The eBay sellers are very inconsistent listing these and I wouldn't trust eBay after my last experience buying one of these mini systems, but you can find this exact system on this site: retrovideo.games/item/nes_classic They also have the SNES that has every SNES game: retrovideo.games/item/snes_classic
The NES mini is assuming that it's being played on a modern wide screen display (which is why the menu screens look stretched vertically). It adds the bars to maintain the original aspect ratio of the games. In the video settings of the console switch the ratio to 16:9 and the games will fill the screen.
Exactly, he’s converting from HDMI to analog. Which while nifty isn’t what is expected most people will be doing. Try the screen stretch settings in the Mini.
Unfortunately for this use-case, the NES classic doesn't include a 'fill screen' option. Just the normal 4:3, and a 'pixel perfect' mode that squashes the video side-to-side a little but eliminates shimmering when things scroll horizontally. it's an artifact of the original CRT TVs not intended to display perfectly square pixels like modern screens do. This is a problem they fixed in the SNES mini.
seeing this took me back 30+ years! when you opened them glass doors i saw my original consoles and playing them. saga was my last console and sonic was my favorite. i played it through countless times. and we did play a og nes until all the trys to make it run quit. we couldnt afford to take it to a tech for repair. my wifes non working nes sold on fb market place in like 45 seconds to a tech that im sure went home and had it going in 45 minutes. thanks for a classic child hood throw back.
Id love to buy one of each of these. I want to keep my original classic systems un modded and want to play every single NES/SNES game 🎮 in these classic consoles. This is the perfect way to do it.
So I also modded my NES classic, and SNES classic if you download onto your PC the modding software Hakchi While you’re device is hooked up to your PC, you can go into the options and change the file format so that you don’t have individual folders, but rather all the games are displayed all on the same menu. 😊
Super Mario, legend of Zelda, ghost and ghouls and ghost and goblins. Mike Tyson‘s punch shout is also on my top five These were all games that I played when they originally came out.
Aside from the aspect ratio problem that everyone mentioned, you are also converting a digital signal to analog and likely introducing input latency along with some visual degradation. These devices are made for modern tvs. You are better off buying an Everdrive flash cart to play on your original NES to play on your CRT, and store your NES Classic Mini for whatever modern tv you have in your home.
Someone show this man PROPER emulation on a PC with filters and such. He would be mind-blown! That said, I have both original minis loaded up with a ton of extra games (did it myself) and I can't begin to explain the pride I feel watching my 9 year old play them. Awesome video!
Not only insane video but the audio is awesome. Then the fact that you can save in the middle at any time and even hand out the saved game so anyone else could also pick up where you leave off...
YT algorithm in your favor. Nice video! I have both a modded NES and SNES Classic. They are the same hardware wise with 256MB on-board storage. You can add the entire library of NES games on the system w/o USB storage so I'm not sure what the original modder's thought was. My NES has all NES titles, and I picked around the top 100 of the Famicom (Eng friendly) Atari 2600, GB, GBC, SMS and PC-E/TG-16 non-CD, all loaded on-board with plenty of space. (Going above 200MB can cause issues) My SNES has an SDCard slot mod with 32GB card. That one is loaded with all SNES games, NES, and basically every system below the N64/PS1 and that includes Sega CD and PCE/TG-16 CD. I got two BT adapters from 8bitdo on it and I use old Wii U Pro Controllers with it. Anymore though, I just use an Analogue Pocket and Dock with the CRT filter and it is damn good and responsive. What are you using for the HDMI to Composite adapter? Maybe that is part of the ratio issue? I did just pick up an NES really cheap and a CRT. I have a flash cart coming soon so I hope to be checking out Zelda on original hardware and CRT once again. Personally, on the cheap, a modded Wii and a Classic controller will cover all your NES/SNES needs. I can't say how it will look exactly on a CRT compared to the real deal but there are palette options. Of course you can use the controllers from the mini systems on your Wii and vise-versa. I know, lota rambling I guess.
Thanks, and that's some really great info so thanks for taking the time to write everything. I'm still just getting into emulators and so far I'm loving it. I'm sure this is just the beginning! ETA: BTW, the adapters I used are actually linked in the video description. I had zero issues when I hooked up the SNES Classic, all of the games were nearly indistinguishable from an actual SNES which I showed in that video. So I don't know why the NES Classic looks like that...
I did the same with my Nes Classic, can put all of the Nes and Snes games you want on there, then use a converter plug that will let you use an Snes controller on the Nes Classic. It is very nice its HDMI but I have a 32" Sony Trinitron I wish I could use on it. I suppose with my HDMI to Composite converter plug I could plug in my Nes classic that way, but it feels like it sort of defeats the purpose of having the Nes classic lol
I loved the game Space Shuttle Project. It was an amazing space science game! Of course it has an amazing soundtrack but I never got too far. Eventually watched someone beat it on youtube years later. Everyone should try that game
Here is the issue I am seeing, the NES classic defaults to "Pixel Perfect," that will not display properly on a CRT. It looks too narrow. You have to use the 4:3 setting WITHOUT scanlines, unless you want them to be doubled. There will be a little lag even if it is a real NES Classic, that is just unavoidable with emulation. Nice vid.
Thanks, I actually filmed messing with the screen settings but didn't include it in the video, but during the video the 4:3 setting was selected. I did try all three settings and on my CRT the graphics never filled the screen like the original NES does, so I guess that's just the way the NES Classic games look. I see the same results in other videos as well. So far I'm loving both of these mini systems!
The issue is not the emulation lag. The issue is the analog to digital HDMI upscaling lag. Don’t think you can fix that without modifying the settings.
Some of my favorites. 1942, Top Gun, RC Pro AM, Excite Bike, Spy Hunter, Break Through, MegaMan, Hunt for Red October, YoNoid, Rad Racer, Days of Thunder, Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout and Bugs Bunny Castle. Also liked Paperboy, Winter Olympics, and Bionic Commando. There were some others too like the one where you had to keep the other team from stealing your flag and knock off the enemy that was stealing it.
