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- RetroUSB AVS - Real Hardware HDMI NES Clone Console

M

mosaic

go eat paint
Played through River City Ransom tonight. Forgot the best items but still remembered the boss sequence.

Tomorrow, I think Shatterhand or Batman. God I am enjoying putting this machine to work.
 
T

TSM

Member
Got my AVS today, and my Famicom N8 that had serious issues with the NT works flawlessly with the AVS. Also tested out my ramcart adapter with an FDSStick and that is working fantastically as well. I tried out a couple Famicom carts with sound chips, Rolling Thunder and Castlevania 3, and they also worked flawlessly. Other than the issues with being limited to 720p this thing seems air tight.
 
A

Argyle

Member
Trakdown said:
Finally got to plug mine in. Happy with it, but I was wondering if anybody had the SMB/Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet cart and had any problems getting it to work? I had it loading on my original NES just fine but it wouldn't work on the AVS. Not a huge loss, but interested in finding out why.
Click to expand...

My copy doesn't seem to boot on the AVS either, for what it's worth...
 
dcx4610

dcx4610

Member
Lynd7 said:
So whats the consensus on the video settings for a 1080p set? Whats the best width level?
Click to expand...

I went 3 ticks in at first but I'm now in the middle and think it looks the best. According to a post on NA, the middle is an integer scale.
 
P

Polioliolio

Member
Guys, if you're participating in scoreboard software, please add me on your friend's list, and tell me your nintendoage names, so I can add you!

My name is the same as here, Polioliolio
 
M

mpau25

Member
Did anyone have any issues with there's on startup?

Plugged the AVS in, put in Mario 3 and it starts but the screen keeps glitching in and out, and no audio. Did i get a bum one? =(
 
H

Hansel?

Neo Member
Mine is shipping now. Looking for places that sell legit as in official new (trying my hardest to avoid used) NES controllers. Or is that even a thing? I found controller chaos and they seem to use official NEW NES controllers that you can even customize. Just hoping someone here knows of other places... Thanks.
 
T

The Shapesmith

Member
Did anyone order any of the launch titles for the AVS and if so can we get pix and impressions? They looked like a cross between Atari 2600 and NES games, so curious to see thoughts.
 
P

Polioliolio

Member
Woohoo! Got the AVS Hooked up and working!

(edit: I was mistaking hdnes settings to be in AVS. the interpolation and whatnot, whoops. Hopefully they can add that kind of thing in an update)

Next. I tried out my Gradius 2 cart, and it does not have the issue reported here, with the half blank screen. I never played the game before, so I thought I had another problem, but I tested it in the famicom and the same issue exists.. In talking about how there's no shooting sound effect until several seconds into the game.... Is it my cart, or is it like that? Thought maybe the intro song might be using the same instruments as shooting, so my shooting is quiet??

I also tested Super Mario, Duck Hunt, and World Clas Track Meet cart. It works fine for me, although I know there are at least two variations of this cart.

Next.. I thought I'd throw in Blaster Master, and play it for the first time in my life...

But it doesn't work on my AVS.. Just a blank screen. Won't even go to menu (if auto start is on.. If menu start is on, it goes to menu, but the start cart option is the nonfunctional sprite compared to the 'will work' sprite)

I have not yet tried it in the NES to see if it's my cart or what.. I'll have to hook that up and see in a bit here.

Otherwise, all is well so far!


....

mpau25 said:
Did anyone have any issues with there's on startup?

Plugged the AVS in, put in Mario 3 and it starts but the screen keeps glitching in and out, and no audio. Did i get a bum one? =(
Click to expand...

Did you try any other games yet?
Also, did you try cleaning your game cartridge? Sounds like a fairly typical 'dirty game' glitch.
 
P

Polioliolio

Member
Happy with the performance, but of the 6 NES games I tried, two of them I couldn't get to work on the AVS, but work fine on an actual NES...

Blaster Master doesn't work at all.
I cleaned it about 10 times thoroughly, even busted out the secret sauce cleaner, and nothing. Boots up first try on NES though.

Kings of the Beach won't start either.
Interestingly though, first time I popped it in, it showed the cart graphic in the menu, suggesting it would work, but just went black. Every time since, it's been the non functioning cart sprite.

