NES in 2019 - clone console or original?

[SuperDerpBro]

Try Retroarch on a PC with runahead (time travel) enabled. Less lag than actual hardware. If you have a near lagless display (like a good monitor or a VERY good HDTV) its freaky.

I prefer monitors to TV so i game on a 32inch LG or HP monitor (I have two that i use for games). Both monitors have less than a frame of lag and playing Super Mario World on them with less lag than playing it on a CRT with an actual SNES is a pretty big jump forward for emulation.

I actually rarely turn runahead on because GPU Hard Sync 0 is enough for me, and playing with less lag that OG hardware for too long will make the OG hardware feel laggy eventually LOL.

[samsonlonghair]

Try Retroarch on a PC with runahead (time travel) enabled. Less lag than actual hardware. If you have a near lagless display (like a good monitor or a VERY good HDTV) its freaky.

I prefer monitors to TV so i game on a 32inch LG or HP monitor (I have two that i use for games). Both monitors have less than a frame of lag and playing Super Mario World on them with less lag than playing it on a CRT with an actual SNES is a pretty big jump forward for emulation.

I actually rarely turn runahead on because GPU Hard Sync 0 is enough for me, and playing with less lag that OG hardware for too long will make the OG hardware feel laggy eventually LOL.

I don't know much about runahead; tell me about that. I'm having a hard time imagining how anything can have less lag than an original console connected to a CRT, but I'll do some reading on the subject.

I can feel you on gaming on a computer monitor vs a TV set. I've done that in the past, and I like it a lot. The two monitors I'm currently using only offer dual-link DVI and VGA (DE-15) inputs. I've been thinking about switching back to an HDMI monitor just so I can game more often. Maybe I'll line up my mini retro consoles under my glass monitor riser. That would be fun.

[bmoc]

I don't know much about runahead; tell me about that. I'm having a hard time imagining how anything can have less lag than an original console connected to a CRT, but I'll do some reading on the subject.

It is essentially the same technique used by rollback fighting game netcode like GGPO. Google Stadia also plans to use a similar technique to reduce input lag.

The classic example is Super Mario World. SMW has 2 frames of input lag built into the game's code. So original console plus a CRT's display lag (zero) = 2 frames of total lag. Now lets say you have one of the best LCD monitors for display lag that has around 1/2 a frame of lag. If you use runahead to eliminate the the 2 frames of lag from SWM, you only have to contend with the monitor's display lag. 2 frames of total lag with your CRT and original hardware vs 1/2 a frame of display lag using a low lag monitor and runahead emulation.

[SuperDerpBro]

Thanks for saving me from typing it

[samsonlonghair]

I've been thinking about switching back to an HDMI monitor just so I can game more often. Maybe I'll line up my mini retro consoles under my glass monitor riser. That would be fun.

short follow up on this idea. The mini consoles look cool under my glass monitor riser, but my monitor takes way too many frames to upscale that 720p up to 1920x1080. It's lag city. It's a shame because it looks really good, but it's practically unplayable. Lesson learned: my computer monitor might be good for native 1080p games, but it's terrible for upscaling 720p games.

Oh well, I guess I gotta carry the 720p TV set back down out of the attic. That one doesn't give me nearly so much lag.

[SuperDerpBro]

Just do this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mblABT4eOfI

[Jagosaurus]

I have my childhood NES & my buddies'. Both power are but are pins are bad. I'm thinking of going all out with ...

Blinking Light Win setup.

For OP, expect to do some tinkering with an old console. I've owned 5 or so NES consoles... all had pin issues. 1 I had to disable the lockout chip to get it to function at all.

This has me looking at some clones. I only own about 20 NES & SNES carts, but HDMI out (with 4:3 toggle!) would be nice versus repairing above + console composite AV output + RetroTink (another $100). Been debating my next move for 6 months

[SuperDerpBro]

That was nearly the exact predicament i was in. All of the clones seriously suck. Big time. Other than the expensive AVS (or the way too expensive NT), which is a different beast. I almost went OG Hardware + RetroTink. But i ended up going full emulation. Its been fantastic. With the shaders you can use, VIA RetroArch, NES looks several orders of magnitude better than.. pretty much anything other than real (RGB modded) hardware on a CRT/PVM. You just cant play your carts without buying a Retrode.

You could also look into the Hi Def NES

[opa]

Looking at the date of my last update post, it is certainly quite the coincidence that almost to the day five years after the fact that I now have a clone NES and a new game. Allow me to tell you a story as to how this came to be.

My aunt is one of those people that spends her weekends going to estate sales, yard sales, and the like in hopes to flip shit off facebook marketplace. She texted my mom pics of some games... Madden 2007, Sega Superstars Tennis, Madden 2010, a complete-in-box Contra... Wait, CONTRA???

My mom sent me pics and said in regards to Contra: "This one looks like the games we used to get you. Are you interested?" She got it for like a couple of bucks and gave it to me. Pretty freakin' sweet.

Well, I could have sold it for a fairly decent sum if ebay is anything to go by (apparently it's over a hundred for a complete copy now), but I told her I'd actually play it. I got the game and ordered a clone console. I decided on the Classiq N by Old Skool. This clone is around $25 and comes with two controllers, the a/v cord, and power supply. There's an updated HDMI output version but I didn't want to spend the forty or so dollars on it (especially since I have a CRT I can use for it). The reviews on amazon didn't lie: these controllers are awesome. It feels basically like an original controller but it has rounded edges at the top so it doesn't destroy your hands as you grip them.

Of course, this is a clone so it isn't all peaches and cream. The sound is definitely muted. The sound effects sound a little louder than music like the balance is off. But overall the sound is muffled compared to what I remember of the original. Additionally, Contra is the only game I have so I can't give any recommendation or criticism with any other title with this machine.

But for $25 I am not complaining too much. It boots up and I can play a little Contra. And that's all I need right now.

[emwearz]

I am with you on the sound on the clones, it can sound a bit jarring if you are use to what a NES sounds like, however, small sacrifice if you now have an avenue to play Contra.