People expected this after NES teardowns. Its noteworthy now because of the higher price and less games.
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SNES mini teardown confirms recycled NES mini tech
- Thread starter mocoworm
- Start date
dragonyeuw
Member
Don't see why that's surprising that the SNES mini has similar innards to the NES mini. You can run these games on a toaster nowadays.
BronsonLee
Member
I thought this was a good thing? It's a potent enough device to handle whatever they throw at it. I wish it was a full on Nintendo VC device but I figured they wouldn't do that.
2 controllers tho, ya?
2 controllers tho, ya?
AuthenticM
Member
Does this mean I'll be able to hack it soon and play that FFVI total conversion on my TV?
Robin64
Member
Yes. Probably as soon as this weekend.
I'd assume it could handle anything on Wii VC, no?
30 NES games vs 21 SNES games might be a reduction in volume but it's an objective increase in value. It's $150 vs $168 in games going by established pricing elsewhere.
Robin64
Member
I don't know if Nintendo's own emulator for N64 would be much better than fan stuff at this point... it certainly was true once upon a time, but I imagine homebrew has reached fairly optimised levels.
But anyway, N64 via homebrew on the NES Mini was pretty poor. Basic games like Mario 64 were okay, but some like Perfect Dark had no chance.
https://youtu.be/d1wXHumS1gw?t=4m56s
But anyway, N64 via homebrew on the NES Mini was pretty poor. Basic games like Mario 64 were okay, but some like Perfect Dark had no chance.
https://youtu.be/d1wXHumS1gw?t=4m56s
Geno Breaker
Banned
It's nowhere near capable enough of emulating Gamecube games to Nintendo's (kinda low) standards.
Homebrew N64 emulation on Wii and Wii U isn't on par with Nintendo's VC efforts. I'd expect it to be the same with the Classic mini architecture.
dragonyeuw
Member
It's adding a second controller and they're probably using the pricing logic that SNES games are 'worth' more than NES ones, as evidenced by how they're priced on the VC. A N64 mini is likely to be even more expensive and have even less games ( like 15 games, two controllers for $99).
I'm expecting the same price as SNES mini but only 10-12 games and one controller.
Schucky Ducky
Banned
I'm thinking somewhere between both of y'all. $99, 10-12 games, and two controllers. It would have to have 4 controller ports though. 4 player gaming was such a big part of the N64 experience.
Gentleman Jack
Member
2 significantly improved controllers over the NES classic, to boot. The MSRP is perfectly justifiable.
LukasTaves
Member
You don't need to buy the whole console when purchasing a new cartridge though.
Not outraged by that, but I wonder why Nintendo just released multiple mini consoles in different formats all accessing the same virtual console service where you could buy and download games from. Then make the same service available on switch and bring more content due to the bigger userbase.
You're thinking of cycle-accurate emulation, which has never been Nintendo's goal. Remember, NES through N64 was emulated on the Wii which was less powerful than the SNES classic. This is more than enough power to get the games playable without noticeable issues for all but the most discerning retro gamers.
Probably because that's more expensive to do than just dumping roms in the hardware and calling it a day. They seem to view the Switch audience as different from the classic console audience and likely want to avoid any sales cannibalization.
I could see this too. I also wonder if the NES Classic rerelease might be tweaked some (different/extra games, rewind feature, 2nd controller) and priced accordingly?
Adding online (and the associated wifi hardware and extra storage needed) plus an eShop backend would totally change the dynamics of pricing these things though. I love the idea of a literal Virtual Console using classic mini casings, and better linking up with Switch VC, but that's just not what these are and I'm not sure it'd really be that lucrative a product for Nintendo.
I think the N64 Classic would be $79.99 with just one controller and 10-15 games and one of the has to be Smashbros. I expect Extra N64 Classic controllers to be priced at $19.99 and to be sold in multiple colors. If Nintendo is smart enough (They have proved they are not) they would make de N64 Classic controller to be compatible with the original rumble pak and they should sell a new Classic Rumble pak for 19.99 as well.
Tons of people would get the N64 Console with 3 extra controles (for a 139.96 + TAX) to play 4 player SmashBros with Classic controllers on this hardware.
sixteen-bit
Member
I think they would save that for the GCN Classic Edition
AuthenticM
Member
Robin64
Member
LordOcidax
Member
Hackers emulation is not the same as in house emulation (Especially for the guys of NERD), i remember when a lot of people said that the XBO was not capable of emulate X360 games... Also The GC has only 24MB of ram and the Wii 88MB (Both single core). I Think that the NES hardware is capable.
AuthenticM
Member
Thanks. Here's hoping he releases one for the SNES mini as soon as possible.
AtomicShroom
Member
Yeah I guess software has no value then, huh?
tomwhite2004
Member
thats becuase "hackers" emulation generally try to emulate a console to the most accurate state they can, its a hardware preservation effort with the aim to eventually support and play every single game with the exact same behaviour as the original console.
whereas 360 emulation on xbo is a wrapper that has to be adapted on a per game basis to make a title playable, essentially a bit of a hack job. the two approaches are not remotely comparable.
Is it a higher price though? In Australia it's the same price as the NES Mini was if you bought the second controller.
Less games though, sure.
thechristoph
Sir!
Are. You. Serious.
