Mother 3: English Repro Cart or the real thing?

[Forlorn Drifter]

You can do ISP patches on Retron 5? Holy shitballs.

That's what I'd go with, because its awesome.

[raygank]

I have a lot of options here. I already own a Game Boy Player AND a Retron 5, AND several GBAs, and I also own a EZ Flash IV.

The EZ-Flash IV does work on the Game Boy Player, but does not on the Retron. The Retron dumps the rom of the cart to internal memory as soon as you insert it, which doesn't work with flash cards that use a menu interface to select a game.

BTW, once you play a GBA game on the Retron 5 you'll never want to go back to the fuzzy composite video and awkward controls of the Game Boy Player and GameCube controller. It's absolutely great for GBA games. They're sharp, show at full screen with no border, you can add scan lines, and you can play with a comfy SNES gamepad. It's great.

I'm thinking I'm going to buy an authentic cart, and then decide what I want to do afterward. I'll probably play it off the original cart on the Retron, but if I decide I want to play on actual hardware I'll have to just use the EZ-Flash IV. It's a shame I won't be able to move my save between the two, but that's a first world problem I suppose.

[raygank]

You can do ISP patches on Retron 5? Holy shitballs.

Yep, and it's pretty awesome. One neat side-effect of this is that it's easy to convert Japanese SFC carts into their English equivalents, and many times the Japanese carts are siginificantly cheaper. I just ordered a Japanese copy of Chrono Trigger on eBay for $15.

[MrPopo]

BTW, once you play a GBA game on the Retron 5 you'll never want to go back to the fuzzy composite video and awkward controls of the Game Boy Player and GameCube controller.

That's why I use component cables and this:

[raygank]

BTW, once you play a GBA game on the Retron 5 you'll never want to go back to the fuzzy composite video and awkward controls of the Game Boy Player and GameCube controller.

That's why I use component cables and this:

Game Cube Component Cable - $150-$250
Hori Digital GameCube Controller (the SNES shaped one) - $150-$200

Retron 5 - $139

I considered the former, but ended up going with the latter, and honestly I think it's probably a better experience with the addition of scan-lines, save states, and IPS patching. I love the Game Boy Player, but I do think that the Retron is a better choice for most folks now unless you REALLY prefer running exclusively on Nintendo hardware.

And of course it also does SNES, NES, Famicom, Genesis, and (with an adapter) Sega Master System.

[retrosportsgamer]

Yeah those GC component cables never went down - even with Wii component capability.

I'm resigned to S-video on the GC, which is ok. I would love one of those pads.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Would the original really be better quality? The retron is going to dump the rom and emulate it, each option you listed seems like it would provide an identical in-game experience.

I was thinking of the shorter lifespan of EPROM.

And yes, the R5 allows IPS and UPS patching. It is amazing. I am going to spend a lot of time with this console.

[ninjainspandex]

whats the point of the component cables on the GCN for playing GBA games? GBA games are not capable of 480p resolution. Your not going to get much of difference from S-video. Or import a PAL GCN and GBA player and use scart.

[MrPopo]

BTW, once you play a GBA game on the Retron 5 you'll never want to go back to the fuzzy composite video and awkward controls of the Game Boy Player and GameCube controller.

That's why I use component cables and this:

Game Cube Component Cable - $150-$250
Hori Digital GameCube Controller (the SNES shaped one) - $150-$200

Retron 5 - $139

I considered the former, but ended up going with the latter, and honestly I think it's probably a better experience with the addition of scan-lines, save states, and IPS patching. I love the Game Boy Player, but I do think that the Retron is a better choice for most folks now unless you REALLY prefer running exclusively on Nintendo hardware.

And of course it also does SNES, NES, Famicom, Genesis, and (with an adapter) Sega Master System.

I think I got both for $50, but that was 5 years ago. Save states are not a feature I want since I've stopped emulating; I'll deal with the saves a game gives me. IPS patching is neat, but it does tie you to that particular piece of hardware. And I don't understand the appeal of scan-lines.

[raygank]

I think I got both for $50, but that was 5 years ago. Save states are not a feature I want since I've stopped emulating; I'll deal with the saves a game gives me. IPS patching is neat, but it does tie you to that particular piece of hardware. And I don't understand the appeal of scan-lines.

If I had gotten both for $50 I probably would have gone that route too!

I bought the Retron in part because I wasn't satisfied with the experience I was getting with the Game Boy Player. I don't like the frames it puts the game in, and without the nice HORI controller the controls were frustrating. I don't use save states much, but it is nice that they're there and I'll admit to using them from time to time when I get frustrated.

The scan lines thing is probably just personal preference. I think they lend a little bit more of a natural look the pixel art, and to my eye they make the GBA games look more SNES-y. I've tried it both with and without them, and I like it just a bit more with them. On an LCD screen, it evokes the look of a CRT without being over the top about it.