Ahh, more of the RGB series, awesome! I freaking loved that intro with the woodgrain wall paneling. I'm working on creating a similar set for my own vids, hehe.
[Try4ce] I just nailed two sheets of paneling to the wall in my studio room, best thing I've ever done. I've wanted something like this for a long time, and I still can't get enough of it, it's just so much fun to shoot against.
Lazy Game Reviews My basement where I played my Commodore 128, Nintendo, and eventually SNES and N64 had that exact same wood paneling, with a thick and comfy dark orange carpet, perfect for sitting in front of the TV. 70's styling at it's finest. I was actually a little sad when my parents finally renovated it in the late 90's.
Lazy Game Reviews Hey LGR get back to work will ya, lazy bum (laugh I'm making a really bad joke here please bare with me and don't interpret it wrong),you still have to make a video about the Commodore Amiga game Rat Trap that was butchered into a Simpsons game called Krusty's Fun House for consoles,people need to know the truth we got another Super Mario 2/Doki Doki Panic situation here. But seriously make a video about Rat Trap for the Commodore Amiga Thanks.
I'm always astounded by how in America the NES is held in such high regard, often regarded as the first console an 80s kid owned. Because here in Australia it was virtually non existent. The console wasn't very well known here. Everybody I knew owned either a Sega Master System or a Sega Mega Drive. I never even heard the word 'Nintendo' until I got a VHS copy of Toy Story and the video game tie in for the Mega Drive and SNES was advertised. Even when I go to retro game stores in Australia, I'm hard pressed to find NES games.
Wow, that's interesting. I too live in Australia, (Melbourne), and I knew quite a few people in the early 90s who had the NES. I will say that my first experience with Nintendo was with the Super NES in 1992 not long after it came out, I think I used a Super NES before I'd used a NES, but by late 1992 I'd seen games on the NES. My best friend at school had a NES, and that was in the late 80s, he was always talking about it. I'd say that the NES was relatively well known here. I know the Master System did well here as did the Mega Drive, I knew people who owned both.
Lachlant1984 Maybe it did better in Melbourne. I've lived in Sydney my whole life, and I never knew anyone who owned an NES back in the day. As I said, all my friends and relatives owned a Sega console.
Well the NES was released in all America, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay were the first americans to get the console with USA and Canada :D
dr obnoxius Extraordinarily rare. I may be remembering the figures wrong as I read about this years ago, but there were only something like a couple of hundred Composite Top-Loaders ever made, since families had to complain about the picture quality difference between it and their old NES, and send Nintendo proof it was worse. If they could conclusively prove it, Nintendo would make them a custom Top-Loader. Sadly, most have been thrown away, broken, or are still stored in attics since few know of their value. Of course, now that we have RGB mods without needing to cannibalise an old PlayChoice-10, these rare Top-Loaders aren’t worth so much now as outside of their uniqueness they are fairly useless.
I appreciate how knowledgable and professional you guys are. These master classes are fascinating to watch and, once I'm ready to take the plunge into RGB, they will be a godsend, I am sure of it. Classy, informative and excellent work as usual!
I like to say I'm a purist, but in reality I'm just a cheap-ass. I have my NES on a CRT and that's how it's going to be. I appreciate that folks can do better, though. Good luck, folks.
8:24 - I have that same cart adaptor. It can be modified to correct the problem with Castlevania 3. IIRC the issue is that the adaptor ties PA13 to CIRAM /CE (Famicom cart pins 48 and 49) - probably a production shortcut since many carts tie these lines together. To fix it, open the adaptor, sever the connection between those two pins, and use wires to connect them to the corresponding pins on the NES cart connector at the top of the unit. I'd link to a tutorial but I don't remember where to find it. Most of the instructions that come up on a web search are for making Akumajou Densetsu audio work on the NES...
Between the game carts shown, direct game capture, off-screen video, backgrounds, and music, over 50 NES games are represented in this episode, all playing off the actual cartridges (or Virtual Console). How many can you identify?
***** I got about 47. I didn't recognize some backgrounds. Super Mario Bros Contra Ducktales Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest Blaster Master Duck Hunt Legend of Zelda Ninja Gaiden Mega Man 2 Mike Tyson's Punch Out Super Mario Bros 2 (Super Mario USA) Metroid Pinball Kid Icarus Excitebike Donkey Kong Bionic Commando Super Mario Bros 3 Kirby's Adventure Castlevania Battletoads Batman Bad Dudes G.I. Joe Rygar Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 Akumajō Supesharu: Boku Dorakyura-kun Castlevania 2 Adventures of Lolo River City Ransom Paperboy Journey to Silius Final Fantasy Batman: Return of the Joker Gargoyles Quest 2 Dragon Warrior/Quest 3 Shatterhand Castlevania 3 Jackal Doki Doki Panic Marble Madness Mega Man 1 Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers Double Dragon Zelda 2 Cosmic Epsilon Crystalis
+My Life in Gaming Hey guys! I've found more than 60 different games! =) Ah! There are four games I couldn't identify! 1 Super Mario Bros. 2 Contra 3 Duck Tales 4 Dragon Warrior 5 Blaster Master 6 Duck Hunt 7 The Legend of Zelda 8 Ninja Gaiden 9 Mega Man 2 10 Mike Tyson's Punch-Out 11 Super Mario Bros. 2 12 Metroid 13 Pinball 14 Kid Icarus 15 Excite Bike 16 Donkey Kong 17 Bionic Commando 18 Whomp'em [Coury's BG?!] 19 Kiwi Kraze 20 Super Mario Bros. 3 21 Kirby's Adventure 22 Castlevania 23 Rockman 4 24 Crystalis 25 Battletoads 26 G.I. Joe 27 Batman 28 Bad Dudes 29 Rygar 30 TMNT2 31 Akumajou Special: Boku Draculakun 32 Castlevania 2 33 Adventures of Lolo 34 River City Ransom [Coury's BG?! Little Samson???] 35 Playchoice 10's Ninja Gaiden 36 Paper Boy 37 Journey to Silius 38 Final Fantasy 39 Batman: Revenge of the Joker [Try4ce's BG??? Ninja Gaiden 3???] 40 Gargoyle's Quest 2 41 [Famicom] Contra 42 Dragon Warrior IV [Try4ce's BG???] 43 ShatterHand 44 Castlevania III 45 Jackal 46 Yume Koujou: Dokidoki Panic 47 Marble Madness 48 Shadowgate 49 Vice: Project Doom 50 Megaman 51 Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers 52 Donkey Kong 53 Mega Man 6 54 Double Dragon 55 Dr. Mario 56 Super Mario Bros 2: The Lost Levels 57 Mega Man 3 58 Donkey Kong Jr. 59 Zelda 2: Adventures of Link 60 Rush'n Attack 61 [NES] Contra 62 [Thanks to Credits:] Cosmic Epsilon
I have to say you guys made the most incredibly comprehensive and complete video series about this topic. I can only imagine how much thought and research went into it. I'm super impressed! With that said though i must also say DAAAAAAMN you two guy make some funny ass faces while reading your lines. HAHAHAHAH!! Seriously though, GREAT JOB! THIS SHIT IS AWESOME!!!!!
Got my NES back from it's RGB modification a few weeks ago. It truly is amazing! Only one problem....now I want a professional RGB monitor, like a sony BVM20 or NEC XM29. My quest for pixel perfection is far from over, but well along it's way thanks to this video series. Thank you!
@@symphony137 you mean those generic SCART to HDMI boxes. Those boxes interlace 240p content. Try4 and Coury made a video on framiester alternatives and one of them was a SCART to Component converter from DB electronics. This treats 240p correctally and it spits out the same resolution so this box can be used for CRT tvs
9 років тому+2
Thanks for digging up all these options and putting them into a very enjoyable video! An RGB capable NES is something i have to get into my mancave once i have one :)
The third hardware revision of the RetroDuo actually does support S-video for NES games, I have one hooked up to my old CRT and the difference in quality over my original (1988) NES using composite is quite striking.
That’s fascinating, I wonder how they pulled that off. I’d love to take a look inside and see if it’s running different chips or if it’s emulation or something.
Another great video guys. Really informative as always and I can safely say as a massive retro gaming collector, who likes to think he knows a fair bit about old games etc, I genuinely enjoy watching your show and always learn something new. The NES is my last 'project' now I've finally modded my duo and I've been debating the best route to go down so this video really was perfect timing!
[Try4ce] Glad to help! Even when we think we've learned and tested enough to tackle a subject, we're always learning something new in the process of writing the script and further research. There's just so much to learn about old consoles, and it blows my mind that they've been connected to my TV for decades, and I'm still learning what they're truly capable of.