Ninja Turtles figures were all the same base body with different heads. Blatant greed, they artificially created new products to sell the same turtle four times over. When I bought Raphael they should have given me the other heads for free so I could swap them out. That would have been respectable.
AuthenticM
Member
So when you add a game to the NES mini (or SNES mini), is the game run on the emulation code that Nintendo produced? Or are the hackers supplying their own (worse) emulation?
tomwhite2004
Member
it will run on nintendos emulation unless you load retroarch and run a game though a snes core. and btw dont for a second that homebrew emulators like snes9x or bsnes/higan are in any way worse, its quite the opposite.
dragonyeuw
Member
Or they could just pack in 4 controllers, 15 games, $119 and call it a day. Maybe the 4 controllers is very wishful thinking, but I don't see them going through the effort of having to supply controllers separately, I just don't think they'd bother with that seeing as these items are going to be produced in certain quantities and at certain times of the year. And you know there's gonna be supply issues with the controllers, shortages with certain colors over others.....and just become another giant bitch-fest like with the NES and SNES mini releases. Quite obviously the market is prepared to pay over $100 so why not put out an all-in-one package( including 4 controllers) and be done with it? I expect the NES mini re-release to be bundled with 2 controllers, a few extra games and a small price hike. If people are prepared to fork over a couple hundred dollars for shitty think-geek bundles or vulture scalpers, then I fully support Nintendo adding a few extra things( wouldn't cost them much more to do), increase the perceptual value of the package and raise the price accordingly.
JohnSpartanLee
Member
The Nintendo emulator! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wgs_0XlEiY
Skellig Gra
Member
Its an emulator box. I wasnt expecting some custom designed hardware.
kitchenmotors
Banned
This is such a shitty thing to complain about. It only means that stock for these things going forward will be more abundant, if theyre using hardware that works across the board.
And yes, youre paying for the games in between versions. Dont like it? Dont buy it, just means more for the people actually want the consoles.
And yes, youre paying for the games in between versions. Dont like it? Dont buy it, just means more for the people actually want the consoles.
I'm not sure it's much of a RAM issue, but yeah. The CPU performance required to emulate the GC/Wii at full speed is a lot higher than what's needed to emulate the N64, which in turn is a noticeable step up from NES and SNES. No way this hardware will be able to do it. The graphic chip seem to be noticeably weaker than the Wii as well, how can the weaker chip emulate the faster one at full speed?
BlitzBlake
Member
Next gen my ass.
CrashPrime
Member
NES 30 games, $4.99*30 = $149.70 worth of VC titles, and the hardware to run it with 1 controller. $59.99.
SNES 21 games, $7.99*21 = $167.79 worth of VC titles, and the hardware to run it with 2 controllers. $79.99
Nintendo was charging $9.99 for a 2nd controller now included.
That means for $10 more, you get $18 more worth of content, and additionally the only way to legally purchase 1 of those 21 titles. It isn't quite the value of what was offered on the NES, but subjectively, the quality of the games included on the SNES are a step up.
I mean the worst title on the SNES is Super Punch-Out? Maybe Secret of Mana (which fans of the game will crucify me for saying) vs. stinkers like Kid Icarus (iconic but pretty terrible to play) and Balloon Fight.
Not to mention, Nintendo was dumb for limiting the NES, but if they wanna charge $10 extra on something that is nearly guaranteed to be a phenomenon, it is their right to grab an extra percentage from a resale market in which they see no gains.
It is still half-off the VC prices, and you get reasonably good hardware.
SNES 21 games, $7.99*21 = $167.79 worth of VC titles, and the hardware to run it with 2 controllers. $79.99
Nintendo was charging $9.99 for a 2nd controller now included.
That means for $10 more, you get $18 more worth of content, and additionally the only way to legally purchase 1 of those 21 titles. It isn't quite the value of what was offered on the NES, but subjectively, the quality of the games included on the SNES are a step up.
I mean the worst title on the SNES is Super Punch-Out? Maybe Secret of Mana (which fans of the game will crucify me for saying) vs. stinkers like Kid Icarus (iconic but pretty terrible to play) and Balloon Fight.
Not to mention, Nintendo was dumb for limiting the NES, but if they wanna charge $10 extra on something that is nearly guaranteed to be a phenomenon, it is their right to grab an extra percentage from a resale market in which they see no gains.
It is still half-off the VC prices, and you get reasonably good hardware.
Your right, my mistake, I was thinking original smashbros
I think Nintendo might upgrade hardware for it, or somehow make a good multithread N64 emulator.
Then again, Nintendo could get around this by pulling a Wii and only putting low power games on it, or use a board for a GameCube classic later
dragonyeuw
Member
This somehow seems blasphemous, but then I look at the other 20 games and it's like man, how do you pick out a 'worst' game on that list? Granted I've never played either of the Kirby games so I can't speak on them.
Reptars Revenge
Member
Lol if they changed it Nintendo probably would have toruble making more again.
Diablohead
Member
You are paying for the fact that it's an official nintendo snes product with snes games and two snes controllers, not because it's a NES mini with less games.
tomwhite2004
Member
if a wii could manage n64 games on its vc then this hardware could do it too. however i think it lacking any real gpu grunt would make anything above native resolution impossible.
They have more buttons, so unless they were planning ahead and included four unused connections in the NES Classic, I would say they don't.