First impressions: Portable SNES / Yobo FC16 Go

[BAD PIXEL]

A few days ago the Yobo FC16 showed up in the mail and I thought I'd throw out a quick "first impressions" review in case anyone was thinking about getting one.

What's in the box: For about $59, you get the system, two wireless (2.4 Ghz RF) controllers (which take two AAA batteries), a power cord, a mono a/v cord, and a pair of 2.5mm headphones.

Build quality: Let's face it, this is one of those cheap Chinese systems. While it seems sturdy enough, it's definitely "plastic-y" feeling. I'd say it's a little below the FC Mobile II. But again, it does feel sturdy. All of the buttons have a bit of a mushy feel, but are responsive. The directional pad consists of one plastic piece under the case, in the Playstation style. The L and R buttons on top are small. There's no latch for the display door, so it doesn't lock shut. The design of the system is pretty uninspired, so it's function over style here, I guess.

Video: It seems like the sharpness is low. as the display isn't as clear as it could be. The contrast could be bumped up a bit also. Generally the display isn't bad and the generous 3.5" screen is a bonus. Colors are accurate and there doesn't seem to be much movement blur. I tried to get photos of the display, but I couldn't get a shot without it looking like total shit.

Sound: Sound is mono, but sounds good - much better than I thought it would even. It's clear and can be loud, without getting overly distorted. It doesn't sound like ass at moderate to loud sound like the FC Mobile II. The sound is accurate also.

Hooked up to TV: The video is a little fuzzy as mentioned, but not bad. The sound is clear, accurate and sounds good, even though it's mono. Astonishingly, the wireless controllers are much better than I thought they would be - very responsive and have a good solid feel, even though they are very "plasticy." Again, this things costs $59, so you can't get too nit-picky here.

Game Compatibility: I've only been able to try one game so far (Secret of Evermore), but I've read great things about the compatibility. So far the only game I've heard of that's been problematic is Madden '94. It's better on the Genesis anyway, so not a huge loss.

Overall Impression: I'd give this a B. It's way less shittier than I thought it would be actually, especially the sound and the remote controllers. The only real drawback is that the video isn't as crisp as it should be. I bet this could be remedied with some added sharpness when hooked to a TV, but the portable display is on the fuzzy side. Another peeve is that the headphones (and AV) output use a 2.5mm port, meaning if you want to use your standard headphones you'll have to get a 2.5 to 3.5 adapter, which are easy to find and relatively cheap.

If you're looking for a tiny system to get your SNES fix every so often, this isn't the system for you. Since it's nearly the size of a Sega Game Gear, it's not a pocket system, unless you have fucking huge pockets. You'd probably be better of with a GameBoy Advance Micro and some SNES ports. However, if you want a full fledged SNES that you can take on a trip or plane and has the ability to be easily hooked up to a TV, this is a good option. I was impressed at the quality of the sound and how well it doubled as a console system when connected to the TV. It seems like a great system if you want to take your SNES on the go.

[Inazuma]

Wow, that's pretty cool. Does it play Japanese Super Famicom games? If so, where can I buy one?

[Frag Mortuus]

very cool. I wonder if someone could mod a better screen and Dpad into the thing. If so you would have a real contender for a top tier hand held.

[BAD PIXEL]

very cool. I wonder if someone could mod a better screen and Dpad into the thing. If so you would have a real contender for a top tier hand held.

I'm sure modding a better screen and Dpad would be totally doable. It's not a bad package at all for the price, really. The Dpad is the main bummer - it can get pretty mushy feeling and it's not raised up to my liking. The wireless controller, however, is good.

It unfortunately does not play Super Famicom games, the carts won't fit - but if you take the game casing off, it will work, or so I hear.

EDIT - I actually remember reading a thread somewhere about the fuzzy video and that it's actually related to a chip on the board, not so much the screen itself. Not sure how easy that would be to correct, but again for the price, the package is decent.

[Inazuma]

very cool. I wonder if someone could mod a better screen and Dpad into the thing. If so you would have a real contender for a top tier hand held.

I'm sure modding a better screen and Dpad would be totally doable. It's not a bad package at all for the price, really. The Dpad is the main bummer - it can get pretty mushy feeling and it's not raised up to my liking. The wireless controller, however, is good.

It unfortunately does not play Super Famicom games, the carts won't fit - but if you take the game casing off, it will work, or so I hear.

EDIT - I actually remember reading a thread somewhere about the fuzzy video and that it's actually related to a chip on the board, not so much the screen itself. Not sure how easy that would be to correct, but again for the price, the package is decent.

That sucks. I guess I'll have to pass on this one.

[vash23n]

Could the wireless controllers be taken apart and somehow combined with the genuine SNES controllers? That way you have the real feel of the old school pads, but wireless. Oh wait I just read that these wireless pads are not too bad, it's the controller on the system itself that have issues. STill would be cool though.

[Betamax001]

I would have totally wanted one, but I think it could have been streamlined a bit if they took out the console element. It would be cool to have a portable SNES and that's it. If i wanted to play an SNES game on a TV, I'd use my actual SNES. But thats just me.

[MrPopo]

I would have totally wanted one, but I think it could have been streamlined a bit if they took out the console element. It would be cool to have a portable SNES and that's it. If i wanted to play an SNES game on a TV, I'd use my actual SNES. But thats just me.

The circuit for TV out is trivial to implement on a system that outputs TV resolutions (Nomad for example). So taking it out really wouldn't cut down on anything, other than the wireless controllers.

[BAD PIXEL]

I would have totally wanted one, but I think it could have been streamlined a bit if they took out the console element. It would be cool to have a portable SNES and that's it. If i wanted to play an SNES game on a TV, I'd use my actual SNES. But thats just me.

I agree - it's a little bulky, but considering the size of the carts I don't know how much space would be saved by a major streamlining, and I don't know if video out and the wireless card add that much to the bulk. I would have preferred they spent more time/money on the screen and the d-pad on the unit. Any smaller would be an improvement, though. I think I mentioned in another post that it looks like a damn jewelry box sitting on my desk... However, the console feature will come in handy over the holidays - I'll be able to set it up and beat my cousins at Mario Kart when I get bored with the rest of the family... which won't take long.

[Lokkenjawnz]

very cool. I wonder if someone could mod a better screen and Dpad into the thing. If so you would have a real contender for a top tier hand held.

I'm sure modding a better screen and Dpad would be totally doable. It's not a bad package at all for the price, really. The Dpad is the main bummer - it can get pretty mushy feeling and it's not raised up to my liking. The wireless controller, however, is good.

It unfortunately does not play Super Famicom games, the carts won't fit - but if you take the game casing off, it will work, or so I hear.

EDIT - I actually remember reading a thread somewhere about the fuzzy video and that it's actually related to a chip on the board, not so much the screen itself. Not sure how easy that would be to correct, but again for the price, the package is decent.

I think HailRaizer (spelling?) took one of these apart and poked around a little bit, I think he said that it's the screen that causes the fuzziness, I think he even hooked up a different screen and got it looking better. He posted it in the other FC 16 go thread I believe.

Also as for the SFC compatibility, I think it's just a simple matter of breaking off the plastic tabs that won't let the cart in, so it shouldn't be too difficult to do.

I'd like to know what you think of the shoulder buttons though. Right now that's the biggest issue for me, they just look really damn small, but I don't really know if it'd affect gameplay at all.