Good video, I liked the comparisons....I have several of the mini systems, I also still have my original consoles and games which all still work....The thing I like about the mini consoles is the fact it's more portable but typically if I'm at home I usually play the actual games on the original consoles, they just feel different to me than the emulation, although the mini consoles with the emulation are great too, I have never done a side by side comparison like you did here, though. If I did it might help confirm whether I can tell the games play differently or if it's just my nostalgia feeling of popping in a cartridge into an original console, it could be a little of both I guess...Really enjoyed your unboxing and demo video, NES was a good system with a lot of memorable games.👍
As others have said, the NES Classic Mini is assuming it's plugged into a modern 16:9 aspect ratio HDMI television, not a 4:3 standard analog set. You need to switch the system's aspect ratio in the settings menu.
Unfortunately for this use-case, the NES classic doesn't include a 'fill screen' option. Just the normal 4:3, and a 'pixel perfect' mode that squashes the video side-to-side a little but eliminates shimmering when things scroll horizontally. it's an artifact of the original CRT TVs not intended to display perfectly square pixels like modern screens do. This is a problem they fixed in the SNES mini.
You got to understand, you have a HDMI to AB Adapter, It doesn't convert it to 4:3..If your playing it on my Newer TV, it will look right I have the HDMI to AV Adapter & a NES Classic, I went in RetroArch change the Video to 16:9, and it looks like normal playing on a CRT, That's why it's like that
That original Nes and Zelda look and sound incredible, that's what we want. Nintendo just needs to come out with all original systems and physical original carts again(not emulated carts), everyone would buy them.
The original NES controller cords were much, much longer. In fact, I just held one up and it's 5 to 6 feet in length. The NES Classic controller cords are just a few inches over 2 feet in length because obviously Nintendo doesn't care at all.
@Stevedotmoney i have a mini Nintendo already (somewhere lol) my question is what is that little thing called that had every Nintendo game? Also would it be available on Amazon?
Back when these systems came out, the TV you played on was only 19 inches to 25 inches if you were lucky. I had a 13 inch TV to play on, so I sat right in front of it and didn't need a long cable. Or you got an extension cord and ran it to your system, so you put it on a coffee table or on the floor in front of the couch.
No, these mini systems only came out 8 and 6 years ago. The cords that came with the original NES console were nowhere near as short as the ridiculous cord Nintendo released with the NES mini controllers...
The exact reason why I picked up a raspberry pi 5 and botacera.. I grew up on the old consoles and still play them to this day 👍 Via emulation anyway haha
I have learned that games that were created on Consol as well as for arcade have screens set up slightly different. Just depends on whether the original was a vertical or horizontal arcade.
When it comes to the controller extension cables, I actually needed to have two of them in order to have enough length to reach the console from my couch. My NES Mini sits about 6 to 7 feet from my TV and using just one of them wasn't enough. I should have bought two sets of extension cables at the time when I bought my NES Mini at Best Buy. As for the games on my NES Mini, I found an application which runs through my computer that allowed me to patch the NES Mini's operating system to allow me to upload my own game ROMs onto it. With the amount of memory space that the NES Mini has on it, I could upload every game made for it onto the console itself. Instead, I just uploaded my personal favorites onto the console. I have over 100 games currently on it.
Over the year, I convinced myself that I wasn't good at SMB3 due to emulators. I mean, beefy PC emulating a NES, that can't be slow. I bought an original nes, with original SMB3 and played on my CRT. Well, I was really good at convincing myself 😂 It happens that muscle memory can last 30 years 😅 Game a thousand time "easier", flying through the levels, not like the best speedrunner, but way better than what I was doing on emulator. I bought a N8, put all the games and tried Quart and Circus Charlie, same thing ^^ And those are not fast paced games, but timing is still very important. So, I shopped for the gun, tried duck-hunt and saw I didn't lose my hand. Later, I got a guest at home, showed him the nes. He said he was good at shooting games when seeing the gun. So, I had him play duck-hunt. He had many troubles and accused the gun, so I played with the gun from my waist (it's how I played as a kid). Hit all the ducks😂 So, he wanted to do round 2 and lost it. Then I put "wild gunman", because you don't need much aiming. But you need some reflexes. He got obliterated😅 Yeah, you're good 😅 And then he said he was better at fighting games on the SNES, so I showed the SNES 😂😂😂 We didn't play the SNES 😁 Morale of the story: don't say you're good at nes games to a guy who invested in retro gaming unless you're really good ^^ It's a joy to see people who master games, so you'll be challenged ^^
I have the Nes classic back when it first launched, managed to find two of them at a local Walmart at like 2am.. but the nerdy clerk with glasses running the only lane open (before self checkout at the time was everywhere) and he would only let me buy ONE of them. I was mad, but glad I grabbed one. I never did grab a Snes Classic though new from the store, so I still need to get one, but felt like it was not needed since I could just put all the Snes classic games onto my Nes Classic, but had to get a Snes Controller converter plug to plug into it.
I always thought they kind of needed another NES classic with just the sports games, Tecmo SB is obvious #1, but Pro Wrestling, Bases Loaded, MLB, Ice Hockey, Super Dodgeball, track and field, Rad Racer, Super Sprint, etc etc It was such a great console. What I noticed though is that my controller was not as responsive especially when playing Punch out.
There’s no shame in playing Zelda. It’s been my favorite game since 1987 Easter and I just played through it recently with only the wooden sword. Still strong!!
The New Emulating consoles are designed to work on modern TV and not an old CRT. Good review but need the proper equipment! Do it again on a modern TV!!!👍🍻
@Frogman1943 I'm a 90s baby but I did play the NES/SNES games using virtual console on the Wii,3DS & WiiU. I wouldn't say that I missed out on too much lol
Weird that you insist on a CRT for authenticity while using emulation. Ironically, this is the source of the distorted image. The NES classic is not designed for a CRT, it’s designed for a modern flat panel. Whatever DAC you’re using to display it on a CRT is squeezing the 16:9 image into 4:3. I recommend you look into getting a flash cart. They can be a bit pricy, but they allow you to play any game on real hardware, on a CRT, in a manner indistinguishable from using original cartridges.