I know! And the older I get the more it fascinates me lol! Also after checking out the Aus site regarding the NES RGB mod I've finally found someone here in the UK that can mod my game gear for TV-out meaning I finally get to play GG Aleste 1 and 2 on my TV in a way that doesn't involve emulation of any description!!!
The TV-Game switch on the back of the Famicom is an underrepresented aspect of the system, and Nintendo sold it as a feature: pause your game, switch the feed to a TV station, then flip back to resume. It’s like the stepping stone that led to the Wii U GamePad and the whole Nintendo Switch.
Another excellent video in the series. After getting my XRGB Mini, as per your recommendation, I have been debating on how to get better quality video from my NES. There are a lot of options here. Thanks again for these videos. They are gems in the retro gaming community! Cheers.
DavetheNESGuy [Try4ce] It's worth it! I had the Framemeister for about a year before I modded my Famicom... I remember tolerating it well enough, but dang, it really struck me just how much I've gotten used to RGB quality NES while recording some of the composite footage for this episode.
From what I can tell on my own CRT, the AV Famicom's composite signal isn't nearly as bad as the NES's signal that you show in this video. I'm thinking of modding it to output RGB because I love the Famicom but I'd be doing it myself and I'm a bit afraid of screwing it up. The AV Famicom is a wonderful system, I opened it up and I was impressed with how solid and pretty it looked on the inside
NES Classic Edition is the definitive way to play NES games. With 30 games in 720p, save states, the option to add more games (If you hack it), multiple aspect ratio options, and an awesome menu screen with killer music. A must have in my opinion
You should cover the polymega when it comes out, as it emulates various retro consoles in HD, through expansion modules for cartridge games, and the console itself for CD games.
Found my NES delivered the best quality of its life when I ran the composite video into my receiver and out via HDMI from the receiver to an HDTV. It must be upscaled by the receiver but it still manages to retain the right "feel" even blown up to 60". Looks gorgeous and it's an easy solution for those that don't want to pop it open and modify it.
CollectingRetro [Try4ce] Very appreciated! When I saw Norm's video, I couldn't believe that there was material out there for both the North American and Japanese versions of the TV, and just when I needed it, too! You've got a unique opportunity, working on that Sharp C1 you've got! Thanks again!
Err... Famicom owners actually had an option for RCA before the Famicom Mark 2... Sharp's twin Famicom had 2 New connections, a Mega Drive style port and mono RCA.
Actually, the french NES "RGB" output is even worse than composite; because it is a composite signal squashed into a RGB one, this result with a more instable display and some artefacts near the edges.
Many Different Things the French NES generates PAL video internally, and then converts in to RGB in order for it to work on French TVs, which used SECAM to encode color and couldn’t handle PAL.
There’s actually a few units of the American Top-Loader NES that use the same Multi AV port as the SNES. However, there are likely less than 100 of these units in existence and possibly less then 10-50 of them that still work. The reason why there are so few of them is because Nintendo only made them specially for people who complained over the lower picture quality of RF, and as such there are very few left in existence. (They still don’t output RGB though, as they continue to use the same crappy Ricoh PPU.)
I was born in 1982 my first system was Atari 2600 then nes then sega genesis then ps1 then ps2 I currently have snes ps2 ps4 xbox.360 and plan to get another NES and sega genesis great video
I still come back to rewatch the videos. This series got me RGB modding my consoles and I need refreshers when I go to a new console. Still, the production value and quality in these videos far exceeds the majority of UA-cam videos. I'd be open to purchasing the series on a BluRay for archival purposes.
[Try4ce] That's awesome! It really completely changes your gaming setup in ways I honestly never dared to dream was possible. That's why we can't stop taking about it!
I've placed an RGB limit on myself, only consoles that can natively output RGB, or else it would go ad infinitum for me. Additionally, I don't mind the composite on NES. Anyway, these guys are awesome, keep up the good work!
I want to mention what I use to play NES games, which is a great solution, if you aren't a purist. I use FCE Ultra GX on a softmodded Wii. It works great for most games. It is the only solution I could find that has wireless controllers, and works with zapper games on a modern TV. FCE Ultra GX uses the Wii remote and sensor bar to "emulate" zapper support on NES games.
When you run a combined signal from a Nintendo or any other console that can output it together through a radio frequency modulator it places the information on a wave that your tv can pick up on the channel that corresponds to it’s frequency. This puts it in competition with anything else your tv might pick up in the frequency range of the channel, depending on where you are a signal transmitted to a tv in this manner can be full of interference or it can be not that much different from cvbs commonly referred to as composite.
True, I remember I was four or five, and I woke up at my grandparents house, and I saw one of my cousins playing Super Mario 2, I also remember adventure island from that day, it was awesome.
Great info and presentation. I sent my front loader NES off for an RGB board install after watching this video. Haven't got it back yet, but I'm excited about it.
+My Life in Gaming Would you recommend the SNES HD-Retrovision component video cable to someone using a CRT? I'm currently weighing my options for when my NES gets back. I'm also debating just using my SNES s-video cable set, but since RGB modding the NES isn't cheap I'd like to get the most out of it.
[Try4ce] S-video may be a good option while you wait for the HD Retrovision cables... though we have our hands on some, the full production run will not be finished until much later this year, or potentially into early next year. You could also consider some generic SCART to component boxes. But yeah, I'd start with S-video and then figure out what you wanna do from there.
Great video! But I have to ask in the beginning of the video you have your Nintendo and TV displayed on top of a wicker chest. That is the exact same one I had as a kid !!! freaking amazing.
I've got a pre modded av famicom for about 200 bugs, from a mentioned modder, really really like it, also thanks for living in Europe I can simply plug in an rgb scart cable and it works like a charm.
As a purist, if I had a NES, I would still plug it through RF. I generally try to go with the better image quality avaiable, but I don't like to mod the systems to get it. Composite is better, but as you said, the top loader is much more reliable and some TVs display an image 99% as good as Composite through RF. Also, since the RF is generally not used but still avaiable on every TV, it is easy to maintain the NES hooked up when you have too much consoles.
Filipe Lima [Try4ce] I've actually got my front-loader NES hooked up to my CRT, and I use RF on it just out of convenience, and to keep the TV's limited inputs open for other systems... I mean, if I want high quality, I can just play the Famicom on the Framemeister instead (which I normally do). The CRT is just for fun/nostalgia/shooting off-screen video, so RF is fine for that!
Great video once again guys, seriously, keep up the good work! I wasn't born in the 80's, but growing up in the mid to late 90's, I always saw other kids playing on the front loader NES, and grew quite fond with that model. I was wondering if you guys have heard of the blinking light win made by arcade works? It's a total godsend for "Toaster" enthusiasts like myself.
Jdmboi17 [Try4ce] Wow that's really cool! I might actually try that, because my front-loader has had problems lately with actually "catching" when I push down.
1:47 To be honest i never really thought that the C64 stood a chance against the NES because the loading seemed none existent to the C64's thrash loading times, the only thing that ever made the C64 popular was how easy it was to copy games
Rgb gamma corrected will give you the image in full from the device transmitting the video in this manner. The other way of getting a clear picture commonly referred to as component subtracts out the other information from a black and white image down to each light primary color. This type of video is compressed so the image won’t look as full when displayed on a monitor. If the system natively outputs rgb that’s the one you want, if it outputs component like the ps2 that’s the one you want to go with.
Composite is a name given to a signal that is sent down a single line all together, the nes combines the signal in it’s ppu chip, if you’ve got something like luma code you can get a clear picture without making your nes generate rgb values.
Recently, Krikzz (maker of the EverDrive flash cartridges) came out with the RGB Blaster, a plug-and-play adapter for the Famicom that gives off a decent RGB signal without having to modify the console.
8:14 How well do Rad Racer, Contra and light gun games play with that NES to Famicom adapter? Only recently I started purchasing NES titles through the Wii, although not all the games I'm interested in can be purchased through the store. For years I've been reluctant to buy an actual NES because of the hardware problems and limitations. The NES's front loading system is faulty and unreliable, and the top loader only has RF out. True, there is the Blinking Light Mod for the former and AV mods for the latter. But I don't want have to deal with expensive modding for overpriced consoles, especially for only a handful of games. The AV Famicom looks promising, but how well does it handle Rad Racer and Contra through that adapter? I've been getting conflicting stories as to whether or not they work. I've also read conflicting stories as to whether or not the lightgun works with the AV Famicom. Some say it works, others say it needs to be modded to use it. Which is it? Can you set the record straight for me please? Thanks.
