With Nintendo discontinuing the NES Classic Edition, RetroN HD announced their new mini console specifically targetd at NES games, and even more targeted at those who probably missed out on the classic offering from Nintendo. Also for those who don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for it on Amazon or eBay.
The RetroN HD in essence is a NES compatible console that hooks up via HDMI and can output 720p to your TV.
Full feature list below from their site:
1985 in High Definition
8-bit gaming never looked this good! The RetroN HD will play original NES (NTSC AND PAL) cartridges in beautiful , crisp 720p.
Everything You Need out of the Box
It includes one premium classic-style controller, a 3 ft. HD cable, and a 6 ft.Micro USB charge cable.
High Compatibility with NTSC and PAL Cartridges
Its amazingly high compatibility with NES titles assures you and your game collection are in for a treat. PAL cartridges work at the flip of a switch!
Features:
- HD audio and video (720p)
- High compatibility for NTSC AND PAL cartridges (via bottom case switch)
- 16:9/4:3 aspect ratio switch
- Premium classic-style “Cadet” controller (10 ft. cable)
- 3 ft. HD cable
- 6 ft. Micro USB charge cable with USB AC Adapter
- Also includes AV ports with AV cable
Off the bat some of the cool things we can spot are the support for AV ports and cables, so if you have an older TV set or a CRT that you still play your retro games on, then this is perfect. The other good thing is the controller cable length of 10 ft. which is perfect. Unlike the stupidly short cables that came with the NES Classic Edition – this one seems to have gotten the length right.
Also interesting is the cadet style controller, which lets you have that retro feel through and through. The RetoN HD will support cartridges of PAL and NTSC – and can be switched via a switch at the bottom. So if you have cartridges that you got from other parts of the world, I’m guessing you shouldn’t have any trouble playing them. It also comes in two colors – black and white.
A word of caution though, given that this isn’t an official release, and it’s all going to be emulator based – one way or the other – don’t expect sound and video to be highly accurate. I’m guessing though, that if they were able to reverse engineer the NES Classic Edition emulator (which is also Class Action Law Suit worthy), they might have upped the ante. But let’s see how it plays out when it releases on May 25th. It will retail for around $40.