Can't say I'm happy about that. I feel like it's the AVS NES pin reader (feels more fidgety than the famicom one).. But heck if I know. Everdrive version of Kings of the Beach works though. Everdrive version of Blaster Master doesn't work, but I tried everdrive on original hardware, and the rom still didn't work, so the rom must be bad.
 
riskVSreward

riskVSreward

Member
I'm not sure yet how to add people but anyone here can add me to their friends list too, my name is the same as here: riskVSreward
 
G

galvatron

Member
Also got the system yesterday and have been playing a ton. We tried to get the NES at my old job to play my old Castlevania 3 cart to no avail, but the retro AVS picked it up instantly. The only cart I couldn't get to work was Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode, which is odd since I've definitely been worse to about every other game I tried out on the thing...the cart had been in its box stored in air conditioned closet for years and cleaning it doesn't help. Sequel is in similar condition and worked without cleaning.

I'll sign up for scoreboards and edit my post with my username there.

mpau25 said:
Did anyone have any issues with there's on startup?

Plugged the AVS in, put in Mario 3 and it starts but the screen keeps glitching in and out, and no audio. Did i get a bum one? =(
Click to expand...

Tried SMB 3 today with no issues.
 
Z

zmet

Member
Polioliolio said:
I never played the game before, so I thought I had another problem, but I tested it in the famicom and the same issue exists.. In talking about how there's no shooting sound effect until several seconds into the game.... Is it my cart, or is it like that? Thought maybe the intro song might be using the same instruments as shooting, so my shooting is quiet??
Click to expand...
That's normal. It happens in on my AV Famicom and composite modded original Famicom.
 
M

Marty Chinn

Member
Anyone got a good recommendation for a replica controller? I tried the GamerTek one recommended in this thread but the down on the dpad sucks. It's impossible to do slides in Super Mario Bros on this controller.
 
T

tuffy

Member
Thought I'd try a stage or two of Mega Man 2 to try out the AVS and wound up playing through the whole game. Though it's been emulated on a ton of systems, it feels significantly easier playing on the AVS. It's also a treat to see my old Final Fantasy save was still there after all these years. Even games with spotty emulator support like Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2 worked perfectly - as expected. The only game that's given me trouble so far has been the Legend of Zelda, but I haven't played that cartridge in decades so I'm not sure if just needs a more thorough cleaning, a battery swap, or something else.
 
P

Polioliolio

Member
tuffy said:
Thought I'd try a stage or two of Mega Man 2 to try out the AVS and wound up playing through the whole game. Though it's been emulated on a ton of systems, it feels significantly easier playing on the AVS. It's also a treat to see my old Final Fantasy save was still there after all these years. Even games with spotty emulator support like Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2 worked perfectly - as expected. The only game that's given me trouble so far has been the Legend of Zelda, but I haven't played that cartridge in decades so I'm not sure if just needs a more thorough cleaning, a battery swap, or something else.
Click to expand...

Try it on different hardware.

Seems like there are seemingly random games (not duplicatable by other users) that inexplicable don't work.

Someone earlier mentioned Super Mario Bros 3. I couldn't get Kings of the Beach or Blaster Master to work, even after the most rigorous of cleanings, but they work first time in my NES. Meanwhile, everdrive roms work, so I feel it's something to do with the pin reading device, such as the AVS not recognizing games that have been around the block... Maybe.

I wonder if it could be swapped out for a spare, the same way you can do on the NES.. I have actual boiled pin connectors ready to go if need be.
 
dcx4610

dcx4610

Member
I'm confused on why some are having trouble with certain carts and others are not. I'm not able to get Punch Out to play from the Everdrive but the actual cart works.
 
D

Dineren

Banned
Is this likely to go away at some point? Not really wanting to buy it at the moment, but if they only do limited runs of their products then maybe I will reconsider.
 
dcx4610

dcx4610

Member
Dineren said:
Is this likely to go away at some point? Not really wanting to buy it at the moment, but if they only do limited runs of their products then maybe I will reconsider.
Click to expand...