+Jarrah White [Try4ce] NES light guns will NOT work on it, even if you're using the American version of the game through the adapter. Even though the AV Famicom has NES controller ports, light guns only work through the expansion port. Contra works fine. Not sure about Rad Racer, but I have played the Japanese version on it, Highway Star. As a side note, I really really recommend the Japanese version of Contra, even though it's a little pricey. It has a lot of great background animations, a world map, opening cutscene, and an extended ending. But the American version plays just fine, at least with my particular cart converter.
OK, thanks for the advice. So I'd have to get a Famicom expansion port light gun for NES lightgun games played on it? Just FYI though, I'm a PAL user, so I'd probably be sourcing PAL versions of games. Have you tested any PAL NES games through the adapter?
[Try4ce] I have not played PAL games on the adapter, but supposedly they work if you reverse the games (American games face frontward, PAL games face backward). I don't know if American or PAL light gun games would work with the Famicom light gun or not... no idea. Sadly, the Japanese gun is also a bit pricey.
When I asked the question I didn't have an NES. The front loader has composite AV but an unreliable loading system, and the top loader only has RF. The AV Famicom with the cart adapter seemed like a good deal, but if the adapter wouldn't handle the games I was interested in that would be the deal breaker. I've seen acquired a PAL NES top loader. The PAL units have a revised motherboard, for RF it's not that bad.
The RGB on the NES is pretty awesome. I was about to get one myself till I starting watching GameTechUS vids with Kevtris designing a hdmi mod. Its done now and is awesome!
+GameRW [Try4ce] I have to admit, I was kind of ignoring the HDMI mod, because I figured it would be no better than RGB to the Framemeister. But I had a chance to check out the soon-to-be-released HDMI mod for the N64, and it blows RGB outta the water. ua-cam.com/video/qpy1M6v2_MI/v-deo.html&lc=z12ujzd52kvesfwis04cfnrxjxytffjb4jo I don't expect HDMI on the NES to be quite so drastic of an upgrade over RGB, but I'm super curious about it now.
Dustin Dicely [Coury] Thats a later part of our opening theme song, "Principle" by my friend Matt McCheskey. The full version of the song is just under 5 minutes. He is working on a version for people to download, but he's got a lot going on. If you like the sound, you should check his band Early Attic's bandcamp site. Their album Parallels is really quite good. earlyattic.bandcamp.com/
Dustin Dicely Good news! Matt put out his full version of the song - it features lyrics, while the one we use for our show doesn't have them. I'm not sure if the lyric-less version will be released, its up to him. But get it here: matthewmccheskey.bandcamp.com/album/rapture-2
I know this is super old, but Castlevania 3 contains an MMC5 chip, which that 72-60 pin adapter needs to be modded to force compatibility (not sure about Jackal, though).
Jesse Morin [Try4ce] I know what you mean. I was reluctant to get into the Sega Genesis myself because it seemed like a pain to add a second system to my setup that wasn't capable of anything more than composite video. When I discovered that wasn't actually true, I got a Genesis not long after getting my Framemeister! When making this video, I was surprised to see how much the pre-modded systems had gone up in price... but if you buy the parts yourself ($90 RGB board, which costs less in US dollars, NES model of your choice, probably like $100-$130 in modding service)... it can be a bit more doable.
I like the little bit at the end about it being ok if you like it old school. I been enjoying this series but i really prefer playing my NES on my little 13'' crt. When i started gaming all we had was an old black and white TV so color is a bonus for me lol
SinisterSally [Coury] Heck yeah! Its been a huge factor for us with these to say "hey, here's this stuff you can do with your systems that you may not know about!" There's a ton of info out there can make the subject feel almost impenetrable, so that's why we try to explain it the way we do - because anyone should be able to get into it if they want to. There's no right or wrong, people like what they like and should be able to enjoy it just as much!
I disagree with Coury about the composite signal being the intended look, with composite all of the colors run together. For me the intended look is the arcade pallet which commonly goes by the name garish now. While Grassland in Mario 3 takes some getting used to, Zelda I looks incredible and perfect.
Great super informative video as always guys. I went the super lazy route and got myself a Retron 5 like some filthy emulating scrub. NES games look so nice over a super clean image. There's something about the pixel size that makes the games get this perfect retro feel. I'd definitely go the modded NES route if I had the money though. Certainly a more authentic method... plus you don't have to deal with the Retron 5's vice like grip on carts. The Wii U in the UK is even worse. They insist on giving the PAL versions of a lot of the games. Sometimes they make them run at 60hz but the games themselves are still letterboxed. Especially on SNES. The blur filter they use is awful. We played Gargoyles Quest II on my channel using the Retron 5 and it looked amazing but on the Wii U download it just looks like it's been smeared in grease. That game is so expensive on cart too so that's really the only way to acquire it now. It was pure luck that my friend still had his childhood cart.
Mellow Gaming [Try4ce] Yeah, I recently got Gargoyle's Quest II for $60... definitely a bit of a splurge, but I really really wanted it. I actually thought that Nintendo had started to give Europe the North American versions, I didn't realize that you were getting PAL versions reconfigured to run at 60hz... definitely a bummer.
Some are US versions. Weirdly Mega Drive games in the Hanabi collection run at 50hz despite never being released in the UK before. Some are scaled to full screen but still run at the slower speed. Also, Super Metroid has German subtitles because that's what the original UK cart had. It's real spotty at best. Even the recent N64 games, Super Mario 64 runs at 60hz but Donkey Kong is at 50. It's baffling. $60 for Gargoyle's Quest 2 is pretty cheap. I've seen it selling for £200 before now. Such a good game. I had never played it before and was quite impressed with how good it was.
Speaking of the NES's composite video ports, If televisions at the time commonly had no inputs other than for RF and most people just used RF anyway, Then why did Nintendo bother to add these ports that would hardly be used by most users anyway and add cost to it?, I can think of a few reasons like so that you can play it with color composite monitors that were available for various home computers at the time as well as maybe to accommodate early adopters of higher-end TVs that do have them and even so, that you can plug the NES to like a VCR or something
Always love these videos! I had purchased an XRGB mini after your initial video introducing the product and I've loved every minute of it. I've had the NESRGB board bookmarked for some time, but haven't yet taken the plunge. I only have my original NES, but have been debating getting the NES-101 vs. the AV Famicom. The difficulty with playing some NES games on the AV Famicom even with the adapter has me put off just a bit, and I believe there's a similar adapter to play famicom games on NES hardware. I have to look into that more, but if that's correct I may just go with the NES-101 and a famicom adapter. Of course add to that the additional issues with the SNES RGB signal that have been ironed out by the modding community and it seems this never ends!
Starwars4J [Try4ce] It's crazy how much the landscape of playing retro games can continue to change, all these years later, isn't it? I know it would be an "unnecessary" cost, but there's part of me that's just so tempted to get a NES-101 and have it modded. Well, maybe someday. The adapter I have is quite well regarded, and I understand if you fix some of the solders, you can get compatibility with Castlevania III (which is also often a tough game for clone systems and such). I've never heard of anyone talk about Jackal compatibility issues other than me. In addition to tending to frequently freeze, the text on screens between levels is also screwed up. I've played through the same cartridge on my unmodded front-loader and none of these issues occur.
***** You may have that skill set, but sadly when it comes to soldering I have zero experience. I'd mess the entire thing up I'm sure. I need to find a good modder to get this all together for me, I had somehow missed that on the NESRGB site he links to modders by country so that will be VERY helpful to me!
Starwars4J [Try4ce] Haha nah, neither of us have soldering experience. That's why I haven't tried anything with it! Mostly because the modders I asked weren't familiar with it.
Recently picked up a framemeister. SNES looks great but N64 not so much; signal is noisey with significant difference in contrast with a clear divide halfway across the screen (very clear on the starfox intro), lots of aliasing and just generally messy looking. Going to try tweaking the settings and I find using the normal image setting with the low pass filter helps (particularly the contrast issue), but would love to see a video on the best rgb settings for the N64. Also having issues with the framemeister recognising premade profiles on the sd card despite multiple restarts, going to try reformatting (removing the firmware folder that is still on there) and adding the profiles back on to see if that will help. Either way any info on this would be good personally and probably help the xrgb community. Thanks for all the great videos, it's a bit of a rabbit hole at times and your videos really help to inform xrgb users.
Andy V [Try4ce] N64 is interestingly enough our most-requested topic. Don't worry, it's coming, but as I always tell people, keep expectations modest when it comes to N64 picture quality. At the end of the day, you're looking at 3D graphics in 240p, with heavy anti-aliasing, and there's only so much that can be done to make it look better with the original hardware. As for Framemeister profiles, this is definitely something we want to feature sometime as well. It's a shame we released our settings video just before the 2.0 update went live!