Then why does the SNES classic that is also emulation not have the same problem and fills out the CRT screen perfectly fine? Reading these comments it’s very clear that most people don’t know what they’re talking about.
Also, as I watch more of the video you are totally wrong about the "DAC" squeezing the image into 4:3 as he clearly showed another person's NES classic being played on a modern display and it is also 4:3, and my NES classic that is the original unit with no mods also displays 4:3 on my 2023 television.
@@Movatadane the NES classic output is 16:9. The game image is 4:3, but the black bars at the sides of the game are part of the image the NES classic is transmitting. The DAC is squeezing that 16:9 image, with the black boarder, into 4:3.
@@gammaphonic The point is, contrary to your original comment emulation works fine on a CRT unless the emulation is flawed from the get-go. This could be avoided if the emulation allowed for different aspect ratio settings of 4:3 or 16:9 but instead the emulation forces a 4:3 display game image at all times. You can clearly see in the settings that there is no 16:9 option on the NES classic. That’s why it isn’t an issue with the converter. That’s why the SNES classic doesn’t have the issue and works fine on a CRT as he shows in his other video because it has correct emulation.
@@Movatadane the NES classic always outputs 16:9. It displays the 4:3 game in a 16:9 frame. The reason his SNES doesn’t appear squeezed is because it is stretching the games to fill the 16:9 frame. This is clearly visible in the video he made on that device. The DAC is then squeezing that stretched image back to its original aspect ratio. I didn’t say there is anything wrong with using emulation on a CRT. Only that it’s a bit odd to use emulation if you’re trying to achieve an authentic experience.
Get an Everdrive for your NES and a SD2SNES for the SNES and have all the games on your actual consoles. You can get knockoffs that are cheaper and still work great. They play perfect using the flash carts.
Great video and comparison. I’ve seen one person comment that you just have to switch the NES classic to 4:3 and it will display correctly on your CRT. That is 100% false. Someone else said that the NES classic has a 16:9 setting. That is also 100% false. It won’t display properly on your CRT regardless of settings. I will never understand why people make completely false comments on videos.
Then why does the SNES classic that is also emulation not have the same problem and fills out the CRT screen perfectly fine? Also, the NES classic doesn't have a widescreen option as far as I'm aware. Reading these comments it’s very clear that most people on here don’t know what they’re talking about.
maybe they're talking about retro arch but it really seems like I remember a secret s settings mode that was discovered but it's been a while. That may have been the ps mini
@@Movatadane You're talking about the fake SNES classic that plays games stretched out to 16:9 on HDMI, which is their wrong aspect. So of course that particular console looks good converted to 4:3 CRT.
Seems like one of the games did not play right "maybe on two player" on the first nintendo remake I got. It was either Mario Brothers (original) or Battletoads, I can't remember which but I stopped using it cause of that.
The famicon mini is worse. Has short cables but hard wired so cannot make them longer. I have it hooked up in the car cause about the only place to use it.
I don't have the mini, but I've watched a lot of videos about the emulation and what I think may be up is there should be settings for aspect ratio for the screen, pixel size or ratio, and color filters. I've never seen a video where emulation gets it perfect, but you can get it closer. Good to know about the fakes, I hadn't thought of that, but of course it makes since.
Gee... thought someone would've told you already, but "it looks different" because Nintendo has been using a dark filter in all emulated games since the Wii Virtual Console days. Doesn't mean it's counterfeit, it's just Nintendo being Nintendo. Aspect Ratio is configurable via the "Home Menu" in the Mini. Controls doesn't feel good because they might have some latency. It's meant to be used with Digital Video signals, not Analogue Video signals.
The NES emulation is programmed for HD 16:9 widescreen video. What are you using to convert HDMI to composite SD 4:3 video for the CRT? A cheap adapter is not going to fix and stretch the aspect. My $30 PlayStation Classic literally has full sets of dozens of systems on a 32GB flash drive plus loads of other goodies, like HD widescreen Mario 64. The full RetroArch menu also lets you set any aspect ratio you want. I like 16:10, fills the screen more on HD. But I could choose full 16:9 screen and it would look normal output to a CRT. You can run RetroArch on a $20 Android box and get better results. and not have to search through dozens of folders either.
I just boy original gear, if I can afford it. There's something about struggling with getting the game to work in the slot. Kinda like love for the first time.
Luckily I have an original cart to play on my original console but it would be nice if it was on my modded SNES Classic. I'm just getting into emulation and learning about it so one day I will have a complete system 👍
I think you should have tested the emulator on a modern wide-screen TV. I would assume that's what it was designed for since most people no longer have a CRT.
How are you getting so many games? The box says 30, and my research says 30. You seem to have a ton more here. Im interested in getting one, but ive been burned before and a little gun shy on these remakes. Any info would help. Cheers
I agree, and I think it has to do with the anti-seizure flashing screen suppression filter. And it’s more noticeable with the RF scanline filter on, which seems to be a more complex shader than the SNES uses.
My SNES Classic is modded with an SD card that holds all the games. I use an adapter to connect to my Sharp CRT. I have a full review on that setup: ua-cam.com/video/100AeDOrji0/v-deo.html
My favorite NES game was the chibi Superman game. I've been trying to find a way to play short of buying an original NES. Although I would totally buy the game again. The Atari consoles can add games. Can this do the same? The bars are because they assume you are on a new TV. Many new sets will let you set up for 480P, which is an old set.
Yeah if you want to play on a CRT and have the orginal hardware an everdrive make much more sense. You can use the minis on your normal tv or a fun thing for going to friends. You can put all the NES and SNES and SEGA and ATARI onto that nes mini. Although I think you are actually better off only putting the best of on there. Having everything on there just makes it harder to choose. You could also look into the Mister.
I have the extensions, and they do cause a lag in the controls. Definitely sucks when you need definitive/quick movement in certain game. Could also be the ROM. All the games ARE the actual game. They're just ripped from the original game program. Why they appear "different".