It's not limited edition and supposed to be RetroUSBs flagship product now. That's not say they won't pull it eventually but I don't think there is any rush right now.
 
N

NoFaceNico

Member
Dineren said:
Is this likely to go away at some point? Not really wanting to buy it at the moment, but if they only do limited runs of their products then maybe I will reconsider.
Click to expand...

I'm not ready to bite yet and this is my concern too. They have to run out of the original power switches some day.

But a friend of mine has one and said he'll sell it to me if he gets bored with it. This guy sells off a lot of stuff.
 
M

MooMilk2929

Junior Member
I read somewhere that the amazon firestick can't be plugged into tv's cause they don't produce enough power. Couldn't that be the problem everyone is having? Everyone is trying to plug it into their tv and maybe it don't have enough power.
 
P

Polioliolio

Member
MooMilk2929 said:
I read somewhere that the amazon firestick can't be plugged into tv's cause they don't produce enough power. Couldn't that be the problem everyone is having? Everyone is trying to plug it into their tv and maybe it don't have enough power.
Click to expand...

Nope. I had mine plugged into a quality power strip, using the included AC adapter.

I've also tried it plugged into my PC... which I'm doing now... to set the WORLD RECORD in Paperboy! Wooo!!!! ...
I don't think many people have played this game on scoreboard.
 
C

cacophony555

Member
Polioliolio, how would you describe the different palette options? Was there a big difference between them? I've read that firebrand x is the most accurate but I haven't tried it myself.
 
P

Polioliolio

Member
Well, I only tested them in Super Mario Bros.
There are only a few choices right now, and you have to return to the menu to switch them, you can't immediately compare them in a game.

There's Original, which is the AVS default, which honestly looks pretty good.
That firebrand x palette is next, called 'Unsaturated'. It looked good. I would have went with that one, but I actually rolled back the beta firmware because it had some audio issues. I'll wait till they get that sorted out.

Next, they had a choice which I think was called YUV or something like that. It seemed pretty close, but it maaay have had more of that purpley sky in Super Mario than the default theme and Unsaturated. Lastly, there was FCEUX, which has more of that yellowy look I like, but there's also something a little off about it. Mario's sprite just didn't look very nice with that theme.

None of them came very close to what my CRT looks like, but that may be due to my CRT settings more than anything. The following pic compares the AVS default to my CRT, but again, my settings on CRT may be more saturated than on your own.

Ef9zrWs.jpg



edit: Definitely something funny going on with the carts people can't get working.
After having already given them a good cleaning, both Kings of the Beach, and Blaster Master worked on the NES, last night, but never the AVS.

Now, I just opened them up with a screw driver, to get an even better look, and cleaning (art erase, light rubbing with magic eraser, and another thorough alcohol rubbing... Pins so clean you could eat off them. Works in NES like new. AVS menu doesn't even recognize they're in there. I may be able to try another copy of these games at a friend's house today. We'll see what happens.
 
StAidan

StAidan

Member
NoFaceNico said:
I'm not ready to bite yet and this is my concern too. They have to run out of the original power switches some day.
Click to expand...

Just FYI to anyone concerned about this: In one of his AVS-related interviews, Brian stated that he's doing another manufacturing run of the AVS (he's already sold through more than 50% of the original run, I believe) -- but that the second order is smaller than the first because of the number of power button assemblies he has left.

That doesn't mean the end of the AVS, of course. It just means that any runs beyond the second will have new/different Power/Reset buttons.

No difference in functionality, but personally my AVS holds a certain "extra" sentimental value to me because it has a tiny bit of authentic Nintendo history combined with all of its brand new parts.
 
M

mosaic

go eat paint
Polioliolio said:
Well, I only tested them in Super Mario Bros.
There are only a few choices right now, and you have to return to the menu to switch them, you can't immediately compare them in a game.
Click to expand...

This is going to sound funny, but your CRT is calibrated "too pleasant." I don't know how better to say it. On most untweaked NTSC sets via composite, Mario's sky should have some degree of purple tint.

But this is why NTSC was called "Never Twice the Same Color," because 1) The NES color palette it out of reference range in many regards, forcing TVs to 'come close', and 2) Eventually most folks would tweak their sets to look how yours does... because rich blues and bright oranges/browns are more appealing to the eye.