Hi Try4ce. Around the 8:30 mark, you mention playing Famicom disk system games on your AV Famicom. I'd love to play Doki Doki Panic, shown in the video, on my AV Famicom. Do I need the disk system, or is there a way to convert the disk games to play in the cartridge slot? (Kind of like the 72-to-60 pin adapter?) It seems that DDP was never released as a cartridge, at least legitimately. Keep up the great work, guys! Thank you.
+Eric Toalston [Try4ce] Yeah, the Famicom Disk System is needed to play FDS games. I'm not sure about playing the games on something like an Everdrive (if it works), but if you want to play the real thing, yeah, you need an FDS. I'm loving mine, it was completely worth it. Just keep in mind, if you look for one, make sure that it notes that the belt was replaced. The belt that runs the drive was an oddball size, and even if it was unused, apparently you simply can't expect the old original rubber belt to work today. I haven't had a single issue with mine, and supposedly it was replaced. Japan did get a cartridge release called "Super Mario USA" that's just our SMB2, but for the real Doki Doki Panic, yeah, that's FDS-only. I'm planning to do a future episode featuring some neato FDS games.
Where did you purchase the NES to FAMICON cart adapter? Is there a 'brand' that you recommend? Also, for SCART cables, do you use European rather than Japanese versions even though using the Framemeister?
[Try4ce] We would love to feature it in some way. I don't think we would do a dedicated episode on it at this point, as it's a bit of old news by now, but if we do get one, we'd love to.
***** Fair enough. I had never heard of it until your NES video had me talking to a guy about putting in the NES RGB mod. He recommended that I look into it.
fceu is an emulator to run NES games on ps2. It outputs 240p insanely good. You can choose between Interlaced mode or not. If you choose not you can clearly see the scanlines if you hook it up to an crt using european scart connector. Cheers from Sweden
It's a shame that the best options for NES are relatively expensive. I wonder if Nintendo's NES emulator code actually dates back (in part) to Excitebike 64, which had the original version of the game included as an unlockable (if not, it presumably dates back to Animal Crossing for GameCube and/or the GBA NES collection). Nintendo also developed a Game Boy emulator around this time (for the Pokemon Stadium games).
[Try4ce] I haven't extensively tested the Gamecube NES ports since getting the Framemeister, but I did play a little Zelda from the Collector's Edition and was definitely not impressed with its blobby scaling. It wasn't dark, though.
Well since the AM waves for television is no longer being used nation wide. Most rf switches will work beautiful ). otherwise the RcA seems the best choice. you also have to remember the signal as well. There
can you make video about the other scart to HDMI adapters for those who don't have $300 for an xrgb and yes I've heard about HD Retrovision but it still doesn't solve the problem with newer TVs that can't handle an image under 480p especially newer 4k TVs. maybe some like the new MHL scart to HDMI that goes for around $17 it the more commonly used one? thanks I really enjoy your videos the quality is extremely nice you deserve more subscribers!
Lukas Müller [Try4ce] We get more requests for N64 than anything else, it's amazing to me! Don't worry, it's one of my favorite consoles, and we will definitely feature it in the coming months!
I have a Tim Worthington modded NESRGB Top-Loader I purchased on eBay. The colors are perfect when connected via AV. But when I run it with RGB via SCART through the XRGB-Mini the colors are too red. I can't seem to figure out why or fix the issue. Could you help direct me.
I'm looking to purchase an AV Famicom system, plus the NESRGB kit, for use with an Everdrive N8 Famicom. I want to send the unit to Voultar for the installation, but can anyone explain the difference between using the stock audio circuit versus the NESRGB audio circuit with expansion audio? I'm a little confused, as the AV Famicom already supports expansion audio. Thanks!
Another great video, I am actually looking into RGB modding my system, which is a top loader, but I am kind of conflicted between it and the AV Famicom. I heard there is also a Famicom to NES converter out there as well but it is more expensive so I am not sure what is the right way to go.
[Try4ce] I know that Coury wants to get a Famicom to NES converter, but I dunno much about them myself. I've heard that the converter I have can be re-wired to create 100% compatibility, even with Castlevania III (kinda the benchmark game for if something will work). I'm curious, but haven't pursued it.
Just got both my NES 101 rgb ready and my famicom adapter modded for mmc5 and expansion audio. Personally, I would go with a Honeybee famicom adapter. Those tend to be the best quality converters and the mod is very simple with many youtube tutorials available.
***** [Try4ce] It does not, we should have clarified that. It has no special output capabilities. As for PC-Engine, that will be a very important episode for us, but we feel like we need to have access to more of its revisions and mods before we can do the system the justice it deserves. It might end up being nearly as complex (if not more so?) than covering the NES/Famicom!
Artemio Urbina [Try4ce] Thanks! We think that next to NES, the PCE will potentially be the most complex topic. Currently, the only system of that family between the two of us is Coury's PCE Duo (RGB). We feel like one of us needs to have a TG-16 version before we can really do the system justice with a video. It's something we're talking about, but in the meantime, there are tons more systems we can cover!
Ahh, more of the RGB series, awesome!
I freaking loved that intro with the woodgrain wall paneling. I'm working on creating a similar set for my own vids, hehe.
[Try4ce] I just nailed two sheets of paneling to the wall in my studio room, best thing I've ever done. I've wanted something like this for a long time, and I still can't get enough of it, it's just so much fun to shoot against.
***** Haha, precisely what I was hoping I'd be able to do. I have to go and source some paneling now!
Lazy Game Reviews My basement where I played my Commodore 128, Nintendo, and eventually SNES and N64 had that exact same wood paneling, with a thick and comfy dark orange carpet, perfect for sitting in front of the TV. 70's styling at it's finest. I was actually a little sad when my parents finally renovated it in the late 90's.
Lazy Game Reviews Hey LGR get back to work will ya, lazy bum (laugh I'm making a really bad joke here please bare with me and don't interpret it wrong),you still have to make a video about the Commodore Amiga game Rat Trap that was butchered into a Simpsons game called Krusty's Fun House for consoles,people need to know the truth we got another Super Mario 2/Doki Doki Panic situation here. But seriously make a video about Rat Trap for the Commodore Amiga Thanks.
Hi lgr
I'm always astounded by how in America the NES is held in such high regard, often regarded as the first console an 80s kid owned. Because here in Australia it was virtually non existent. The console wasn't very well known here. Everybody I knew owned either a Sega Master System or a Sega Mega Drive. I never even heard the word 'Nintendo' until I got a VHS copy of Toy Story and the video game tie in for the Mega Drive and SNES was advertised. Even when I go to retro game stores in Australia, I'm hard pressed to find NES games.
Australian here, I always knew about the NES from a young age, mainly due to having had internet when I was little.
Wow, that's interesting. I too live in Australia, (Melbourne), and I knew quite a few people in the early 90s who had the NES. I will say that my first experience with Nintendo was with the Super NES in 1992 not long after it came out, I think I used a Super NES before I'd used a NES, but by late 1992 I'd seen games on the NES. My best friend at school had a NES, and that was in the late 80s, he was always talking about it. I'd say that the NES was relatively well known here. I know the Master System did well here as did the Mega Drive, I knew people who owned both.
Lachlant1984 Maybe it did better in Melbourne. I've lived in Sydney my whole life, and I never knew anyone who owned an NES back in the day. As I said, all my friends and relatives owned a Sega console.
Very interesting.
Well the NES was released in all America, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay were the first americans to get the console with USA and Canada :D
There were some rare replacement NTSC-US top loaders that had Composite.
Yeah but there pretty rare
dr obnoxius Extraordinarily rare. I may be remembering the figures wrong as I read about this years ago, but there were only something like a couple of hundred Composite Top-Loaders ever made, since families had to complain about the picture quality difference between it and their old NES, and send Nintendo proof it was worse. If they could conclusively prove it, Nintendo would make them a custom Top-Loader. Sadly, most have been thrown away, broken, or are still stored in attics since few know of their value.
Of course, now that we have RGB mods without needing to cannibalise an old PlayChoice-10, these rare Top-Loaders aren’t worth so much now as outside of their uniqueness they are fairly useless.
I wonder if they can use rgb since they use the multi out
no even they have a multi out it doesnt support rgb
I appreciate how knowledgable and professional you guys are. These master classes are fascinating to watch and, once I'm ready to take the plunge into RGB, they will be a godsend, I am sure of it. Classy, informative and excellent work as usual!