I tried playing Mega Man 2 on something like this and my muscle memory made it impossible to play. Timing was just a liiiiiittle bit off. Really threw me off. Are these actually good though? I never heard of these minis😊
So I have an authentic NES Classic mini which is in this video, a fake NES Classic mini, a fake SNES Classic mini, and I now have an authentic SNES Classic mini, and I can tell you that the games play exactly the same as the regular games on the original minis, even on the fakes. Once I played for a while I couldn't tell a difference at all. On the NES mini I've played through several games and it plays great. I definitely recommend these mini systems but only if they come with all of the original Nintendo games. I do not recommend the knockoff mini systems that come with thousands of games because I've found that the quality sucks.
The black bars down the sides are because it's been made to have a 4×3 picture on a modern widscreen tv, same issue with movies and tv episodes that were originally made in 4x3 all the Blu-ray, dvds and streaming services add the bars as they are expected to be played on s widescreen tv as that has been the standard for the last 25 years, you can stretch the picture back out using a scaler but its not perfect.
Thanks for the info. One of the reasons I was wondering about the black bars was because the modded SNES Classic I have fills the screen of the CRT just like the original NES/SNES, but I know there might be some differences at least from what little I know about emulation.
I’ve owned one of these since it came out and modded it right away. My opinion is that the color is terrible. The Switch’s NES emulator colors are terrible as well. NEStopia and Mesen on my PC have colors much closer to my actual NES.
I don’t know if anyone has already tried, but if you go into the display settings on the nes mini Home Screen and set the aspect ratio to 4:3 that may solve your black bars problem. The other options are pixel perfect, and CRT filter. Pixel perfect is more for HD TV’s as the screen shimmers whilst scrolling, and crt filter is self explanatory. Also I don’t know what box you are using to convert the HDMI signal to AV, but is there a switch or setting on that?
Another way to tell a knockoff which is very easy to spot, the knockoff controller has 2 extra turbo buttons that are not on the Nintendo licensed controllers.
Playing MTP on a non-CRT TV is a problem: I can no longer beat Sandman on it and Tyson is not as hard as Sandman on a new TV...The strange thing is--I could be one step of him all of the time if playing the CRT(hitting him more than most and dodging his punches, as well)...
I was curious as my original snes doesn't work on my modern tv, so i had i got a snes mini, and i couldn't see any difference, other than the upscaling to 1080p, but it seemed like the emulation was much better than @games devices for example.
I'm pretty sure that's what is causing the differences between the NES mini and my original NES console because my modded SNES doesn't have any of the issues that this NES has. It has to be the emulation itself.
My totally not modded Wii may or many not have all the game on it. So it's kinda redundant to own a SNES or NES classic. The Wii classic and pro controllers are top tier tho.
The eBay sellers are very inconsistent listing these and I wouldn't trust eBay after my last experience buying one of these mini systems, but you can find this exact system on this site: retrovideo.games/item/nes_classic
They also have the SNES that has every SNES game: retrovideo.games/item/snes_classic
Except they aren’t available now that we have a link…
@@staticallyanimated check again I just ordered one!
The screen looks weird because this modern device is actually meant to be played on a widescreen modern tv.
They have HDMI ports right
Yes
@@romant142 They do
You can apparently change the aspect ratio in the settings. There might be color adjustment too. I don't have one, just read another comment.
@@alexanderthewise1352 You can change the aspect ratio and adjust the video settings to where it resembles a CRT TV
My favorite hockey game was Blades of Steel
Yessss
Many, many a Saturday afternoon were spent play that with my friends growing up.
That game looked fantastic but didn't play well. Scoring was far too easy, especially vs. the computer. We used to play it mainly for the fights lol.
Best hockey game on the system
One of the best games - PERIOD - of all time.
NHL 94 on Genesis was the best hockey game ever.
Double Dragon 2, Bad Dudes, Ninja Gaiden, Gunsmoke, castlevania, Mike Tyson were my favorite games!
Bingo. Nailed it brother
Battletoads.
The NES mini is assuming that it's being played on a modern wide screen display (which is why the menu screens look stretched vertically). It adds the bars to maintain the original aspect ratio of the games. In the video settings of the console switch the ratio to 16:9 and the games will fill the screen.
Exactly, he’s converting from HDMI to analog. Which while nifty isn’t what is expected most people will be doing. Try the screen stretch settings in the Mini.
Unfortunately for this use-case, the NES classic doesn't include a 'fill screen' option. Just the normal 4:3, and a 'pixel perfect' mode that squashes the video side-to-side a little but eliminates shimmering when things scroll horizontally. it's an artifact of the original CRT TVs not intended to display perfectly square pixels like modern screens do. This is a problem they fixed in the SNES mini.
The Nintendo mini doesn't have the option for widescreen
seeing this took me back 30+ years! when you opened them glass doors i saw my original consoles and playing them. saga was my last console and sonic was my favorite. i played it through countless times. and we did play a og nes until all the trys to make it run quit. we couldnt afford to take it to a tech for repair. my wifes non working nes sold on fb market place in like 45 seconds to a tech that im sure went home and had it going in 45 minutes. thanks for a classic child hood throw back.
Id love to buy one of each of these. I want to keep my original classic systems un modded and want to play every single NES/SNES game 🎮 in these classic consoles. This is the perfect way to do it.
So I also modded my NES classic, and SNES classic if you download onto your PC the modding software Hakchi While you’re device is hooked up to your PC, you can go into the options and change the file format so that you don’t have individual folders, but rather all the games are displayed all on the same menu. 😊
Super Mario, legend of Zelda, ghost and ghouls and ghost and goblins. Mike Tyson‘s punch shout is also on my top five
These were all games that I played when they originally came out.
Aside from the aspect ratio problem that everyone mentioned, you are also converting a digital signal to analog and likely introducing input latency along with some visual degradation. These devices are made for modern tvs. You are better off buying an Everdrive flash cart to play on your original NES to play on your CRT, and store your NES Classic Mini for whatever modern tv you have in your home.
Someone show this man PROPER emulation on a PC with filters and such. He would be mind-blown! That said, I have both original minis loaded up with a ton of extra games (did it myself) and I can't begin to explain the pride I feel watching my 9 year old play them. Awesome video!