So, basically, the best strategy to take when calibrating for NES is to pick two or three of your favorite games and find a balance between reference images and what looks good to your own eyes. I find Mario, Zelda, and River City Ransom are my go-to's because they use huge blocks of color.

Also, on the carts not working tip: Blaster Master works fine for me, but NES Tetris does not. Here's the funny bit -- NES Tetris does work fine in the AVS I gave to my mom. I'm guessing there must be differing tolerances in the pins in the cart connector. At some point, I'll take a look and see if they can be "pried" a little.
 
T

TSM

Member
Ugh, the audio is unusable when input into my Blackmagic Intensity Pro capture card. It just makes an annoying noise similar to when Mega Man refills his health, but higher pitched. I can start games and hear their audio, but the loud high pitched noise is ever present whenever the AVS is turned on. I switched HDMI cables and the problem persisted. I tested a couple other HDMI devices including the NT and they work fine. I brought the AVS back out to the HDTV and it works fine there. My main plan was play this at my PC through the Pro using Durante's PTBI for extremely low latency, but the audio is a no go. Apparently they haven't solved the audio problems some people had reported before this thing launched.

Next I'll try running this through an HDMI splitter I have for stripping HDCP for my PS3 and see if that helps at all, but I'm done messing with it for the night.
 
P

Polioliolio

Member
mosaic said:
This is going to sound funny, but your CRT is calibrated "too pleasant." I don't know how better to say it. On most untweaked NTSC sets via composite, Mario's sky should have some degree of purple tint.

But this is why NTSC was called "Never Twice the Same Color," because 1) The NES color palette it out of reference range in many regards, forcing TVs to 'come close', and 2) Eventually most folks would tweak their sets to look how yours does... because rich blues and bright oranges/browns are more appealing to the eye.

So, basically, the best strategy to take when calibrating for NES is to pick two or three of your favorite games and find a balance between reference images and what looks good to your own eyes. I find Mario, Zelda, and River City Ransom are my go-to's because they use huge blocks of color.

Also, on the carts not working tip: Blaster Master works fine for me, but NES Tetris does not. Here's the funny bit -- NES Tetris does work fine in the AVS I gave to my mom. I'm guessing there must be differing tolerances in the pins in the cart connector. At some point, I'll take a look and see if they can be "pried" a little.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I did change the settings a little to look lively I suppose, a while back.

I'll have to hook up my NES to the 13inch CRT that hasn't had any settings changed, and see how it looks.

So I took my AVS to a pal's house. Tried lots of games. The take away is, the AVS, mine anyway, doesn't take kindly to games that you haven't put elbow grease into cleaning. Simply running a swab over a game isn't enough. You gotta grind that dirt off.

That said, even my friend's copy of Blaster Master would not work with the AVS. No explanation, but it does seem clear the pins, though they have a tight grip, appear to be inferior to the pin connectors in the NES, as many games I've tried I had to give second or third cleanings to.

We had a major victory tonight though. We were playing TMNT3, accidentally picked the mode where we could damage each other in co-op, and managed to beat the game for the first time in our lives! Hoo-yah!

Someone else has reported a USB connector coming completely loose. Apparently it's possible they are very sensitive. Wonder if i should kraze glue it in place between the edge and the plastic case, to prevent a major mishap. I was planning on taking it places and moving it a lot. Then again, maybe I don't want to mess with it to void any warranty on the device.. Is there a warranty?

Reminder to add me on your Nintendo age friends list, then tell me so I can add you! Scoreboard is a lot of fun!
 
M

mosaic

go eat paint
This reply is a two-fer on palettes and warranty...

Re: color palettes

The latest 1.12b02 firmware release is up and fixed the audio glitches that were introduced in 1.12b01. So, anyone that wants to try out the new palettes can do so without hurting the gameplay experience. You can grab the file from the Scoreboard forum at NintendoAge. I tested the four included palettes and I have to say, none stand out as 100% winners to me, because (again) NTSC was never an exact standard.