When I hear that theme music kick in, it feels like I'm flying...
I bid thee farewell, boring world.
From the music, to the intros, your videos just make me smile. Thanks guys!
I like to say I'm a purist, but in reality I'm just a cheap-ass. I have my NES on a CRT and that's how it's going to be. I appreciate that folks can do better, though. Good luck, folks.
8:24 - I have that same cart adaptor. It can be modified to correct the problem with Castlevania 3. IIRC the issue is that the adaptor ties PA13 to CIRAM /CE (Famicom cart pins 48 and 49) - probably a production shortcut since many carts tie these lines together.
To fix it, open the adaptor, sever the connection between those two pins, and use wires to connect them to the corresponding pins on the NES cart connector at the top of the unit.
I'd link to a tutorial but I don't remember where to find it. Most of the instructions that come up on a web search are for making Akumajou Densetsu audio work on the NES...
[Try4ce] I've heard of this, thanks for pointing it out again! I'd like to try it, or get someone to help me try it!
Between the game carts shown, direct game capture, off-screen video, backgrounds, and music, over 50 NES games are represented in this episode, all playing off the actual cartridges (or Virtual Console). How many can you identify?
***** I got about 47. I didn't recognize some backgrounds.
Super Mario Bros
Contra
Ducktales
Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest
Blaster Master
Duck Hunt
Legend of Zelda
Ninja Gaiden
Mega Man 2
Mike Tyson's Punch Out
Super Mario Bros 2 (Super Mario USA)
Metroid
Pinball
Kid Icarus
Excitebike
Donkey Kong
Bionic Commando
Super Mario Bros 3
Kirby's Adventure
Castlevania
Battletoads
Batman
Bad Dudes
G.I. Joe
Rygar
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
Akumajō Supesharu: Boku Dorakyura-kun
Castlevania 2
Adventures of Lolo
River City Ransom
Paperboy
Journey to Silius
Final Fantasy
Batman: Return of the Joker
Gargoyles Quest 2
Dragon Warrior/Quest 3
Shatterhand
Castlevania 3
Jackal
Doki Doki Panic
Marble Madness
Mega Man 1
Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers
Double Dragon
Zelda 2
Cosmic Epsilon
Crystalis
+My Life in Gaming Hey guys! I've found more than 60 different games! =)
Ah! There are four games I couldn't identify!
1 Super Mario Bros.
2 Contra
3 Duck Tales
4 Dragon Warrior
5 Blaster Master
6 Duck Hunt
7 The Legend of Zelda
8 Ninja Gaiden
9 Mega Man 2
10 Mike Tyson's Punch-Out
11 Super Mario Bros. 2
12 Metroid
13 Pinball
14 Kid Icarus
15 Excite Bike
16 Donkey Kong
17 Bionic Commando
18 Whomp'em
[Coury's BG?!]
19 Kiwi Kraze
20 Super Mario Bros. 3
21 Kirby's Adventure
22 Castlevania
23 Rockman 4
24 Crystalis
25 Battletoads
26 G.I. Joe
27 Batman
28 Bad Dudes
29 Rygar
30 TMNT2
31 Akumajou Special: Boku Draculakun
32 Castlevania 2
33 Adventures of Lolo
34 River City Ransom
[Coury's BG?! Little Samson???]
35 Playchoice 10's Ninja Gaiden
36 Paper Boy
37 Journey to Silius
38 Final Fantasy
39 Batman: Revenge of the Joker
[Try4ce's BG??? Ninja Gaiden 3???]
40 Gargoyle's Quest 2
41 [Famicom] Contra
42 Dragon Warrior IV
[Try4ce's BG???]
43 ShatterHand
44 Castlevania III
45 Jackal
46 Yume Koujou: Dokidoki Panic
47 Marble Madness
48 Shadowgate
49 Vice: Project Doom
50 Megaman
51 Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers
52 Donkey Kong
53 Mega Man 6
54 Double Dragon
55 Dr. Mario
56 Super Mario Bros 2: The Lost Levels
57 Mega Man 3
58 Donkey Kong Jr.
59 Zelda 2: Adventures of Link
60 Rush'n Attack
61 [NES] Contra
62 [Thanks to Credits:] Cosmic Epsilon
My Life in Gaming
I do want to say that i've had no problems and quality issues with using my NES with a modern projector, It actually looks really good.
My Life in Gaming The NES ACTUALLY shipped with both THE RF SWITCH AND COMPOSITE VIDEO AND MONO AUDIO CABLES.
I have to say you guys made the most incredibly comprehensive and complete video series about this topic. I can only imagine how much thought and research went into it. I'm super impressed! With that said though i must also say DAAAAAAMN you two guy make some funny ass faces while reading your lines. HAHAHAHAH!! Seriously though, GREAT JOB! THIS SHIT IS AWESOME!!!!!
Woah I just noticed you dropped the voice quality when talking about the PPU quality at 2:23
that's some great attention to detail if you ask me
I
Rerez I 3👈 GAMECUBE
I
@@tejfood3833 that's ma boi
Who Doesn't?
Got my NES back from it's RGB modification a few weeks ago. It truly is amazing! Only one problem....now I want a professional RGB monitor, like a sony BVM20 or NEC XM29. My quest for pixel perfection is far from over, but well along it's way thanks to this video series. Thank you!
It's easier to get a scart to component converter for like 40$
@@Ballowax That would be the worst solution. Those converters are usually made with video in mind and are horrible when it comes to games.
@@symphony137 you mean those generic SCART to HDMI boxes. Those boxes interlace 240p content. Try4 and Coury made a video on framiester alternatives and one of them was a SCART to Component converter from DB electronics. This treats 240p correctally and it spits out the same resolution so this box can be used for CRT tvs
Thanks for digging up all these options and putting them into a very enjoyable video! An RGB capable NES is something i have to get into my mancave once i have one :)
The third hardware revision of the RetroDuo actually does support S-video for NES games, I have one hooked up to my old CRT and the difference in quality over my original (1988) NES using composite is quite striking.
That’s fascinating, I wonder how they pulled that off. I’d love to take a look inside and see if it’s running different chips or if it’s emulation or something.
Another great video guys. Really informative as always and I can safely say as a massive retro gaming collector, who likes to think he knows a fair bit about old games etc, I genuinely enjoy watching your show and always learn something new. The NES is my last 'project' now I've finally modded my duo and I've been debating the best route to go down so this video really was perfect timing!
[Try4ce] Glad to help! Even when we think we've learned and tested enough to tackle a subject, we're always learning something new in the process of writing the script and further research. There's just so much to learn about old consoles, and it blows my mind that they've been connected to my TV for decades, and I'm still learning what they're truly capable of.
I know! And the older I get the more it fascinates me lol! Also after checking out the Aus site regarding the NES RGB mod I've finally found someone here in the UK that can mod my game gear for TV-out meaning I finally get to play GG Aleste 1 and 2 on my TV in a way that doesn't involve emulation of any description!!!
A NES connected to a CRT via composite looks amazing.
Not really, especially when you see better.
Amazing compared to what?
It's 2024 and I agree
Thank you for providing amazingly detailed and well produced retro content!
The TV-Game switch on the back of the Famicom is an underrepresented aspect of the system, and Nintendo sold it as a feature: pause your game, switch the feed to a TV station, then flip back to resume. It’s like the stepping stone that led to the Wii U GamePad and the whole Nintendo Switch.
Just an all around top-shelf video. Good job.
Another excellent video in the series. After getting my XRGB Mini, as per your recommendation, I have been debating on how to get better quality video from my NES. There are a lot of options here. Thanks again for these videos. They are gems in the retro gaming community! Cheers.
DavetheNESGuy [Try4ce] It's worth it! I had the Framemeister for about a year before I modded my Famicom... I remember tolerating it well enough, but dang, it really struck me just how much I've gotten used to RGB quality NES while recording some of the composite footage for this episode.
Ya, I've only had the Framemeister for about a month now. I figure I'll tolerate it for as long as I can. Then - bam - the plunge into 8-bit RGB!
This series has been great, but I do not regret getting a Retron 5. After all the delays last year it was very well worth it.
Really, really, well done. Great presentation and lots of information. Great job guys!!
From what I can tell on my own CRT, the AV Famicom's composite signal isn't nearly as bad as the NES's signal that you show in this video. I'm thinking of modding it to output RGB because I love the Famicom but I'd be doing it myself and I'm a bit afraid of screwing it up.