Not only insane video but the audio is awesome. Then the fact that you can save in the middle at any time and even hand out the saved game so anyone else could also pick up where you leave off...
I could not agree more. A system-specific emulator allows you to do more with it than you can with the classic systems.
YT algorithm in your favor. Nice video!
I have both a modded NES and SNES Classic. They are the same hardware wise with 256MB on-board storage. You can add the entire library of NES games on the system w/o USB storage so I'm not sure what the original modder's thought was. My NES has all NES titles, and I picked around the top 100 of the Famicom (Eng friendly) Atari 2600, GB, GBC, SMS and PC-E/TG-16 non-CD, all loaded on-board with plenty of space. (Going above 200MB can cause issues) My SNES has an SDCard slot mod with 32GB card. That one is loaded with all SNES games, NES, and basically every system below the N64/PS1 and that includes Sega CD and PCE/TG-16 CD. I got two BT adapters from 8bitdo on it and I use old Wii U Pro Controllers with it.
Anymore though, I just use an Analogue Pocket and Dock with the CRT filter and it is damn good and responsive.
What are you using for the HDMI to Composite adapter? Maybe that is part of the ratio issue?
I did just pick up an NES really cheap and a CRT. I have a flash cart coming soon so I hope to be checking out Zelda on original hardware and CRT once again.
Personally, on the cheap, a modded Wii and a Classic controller will cover all your NES/SNES needs. I can't say how it will look exactly on a CRT compared to the real deal but there are palette options. Of course you can use the controllers from the mini systems on your Wii and vise-versa.
I know, lota rambling I guess.
Thanks, and that's some really great info so thanks for taking the time to write everything.
I'm still just getting into emulators and so far I'm loving it. I'm sure this is just the beginning!
ETA: BTW, the adapters I used are actually linked in the video description. I had zero issues when I hooked up the SNES Classic, all of the games were nearly indistinguishable from an actual SNES which I showed in that video.
So I don't know why the NES Classic looks like that...
I did the same with my Nes Classic, can put all of the Nes and Snes games you want on there, then use a converter plug that will let you use an Snes controller on the Nes Classic. It is very nice its HDMI but I have a 32" Sony Trinitron I wish I could use on it. I suppose with my HDMI to Composite converter plug I could plug in my Nes classic that way, but it feels like it sort of defeats the purpose of having the Nes classic lol
I was so excited when I heard the OG minis were coming then I heard how few games they would have. After that all thought of buying one left my mind.
I loved the game Space Shuttle Project. It was an amazing space science game! Of course it has an amazing soundtrack but I never got too far. Eventually watched someone beat it on youtube years later. Everyone should try that game
Here is the issue I am seeing, the NES classic defaults to "Pixel Perfect," that will not display properly on a CRT. It looks too narrow. You have to use the 4:3 setting WITHOUT scanlines, unless you want them to be doubled. There will be a little lag even if it is a real NES Classic, that is just unavoidable with emulation. Nice vid.
Thanks, I actually filmed messing with the screen settings but didn't include it in the video, but during the video the 4:3 setting was selected.
I did try all three settings and on my CRT the graphics never filled the screen like the original NES does, so I guess that's just the way the NES Classic games look. I see the same results in other videos as well.
So far I'm loving both of these mini systems!
The issue is not the emulation lag. The issue is the analog to digital HDMI upscaling lag. Don’t think you can fix that without modifying the settings.
Some of my favorites. 1942, Top Gun, RC Pro AM, Excite Bike, Spy Hunter, Break Through, MegaMan, Hunt for Red October, YoNoid, Rad Racer, Days of Thunder, Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout and Bugs Bunny Castle. Also liked Paperboy, Winter Olympics, and Bionic Commando. There were some others too like the one where you had to keep the other team from stealing your flag and knock off the enemy that was stealing it.
Good video, I liked the comparisons....I have several of the mini systems, I also still have my original consoles and games which all still work....The thing I like about the mini consoles is the fact it's more portable but typically if I'm at home I usually play the actual games on the original consoles, they just feel different to me than the emulation, although the mini consoles with the emulation are great too, I have never done a side by side comparison like you did here, though. If I did it might help confirm whether I can tell the games play differently or if it's just my nostalgia feeling of popping in a cartridge into an original console, it could be a little of both I guess...Really enjoyed your unboxing and demo video, NES was a good system with a lot of memorable games.👍
As others have said, the NES Classic Mini is assuming it's plugged into a modern 16:9 aspect ratio HDMI television, not a 4:3 standard analog set. You need to switch the system's aspect ratio in the settings menu.
Unfortunately for this use-case, the NES classic doesn't include a 'fill screen' option. Just the normal 4:3, and a 'pixel perfect' mode that squashes the video side-to-side a little but eliminates shimmering when things scroll horizontally. it's an artifact of the original CRT TVs not intended to display perfectly square pixels like modern screens do. This is a problem they fixed in the SNES mini.
You got to understand, you have a HDMI to AB Adapter, It doesn't convert it to 4:3..If your playing it on my Newer TV, it will look right
I have the HDMI to AV Adapter & a NES Classic, I went in RetroArch change the Video to 16:9, and it looks like normal playing on a CRT, That's why it's like that
That original Nes and Zelda look and sound incredible, that's what we want. Nintendo just needs to come out with all original systems and physical original carts again(not emulated carts), everyone would buy them.
The cords were short because people were playing on 19" or smaller CRT TVs back then. Many still black and white. You had to sit close anyhow.
The original NES controller cords were much, much longer. In fact, I just held one up and it's 5 to 6 feet in length. The NES Classic controller cords are just a few inches over 2 feet in length because obviously Nintendo doesn't care at all.
@@stevedotmoney they were never long enough to keep your sister from snagging them when she ran through.
@@stevedotmoneythere are extension cables for this controller port. It's the same port as the wii, and wii u
@Stevedotmoney i have a mini Nintendo already (somewhere lol) my question is what is that little thing called that had every Nintendo game? Also would it be available on Amazon?