Unsaturated V-6 mimics pure Composite darn near perfect, but some may find it too "lifeless." If you want the pure experience or want a baseline to tweak your TV from, this is your best bet. The Original palette is very similar, but adds a little depth to the darker shades that seems more pleasant on an LCD. Comparing it to the others, I totally understand why it's the default. YUV V3 is more saturated than the first two options and I guess it's the closest to the NES RGB board in terms of output (from what the chatter on other forums says). FCEUX really jacks up the color saturation and makes blues "very blue" and reds "very red." This is the palette for anyone that remember the Mario games as having rich, popping colors.

I keep finding different palettes suit my eyes better in different games. It's pretty much a reminder of why it's a waste of time to think too deeply about it. As long as there's a hint of purple in Super Mario Bros lv1 sky and at least a hint of red in the bricks in the second portion of Castlevania (right after the first boss), you're about as close as anyone was back in the 80s and 90s.


Re: warranty.

From taking way too many business law classes, I can tell you that just because a stated warranty isn't included, doesn't mean there isn't a warranty. RetroUSB, as a US based merchant in the business of selling electronic games and hardware, is subject to the Uniform Commercial Code. As such, that merchant status plus official descriptions of the product create a legal warranty in the US. Basically, a buyer is entitled for exactly what is in the product description for a reasonable period of time. Likewise, RetroUSB must act in good faith to resolve customer issues brought to light within a reasonable time.

Thankfully, RetroUSB has always had solid customer service, so you shouldn't have issues besides inconvenience.

I encourage everyone to research the UCC. It's an interesting set of rules. It's also why most stores either gave a liberal return policy or a large warranty document.
 
riskVSreward

riskVSreward

Member
Nintendoage is down and Scoreboard has crashed. Not accepting scores atm... :-(

Edit: NM, it's back up. That gave me a bit of a scare because I have a run on pause, but it seems to have reconnected fine.
 
P

Polioliolio

Member
BNGames said:
I just posted my followup video on Bigfoot which is the only game ive had trouble with so far with the Powerpak

Link: https://youtu.be/K86-7y0MHd0

YrHWvvph.jpg
Click to expand...

Bigfoot is one of those games that makes you say 'oh gawd', when you see the cover, and you can only imagine how bad it is.... but it looks fun!.. I might have to get it.. I'm going a bit crazy lately buying up nes games.


Nice video, ... but where are your scanlines, brother?
 
B

BNGames

Member
r3n4ud said:
Great video! Also, I never played Bigfoot o_O

Looks and plays damn good!
Click to expand...

lol I plan on doing my review of it soon, definitely a hidden gem IMO. Especially good as a 2player game I think

Thanks for watching!

Polioliolio said:
Bigfoot is one of those games that makes you say 'oh gawd', when you see the cover, and you can only imagine how bad it is.... but it looks fun!.. I might have to get it.. I'm going a bit crazy lately buying up nes games.


Nice video, ... but where are your scanlines, brother?
Click to expand...

lol thank you, as far as scanlines I don't like the look of them on modern TV's. Thats what the PVM in the background is for ;)
 
P

Polioliolio

Member
riskVSreward said:
This is what they call in the business: a perfect score!

Not sure what I'll go for next.
Click to expand...

I never even beat contra without the 30 lives code... Guess it's time to get real.



About the AVS seemingly randomly not playing certain carts... Someone in the NintendoAge thread saw his cart had a green strip on the bottom of the back of the pins..

I came home to check my games, and here's what I found, and it's not just the two games I was talking about earlier:

cJEzaJX.jpg



It appears the mystery has been solved... for now!
 
B

bar mitzvah

Neo Member
I can't seem to get my Dick Tracy ROM to run. Has anyone had any luck playing it?

I'm probably the only one who gives a shit about this game...
 
L

Link83

Member
Polioliolio said:
About the AVS seemingly randomly not playing certain carts... Someone in the NintendoAge thread saw his cart had a green strip on the bottom of the back of the pins..

I came home to check my games, and here's what I found, and it's not just the two games I was talking about earlier:

It appears the mystery has been solved... for now!
Click to expand...
Interesting! Is there any way to resolve it? Perhaps by adjusting the AVS cart slot pins?
 
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