES adapter and the seperate Genesis one, I'm able to play all of my games on one handheld console which is pretty handy. I've never owned a Supaboy, but I tried one out at a retro game store and the speakers were terrible. It could have just been that unit, but I think that's a common complaint.
Supaboy is inferior, unless you don't mind chipped games possibly not working. The RDP is the only one that can handle all the chipped titles (DSP1/2, FX1/2, CX4, SDD1, SA1, etc.) The Supaboy doesn't run all these chips, or it can only run certain versions which you wouldn't know without opening up your cart and checking the chip such as in the case of SA1 games like MarioRPG, Kirby's Dreamland3/Super Star, and others) and it can not run FX2 games like Yoshi's Island and DOOM. RDPs I've seen some cases like on here when they garbage from the factory or shortly after, but Supaboy isn't flawless either as all of them have a really bad speaker.
Personally I'd get the RDP from a reliable shop that will allow a return if you get a junk one just so you know all your game will work.
To you it will come down to a toss up of a Supaboy which is built speaker aside a little more solidly, or the RDP which can actually run ALL the SNES library. Compatibility vs stability.
SupaBoy plays it all besides SMRPG I believe, so calling it inferior is too far of a stretch. It doesn't have the sound which yeah is huge, but as far as what was determined on NESDev, it wasn't bad at all. Especially not for a clone. It'd kick the shit out of all NES clones ever made, proportionally. The CPU side of it is good, so is the APU and PPU. But, junk parts cause the speaker to need modified to sound correct, but it's not completely inferior. Everything is on par with the RDP, except it doesn't play SMRPG. That's not a big deal anyway, though, consider it's a single game.
The Supaboy worked flawlessly for me... no strange sounds, no game incompatibility. In fact it ran both of my copies of Mario RPG, even V1.1 alot of the time. Yes, it might take a few tries, but V1.1 would work. The only reason I kept my RDP is because after getting so many bad units Amazon refunded my money and let me keep it as well. The screen issue seems to be pretty common with RDPs and I have to say that as far as I know everyone of them has it because of the way that they are built. Essentially when the volume is high, the screen has lines through it. It's so bad I literally never use the unit despite the fact that it was free, and because my nearby game store started carrying Supaboys I plan on buying another one.
In addition I had to go through three RDPs until I got a working one.
The first one had blown speakers out of the box and the second one wouldn't charge. In fact after I had left it plugged in for a short period of time it literally started smoking and smelled of burnt plastic.
Yep, I had the same problem. Mine just fried for whatever reason... however SNES games would still play, but the NES and Genesis adapters no longer worked. I wonder what caused that to happen
I am but I'm not in a spot to take one for a little over a week. I've been looking to shop around for one but something always seems to get in the way. I really liked satoshi matrix YouTube series on the device. It is a shame if it has shielding issues. I am aware that the tv cable it came with has such bad shielding it ruins the output to the screen but if you use the one from the supaboy or get a generic one from radio shack the output is great.k
I am aware that the tv cable it came with has such bad shielding it ruins the output to the screen but if you use the one from the supaboy or get a generic one from radio shack the output is great.
Apparently the quality of the AV cables are hit or miss as well. I have the standalone RetroPort and RetroGen adapters that both come with the same cable as the RDP. The video quality with the cables included with the RetroGen and RDP system are awful, but the one that came with the RetroPort has a flawless picture. It seems like they rushed all of these out without any quality control, so it's totally random if you get one that actually works properly.
I really don't understand why anybody would buy one of these. I have a real SNES with real game cartridges for authenticity, and then for travel I have a Gemei A330. Portable handheld system that takes play ROMs off an SD card for NES, SNES, Megadrive/Genesis etc.
I agree that it's a watered down experience, but so is using both of the above consoles. So I'd rather have one small handheld that plays 1000s of games than having to lug around cartridges and a 'handheld' bigger than a SNES.
If you get an RDP that's not having problems it's not watered down. They're the first one to successfully get all the chipped and non-chipped SNES games to run right. Emulators as close as a select few really do get like bsnes, they just don't cut it if you're looking for accuracy in action and in usage(controllers.) The RDP handles well and the addon controller is an equal to the SNES pad supposedly and one of those can be used anyway too.
In addition I had to go through three RDPs until I got a working one.