Back when these systems came out, the TV you played on was only 19 inches to 25 inches if you were lucky. I had a 13 inch TV to play on, so I sat right in front of it and didn't need a long cable. Or you got an extension cord and ran it to your system, so you put it on a coffee table or on the floor in front of the couch.
No, these mini systems only came out 8 and 6 years ago. The cords that came with the original NES console were nowhere near as short as the ridiculous cord Nintendo released with the NES mini controllers...
The exact reason why I picked up a raspberry pi 5 and botacera..
I grew up on the old consoles and still play them to this day 👍
Via emulation anyway haha
5:45 if you’ve never even played Metroid I don’t think I want to know you 😂😂😂
I have learned that games that were created on Consol as well as for arcade have screens set up slightly different.
Just depends on whether the original was a vertical or horizontal arcade.
When it comes to the controller extension cables, I actually needed to have two of them in order to have enough length to reach the console from my couch. My NES Mini sits about 6 to 7 feet from my TV and using just one of them wasn't enough. I should have bought two sets of extension cables at the time when I bought my NES Mini at Best Buy. As for the games on my NES Mini, I found an application which runs through my computer that allowed me to patch the NES Mini's operating system to allow me to upload my own game ROMs onto it. With the amount of memory space that the NES Mini has on it, I could upload every game made for it onto the console itself. Instead, I just uploaded my personal favorites onto the console. I have over 100 games currently on it.
Over the year, I convinced myself that I wasn't good at SMB3 due to emulators. I mean, beefy PC emulating a NES, that can't be slow.
I bought an original nes, with original SMB3 and played on my CRT. Well, I was really good at convincing myself 😂
It happens that muscle memory can last 30 years 😅
Game a thousand time "easier", flying through the levels, not like the best speedrunner, but way better than what I was doing on emulator.
I bought a N8, put all the games and tried Quart and Circus Charlie, same thing ^^ And those are not fast paced games, but timing is still very important.
So, I shopped for the gun, tried duck-hunt and saw I didn't lose my hand.
Later, I got a guest at home, showed him the nes. He said he was good at shooting games when seeing the gun.
So, I had him play duck-hunt. He had many troubles and accused the gun, so I played with the gun from my waist (it's how I played as a kid). Hit all the ducks😂
So, he wanted to do round 2 and lost it.
Then I put "wild gunman", because you don't need much aiming. But you need some reflexes. He got obliterated😅
Yeah, you're good 😅
And then he said he was better at fighting games on the SNES, so I showed the SNES 😂😂😂
We didn't play the SNES 😁
Morale of the story: don't say you're good at nes games to a guy who invested in retro gaming unless you're really good ^^
It's a joy to see people who master games, so you'll be challenged ^^
weird flex but ok
I have the Nes classic back when it first launched, managed to find two of them at a local Walmart at like 2am.. but the nerdy clerk with glasses running the only lane open (before self checkout at the time was everywhere) and he would only let me buy ONE of them. I was mad, but glad I grabbed one.
I never did grab a Snes Classic though new from the store, so I still need to get one, but felt like it was not needed since I could just put all the Snes classic games onto my Nes Classic, but had to get a Snes Controller converter plug to plug into it.
2 feet was how we played Nintendo back in the day...lol
I always thought they kind of needed another NES classic with just the sports games, Tecmo SB is obvious #1, but Pro Wrestling, Bases Loaded, MLB, Ice Hockey, Super Dodgeball, track and field, Rad Racer, Super Sprint, etc etc It was such a great console. What I noticed though is that my controller was not as responsive especially when playing Punch out.
There’s no shame in playing Zelda. It’s been my favorite game since 1987 Easter and I just played through it recently with only the wooden sword. Still strong!!
Try no sword.
@@marcellachine5718 so farthest I can get with no sword is level five.
Yes, I still love Zelda and I play it at least once every couple of years. I use the original NES for that game though.
Crazy
I gotta try it again, this time right from scratch and no help from UA-cam 👍👍
The New Emulating consoles are designed to work on modern TV and not an old CRT. Good review but need the proper equipment! Do it again on a modern TV!!!👍🍻
What I want to know is how can you put the Game Genie on the regular nes classic
The NES & SNES is before my time N64 is my era but I did try a lot of Mario,Zelda & Metroid games from the NES/SNES era
you missed out. the original NES was awesome as an upgrade from the atari systems as a child playing both.
@Frogman1943 I'm a 90s baby but I did play the NES/SNES games using virtual console on the Wii,3DS & WiiU. I wouldn't say that I missed out on too much lol
You should try it on a Roku TV it's looks awesome on the big screen a friend of mine has his hookup to his tv
Weird that you insist on a CRT for authenticity while using emulation. Ironically, this is the source of the distorted image. The NES classic is not designed for a CRT, it’s designed for a modern flat panel. Whatever DAC you’re using to display it on a CRT is squeezing the 16:9 image into 4:3.
I recommend you look into getting a flash cart. They can be a bit pricy, but they allow you to play any game on real hardware, on a CRT, in a manner indistinguishable from using original cartridges.
Then why does the SNES classic that is also emulation not have the same problem and fills out the CRT screen perfectly fine? Reading these comments it’s very clear that most people don’t know what they’re talking about.
Also, as I watch more of the video you are totally wrong about the "DAC" squeezing the image into 4:3 as he clearly showed another person's NES classic being played on a modern display and it is also 4:3, and my NES classic that is the original unit with no mods also displays 4:3 on my 2023 television.
@@Movatadane the NES classic output is 16:9. The game image is 4:3, but the black bars at the sides of the game are part of the image the NES classic is transmitting. The DAC is squeezing that 16:9 image, with the black boarder, into 4:3.
@@gammaphonic The point is, contrary to your original comment emulation works fine on a CRT unless the emulation is flawed from the get-go. This could be avoided if the emulation allowed for different aspect ratio settings of 4:3 or 16:9 but instead the emulation forces a 4:3 display game image at all times. You can clearly see in the settings that there is no 16:9 option on the NES classic. That’s why it isn’t an issue with the converter. That’s why the SNES classic doesn’t have the issue and works fine on a CRT as he shows in his other video because it has correct emulation.
