Opinions on the Retro Freak console from Japan?

[FinalBaton]

Hello, I'm new here.

The wealth of information and interesting discussion on Shmups Forum has contributed to my enjoyment of the hobby no end so it's high time I started giving something back!

I recently picked up a Retro Freak to have a mess around with. A few people on here were wondering if it plays roms directly from a microSD card. I can confirm that it does.

The UI is better than I expected and there's an English language option. It has recognized the twenty or so (PCE/MD/FC/SFC/GB/GBA) carts I've tried so far - upon inserting a game the main menu displays the format, title, publisher and release date. Here it automatically imports the save data from the cartridge and gives you the option to install the game to the microSD card.

Although inferior to gaming on a CRT or using an expensive upscaler, it doesn't look too bad and has minimal tearing/distortion. I've used New Famicom, Super Famicom, PC Engine and Dual Shock 4 controllers without any problems and surprisingly the default button mapping has actually had some thought put into it.

If anyone has any questions please fire away (not too technical though please!)

Thanks for providing this info!

[Fudoh]

Thanks, indiantotheright!

How do the rom files looks like when you save them from a cartridge to the MicroSD card and then have a look on a PC ? Standard files compatible with other emus ?

[kamiboy]

How can it possibly look inferior to using a scaler?

[Fudoh]

The Retron5 had some troubles with scanline alignment, when you were using fullscreen mode (224p to 720p). With emus they can always improve on the visual side.

[indiantotheright]

Thanks, indiantotheright!

How do the rom files looks like when you save them from a cartridge to the MicroSD card and then have a look on a PC ? Standard files compatible with other emus ?

Hey Fudoh! My experience with emus is limited but the files the Retro Freak creates have the following extensions:

Famicom - .NES
PC Engine - .PCE
Mega Drive - .bin
Game Boy - .GB
Super Famicom - .SFC
Game Boy Advance - .GBA

.GEN Mega Drive roms don't work unless you rename them .bin but .SMS Master System/Mark III ones do.

I tried using a PC Engine 'rom' I created on the Retro Freak on my Everdrive but it didn't work.

[BONKERS]

How can it possibly look inferior to using a scaler?

No option for integer scaling perhaps.

[kamiboy]

Yeah, that is the only way I can imagine it being worse. Integer scaling from a digital source should be a no brainer.

[indiantotheright]

How can it possibly look inferior to using a scaler?

Sorry Kamiboy what I meant was that I prefer the look of an RGB-outputting console through a Framemeister than the Retro Freak.

[kamiboy]

In what way though?

[indiantotheright]

In what way though?

I don't know how to describe the problem exactly but there are definitely some issues that I don't recall experiencing with the Framemeister.

Maybe it's because I'm playing with scanlines on though...

[Fudoh]

assuming it works just like the Retron5, then you have to choose "force original resolution" to get properly aligned scanlines. Picture quality in this mode is pretty good, not worse than on the FM. The only downside to this mode was that you get an aspect ratio based on the pixel ratio - in other words - rather square for NES or SNES.

[indiantotheright]

Thanks a lot I'll check it out

[dpful]

How is the input delay? I've just started ditching the emulators and going back to the original hardware for that reason only.

[indiantotheright]

There certainly isn't a huge delay (like on the Wii U Virtual Console for example) but in all honesty I've always been content with emu so I'm probably not the best person to ask!

[bobrocks95]

There certainly isn't a huge delay (like on the Wii U Virtual Console for example) but in all honesty I've always been content with emu so I'm probably not the best person to ask!

Is the Wii U virtual console lag just as bad as the Smash 4 masterpieces? Because Super Mario Bros. is literally unplayable in that.

[indiantotheright]

I've only tried Super Mario World and that was unplayable

[Fudoh]

Some YT videos show PCE CD, Mega CD and 32X already playable on the Retrofreak. Does anybody have an english resource for how to accomplish that ?

[Eleriaqueen]

Hey guys, I got my Retrofreak a few days ago but had to get an adapter for the power brick, specifically pins that go in the socket are not the same in France as in Japan or in the US so I only quickly tested it today. I tried Hellfire(cleared the 1st level) and it played perfectly, also non-shmups I had on hand, namely Megaman 5 (famicom) and Megaman X(SNES) [Megaman X and Hellfire are PAL but I ran them in forced 60Hz] and they ran just fine.

In case it isn't clear, or someone hasn't read about it somehow : I confirm :
- Retrofreak can dump your cartridges so you can play the games without needing to insert them again (but you need an SD card formatted in Fat32, 32Go or less)
- PS4 Controllers (wired) work flawlessly with it

I have one gripe with the console, on my unit the Famicom pins are damn tight !

Also, is it me or is the update web-page offline right now ? (it redirects me to http://retrofreak.in/ja/node/6 on which there is an error saying stuff like "page doesn't exist")
(Might be related to those videos Fudoh speaks of ....) (... I even tried a japanese proxy, thinking they IP-locked the page but no...)

I'm still on 1.0 firmware...
But I like it, it's a pretty neat system for people that have limited space on their desk or near their television and/or don't want to swap a system for another everytime they get their ass kicked in a game !

[bobrocks95]

I've only tried Super Mario World and that was unplayable

I guess it's as bad as the masterpieces then. That's pretty terrible, but it's not like Nintendo cares about the Virtual Console any more anyway.