I had the same issue. The first one had blown speakers out of the box and the second one wouldn't charge. In fact after I had left it plugged in for a short period of time it literally started smoking and smelled of burnt plastic. When I returned it, I did finally get one that works and I haven't had any problems since. With the included NES adapter and the seperate Genesis one, I'm able to play all of my games on one handheld console which is pretty handy. I've never owned a Supaboy, but I tried one out at a retro game store and the speakers were terrible. It could have just been that unit, but I think that's a common complaint.
I too had issues with the RDP and had to go through 3 before I got a decent one. My first one also had a blown/defective speaker and strong rolling interference lines on the screen. The 2nd one had a stuck green pixel in the middle of the screen and had some black horizontal lines appear every once in awhile. The 3rd also had a stuck green pixel and had a problem with the screen backlight flickering off occasionally. The current one that I'm keeping still has some slight interference lines but hardly noticeable
Minor things that I don't like about the RDP is the screen on the RDP is not as sharp as I expected. I hear the Supaboy's screen is slightly better. Also with the SNES Powerpak, holding the reset/contrast button does not bring up the Powerpak save menu screen. Not a big deal for me since I don't play a lot of games on the Powerpak that use the save feature. D-pad is bad for certain games/moves.....Street Fighter II, Zangief's spinning piledriver move(full 360 motion) is practically impossible to do. Swapping/modding D-pads fixed this.
I really like the RDP even with all the trouble getting a decent one and the issues mentioned. It plays my only two SA-1 games I own, Mario RPG and DBZ Hyper Dimension. The battery life is great and lasts around 6-8 hours of game play depending on settings. The unit is comfortable to hold and the L & R shoulder buttons feel pretty nice. Size is decent, a little smaller than a Sega Nomad or Turbo Express.
I just ordered a Supaboy basically out of curiosity. I really like the snes controller style/look of the Supaboy. When it arrives, I can give a better opinion on both.
The Supaboy worked flawlessly for me... no strange sounds, no game incompatibility. In fact it ran both of my copies of Mario RPG, even V1.1 alot of the time. Yes, it might take a few tries, but V1.1 would work. The only reason I kept my RDP is because after getting so many bad units Amazon refunded my money and let me keep it as well. The screen issue seems to be pretty common with RDPs and I have to say that as far as I know everyone of them has it because of the way that they are built. Essentially when the volume is high, the screen has lines through it. It's so bad I literally never use the unit despite the fact that it was free, and because my nearby game store started carrying Supaboys I plan on buying another one.
Wow, you got yours free? I bought and returned 3 RDP units at Amazon and the didn't offer me to keep any for free.
I didn't know you could swap out the d-pad. I know it has this dumb problem that if you push straight down(or nearly that) it will register multiple button presses for all 4 points of the compass on the controller which is bad. Satoshi in his 4 part RDP review covered that, and like Mario in Allstars would go into this weird run when you did it and the effect was different for each game with random effects or just nothing.
I do want to get one still, shame they're flaky though on quality until you find one that's just right.
I didn't know you could swap out the d-pad. I know it has this dumb problem that if you push straight down(or nearly that) it will register multiple button presses for all 4 points of the compass on the controller which is bad. Satoshi in his 4 part RDP review covered that, and like Mario in Allstars would go into this weird run when you did it and the effect was different for each game with random effects or just nothing.
I do want to get one still, shame they're flaky though on quality until you find one that's just right.
Unfortunately it's not as simple as swapping a d-pad in and out. I took the d-pad out from one of the included Retrobit controllers and moddified it to fit/work in the RDP. Took some effort to do, but no more multi-direction d-pad pressing problem.
I think most of these clone system will have some sort of issues. I read couple reviews on the Supaboy where some people had issues with the screen stopped working.
was there ever a portable NES? [not gameboy but a portable that plays NES games]
Yea The FC mobile and FC mobile II, the first one sucked but I really the FC mobile II, it won't play some special chip games like CVIII but that's to be expected with most clone systems.