@@Movatadane the NES classic always outputs 16:9. It displays the 4:3 game in a 16:9 frame. The reason his SNES doesn’t appear squeezed is because it is stretching the games to fill the 16:9 frame. This is clearly visible in the video he made on that device. The DAC is then squeezing that stretched image back to its original aspect ratio.
I didn’t say there is anything wrong with using emulation on a CRT. Only that it’s a bit odd to use emulation if you’re trying to achieve an authentic experience.
Get an Everdrive for your NES and a SD2SNES for the SNES and have all the games on your actual consoles. You can get knockoffs that are cheaper and still work great. They play perfect using the flash carts.
How do you play the zapper games?
How are you playing into a CRT TV with a HDMI output?,or are you using a chinese clone with AVI output?
Great video and comparison. I’ve seen one person comment that you just have to switch the NES classic to 4:3 and it will display correctly on your CRT. That is 100% false. Someone else said that the NES classic has a 16:9 setting. That is also 100% false. It won’t display properly on your CRT regardless of settings. I will never understand why people make completely false comments on videos.
You don't know if that is false. There are setting for aspect ratio that he can change and he should.
Looked great on my heavy ass early hd Trinitron @@D.AverageJoe
@@justinmarshall1744 you mean the wide-screen one?
@@D.AverageJoe yes sir
@@justinmarshall1744 that's why it looks so great. These classic systems are setup for wide-screen OOTB because that's what modern tvs use.
The screen will never be original you are using a system designed for a flat screen TV. You can stretch it out using the widescreen option
Then why does the SNES classic that is also emulation not have the same problem and fills out the CRT screen perfectly fine? Also, the NES classic doesn't have a widescreen option as far as I'm aware. Reading these comments it’s very clear that most people on here don’t know what they’re talking about.
maybe they're talking about retro arch but it really seems like I remember a secret s settings mode that was discovered but it's been a while. That may have been the ps mini
@@Movatadane You're talking about the fake SNES classic that plays games stretched out to 16:9 on HDMI, which is their wrong aspect. So of course that particular console looks good converted to 4:3 CRT.
Seems like one of the games did not play right "maybe on two player" on the first nintendo remake I got.
It was either Mario Brothers (original) or Battletoads, I can't remember which but I stopped using it cause of that.
Why didn’t you check the setting to see if you can fix the aspect ratio instead of leaving us all wondering?
Is this the 16:9 to 4:3 crunch?
The famicon mini is worse. Has short cables but hard wired so cannot make them longer. I have it hooked up in the car cause about the only place to use it.
I don't have the mini, but I've watched a lot of videos about the emulation and what I think may be up is there should be settings for aspect ratio for the screen, pixel size or ratio, and color filters. I've never seen a video where emulation gets it perfect, but you can get it closer. Good to know about the fakes, I hadn't thought of that, but of course it makes since.
I believe you are having color issues because you are using a hdmi to analong converter , they wash the colors out completely. That’s your issue
Gee... thought someone would've told you already, but "it looks different" because Nintendo has been using a dark filter in all emulated games since the Wii Virtual Console days.
Doesn't mean it's counterfeit, it's just Nintendo being Nintendo.
Aspect Ratio is configurable via the "Home Menu" in the Mini.
Controls doesn't feel good because they might have some latency. It's meant to be used with Digital Video signals, not Analogue Video signals.
Its not an emulation when you're playing on the system it was meant to be played on. You have the black bars cause you're using HDMI on a CRT
One can only surmise the reasons for the vertical black bars is that the emulator assumes you playing on a modern size video device.
The NES emulation is programmed for HD 16:9 widescreen video. What are you using to convert HDMI to composite SD 4:3 video for the CRT? A cheap adapter is not going to fix and stretch the aspect. My $30 PlayStation Classic literally has full sets of dozens of systems on a 32GB flash drive plus loads of other goodies, like HD widescreen Mario 64. The full RetroArch menu also lets you set any aspect ratio you want. I like 16:10, fills the screen more on HD. But I could choose full 16:9 screen and it would look normal output to a CRT. You can run RetroArch on a $20 Android box and get better results. and not have to search through dozens of folders either.
The link is still not in the description.
Did you the Classic emulator on a modern TV? I cant imagine they made this new device with the intention of people needing old CRT TVs. Lol
Can you use the Game Genie with one of these. A local antique store near me had one and im thinking of getting it
How do you access the folders?
I just boy original gear, if I can afford it. There's something about struggling with getting the game to work in the slot. Kinda like love for the first time.
super Metroid is definitely a game that if missing would hurt
Luckily I have an original cart to play on my original console but it would be nice if it was on my modded SNES Classic.
I'm just getting into emulation and learning about it so one day I will have a complete system 👍
@@stevedotmoneyThere are tutorials out thereon UA-cam so u can add the missing game to the mini
No link homie. I’d love to buy this
The NES says 30 classic games. Definitely more than 30 were released in north America as last i counted i had 72. I know i dont have them all.
The one you buy has 30 games. He has an additional stick with all the games on that he plugs in
I think you should have tested the emulator on a modern wide-screen TV. I would assume that's what it was designed for since most people no longer have a CRT.
At the game selection screen, it appears there's a display and setup cog at the top. Maybe check for screen adjustments in there.
How are you getting so many games? The box says 30, and my research says 30. You seem to have a ton more here. Im interested in getting one, but ive been burned before and a little gun shy on these remakes. Any info would help. Cheers
Does it have Baseball Stars?
I feel there is a lag in my NES games, but my SNES games work fine. I bought a modded SNES with both NES and SNES games on it.
I agree, and I think it has to do with the anti-seizure flashing screen suppression filter. And it’s more noticeable with the RF scanline filter on, which seems to be a more complex shader than the SNES uses.
There is definitely lag because ALL emulators have lag even the arcade1up emulated cabs have lag.
If I had one of these I would use my flat screen to play these games because that's what the screen setting is for lol.