[indiantotheright]

I have one gripe with the console, on my unit the Famicom pins are damn tight !

Likewise. Every time I remove a Famicom cart it feels like I'm going to break it!

[indiantotheright]

I've only tried Super Mario World and that was unplayable

I guess it's as bad as the masterpieces then. That's pretty terrible, but it's not like Nintendo cares about the Virtual Console any more anyway.

What makes you say that? The aforementioned input lag or the amount of releases etc.?

[atheistgod1999]

I still don't get what's wrong with the original hardware. Someone needs to explain that to me. If I wasn't gonna use the original hardware, I'd just use a free emulator on my PC.

[Guspaz]

I still don't get what's wrong with the original hardware. Someone needs to explain that to me. If I wasn't gonna use the original hardware, I'd just use a free emulator on my PC.

The original hardware is 30 years old, often in mediocre condition or significant design flaws (72-pin connector anyone?), has absolutely terrible video quality without very difficult and expensive modification, and often doesn't work well (or at all) on modern displays.

For some people, it's worth the trouble and significant expense to refurbish, modify, upscale, and convert their consoles, and/or seek out professional monitors like a PVM for the best image. For other people, it's not worth the huge expense or trouble, but they still want to play their original games on the cartridges in their closet.

[bobrocks95]

I guess it's as bad as the masterpieces then. That's pretty terrible, but it's not like Nintendo cares about the Virtual Console any more anyway.

What makes you say that? The aforementioned input lag or the amount of releases etc.?

I was going for "It's ridiculous they didn't care enough to lower the lag, but seeing as how there's so few releases these days it's obvious the Virtual Console isn't a priority for them at all".
So both basically.

[atheistgod1999]

I still don't get what's wrong with the original hardware. Someone needs to explain that to me. If I wasn't gonna use the original hardware, I'd just use a free emulator on my PC.

The original hardware is 30 years old, often in mediocre condition or significant design flaws (72-pin connector anyone?), has absolutely terrible video quality without very difficult and expensive modification, and often doesn't work well (or at all) on modern displays.

For some people, it's worth the trouble and significant expense to refurbish, modify, upscale, and convert their consoles, and/or seek out professional monitors like a PVM for the best image. For other people, it's not worth the huge expense or trouble, but they still want to play their original games on the cartridges in their closet.

Yeah, you're a little right. The only retro console I can think of that isn't in good condition today is the NES toaster, however. The other retro consoles still work perfectly today. Also, all you need to make games look like they did back in the day is getting a consumer-grade CRT, which isn't that hard to find; they didn't look like RGB on a broadcast monitor. The game companies should have limited reproduction runs of their retro consoles to add a few to the current supply, supposing they still have the molds and everything

[Eleriaqueen]

So... I installed the latest software on the Retrofreak, and had a "critical error" but the update installed anyway. Anyone else had the same thing happen ?

After this update I can't run (some) PAL games in "Forced 60Hz mode" anymore and that's a bummer... (overlay menu keeps popping up and game doesn't run)

Aside from that, I played some JP Gameboy games, "Hoshi no Kirby 2" and "Akumajo Dracula Densetsu 2" (Castlevania 2) both with and without SuperGameboy borders which is a pretty cool feature.

[BONKERS]

Hey guys, I got my Retrofreak a few days ago but had to get an adapter for the power brick, specifically pins that go in the socket are not the same in France as in Japan or in the US so I only quickly tested it today. I tried Hellfire(cleared the 1st level) and it played perfectly, also non-shmups I had on hand, namely Megaman 5 (famicom) and Megaman X(SNES) [Megaman X and Hellfire are PAL but I ran them in forced 60Hz] and they ran just fine.

In case it isn't clear, or someone hasn't read about it somehow : I confirm :
- Retrofreak can dump your cartridges so you can play the games without needing to insert them again (but you need an SD card formatted in Fat32, 32Go or less)
- PS4 Controllers (wired) work flawlessly with it

I have one gripe with the console, on my unit the Famicom pins are damn tight !

Also, is it me or is the update web-page offline right now ? (it redirects me to http://retrofreak.in/ja/node/6 on which there is an error saying stuff like "page doesn't exist")
(Might be related to those videos Fudoh speaks of ....) (... I even tried a japanese proxy, thinking they IP-locked the page but no...)

I'm still on 1.0 firmware...
But I like it, it's a pretty neat system for people that have limited space on their desk or near their television and/or don't want to swap a system for another everytime they get their ass kicked in a game !

The fact you need to go to an upgrade website and go through some process like this just makes it seem more and more of an offshoot of the Retron5.

[Eleriaqueen]

I wouldn't call it an offshoot...

How else would you be able to update your unit software than going to a website ? It doesn't have wifi... Also the process is quick and most likely is there to encrypt that software file you download based on the "update-request.dat" file they "need". Else people would be hexing the sh** out of their stuff !

On another note, I'm in the process of dumping my GBA games (I have around 60) onto the Retrofreak. Some games take up to 30-40 sec. to dump. Having something to read is a plus when doing just that ^_^

[Floob]

Will it only play dumped roms from its own process, or can you add roms from 'other' sources?

[CkRtech]

Will it only play dumped roms from its own process, or can you add roms from 'other' sources?

On that note, it seems like you could potentially go that route for CD based games as Fudoh mentioned that some people are already running disc games on it