The AV Famicom is a wonderful system, I opened it up and I was impressed with how solid and pretty it looked on the inside
NES Classic Edition is the definitive way to play NES games. With 30 games in 720p, save states, the option to add more games (If you hack it), multiple aspect ratio options, and an awesome menu screen with killer music. A must have in my opinion
You should cover the polymega when it comes out, as it emulates various retro consoles in HD, through expansion modules for cartridge games, and the console itself for CD games.
Found my NES delivered the best quality of its life when I ran the composite video into my receiver and out via HDMI from the receiver to an HDTV. It must be upscaled by the receiver but it still manages to retain the right "feel" even blown up to 60". Looks gorgeous and it's an easy solution for those that don't want to pop it open and modify it.
Very well covered as always! Glad I could have a small part in helping with this episode!
CollectingRetro [Try4ce] Very appreciated! When I saw Norm's video, I couldn't believe that there was material out there for both the North American and Japanese versions of the TV, and just when I needed it, too! You've got a unique opportunity, working on that Sharp C1 you've got! Thanks again!
Err... Famicom owners actually had an option for RCA before the Famicom Mark 2... Sharp's twin Famicom had 2 New connections, a Mega Drive style port and mono RCA.
Actually, the french NES "RGB" output is even worse than composite; because it is a composite signal squashed into a RGB one, this result with a more instable display and some artefacts near the edges.
KujaNiv100 *vomits*
Many Different Things the French NES generates PAL video internally, and then converts in to RGB in order for it to work on French TVs, which used SECAM to encode color and couldn’t handle PAL.
seriously. The title music gives me chills! you need to contact Spielberg and tell him to use in the film version of Ready Player One.
same!!!!!
do u know what it is?
Amazing video guys!
There’s actually a few units of the American Top-Loader NES that use the same Multi AV port as the SNES. However, there are likely less than 100 of these units in existence and possibly less then 10-50 of them that still work. The reason why there are so few of them is because Nintendo only made them specially for people who complained over the lower picture quality of RF, and as such there are very few left in existence.
(They still don’t output RGB though, as they continue to use the same crappy Ricoh PPU.)
I was born in 1982 my first system was Atari 2600 then nes then sega genesis then ps1 then ps2 I currently have snes ps2 ps4 xbox.360 and plan to get another NES and sega genesis great video
I still come back to rewatch the videos. This series got me RGB modding my consoles and I need refreshers when I go to a new console. Still, the production value and quality in these videos far exceeds the majority of UA-cam videos. I'd be open to purchasing the series on a BluRay for archival purposes.
This is the ultima Nintendo mod video to me, and the music, My Life in Gaming Theme, is a damn touching! Thanks!
Kudos for another top-notch video guys. Love the intro music to bits (pun intended)
Another great video guys. I got my RGB NES/Framemeister setup going after watching your 101 and can't recommend or thank you guys enough.
[Try4ce] That's awesome! It really completely changes your gaming setup in ways I honestly never dared to dream was possible. That's why we can't stop taking about it!
I've placed an RGB limit on myself, only consoles that can natively output RGB, or else it would go ad infinitum for me. Additionally, I don't mind the composite on NES. Anyway, these guys are awesome, keep up the good work!
I want to mention what I use to play NES games, which is a great solution, if you aren't a purist. I use FCE Ultra GX on a softmodded Wii. It works great for most games. It is the only solution I could find that has wireless controllers, and works with zapper games on a modern TV. FCE Ultra GX uses the Wii remote and sensor bar to "emulate" zapper support on NES games.
When you run a combined signal from a Nintendo or any other console that can output it together through a radio frequency modulator it places the information on a wave that your tv can pick up on the channel that corresponds to it’s frequency. This puts it in competition with anything else your tv might pick up in the frequency range of the channel, depending on where you are a signal transmitted to a tv in this manner can be full of interference or it can be not that much different from cvbs commonly referred to as composite.
True, I remember I was four or five, and I woke up at my grandparents house, and I saw one of my cousins playing Super Mario 2, I also remember adventure island from that day, it was awesome.
For some reason, the NES composite video is clean on my CRT TV.
[Try4ce] Yes composite looks much better on CRTs, although it can still be messy. We weren't showing CRTs as often at this early point in the show.
Great info and presentation. I sent my front loader NES off for an RGB board install after watching this video. Haven't got it back yet, but I'm excited about it.
+shredguitarkev [Try4ce] You won't be disappointed!
+My Life in Gaming Would you recommend the SNES HD-Retrovision component video cable to someone using a CRT? I'm currently weighing my options for when my NES gets back. I'm also debating just using my SNES s-video cable set, but since RGB modding the NES isn't cheap I'd like to get the most out of it.
[Try4ce] S-video may be a good option while you wait for the HD Retrovision cables... though we have our hands on some, the full production run will not be finished until much later this year, or potentially into early next year. You could also consider some generic SCART to component boxes. But yeah, I'd start with S-video and then figure out what you wanna do from there.
Thanks!
Great video! But I have to ask in the beginning of the video you have your Nintendo and TV displayed on top of a wicker chest. That is the exact same one I had as a kid !!! freaking amazing.
Great video...btw are you a Tom Hanks impersonator, cause you freaking nailed it!
One Weird Guy [Try4ce] I honestly can't hear it, but I get that allllll the time, haha.
I've got a pre modded av famicom for about 200 bugs, from a mentioned modder, really really like it, also thanks for living in Europe I can simply plug in an rgb scart cable and it works like a charm.
This man's face has so much remarkable charisma in the video
As a purist, if I had a NES, I would still plug it through RF. I generally try to go with the better image quality avaiable, but I don't like to mod the systems to get it. Composite is better, but as you said, the top loader is much more reliable and some TVs display an image 99% as good as Composite through RF. Also, since the RF is generally not used but still avaiable on every TV, it is easy to maintain the NES hooked up when you have too much consoles.
Filipe Lima [Try4ce] I've actually got my front-loader NES hooked up to my CRT, and I use RF on it just out of convenience, and to keep the TV's limited inputs open for other systems... I mean, if I want high quality, I can just play the Famicom on the Framemeister instead (which I normally do). The CRT is just for fun/nostalgia/shooting off-screen video, so RF is fine for that!
Really fascinating discussion. That RGB mod looks so tempting. The games look fantastic.
At 7:30 how are the trees in Contra waving around like that? I've never seen them move before, is that a different version of the game?
Its the Famicom version of the game - has a lot more background animation than the US version.
@@mylifeingaming That's cool to know, I'm going to have to check out that version. Thank you for the very quick response.
I'm just playing my NES on a CRT TV, the way it's supposed to be played. Also, the Zapper only works with CRT TVs.
Great video once again guys, seriously, keep up the good work! I wasn't born in the 80's, but growing up in the mid to late 90's, I always saw other kids playing on the front loader NES, and grew quite fond with that model. I was wondering if you guys have heard of the blinking light win made by arcade works? It's a total godsend for "Toaster" enthusiasts like myself.
[Try4ce] I'm not sure I know what you mean. Are you talking about removing the lockout chip that causes NES games to have extra trouble connecting?
Jdmboi17 [Try4ce] Wow that's really cool! I might actually try that, because my front-loader has had problems lately with actually "catching" when I push down.
1:47 To be honest i never really thought that the C64 stood a chance against the NES because the loading seemed none existent to the C64's thrash loading times, the only thing that ever made the C64 popular was how easy it was to copy games
I had a C64, that had took cartridges as well, but no one ever made them!
@@Halbared That's because cartridges are expensive and can't be copied so easily while cassette tapes are the complete opposite
@@pflynn12 Yes, I had a yuge tape collection. No cartridges, at the time though, I didn't even know it could take them. :D
Rgb gamma corrected will give you the image in full from the device transmitting the video in this manner. The other way of getting a clear picture commonly referred to as component subtracts out the other information from a black and white image down to each light primary color. This type of video is compressed so the image won’t look as full when displayed on a monitor. If the system natively outputs rgb that’s the one you want, if it outputs component like the ps2 that’s the one you want to go with.
Composite is a name given to a signal that is sent down a single line all together, the nes combines the signal in it’s ppu chip, if you’ve got something like luma code you can get a clear picture without making your nes generate rgb values.
Recently, Krikzz (maker of the EverDrive flash cartridges) came out with the RGB Blaster, a plug-and-play adapter for the Famicom that gives off a decent RGB signal without having to modify the console.
I picked up one recently and I’ve been using it with HD Retrovision cables and the RetroTink 2x. Works pretty well.
You seriously have me considering modding my top loader NES.
+Generation 16 i got my toaster modded for RGB and it was worth every penny. the image is beautiful
the image change from composite to RGB on the original NES is a huge difference.