Yeah the mini nes comes with a HDMI cable
@AliciaMercado-ce6pj I know I've seen videos about the Nintendo Entertainment System classic mini lol
I just got the nes everdrive with all the games and play them on the original hardware
That's probably what I'll eventually end up doing 👍
Does it have the game called skate or die ?
It has Skate or Die, Skate or Die 2, and Ski or Die 👊
@@stevedotmoney holly fuk
There isn't enough room on the SNES classic to hold all the games...
Also, how exactly are you playing an HDMI system on CRT?
My SNES Classic is modded with an SD card that holds all the games. I use an adapter to connect to my Sharp CRT. I have a full review on that setup: ua-cam.com/video/100AeDOrji0/v-deo.html
Is that played on the original 30 games or from the USB drive?
You ever played blades of steel? Much better game of ice hockey imo
I've played it, I like both 👍
My favorite NES game was the chibi Superman game. I've been trying to find a way to play short of buying an original NES. Although I would totally buy the game again. The Atari consoles can add games. Can this do the same? The bars are because they assume you are on a new TV. Many new sets will let you set up for 480P, which is an old set.
Where is the best place to find a legit mini Nintendo system for purchase?
Do you have the link so we csn buy it ?
The fact that they claimed the snes classic had every North American game gave it away to me, because it doesn’t have that much memory to begin with
My SNES Classic is modded with an SD card that holds all the games. I have a full review on that setup: ua-cam.com/video/100AeDOrji0/v-deo.html
@@stevedotmoney oh nice! I enjoyed the video my man
if you are hooking it up to a crt then just use your original console and by a multicart
Interesting video thanks 🙏
Awesome, glad you enjoyed it 👍
You should buy an everdrive
I've heard of those before but never looked into one. I just looked it up and I'm definitely interested so I probably will get into them.
Yeah if you want to play on a CRT and have the orginal hardware an everdrive make much more sense. You can use the minis on your normal tv or a fun thing for going to friends. You can put all the NES and SNES and SEGA and ATARI onto that nes mini. Although I think you are actually better off only putting the best of on there. Having everything on there just makes it harder to choose. You could also look into the Mister.
Not sure if anyone has said it already, but he didn't need that extended piece or memory card.
I have the extensions, and they do cause a lag in the controls. Definitely sucks when you need definitive/quick movement in certain game. Could also be the ROM. All the games ARE the actual game. They're just ripped from the original game program. Why they appear "different".
Do you have the link for the system yet?
Waiting for link to order this min nes
Go read the reviews on Ama the game play is wonky and freeze's up .
I have a NES Classic, where did you get the USB with all the nes games on it?
Internet Archive. just search: complete nes rom set
Do I have to use a remote control to hold the game cartridge down?
I tried playing Mega Man 2 on something like this and my muscle memory made it impossible to play.
Timing was just a liiiiiittle bit off. Really threw me off.
Are these actually good though? I never heard of these minis😊
So I have an authentic NES Classic mini which is in this video, a fake NES Classic mini, a fake SNES Classic mini, and I now have an authentic SNES Classic mini, and I can tell you that the games play exactly the same as the regular games on the original minis, even on the fakes. Once I played for a while I couldn't tell a difference at all.
On the NES mini I've played through several games and it plays great. I definitely recommend these mini systems but only if they come with all of the original Nintendo games.
I do not recommend the knockoff mini systems that come with thousands of games because I've found that the quality sucks.
The black bars down the sides are because it's been made to have a 4×3 picture on a modern widscreen tv, same issue with movies and tv episodes that were originally made in 4x3 all the Blu-ray, dvds and streaming services add the bars as they are expected to be played on s widescreen tv as that has been the standard for the last 25 years, you can stretch the picture back out using a scaler but its not perfect.
Thanks for the info. One of the reasons I was wondering about the black bars was because the modded SNES Classic I have fills the screen of the CRT just like the original NES/SNES, but I know there might be some differences at least from what little I know about emulation.
I’ve owned one of these since it came out and modded it right away. My opinion is that the color is terrible. The Switch’s NES emulator colors are terrible as well. NEStopia and Mesen on my PC have colors much closer to my actual NES.
Ok
I don’t know if anyone has already tried, but if you go into the display settings on the nes mini Home Screen and set the aspect ratio to 4:3 that may solve your black bars problem. The other options are pixel perfect, and CRT filter. Pixel perfect is more for HD TV’s as the screen shimmers whilst scrolling, and crt filter is self explanatory. Also I don’t know what box you are using to convert the HDMI signal to AV, but is there a switch or setting on that?
Everyone on youtube using Whilst these days improperly instead of just While. Interesting how the english language evolves..
@@casedistorted am I in English class?
Another way to tell a knockoff which is very easy to spot, the knockoff controller has 2 extra turbo buttons that are not on the Nintendo licensed controllers.
And Atari controller ports or usb
And round power plugs
any hints on how to get one online? i'm only finding the fake ones.
Why don't they bring back iron sword to switch?
Would be smart to include the duck hunt gun in NES or super scope for SNES n gun for all Sega systems
Master Blaster and Totally Rad were great.
*Blaster Master
Playing MTP on a non-CRT TV is a problem: I can no longer beat Sandman on it and Tyson is not as hard as Sandman on a new TV...The strange thing is--I could be one step of him all of the time if playing the CRT(hitting him more than most and dodging his punches, as well)...
I think you theres an issue with your HDMI to composite converter. Try using a different one.
I was curious as my original snes doesn't work on my modern tv, so i had i got a snes mini, and i couldn't see any difference, other than the upscaling to 1080p, but it seemed like the emulation was much better than @games devices for example.
Where do I get a setup like yours?
It also depends on the rom dump they used
I'm pretty sure that's what is causing the differences between the NES mini and my original NES console because my modded SNES doesn't have any of the issues that this NES has.
It has to be the emulation itself.
Can you play the awesome yet underrated game xexyz?
My totally not modded Wii may or many not have all the game on it. So it's kinda redundant to own a SNES or NES classic. The Wii classic and pro controllers are top tier tho.