Yeah, I wish that there was a better portable NES than the FC Mobile II though. Don't get me wrong I think it's the best NES clone, portable or otherwise. But I like when these portable systems also have controller ports, so I can hook it up to a TV as well. Those wireless controller for the FC Mobile II just don't cut it XD
Yeah, I wish that there was a better portable NES than the FC Mobile II though. Don't get me wrong I think it's the best NES clone, portable or otherwise. But I like when these portable systems also have controller ports, so I can hook it up to a TV as well. Those wireless controller for the FC Mobile II just don't cut it XD
Yeah any wireless clone controllers almost always suck. But personally it does not matter as I use it as a portable
I just ordered an FC mobile 2. I had one in the past, but I couldn't get over the tiny screen. I am going to try to mod this one with a larger screen. I googled and I couldn't find any info on doing it for this particular hand held. Anyone have any helpful info it would be greatly appreciated. If not I'll just use the AV out connection for a generic screen. How to power it? I don't know. Will probably look messy.
I tried both the Supaboy and RDP, and they were both bad. Screen was bad on the RDP and the sound issue was unbearable on the Supaboy. Luckily I picked up a homemade one off eBay 6 months ago that was made using original SNES parts and a Sony speaker set and LED screen. Better to have the OEM stuff than the mass-produced cheapo systems. Only downside is no warranty or exchanges
I've put probably 100 hours on the RetroDuo Portable and It's been awesome since day one. I must have lucked out and just got a good one from the start.
I'd definitely, based just on MY experience, give the RDP two thumbs up. It's awesome.
Sorry to necro an old thread but Im curious to see some opinions on the RDP vs the newer supaboy s
I recently bought an RDP and am almost completely satisfied minus some interference lines that pop up sometimes on max brightness. Im glad I read here that others experience this because i thought i was going crazy seeing it on some games on not so much on others. It really gives the screen a washed out look that really it hard to accept.
I will be exchanging the RDP for another in hopes i get one without interference issues.
I like the IDEA of the supaboy s but that quazi not 16:9 not 4:3 aspect ratio on the screen is a pretty big turn off. It seems like it would be especially jarring to go from that screen to the orignal snes output.
Comments
Originally posted by: Culex4096
In addition I had to go through three RDPs until I got a working one.
I had the same issue. The first one had blown speakers out of the box and the second one wouldn't charge. In fact after I had left it plugged in for a short period of time it literally started smoking and smelled of burnt plastic. When I returned it, I did finally get one that works and I haven't had any problems since. With the included NES adapter and the seperate Genesis one, I'm able to play all of my games on one handheld console which is pretty handy. I've never owned a Supaboy, but I tried one out at a retro game store and the speakers were terrible. It could have just been that unit, but I think that's a common complaint.
I don't own either but if I did, I'd probably go with the Supaboy. I could overlook the speaker noise.
Personally I'd get the RDP from a reliable shop that will allow a return if you get a junk one just so you know all your game will work.
To you it will come down to a toss up of a Supaboy which is built speaker aside a little more solidly, or the RDP which can actually run ALL the SNES library. Compatibility vs stability.
Originally posted by: bearcat-doug
Originally posted by: Culex4096
In addition I had to go through three RDPs until I got a working one.
The first one had blown speakers out of the box and the second one wouldn't charge. In fact after I had left it plugged in for a short period of time it literally started smoking and smelled of burnt plastic.
Yep, I had the same problem. Mine just fried for whatever reason... however SNES games would still play, but the NES and Genesis adapters no longer worked. I wonder what caused that to happen
Originally posted by: Tanooki
Well if you hate it that much I'll pay shipping to end your torture.
If you're genuinely interested in the RDP then PM me
Originally posted by: Tanooki
I am aware that the tv cable it came with has such bad shielding it ruins the output to the screen but if you use the one from the supaboy or get a generic one from radio shack the output is great.
Apparently the quality of the AV cables are hit or miss as well. I have the standalone RetroPort and RetroGen adapters that both come with the same cable as the RDP. The video quality with the cables included with the RetroGen and RDP system are awful, but the one that came with the RetroPort has a flawless picture. It seems like they rushed all of these out without any quality control, so it's totally random if you get one that actually works properly.
Originally posted by: bearcat-doug
Originally posted by: Culex4096
In addition I had to go through three RDPs until I got a working one.
I had the same issue. The first one had blown speakers out of the box and the second one wouldn't charge. In fact after I had left it plugged in for a short period of time it literally started smoking and smelled of burnt plastic. When I returned it, I did finally get one that works and I haven't had any problems since. With the included NES adapter and the seperate Genesis one, I'm able to play all of my games on one handheld console which is pretty handy. I've never owned a Supaboy, but I tried one out at a retro game store and the speakers were terrible. It could have just been that unit, but I think that's a common complaint.