Great! video guys >D
Digital decay
You don’t want 240p over component, yuv is compressed. Only rgb retains all of the video information from the source to the end destination.
8:14 How well do Rad Racer, Contra and light gun games play with that NES to Famicom adapter?
Only recently I started purchasing NES titles through the Wii, although not all the games I'm interested in can be purchased through the store. For years I've been reluctant to buy an actual NES because of the hardware problems and limitations. The NES's front loading system is faulty and unreliable, and the top loader only has RF out. True, there is the Blinking Light Mod for the former and AV mods for the latter. But I don't want have to deal with expensive modding for overpriced consoles, especially for only a handful of games.
The AV Famicom looks promising, but how well does it handle Rad Racer and Contra through that adapter? I've been getting conflicting stories as to whether or not they work. I've also read conflicting stories as to whether or not the lightgun works with the AV Famicom. Some say it works, others say it needs to be modded to use it. Which is it? Can you set the record straight for me please? Thanks.
+Jarrah White [Try4ce] NES light guns will NOT work on it, even if you're using the American version of the game through the adapter. Even though the AV Famicom has NES controller ports, light guns only work through the expansion port. Contra works fine. Not sure about Rad Racer, but I have played the Japanese version on it, Highway Star. As a side note, I really really recommend the Japanese version of Contra, even though it's a little pricey. It has a lot of great background animations, a world map, opening cutscene, and an extended ending. But the American version plays just fine, at least with my particular cart converter.
OK, thanks for the advice. So I'd have to get a Famicom expansion port light gun for NES lightgun games played on it? Just FYI though, I'm a PAL user, so I'd probably be sourcing PAL versions of games. Have you tested any PAL NES games through the adapter?
[Try4ce] I have not played PAL games on the adapter, but supposedly they work if you reverse the games (American games face frontward, PAL games face backward). I don't know if American or PAL light gun games would work with the Famicom light gun or not... no idea. Sadly, the Japanese gun is also a bit pricey.
Sorry if you have answered this somewhere already but which model (brand) is your nes to famicom adapter?
When I asked the question I didn't have an NES. The front loader has composite AV but an unreliable loading system, and the top loader only has RF. The AV Famicom with the cart adapter seemed like a good deal, but if the adapter wouldn't handle the games I was interested in that would be the deal breaker.
I've seen acquired a PAL NES top loader. The PAL units have a revised motherboard, for RF it's not that bad.
Hey 8:41 nice Parachute Limit. Great song
The RGB on the NES is pretty awesome. I was about to get one myself till I starting watching GameTechUS vids with Kevtris designing a hdmi mod. Its done now and is awesome!
+GameRW [Try4ce] I have to admit, I was kind of ignoring the HDMI mod, because I figured it would be no better than RGB to the Framemeister. But I had a chance to check out the soon-to-be-released HDMI mod for the N64, and it blows RGB outta the water. ua-cam.com/video/qpy1M6v2_MI/v-deo.html&lc=z12ujzd52kvesfwis04cfnrxjxytffjb4jo I don't expect HDMI on the NES to be quite so drastic of an upgrade over RGB, but I'm super curious about it now.
Yea been waiting on that one as well. Cant wait to install that in one of my N64 units.
The music at the end ( 12:15 ) is beautiful, where can I find it?
Dustin Dicely [Coury] Thats a later part of our opening theme song, "Principle" by my friend Matt McCheskey. The full version of the song is just under 5 minutes. He is working on a version for people to download, but he's got a lot going on. If you like the sound, you should check his band Early Attic's bandcamp site. Their album Parallels is really quite good.
earlyattic.bandcamp.com/
*****
I hope this song will be released :)
***** Awesome! I like his unique style.
Dustin Dicely Good news! Matt put out his full version of the song - it features lyrics, while the one we use for our show doesn't have them. I'm not sure if the lyric-less version will be released, its up to him.
But get it here:
matthewmccheskey.bandcamp.com/album/rapture-2
*****
thanks! I've got it! I hope he will release it without lyrics too
I know this is super old, but Castlevania 3 contains an MMC5 chip, which that 72-60 pin adapter needs to be modded to force compatibility (not sure about Jackal, though).
This is why emulation tends to be my choice. It's easier and cheaper. And a composite monitor covers light gun titles.
First gaming console brought home that i wanted was the Sega Master System. Even to this day I prefer it over the NES.
Well done! First time watching you guys. Just a very well done video. +1 subscribe
Been on the fence about this system and upgrading to RGB, but its still fairly costly lol. Thanks for the video.
Jesse Morin [Try4ce] I know what you mean. I was reluctant to get into the Sega Genesis myself because it seemed like a pain to add a second system to my setup that wasn't capable of anything more than composite video. When I discovered that wasn't actually true, I got a Genesis not long after getting my Framemeister! When making this video, I was surprised to see how much the pre-modded systems had gone up in price... but if you buy the parts yourself ($90 RGB board, which costs less in US dollars, NES model of your choice, probably like $100-$130 in modding service)... it can be a bit more doable.
Your theme sound is awesome 👏🏼
I love this channel so much
I like the little bit at the end about it being ok if you like it old school. I been enjoying this series but i really prefer playing my NES on my little 13'' crt. When i started gaming all we had was an old black and white TV so color is a bonus for me lol
SinisterSally [Coury] Heck yeah! Its been a huge factor for us with these to say "hey, here's this stuff you can do with your systems that you may not know about!" There's a ton of info out there can make the subject feel almost impenetrable, so that's why we try to explain it the way we do - because anyone should be able to get into it if they want to. There's no right or wrong, people like what they like and should be able to enjoy it just as much!
I disagree with Coury about the composite signal being the intended look, with composite all of the colors run together. For me the intended look is the arcade pallet which commonly goes by the name garish now. While Grassland in Mario 3 takes some getting used to, Zelda I looks incredible and perfect.
Great super informative video as always guys. I went the super lazy route and got myself a Retron 5 like some filthy emulating scrub. NES games look so nice over a super clean image. There's something about the pixel size that makes the games get this perfect retro feel. I'd definitely go the modded NES route if I had the money though. Certainly a more authentic method... plus you don't have to deal with the Retron 5's vice like grip on carts.
The Wii U in the UK is even worse. They insist on giving the PAL versions of a lot of the games. Sometimes they make them run at 60hz but the games themselves are still letterboxed. Especially on SNES. The blur filter they use is awful. We played Gargoyles Quest II on my channel using the Retron 5 and it looked amazing but on the Wii U download it just looks like it's been smeared in grease. That game is so expensive on cart too so that's really the only way to acquire it now. It was pure luck that my friend still had his childhood cart.
Mellow Gaming [Try4ce] Yeah, I recently got Gargoyle's Quest II for $60... definitely a bit of a splurge, but I really really wanted it. I actually thought that Nintendo had started to give Europe the North American versions, I didn't realize that you were getting PAL versions reconfigured to run at 60hz... definitely a bummer.
Some are US versions. Weirdly Mega Drive games in the Hanabi collection run at 50hz despite never being released in the UK before. Some are scaled to full screen but still run at the slower speed. Also, Super Metroid has German subtitles because that's what the original UK cart had.
It's real spotty at best. Even the recent N64 games, Super Mario 64 runs at 60hz but Donkey Kong is at 50. It's baffling.
$60 for Gargoyle's Quest 2 is pretty cheap. I've seen it selling for £200 before now. Such a good game. I had never played it before and was quite impressed with how good it was.
Speaking of the NES's composite video ports, If televisions at the time commonly had no inputs other than for RF and most people just used RF anyway, Then why did Nintendo bother to add these ports that would hardly be used by most users anyway and add cost to it?, I can think of a few reasons like so that you can play it with color composite monitors that were available for various home computers at the time as well as maybe to accommodate early adopters of higher-end TVs that do have them and even so, that you can plug the NES to like a VCR or something
I would say just get a PVM. Plain composite on PVM looks fantastic.
Always love these videos! I had purchased an XRGB mini after your initial video introducing the product and I've loved every minute of it. I've had the NESRGB board bookmarked for some time, but haven't yet taken the plunge. I only have my original NES, but have been debating getting the NES-101 vs. the AV Famicom. The difficulty with playing some NES games on the AV Famicom even with the adapter has me put off just a bit, and I believe there's a similar adapter to play famicom games on NES hardware. I have to look into that more, but if that's correct I may just go with the NES-101 and a famicom adapter.
Of course add to that the additional issues with the SNES RGB signal that have been ironed out by the modding community and it seems this never ends!
Starwars4J [Try4ce] It's crazy how much the landscape of playing retro games can continue to change, all these years later, isn't it? I know it would be an "unnecessary" cost, but there's part of me that's just so tempted to get a NES-101 and have it modded. Well, maybe someday. The adapter I have is quite well regarded, and I understand if you fix some of the solders, you can get compatibility with Castlevania III (which is also often a tough game for clone systems and such). I've never heard of anyone talk about Jackal compatibility issues other than me. In addition to tending to frequently freeze, the text on screens between levels is also screwed up. I've played through the same cartridge on my unmodded front-loader and none of these issues occur.
***** You may have that skill set, but sadly when it comes to soldering I have zero experience. I'd mess the entire thing up I'm sure. I need to find a good modder to get this all together for me, I had somehow missed that on the NESRGB site he links to modders by country so that will be VERY helpful to me!
Starwars4J [Try4ce] Haha nah, neither of us have soldering experience. That's why I haven't tried anything with it! Mostly because the modders I asked weren't familiar with it.
The twin Famicom that came out in 1986 had composite video
Recently picked up a framemeister. SNES looks great but N64 not so much; signal is noisey with significant difference in contrast with a clear divide halfway across the screen (very clear on the starfox intro), lots of aliasing and just generally messy looking. Going to try tweaking the settings and I find using the normal image setting with the low pass filter helps (particularly the contrast issue), but would love to see a video on the best rgb settings for the N64. Also having issues with the framemeister recognising premade profiles on the sd card despite multiple restarts, going to try reformatting (removing the firmware folder that is still on there) and adding the profiles back on to see if that will help. Either way any info on this would be good personally and probably help the xrgb community. Thanks for all the great videos, it's a bit of a rabbit hole at times and your videos really help to inform xrgb users.
Andy V [Try4ce] N64 is interestingly enough our most-requested topic. Don't worry, it's coming, but as I always tell people, keep expectations modest when it comes to N64 picture quality. At the end of the day, you're looking at 3D graphics in 240p, with heavy anti-aliasing, and there's only so much that can be done to make it look better with the original hardware. As for Framemeister profiles, this is definitely something we want to feature sometime as well. It's a shame we released our settings video just before the 2.0 update went live!
Hi Try4ce. Around the 8:30 mark, you mention playing Famicom disk system games on your AV Famicom. I'd love to play Doki Doki Panic, shown in the video, on my AV Famicom. Do I need the disk system, or is there a way to convert the disk games to play in the cartridge slot? (Kind of like the 72-to-60 pin adapter?) It seems that DDP was never released as a cartridge, at least legitimately. Keep up the great work, guys! Thank you.
+Eric Toalston [Try4ce] Yeah, the Famicom Disk System is needed to play FDS games. I'm not sure about playing the games on something like an Everdrive (if it works), but if you want to play the real thing, yeah, you need an FDS. I'm loving mine, it was completely worth it. Just keep in mind, if you look for one, make sure that it notes that the belt was replaced. The belt that runs the drive was an oddball size, and even if it was unused, apparently you simply can't expect the old original rubber belt to work today. I haven't had a single issue with mine, and supposedly it was replaced. Japan did get a cartridge release called "Super Mario USA" that's just our SMB2, but for the real Doki Doki Panic, yeah, that's FDS-only. I'm planning to do a future episode featuring some neato FDS games.
You guys do justice to every system you cover! Thank you! Do you plan on visiting Japan anytime soon?
[Try4ce] We were in Japan last year shooting our documentary M2: Complete Works. We desperately want to go back, but have no firm plans at the moment!
Fantastic stuff guys!
That intro music kicks ass.
Where did you purchase the NES to FAMICON cart adapter? Is there a 'brand' that you recommend? Also, for SCART cables, do you use European rather than Japanese versions even though using the Framemeister?
There is actually a NES Toploader AV version instead of RF. But I heard that one is extremely rare to find.
kevinhwsohn [Try4ce] I actually only just heard of that the other day myself. I can't believe I had never heard of it!
Any chance you guys may do a mini-episode in the "Blinking Light Win" connector replacement at some point?
[Try4ce] We would love to feature it in some way. I don't think we would do a dedicated episode on it at this point, as it's a bit of old news by now, but if we do get one, we'd love to.
***** Fair enough. I had never heard of it until your NES video had me talking to a guy about putting in the NES RGB mod. He recommended that I look into it.
fceu is an emulator to run NES games on ps2. It outputs 240p insanely good. You can choose between Interlaced mode or not. If you choose not you can clearly see the scanlines if you hook it up to an crt using european scart connector. Cheers from Sweden
Finally found a Canadian installer for the NESRGB board. Time to re evaluate the budget.
It's a shame that the best options for NES are relatively expensive.
I wonder if Nintendo's NES emulator code actually dates back (in part) to Excitebike 64, which had the original version of the game included as an unlockable (if not, it presumably dates back to Animal Crossing for GameCube and/or the GBA NES collection). Nintendo also developed a Game Boy emulator around this time (for the Pokemon Stadium games).
[Try4ce] I haven't extensively tested the Gamecube NES ports since getting the Framemeister, but I did play a little Zelda from the Collector's Edition and was definitely not impressed with its blobby scaling. It wasn't dark, though.
You know for an old piece of hardware that outputs 240p video, the NES has an oddly interlaced look when hooked up with composite video
[Try4ce] That's because composite is just so noisy. It kinda flickers and moves in a way that could be mistaken for interlacing.
I do wonder, emulators have filters for CRT, smoothing, etc. Are there RF-modulator filters? :)
Any plans on discussing getting the best picture out of my Grundy Newbrain?
Well since the AM waves for television is no longer being used nation wide. Most rf switches will work beautiful ). otherwise the RcA seems the best choice. you also have to remember the signal as well. There
can you make video about the other scart to HDMI adapters for those who don't have $300 for an xrgb and yes I've heard about HD Retrovision but it still doesn't solve the problem with newer TVs that can't handle an image under 480p especially newer 4k TVs. maybe some like the new MHL scart to HDMI that goes for around $17 it the more commonly used one? thanks I really enjoy your videos the quality is extremely nice you deserve more subscribers!
Which console would be best for a owner of mostly PAL carts but also a few NTSC and an EverDrive N8?
great videos thank you guys for making the RGB Series, would love to see one for the n64!
Lukas Müller [Try4ce] We get more requests for N64 than anything else, it's amazing to me! Don't worry, it's one of my favorite consoles, and we will definitely feature it in the coming months!
I have a Tim Worthington modded NESRGB Top-Loader I purchased on eBay. The colors are perfect when connected via AV. But when I run it with RGB via SCART through the XRGB-Mini the colors are too red. I can't seem to figure out why or fix the issue. Could you help direct me.
I'm looking to purchase an AV Famicom system, plus the NESRGB kit, for use with an Everdrive N8 Famicom. I want to send the unit to Voultar for the installation, but can anyone explain the difference between using the stock audio circuit versus the NESRGB audio circuit with expansion audio? I'm a little confused, as the AV Famicom already supports expansion audio. Thanks!
Another great video, I am actually looking into RGB modding my system, which is a top loader, but I am kind of conflicted between it and the AV Famicom. I heard there is also a Famicom to NES converter out there as well but it is more expensive so I am not sure what is the right way to go.
[Try4ce] I know that Coury wants to get a Famicom to NES converter, but I dunno much about them myself. I've heard that the converter I have can be re-wired to create 100% compatibility, even with Castlevania III (kinda the benchmark game for if something will work). I'm curious, but haven't pursued it.
Just got both my NES 101 rgb ready and my famicom adapter modded for mmc5 and expansion audio. Personally, I would go with a Honeybee famicom adapter. Those tend to be the best quality converters and the mod is very simple with many youtube tutorials available.
Wait, does the Twin Famicom support RGB natively? You haven't specified it's output PPU. Also, please consider the PC-Engine for the 203 episode :)
***** It doesn't, you need to mod it as well.
***** [Try4ce] It does not, we should have clarified that. It has no special output capabilities. As for PC-Engine, that will be a very important episode for us, but we feel like we need to have access to more of its revisions and mods before we can do the system the justice it deserves. It might end up being nearly as complex (if not more so?) than covering the NES/Famicom!
Regarding the pce, I have a duo, an original pce and a tg16; all modded. I can help with info on that if needed.
Artemio Urbina [Try4ce] Thanks! We think that next to NES, the PCE will potentially be the most complex topic. Currently, the only system of that family between the two of us is Coury's PCE Duo (RGB). We feel like one of us needs to have a TG-16 version before we can really do the system justice with a video. It's something we're talking about, but in the meantime, there are tons more systems we can cover!