I too had issues with the RDP and had to go through 3 before I got a decent one. My first one also had a blown/defective speaker and strong rolling interference lines on the screen. The 2nd one had a stuck green pixel in the middle of the screen and had some black horizontal lines appear every once in awhile. The 3rd also had a stuck green pixel and had a problem with the screen backlight flickering off occasionally. The current one that I'm keeping still has some slight interference lines but hardly noticeable
Minor things that I don't like about the RDP is the screen on the RDP is not as sharp as I expected. I hear the Supaboy's screen is slightly better. Also with the SNES Powerpak, holding the reset/contrast button does not bring up the Powerpak save menu screen. Not a big deal for me since I don't play a lot of games on the Powerpak that use the save feature. D-pad is bad for certain games/moves.....Street Fighter II, Zangief's spinning piledriver move(full 360 motion) is practically impossible to do. Swapping/modding D-pads fixed this.
I really like the RDP even with all the trouble getting a decent one and the issues mentioned. It plays my only two SA-1 games I own, Mario RPG and DBZ Hyper Dimension. The battery life is great and lasts around 6-8 hours of game play depending on settings. The unit is comfortable to hold and the L & R shoulder buttons feel pretty nice. Size is decent, a little smaller than a Sega Nomad or Turbo Express.
I just ordered a Supaboy basically out of curiosity. I really like the snes controller style/look of the Supaboy. When it arrives, I can give a better opinion on both.
Originally posted by: Culex4096
The Supaboy worked flawlessly for me... no strange sounds, no game incompatibility. In fact it ran both of my copies of Mario RPG, even V1.1 alot of the time. Yes, it might take a few tries, but V1.1 would work. The only reason I kept my RDP is because after getting so many bad units Amazon refunded my money and let me keep it as well. The screen issue seems to be pretty common with RDPs and I have to say that as far as I know everyone of them has it because of the way that they are built. Essentially when the volume is high, the screen has lines through it. It's so bad I literally never use the unit despite the fact that it was free, and because my nearby game store started carrying Supaboys I plan on buying another one.
Wow, you got yours free? I bought and returned 3 RDP units at Amazon and the didn't offer me to keep any for free.
I do want to get one still, shame they're flaky though on quality until you find one that's just right.
Originally posted by: Tanooki
I didn't know you could swap out the d-pad. I know it has this dumb problem that if you push straight down(or nearly that) it will register multiple button presses for all 4 points of the compass on the controller which is bad. Satoshi in his 4 part RDP review covered that, and like Mario in Allstars would go into this weird run when you did it and the effect was different for each game with random effects or just nothing.
I do want to get one still, shame they're flaky though on quality until you find one that's just right.
Unfortunately it's not as simple as swapping a d-pad in and out. I took the d-pad out from one of the included Retrobit controllers and moddified it to fit/work in the RDP. Took some effort to do, but no more multi-direction d-pad pressing problem.
I think most of these clone system will have some sort of issues. I read couple reviews on the Supaboy where some people had issues with the screen stopped working.
Originally posted by: VenusSatanas
was there ever a portable NES? [not gameboy but a portable that plays NES games]
Yea The FC mobile and FC mobile II, the first one sucked but I really the FC mobile II, it won't play some special chip games like CVIII but that's to be expected with most clone systems.
Originally posted by: Culex4096
Yeah, I wish that there was a better portable NES than the FC Mobile II though. Don't get me wrong I think it's the best NES clone, portable or otherwise. But I like when these portable systems also have controller ports, so I can hook it up to a TV as well. Those wireless controller for the FC Mobile II just don't cut it XD
Yeah any wireless clone controllers almost always suck. But personally it does not matter as I use it as a portable
I'd definitely, based just on MY experience, give the RDP two thumbs up. It's awesome.
I recently bought an RDP and am almost completely satisfied minus some interference lines that pop up sometimes on max brightness. Im glad I read here that others experience this because i thought i was going crazy seeing it on some games on not so much on others. It really gives the screen a washed out look that really it hard to accept.
I will be exchanging the RDP for another in hopes i get one without interference issues.
I like the IDEA of the supaboy s but that quazi not 16:9 not 4:3 aspect ratio on the screen is a pretty big turn off. It seems like it would be especially jarring to go from that screen to the orignal snes output.